When did Leica swtich to Chrome-plated Lenses?

[Luddite Frank]

And when did they stop nickel-plating ?

I guess I'm looking for an answer from a Factory production standpoint; I"m sure there were Nickel lenses on the shelves for years after production ceased....


Thanks...


Luddite Frank

 

[dlove5]

Frank,

That sounds like a question that has a "it depends" kind of answer. I searched my LHSA Viewfinder archives and what answers I found relied on the sales catalogs and not factory records.

From a catalog standpoint, chrome model lenses were first listed in October 1933 and nickel plated where no longer listed as of April 1937. It varies withing this time frame depending on whether the lens was wide angle/normal, telephoto, nickel/chrome only, black with nickel/chrome.

Hope this is a start.

 

[Luddite Frank]

Thanks, David.

I guess I'm mainly focusing on the 35 and 50 mm lenses.

Presently, I have one Nickel Elmar 50, s/n 99xxx, RF -coupled, 11 o'clock Inf lock.

The rest of my 50's are chrome: 3 Summars: 1934, '36, '37, 1 Summicron '51 are chrome.
I have one 35 Elmar, s/n 400xxx that is chrome ('37?).

I have a couple of black&nickel Leica bodies, so I'm trying to determine "appropriate" lens finishes...

Regards,

Luddite Frank

 

[FPjohn]

Hello:

I have a coated nickel 35 Elmar with no (visible) serial no. The Hove Leica Pocket Book says production switched to chrome in 1933.

yours
FPJ

 

[dlove5]

A Viewfinder article I was looking at indicates the last version of the nickel 35 Elmar was introduced at about number 182xxx and the first version of the chrome finish at about 215xxx. Whether there was an overlap in manufacturing between these versions for this lens is not mentioned. Evidently, the 35 Elmar had 11 variants.