Leica LTM Testing a Xenon....

Leica M39 screw mount bodies/lenses

Vince Lupo

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Just got this lens back from the 'Wiz', Mr. Franklin Delano Marshman. It's a first-year (1936) Taylor-Hobson 5cm/1.5 Xenon lens that I got with some other camera equipment that I bought last year. Frank did his very best to clean it -- as you may be able to see from the colour shot, it has mucho front element cleaning marks.



The focus is silky-smooth, and the aperture works a treat. However, it is very low contrast. This shot is a JPEG straight from my Monochrom:



A bit of tweaking in Silver Efex gave us this:



I'll probably have a bit of fun with the lens, and then sell it on. I'll post any interesting photos that I make with it in the meantime.
 
instant vintage! i like the look. i had a summarit 50/1.5 for awhile (successor to the xenon, i think). lovely glow-y thing esp for faces in hollywood-type light. good antidote to my usual practice of crushing the life out of anything close to black.
 
No, no hood. I currently don't have one, and I think that only the folding barn door Xenon hood fits or the XOONS Summarit hood would fit. Unless you know of a cheap alternative? I'm trying to keep the costs down on this lens, in case I do decide to sell it on.
 
Just a shameless plug (mine is for sale in the classifieds)

I'm a bit surprised by the very low contrast on yours Vince. Although it is indeed low contrast, as long as you don't have a light source in the frame, you get a classic uncoated look.

BUT if you make the mistake to put the sun in your frame, or sometimes even just bright skies, be ready for the mothership of all flares.
 

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Just a shameless plug (mine is for sale in the classifieds)

I'm a bit surprised by the very low contrast on yours Vince. Although it is indeed low contrast, as long as you don't have a light source in the frame, you get a classic uncoated look.

BUT if you make the mistake to put the sun in your frame, or sometimes even just bright skies, be ready for the mothership of all flares.

The reason why mine is so low contrast is because of those heavy front element cleaning marks. Frank did his very best to clean the lens, but the front element is pretty well as it's going to be. I look on the bright side though -- no shortage of shadow detail!

Here's another pair of examples wide open (straight from the camera and 'tweaked'):



 
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