Coldkennels
Barnack-toting Brit.
Only a couple of years ago, it seemed like every vintage camera dealer and Leica specialist in the UK was drowning in 50mm screwmount Elmars; they were everywhere.
At the time, I didn't really want one - I had a Summicron and a Summar, so I was pretty well covered. But at some point last year, I developed a bit of a hankering for a post-war 50/3.5 Elmar... and yet they seem like hen's teeth these days. I've barely seen one for months - usually just a battered one thrown in with an early Barnack.
Same with 50mm lenses in general, actually. For instance, every time I've looked at Red Dot's website it seems like they have nothing shorter than 90mm in screwmount.
What on earth is going on here?!
At the time, I didn't really want one - I had a Summicron and a Summar, so I was pretty well covered. But at some point last year, I developed a bit of a hankering for a post-war 50/3.5 Elmar... and yet they seem like hen's teeth these days. I've barely seen one for months - usually just a battered one thrown in with an early Barnack.
Same with 50mm lenses in general, actually. For instance, every time I've looked at Red Dot's website it seems like they have nothing shorter than 90mm in screwmount.
What on earth is going on here?!
charjohncarter
Veteran
I've used mine since 1964. It has never been serviced and is clear as a bell. Besides that it is extremely sharp. Right now I have it on the same IIIf it came with and a roll of Tmax400, that combo has always been good to me. So maybe people wanted a sharp lens that give zero problems.
Mr_Flibble
In Tabulas Argenteas Refero
Peter Loy usually has a couple in stock, but I only see two on offer at the moment. And neither has clean glass.
Ccoppola82
Well-known
Igor has a few elmars and a bunch of other thread mount 50s
james.liam
Well-known
dourbalistar
Buy more film
FWIW, the OP is in England...
james.liam
Well-known
Igor and Tamarkin ship internationally.
Don’t think they’re so much disappeared as people haven’t ventured out to sell things. B&H barely has much 2nd hand items because they depend on the foot traffic to get new items in for sale. Igor and Tamarkin have always depended on mail in valuations and so they have more items. The paucity at places like Fforde’s is probably the B&H phenomenon.
dourbalistar
Buy more film
james.liam
Well-known
True, but after international shipping plus VAT, it might cost Elmar and a leg.
Good point
Coldkennels
Barnack-toting Brit.
This is an interesting take and one I hadn't considered - I think I took it for granted that Red Dot, Peter Loy, MW, Ffordes etc. just had a magic bottomless source of Elmars, and that obviously relies on them actually being able to interact with people.
My "day job" - if you can call it that - is in skateboarding. We had a really, really bad problem in 2020 due to a perfect storm of an absolutely crippled supply chain (closed factories, less/more expensive international shipping) and an unprecedented level of demand; skateboard products are selling faster now than they have at any point in the last two decades, if not further back. It's been manic and it's caught us all by surprise. Turns out that when people are stuck at home, have a lot of time on their hands, and aren't spending money in the pubs, they start picking up hobbies they've always wanted to do or may have put on the back burner for a long time, and I do wonder whether a similar thing is happening with rangefinders (and just cameras in general) right now.
True, but after international shipping plus VAT, it might cost Elmar and a leg.
At the end of last year, the $ was weaker to the £ than it has been in a long time, but with the cost of mid-pandemic shipping and a flat 20% VAT + whatever duty is on cameras... yeah. I'm keen to avoid American purchases if I can help it!
xayraa33
rangefinder user and fancier
It seems photographers are appreciating the 50mm Elmar more and more with the advent of FF mirrorless cameras and cheap adapters and are not so keen to sell them like before as one of the commonest lenses in film Leicadom.
rulnacco
Well-known
Try my good friends Reg & Paul Roach at High Street Radio (http://www.croydonphotocentre.co.uk) in Croydon. Despite the name of the firm, Reg has been selling Leica gear for well over 50 years and has a fanatically devoted crew of regulars. I've bought so much stuff from him over the years, I'm probably permanently impoverished as a result.
He currently lists several Elmars in stock--click on the Stock link when you visit the website. Reg (Paul is his son, and is the co-owner of the shop) is extremely honest and forthright. Get in touch, and he'll describe what he has on offer--and it will be very fairly priced.
He currently lists several Elmars in stock--click on the Stock link when you visit the website. Reg (Paul is his son, and is the co-owner of the shop) is extremely honest and forthright. Get in touch, and he'll describe what he has on offer--and it will be very fairly priced.
David Murphy
Veteran
I had an excellent pre-war Elmar for sale here recently at $250, which is not a lot for an Elmar, and no one wanted it! I finally sold it to someone over on Photrio for $200 and the buyer was happy. It had a few minor cleaning scratches, but otherwise just lovely.
The market value of used Leica items is very, very condition sensitive. For instance one could easily pay $500 for a nearly pristine Elmar, which would perform indistinguishably from my $200 Elmar. Crazy, but that's Leica.
The market value of used Leica items is very, very condition sensitive. For instance one could easily pay $500 for a nearly pristine Elmar, which would perform indistinguishably from my $200 Elmar. Crazy, but that's Leica.
