elmar 50/3.5 or 50/2.8?

Looking at all the dust, scratches, and haze in my LTM elmar 50/3.5 has given me a GAS attack. Loss of pocketability and $$$ keeps me from seriously considering a new screwmount summicron. I think the elmar is a great lens. What do you think about replacing it with a 50/2.8? Image quality vs. size and weight? I have a summitar, but I prefer the elmar. Thanks, Barnack fans.

I think I'd just look for a cleaner coated 3.5 if you have been happy

with yours. At any given time, it seems there are at least a few

reputed to be in super clean shape on Ebay, and they don't go for a

ton of cash. I've been tempted to pick one up myself and use it on

my M3 for times when the ultra high sharpness and contrast of the

Summicron is not needed.

From an inconoclastic Barnack user (III F):

Have you given any thought to the Cosina lenses, especially the 50mm

1.5 Nokton or the 35mm 1.7 Ultron?

I refer you to Erwin Putts review of those.

The price/performance ratio is astounding. Granted, the construction

may not be up to Leica standard, but, I use them on my LTM and the

results compare extremely favorably with those from my M6 cum

Summicron 35mm 2.0.

 

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If one is on a tight budget,(as I am), those Cosinas are a godsend.

Thanks for the Cosina info, but I'd rather have a collapsable lens,

so I can carry my IIf in my pocket.

John, have you considered speaking to Jon Van Stelten at Focal Point

in CO? He can do a CLA and, if necessary, re-coat the front

element. The 3.5 Elmar's front element is very small and not

cemented to another element, so the cost should not be exhorbitant.

The LTM 50/3.5 is my favorite Leica lens. The 50/2.8 Elmar is almost

exactly the same weight as the Summitar, even though it has a

rotating mount, and has the larger 39mm filter size. Collapsed it

protrudes nearly as far as the Summitar, and extended it's even

longer. It doesn't really offer any advantages over the 50/3.5,

except 2/3 stop in speed, and I can't tell any difference in

sharpness. I'd say either have your 50/3.5 refurbished (see Jay's

post) or replace it with a clean used one.

just seconding jay. i'm using a first-version collapsible

summicron that has had a compolete CLA by Van Stelten, including the

front element polished and recoated. The cost was $175!............

Van Stelten cannot recoat the 3.5 Elmar as the front element is too

small.

Now look what you made me do--I just found a clean coated Elmar at a

really good price and bought it. What size cap does it take, and was

there ever a filter adapter that steped it up to 39mm?

36mm clamp-on. But if you put a filter on it you won't be able to

set the aperture.

Who needs a filter anyway. Anyone got a 36mm cap for sale?

It is not Leitz but you can use a plastic soft drink tap Andrew, I

usualy keep my original caps safe at home and use plastic taps that

fit, and losse tons of them, and don´t care much.By the way changing

apertures to an Elmar can be a pain in your nails, if you find a

trick to that let us know.

How about that fancy hood they made that coupled with the aperture?

I know, they probably are collectors items now and cost more than the

lens. Maybe I'll just leave it set at 5.6 or 8.0.

It's a VALOO and they seem to go for about $40 on eBay, and work

quite nicely (click stopped). You can clamp a 36mm filter over them

also.

I believe that an Elmar 3.5/50 is a great lens and worth to be

repolished and recoated. My uncoated nickel Elmar 3.5/50 (1934) have

been repolished and fully multicoated. It works a little better than

my 2.8/50 Elmar on M3, less flare, more contrast and sharpness. I use

it on a pristine Leica III in black. My second chrome coated Elmar

3.5/50 on 11F is working almost likewise as recoated one.

victor: who multicoated your Elmar? Somebody earlier on this thread

said van Stelten couldn't do it................

The collapsible Summicron is a very respectable lens for image

quality, though it doesn't collapse as flat as the 3.5 Elmar. The

2.8 Elmar doesn't, either.

the 50/3.5. may look like a body cap when collapsed; does any one

know of it´s average price now?

To David: My Elmar 3.5/50 was repolished and recoated at the

works "Arsenal", Kiev, Ukraine, where such cameras as Salut, Kiev-88,

Kiev-6c and others are made.

 

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Victor