jamriman
Established
Looking for a good price on this lens. thanks for input.
Ben Z
Veteran
I bought one a couple months ago. It has a tiny mark on the coating of the front element (maybe 1/16" long and thinner than a baby's eyelash) thanks to the former owner who thought a UV filter would "degrade" his masterpieces, and/or a lens hood is the best protection, and/or Leica coatings are invulnerable to scratches like Superman's skin 
As a result I paid $600 for it. I got it in anticipation of someday getting an M8, because I didn't know at the time how my uncodable Voitlander Ultron would perform in terms of falloff. That was proven a non-issue but now with the new "fix" for the IR magenta that will require coded lenses I'm glad I snatched it up when I did...the one lens I have room left money-wise for coding and a filter.
As a result I paid $600 for it. I got it in anticipation of someday getting an M8, because I didn't know at the time how my uncodable Voitlander Ultron would perform in terms of falloff. That was proven a non-issue but now with the new "fix" for the IR magenta that will require coded lenses I'm glad I snatched it up when I did...the one lens I have room left money-wise for coding and a filter.
SolaresLarrave
My M5s need red dots!
Ben, you got a fourth-version for $600? Is that the one that requires 46mm filters?
That's some price!
I got my third-version Elmarit for $658. It had a slight separation in the rear element, but John Van Stelten fixed it for $250. Mine takes a 49mm filter, and I find it fills my wide-angle needs. In case you don't find an Elmarit that fits your budget, take a look at the third-version lenses (made from 1979 onwards). Their prices are still very reasonable for a Leica wide angle lens.
Is that the one that requires 46mm filters?That's some price!
I got my third-version Elmarit for $658. It had a slight separation in the rear element, but John Van Stelten fixed it for $250. Mine takes a 49mm filter, and I find it fills my wide-angle needs. In case you don't find an Elmarit that fits your budget, take a look at the third-version lenses (made from 1979 onwards). Their prices are still very reasonable for a Leica wide angle lens.