Leica Elmar 50mm Serial Numbers

  1. Leica 90mm Elmar Collapsible Review
  2. Leica Elmar 50mm Serial Numbers For Sale
  3. Leica Elmar 50mm Serial Numbers Lookup
  4. Elmar 50mm 3.5 Lens
  5. Leica Elmar 50mm F3.5
  6. Leica Elmar 50mm 2.8 Serial Numbers
  1. The Leitz 50mm (5cm) f3.5 Elmar lens is available both with a nickel and chrome finish. Early models are marked 50mm (and not 5cm). The latest versions (after #905 000) have a red depth-of-field scale and are hence called “red-scale” Elmar.
  2. The database of Leica lens serial numbers will only show 100 records at a time, unless you click on ShowAll. Summicron 28mm 35mm 50mm serial numbers. If you want to search for Elmarit 28mm serial numbers for example, simply put “Elmarit” Under lens family and then “28” in the focal length search area and it will.
  3. Leica Summicron-M 50mm f/2 Ver.4 without serial number. Shoppingcart add to cart. A-Leica Summicron-M 35mm f/2 Ver.1 Black Paint Brass Mount (retouched). Leica Elmar-M 50mm f/2.8 Silver Collapsible. Shoppingcart add to cart. Leica Summicron-M 35mm.
  4. One of the cameras included here, Leica serial number 150, began life as an ultra-rare Leica I (Model A) with 50mm f/3.5 Leitz Anastigmat lens and us now a gorgeous black finished Leica IIIa UMBAU—still a rare and valuable collector’s item but probably worth a lot less after the conversion.

Update: A reader just sent me another way of determining the production year of Leica cameras and lenses: just got to this website, and type the serial number. And another update on the serial numbers after 2004: 4 000 000-4 010 600: 2004 4 010 601-4 025 900: 2005 4 025 901-4 034 900: 2006 4 034 901-4 057 000: 2007 4 057 001-4 080 000: 2008.

Leica camera not included!

Leica

This is an early 3.5/50mm Elmar lens. Its serial number (293315) indicates it was produced in Germany in 1934. The elmar is an adventurous, go anywhere do anything lens and it's the correct standard lens for most Leica cameras produced before and during WWII. Even if you own faster, larger lenses, it’s hard to go wrong with the legendary elmar. The lens is wonderfully compact when it’s slid down into the camera body, making it very easy to pocket your camera. Extended and ready for use, the lens is a very capable performer and certainly fast enough when you’re out and about during the day. This lens has a beautiful rendering and a classic look that defined the 1930’s, 40’s & 50’s. In fact they're still at work today with photographers & artists around the world. Up close and wide open, it produces a very attractive look. Subjects are finely rendered at the plane of focus and beyond that the focus rolls off very gently into a smooth background bokeh.

Leica 90mm Elmar Collapsible Review

Out and about during the day, this little lens produces crisp images at medium and small apertures. The compact size of this lens, its pleasing performance and its historical significance has made it a favorite with collectors and photographers alike. And it's no wonder that I enjoy taking my own example with us on vacations...

Leica Elmar 50mm Serial Numbers For Sale

The elmar lens in this listing can be used on all Leica screw mount bodies (as well as Canon, Bessa and other Leica based designs). It can also be used on the later Leica M models if you have an adapter. Naturally this lens also works VERY nicely on a digital Micro 4/3 camera. The 4/3 adapters are easy to find on eBay and are very inexpensive.

Cosmetically this lens shows light signs of use of course but most collectors will agree it certainly is a fine example and it looks very nice on a vintage Leica. (Please see photos.) Often these old lenses are covered with scratches however the glass in this example is in exceptionally fine. It’s very clean and clear. There are no scratches, just some faint unavoidable cleaning wisps (but you’ll need a magnifier to see them.) The focus and aperture settings move smoothly and it’s capable of producing lovely photos with modern color and B&W films.

The elmar lens in this listing can be used on all Leica screw mount bodies (as well as Canon, Bessa and other Leica based designs). It can also be used on the later Leica M models if you have an adapter. Naturally this lens also works VERY nicely on a digital Micro 4/3 camera. The 4/3 adapters are easy to find on eBay and are very inexpensive.

