Leica LTM Which 50 Elmar for BW prints? Or just Cron.

[paulfish4570]

it has been more than 40 years since i let go of my M3 and elmar 50/2.8. the elmar remains my favorite film lens of all time. oh, the prints it yielded ...

 

[Erik van Straten]

The posted images here are beautiful. They make me want to take B&W photos.

Erik: your Summitar has 10 aperture blades and is uncoated. My Summitar was made in 1950 and it has 6 blades. Most likely it is coated.

Thank you, Raid! That is right, mine has ten blades, but is uncoated, serial number 508151. The opening is round.

My 3 Summars all have 12 blades, but the opening is hexagonal. the blades are not flat, but bended, to fit between the elements. They are a nightmare for every Leica repairman.

So the coated Summitar has six blades. I think that good examples are very hard to find.

Like the collapsible Summicron. The front lenses are always scratched due to the very soft coating.

Erik.

 

[cboy]

Wonderful images.The elmars look gorgeous! Quintessential leica rendering. Also to the photographers doing damn fine work!

 

[Ko.Fe.]

Now we are talking!
I like uncoated Elmar photos and I liked 2.8 version photos as well and how Helen described them.
Erik reminder about Elmars optical schemes finally got me thinking today. .
I don't want another Cosina lens, but here is collapsible Heliar 50 3.5 . Seems to be not just sharp lens...

 

[Erik van Straten]

The Hektor 50mm f/2.5 is also a good idea. Gives a very fine classic look, great for portraits.

gelatine silver print (hektor 50mm f/2.5) leica II

Erik.

 

[shawn]

So the coated Summitar has six blades. I think that good examples are very hard to find.

Like the collapsible Summicron. The front lenses are always scratched due to the very soft coating.

Not all coated Summitar's have six blades though. 1950 Summitar #786236

Takes some looking but good examples are out there. Look for them on Barnacks selling as a package and look for ones with filters on them so that hopefully the filter was beat up, not the front element. Will probably have a stiff aperture (which could lower the selling price) but that is easy to fix.

Shawn

 

[shawn]

Now we are talking!
I like uncoated Elmar photos and I liked 2.8 version photos as well and how Helen described them.
Erik reminder about Elmars optical schemes finally got me thinking today. .
I don't want another Cosina lens, but here is collapsible Heliar 50 3.5 . Seems to be not just sharp lens...

The 2.8 LTM is a nice lens too. Way more convenient to adjust compared to the 3.5s and a little more compact than the Summicron collapsed.

Shawn

 

[Bingley]

Not all coated Summitar's have six blades though. 1950 Summitar #786236

Takes some looking but good examples are out there. Look for them on Barnacks selling as a package and look for ones with filters on them so that hopefully the filter was beat up, not the front element. Will probably have a stiff aperture (which could lower the selling price) but that is easy to fix.

Shawn

I agree with Shawn. My 1949 coated Summitar, No. 739935, has ten blades.

 

[Erik van Straten]

I have a great lens that is not made by Leitz, but by Taylor, Taylor and Hobson for the Foton, an American camera from the late 1940's. The name is Cooke Amotal, 50mm f/2. It is coated with a hard coating (EBC-coating), has six elements (not unlike the Summar) and is adapted by a third party to fit the Leica M-bayonet. It is a light weight aluminum lens, very modern for its vintage. Lovely rendering and bo-keh.

gelatine silver print, (Cooke Atomal 50mm f/2) leica mp

Erik.