Pre WWII Zeiss Contax Rangefinders vs Leica Barnack Screw Mounts

[helen.HH]

Barnack Gurl I am...would love to try a Contax with a 35 biogon

Below is the 35 1.7 ultron LTM on a Leica IIIA



Up Close

by Helen Hill, on Flickr

 

[helen.HH]

i rarely use the Viewfinder composition window
never use an external attached viewfinder
even though the RF patch window is small there is something quite right in the Rf patch that works for me hence I love to shoot with barnacks.
Sometimes loading can be a pain but I think it's down to the service of the camera
some load easier than others

Below 50 3.5 Elmar on a Leica IIIA



Waiting on a Friend...

by Helen Hill, on Flickr

 

[helen.HH]

50 3.5 Elmar on Leica IIIA



chasing the Pied Piper....

by Helen Hill, on Flickr

 

[helen.HH]

no one ever takes me seriously with a compact old barnack



Fleeeeeeeeting...

by Helen Hill, on Flickr

 

[helen.HH]

35 ltm 1.7 ultron on a leica IIIA



Stripes...

by Helen Hill, on Flickr

 

[helen.HH]

I recently acquired a rare version of 21 f4 Super Angulon LTM
which I will use on a black repaint 1936 Leica IIIA
so I'm back to barnacks, back to film, back to WIDE 😉
The Composition window is Crystal clear, film loads easy
The RF window is very good with the RF patch falling nicely in to place with low light
Quite pleased it worked out from an Ebay deal from Japan...



1936 Leica IIIA coming my way ... THANK You Explore !

by Helen Hill, on Flickr

 

[Erik van Straten]

Yes Helen, the barnacks just go on forever!


gelatin silver print (summar 50mm f2) leica III

Erik.

 

[Dralowid]

I just wonder if someone isn't just stirring things up for fun...after all this argument has been going on since the 1930s.

I'm in the Leica camp but refuse to use the word Barnack adopted by our American cousins. A Barnack would be a member of Oscar's family or a village in England with bronze age finds and childhood home of Charles Kingsley author of The Water Babies.

And... now you've got me started, why is this thread in the Contax section???

 

[Erik van Straten]

I'm in the Leica camp but refuse to use the word Barnack adopted by our American cousins.

Maybe "screw mount Leica" doesn't sound right in their ears, doesn't sound civilized.

Erik.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

"Barnack Leica", a European phrase.

https://mrleica.com/barnack-leica-comparison/

https://www.35mmc.com/03/04/2014/barnack-leica-iiia-rangefinders-35mmc/

Like "Mandler lens", a tribute to the person that invented it.

An easy way to distinguish a particular design, name it after the person that invented it.

https://www.l-camera-forum.com/search/?q="Barnack leica"&quick=1

 

[Dralowid]

Well, they used to be called screw thread Leicas when I got my first one (in '65) and I suppose before the days of the new fangled M they were just called Leicas.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

The LUF has had the "Barnack Challenge" since 2007, for users of "Barnack Leicas".
The OP of that thread is from Frimley.

That is where I picked up the phrase.

 

[Dralowid]

Ah well, I am just sinking behind the times.

I had a 1.5 Sonnar and Cooke and Perkins Contax to LTM mount. It seemed to me to be a much better allrounder than the Summarit

 

[DLox]

Well, they used to be called screw thread Leicas when I got my first one (in '65) and I suppose before the days of the new fangled M they were just called Leicas.

I agree, wholeheartedly.
Perhaps the next assault is that the 50mm. Elmar might become and 'Elmax'
They have trained our 'media' people to place adverbs in front and to describe 'train stations'.
I remain, Sirs, your grumpy old Yorkshireman
David L.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

I agree, wholeheartedly.
Perhaps the next assault is that the 50mm. Elmar might become and 'Elmax'

David L.

The Elmax was replaced by the Elmar, 90+ years ago. The Elmax came first, about 1000 manufactured. The Elmax is a 5 element design.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/202641717415

Are you suggesting going back to the Elmax optical formula?

 

[Dralowid]

Many do not notice that my avatar is the predecessor of the Elmax. Selling that lens kept me happily fed for some time...

 

[Erik van Straten]

I thought the Elmax and the Anastigmat were the same lens (5 elements), only the name was different. The Elmar had only four elements, but was recomputed many times afterwards. Maybe the Elmax was a recomputed Anastigmat. I've never read something about it. Here's a shot with the Elmar from around 1928. Full aperture.


gelatine silver print (elmar 50mm f3.5) leica I (1928)

Erik.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

Another with the Leica IIIa and an early Summar. All the shots with this lens remind me of (original) Kodachrome. I've shot one roll of K-11 Kodachrome.



I sold this one at a good price, found another for $60 at a camera show with even better glass- but later SN.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

1934 5cm F2 Sonnar collapsible, wide-open on a Contax IIIa. Exposure set using the built-in meter.



I later converted this lens to Leica mount, will never sell it. Perfect glass. The F2 Sonnar has a soft front element, like the Summar and Summarit. The F1.5 Sonnar has hard glass for the front element, easier to find in clean condition. Not long ago, I found a rigid 5cm F2 Sonnar with a SN putting it ~1935. Very uncommon with 40.5mm filter ring. Different from the early rigid 5cm F2 Sonnar.

 

[Erik van Straten]

This is with a Summar wide open, but the lens must be in perfect condition for this. The Suimmar has a very soft front element too.


gelatin silver print (summar 50mm f2) leica mp

Erik.