Leica Elmar 50mm Serial Numbers Lookup

Cosmetically this lens shows signs of use of course but most collectors will agree it certainly looks very nice on a vintage Leica. (Please see photos.) Often these old lenses are covered with scratches however the glass in this example is in exceptionally fine condition. It’s very clean and clear. There are no scratches, just a couple of very faint, unavoidable cleaning wisps (but you’ll need a magnifier to see them.) The focus and aperture settings move smoothly and it’s capable of producing lovely photos with modern color and B&W films.

All in all, a fine little lens full of that special Leica character. An authentic, period correct lens for your classic prewar Leica.

Numbers

Elmar 50mm 3.5 Lens

Elmar

In 1956, Leitz introduced a rigid version of the 50mm f2 Summicron, the revolutionary lens first offered as a collapsible version in LTM in 1953 and in M mount in 1954. The 1956 rigid version constituted a revised optical design with a harder front element and deeper rear element. A “Dual-Range” M mount rigid version was also introduced at this time. Leitz produced this “second version” rigid Summicron, both normal and dual-range, between 1956 and 1968.

Between 1960 and 1963, Leitz also produced 1160 copies of this rigid second version in LTM, making it one of the rarer and most valuable Summicrons produced. Of course, its rarity soon encouraged the assembling of fakes; the rigid Summicron’s lens head can be unscrewed from the rigid mount, and Leitz complicated matters by supplying rigid mounts in LTM for a few years so that owners of M and LTM bodies wouldn’t have to buy two lenses but could simply swap one lens head between two different lens mounts, M or LTM.

The end result is that it’s a good possibility that the LTM Rigid Summicron you’re being offered for sale is a frankenlens and not a true factory assembled version. The situation becomes further confused in that the true focal length of the rigid Summicrons differed slightly, depending on the version – 51.6, 51.9 or 52.2 – while the LTM rigid mount required a specific 51.9 focal length lens head, and many of these self-assembled lenses contain 51.6 or 52.2 lens heads mated to LTM rigid mounts.

How can you tell you’re looking at a rare factory assembled example instead of one made up from a replacement focusing mount and a non matching lens head? Fortunately, on the factory assembled models Leitz engraved the serial number of the lens both on the lens head and on the detachable lens mount. If these serials match, you’ve got a legit factory assembled LTM Rigid Summicron; if not, you’ve got a self-assembled frankenlens with potential focal length compatibility issues, one that can’t claim to be among the 1160 produced by Leitz.

A further complication in identifying a real factory produced version is that Leitz apparently produced them in dribs and drabs instead of one sequential run of 1160 consecutive serial numbers. According to Dennis Laney’s Leica Collector’s Guide, accepted serial number ranges for a legit copy are 1,599,XXX, 1,704,XXX, 1,706,XXX, 1,762,XXX, 1,763,XXX and 1,885,XXX, “but, as always with Leitz, the fact that a lens falls outside of this range does not necessarily mean it is not original” [Laney’s words]. The litmus test is the matching serial numbers.

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Leica Elmar 50mm F3.5

I was recently contacted by Bill Moretz, the owner of a reputable brick and mortar photo establishment in business since 1988 doing repair and photo lab services and equipment rental – asking me about a rigid Summicron he had in inventory he wasn’t quite sure exactly what it was. I had him send me some pics, did a little research, and then asked him to remove the mount from the lens head to see if the serials matched. They did. His rigid thread mount Summicron is a rare factory assembled original, serial number 1,607,043. According to Bill, everything in great condition optically and mechanically.

Leica Elmar 50mm 2.8 Serial Numbers

Bill has asked that I put the word out through the blog that the lens is for sale, and I told him I’d be happy to do so in order that he might avoid the pitfalls of Ebay and the various ways dishonest buyers devise to scam honest sellers out of collectible items. He’s asking $1950 plus insured shipping charges of $30 within the States. In my opinion, that’s a great deal as I see undocumented versions with various optical issues offered from anywhere between $1700 on the low end to $2800-$3000 on the high end. It comes with the original matching Leitz hood and lens cap.

If you’re interested, contact me at leicaphilia@gmail.com.