Sonnar2 said:
Yup. I happened to mention some pictures taken with it in a posting on an RF-camera email list, and another list member replied, basically, "That can't be what it is! There are only two examples of this lens known to exist in LTM!"
Since he was co-author of a very authoritative book on LTM lenses and another one on Zeiss, I was inclined to take him seriously. On the other hand, the lens was right there in my camera bag! I sent him photos and eventually he was compelled to admit that now THREE were known to exist.
Although the glass on mine was in good condition, the mechanics were pretty rough (which was no more than you'd expect, considering that I had bought it for $20 from the "junk box" on a table at a camera show!) Once I sold my last Leica M, I no longer had a camera with a 75mm finder frameline, and I felt a little nervous about using the lens now that I knew it was one of so few survivors... so eventually I sold it at a reasonable but not astronomical price to an expert who was willing to spend the considerable amount of money needed to have a specialist solve its mechanical problems.
I know I've told this story before, so apologies to those who have read it before. But since someone DID ask, I don't mind telling it again! It's the only time I've ever been lucky enough to be the protagonist of one of those "treasure from trash" stories we all hear around the photo world...
