Leica Thread Mount Lens, a few questons.....

greenspun.com : LUSENET : Leica Photography : One Thread

I was wondering if anyone knows where the serial # is supposed to be on a 50mm 3.5 elmar. I cant seem to find it. Also, it doesnt have a distance scale on the lens. Does anyone know if this was common for older elmars? Maybe its a fake.....Any help is appreciated...

-- grant (g4lamos@yahoo.com), October 18, 2001

Answers

I have an Elmar 50/3.5 from the mid 40's and the serial # is on that thin brass band on the front of the lens surrounding the front element. The numbers are very small.The distance scale is on the flat piece of metal that is flush against the body when the lens is screwed in.

-- Gerry Widen (gwiden@alliancepartners.org), October 18, 2001.

Grant

The earliest 50/3.5 Elmars early 1930's, most in nickel but a few in chrome) did not have serial numbers. These would be among the first 100,000 lenses made; before 90,000 or so (1932), they did not use serial numbers. However, as far as I am aware, all Leica 50/3.5 lenses, from the very earliest Anastigmat, Elmax, and Elmars, should have a distance scale, with aperture markings so you could estimate the depth of field. I am not aware of any such lenses without the distance and depth of field scales.

-- Eliot (erosen@lij.edu), October 18, 2001.


You can see the serial number on the front of a collapsed Elmar here:

http://www.mawddwy.freeserve.co.uk/leicad2.htm

The numbering is certainly much clearer here than on mine - I have trouble reading the serial # even under a magnifier, and it also took me a while to find it!

-- Richard Williams (richardw@icr.ac.uk), October 18, 2001.


ok, i see that lens there...the ring around the lens that has the serial #, on mine that part is brass and has no numbers...also, i got this lens off a leica A that i have which has the distance scale on the body, hence no need for a scale on the lens..i figure thats how the made the earlier elamars...?

any real info on that would be helpful...

-- grant (g4lamos@yahoo.com), October 19, 2001.


by the way, my lens and cam look like this one, but not as good a shape...

http://www.cameraquest.com/leicaa.htm

-- grant (g4lamos@yahoo.com), October 19, 2001.



Grant, sounds like your Elmar is non-interchangeable lens from an earlier Leica 1 (model A, codeword LEICA). The lens is fitted and an infinity lock is provided by a large angled spring (“hokey crutch”) attached to the camera body with two screws. I understand from your description that you just unscrewed the helical thread but the flange with a metric thread and a distance scale was left on the body. The Elmar of the Leica 1(A) doesn’t have a serial number on the front element ring till 1932 (as any other lens too) but might have one scratched on the inner barrel. If above said is right your Elmar and the camera body were produced in 1925-1932. If so, this lens doesn’t have a register distance (28.8mm) and so shouldn’t be used on others SM Leica’s. Hove (seventh edition) says such a camera has rarity index R3 and price $1400. To be exact it has to know a serial number of the body. VR

-- Victor Randin (ved@enran.com.ua), October 19, 2001.

Moderation questions? read the FAQ