David Murphy
Veteran
The Elmar is such a good lens for it's simplicity and utility, it's almost too good to be true. However some of the copies produce virtually the same results often at lower cost. For instance the fairly common Leotax Simlar 50/3.5, a straight Elmar copy, is just as good. An Industar-22 in good condition the same.
xayraa33
rangefinder user and fancier
Right on, David....I got two Industar 22 lenses and I cannot tell apart any photos taken by these I-22 lenses or photos taken by my 50mm Elmar, even the bokeh is virtually the same when photos are taken in the same conditions.
Coldkennels
Barnack-toting Brit.
Agreed on the Industar. I have a lovely one permanently attached to a Zorki 5. Soviet stuff's just out-of-spec enough that using them on a "true" LTM body stresses me out, though - even at f/3.5.
That's a great nod - cheers for the tip. Looking at his list now and I'm very tempted to go bankrupt tomorrow!
There are a few dozen on eBay right now. OK, not all of these listings are for a lens only. But plenty are. Some of them even smell nice, apparently.
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=5cm+Elmar+f3.5+-Soviet+-Fed&LH_ItemCondition=4|10
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=5cm+Elmar+f3.5+-Soviet+-Fed&LH_ItemCondition=4|10
rulnacco
Well-known
When you talk with the gentlemen from High Street Radio--if you haven't called them already--tell them that Bernard, who is currently in Florida, recommended them and says hello.
I've been a loyal customer of theirs for over a decade--I'm always surprised they're not more widely known, but those that know, know. Reg is 89, and if it weren't for the pandemic, he'd still be in the shop four days a week because he loves to sell cameras, and he loves to talk cameras and other matters with his customers, some of whom have been coming to him for several decades themselves. (A stop and conversation at High Street Radio is always a lot of fun--which is why, when I lived in Croydon for over 10 years, I did it every week at least!)
Reg used to be an official Leica dealer for a long time until they decided they were a jewellery company and insisted that even small dealers had to keep £70,000 of new Leica stock on hand. But even when he--and many of the other traditional Leica outlets--lost their franchise, the Leica reps used to stop in and visit, as it was always just as pleasant for them as for the customers.
To show how high an opinion I have of Reg and what he sells, here is a (very) partial list of what I've bought from him over the years: M3 single stroke (my first Leica), M6 0.85, 50 Rigid Summicron, 50 Summilux Pre-Asph, 50 Summicron V4, 35 Summicron V2, 90 Summicron Pre-Asph, Rolleiflex 2.8F, Hasselblad 500CM & 80mm Planar, Hasselblad 180 CFi, plus lots of Nikon lenses, manual and autofocus--and loads of other small bits, including filters, focusing screens, lens hoods, etc., etc., etc.
I can't think that you'd be at all disappointed. Reg has always told me that his goal was that when someone walked out of his shop with a purchase, both parties were entirely pleased.
I've been a loyal customer of theirs for over a decade--I'm always surprised they're not more widely known, but those that know, know. Reg is 89, and if it weren't for the pandemic, he'd still be in the shop four days a week because he loves to sell cameras, and he loves to talk cameras and other matters with his customers, some of whom have been coming to him for several decades themselves. (A stop and conversation at High Street Radio is always a lot of fun--which is why, when I lived in Croydon for over 10 years, I did it every week at least!)
Reg used to be an official Leica dealer for a long time until they decided they were a jewellery company and insisted that even small dealers had to keep £70,000 of new Leica stock on hand. But even when he--and many of the other traditional Leica outlets--lost their franchise, the Leica reps used to stop in and visit, as it was always just as pleasant for them as for the customers.
To show how high an opinion I have of Reg and what he sells, here is a (very) partial list of what I've bought from him over the years: M3 single stroke (my first Leica), M6 0.85, 50 Rigid Summicron, 50 Summilux Pre-Asph, 50 Summicron V4, 35 Summicron V2, 90 Summicron Pre-Asph, Rolleiflex 2.8F, Hasselblad 500CM & 80mm Planar, Hasselblad 180 CFi, plus lots of Nikon lenses, manual and autofocus--and loads of other small bits, including filters, focusing screens, lens hoods, etc., etc., etc.
I can't think that you'd be at all disappointed. Reg has always told me that his goal was that when someone walked out of his shop with a purchase, both parties were entirely pleased.
farlymac
PF McFarland
I've been looking for the 2.8 Elmar in LTM to replace the junker I have, and once the pandemic hit the Elmars (both versions) just started flying of the shelves. Dealers that would normally have several of them listed might only have one or two at the best, and most of what's left on eBay is either overpriced or overstated. I think it's just been a lot of online buying since idle minds have plenty of time to think and browse. At least that's what I've been doing, though not so much buying, but it's something to pass the time. Every once in a while I'll find an accessory I didn't know I needed.
PF
PF
raydm6
Yay! Cameras! 🙈🙉🙊┌( ಠ_ಠ)┘ [◉"]
I saw a f3.5 elmar at a local antique co-op last year for I think was $185 or so. Looked like it was in decent shape. I handled it and placed it back in the cabinet. I should have snagged it. Already have a Summitar and Summicron in LTM was my thinking.
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