ElCan lenses & cameras

Somebody asked about Leica Canada lenses and cameras. I can't find

the posting, but here's is what I know (just off the top of my head).

ElCan (Ernst Leitz Canada) was set up in 1952 and the factory was

finished in 1953. Production was aimed at producing both civilian and

military optics/cameras. In the late 1990 the plant was sold to

Hughes Aerospace and later Rayethon took over. The last Leica camera

lens produced was the Noctilux (they still supply optical assemblies

for these lenses to Leica Germany.

Here is my,incomplete list, of ElCan produced Leica stuff:

Leica IIIf and IIf engraved Leica/Midland

Leica 72 (half frame) Made in Canada, but some had Made in Germany

top-plates on them. It was a camera designed for scientific work and

German universities were encouraged to by Made in Germany products.

Stereo Elmar (35mm and 33 mm)

Summarit 50/1,5 Engraved Leica/Midland

Hektor 125/2,5 Some were engraved Leica/Germany but they all came

from Canada.

Summicron 90/2 SOOZY version screwmount with adapter for M

M-stuff

28/2,8 Elmarit M

35/2 Summicron

35/1,4 Summilux (non-aspheric)

50/2 Summicron

75/1,4 Summilux

90/2 Summicron M-mount (until the 90 Apo/Aspherical

135/2,8 Elmarit (the "goggled" one)

200/4 Telyt (Viso lens)

280/4,8 Telyt (Viso lens)

 

Prototypes for M's

75/2,4 Apo-Elmarit M

28/2 Summicron (in 1970)

and there are many more of these prototypes around. Many are stuck in

desk drawers of retired Leitz Canada employees

 

M-Bodies:

M2 engraved Leitz Canada

M3 engraved Leitz Canada

1/2 frame M2's

M4 "Midland" - some of these had Leitz Germany top-plates, but most,

if not all were made in Midland

M4-2 All were made in Midland.

M4-P All made in Midland

The early M6's also came from Canada.

 

Leica Canada also made highly specialized optics for the US Military'

180/3,4 Apo-Telyt (6-7 were made in M-mount with goggles - the rest

were R-mounts)

66mm/f2 Ultra high resolution lens in M-mount - not coupled to the

rangefinder.

50/2 Elcan for the KE-7 Military M4.

There is also a whole series of lenses made for photogrametrical

imaging. Most of these are small runs of orders. I have seen

560/5,6 "clusters" (4 lenses covering 5x5 each - mounted on a 10x10

plate and attached to a Wild/Leitz 10 inch aerial camera.

250/4 designed for infrared - one element is a ruby red glass or

crystal.

90/1 Elcan in M-mount. No helicoil as it used rings to set the

focussing distance.

6"/f2,8 Aerial lens. Quite common, often seen adapted to old 6x9

Speed Graphics.

2"/2 and 1,5"/f2 Aerial lenses (these were fairly extreme wide-

angles covering 120 film or 70mm perforated film. Big, heavy cameras

and many were used on Harrier jets during the Falkland war in

1982.Some can be adapted to other cameras, but the film to lens

flange distance was very short.

There was also a series of R-lens prototypes, including a 75/2 Apo.

ElCan also designed ultra high reolution enlargers, the ElCan 121 -

it will resolve 275 lines/millimeter on the easel! About 6 times what

you can get with a conventional enlarging system. Probably less than

10-12 made. It came with a series of lenses, a 25mm, a 50/2 and a

75/2 enlarging lens. The 50/2 was a modified DR Summicron.

There is a reason why most Leica M advertising from the 60's until

late 90's always showed a 50 Summilux on the body. It was virtually

the only M-lens made in Germany since 1960 until the Aspherical

35/1,4.

Midland had the benefit of Dr Mandler, one of the foremost lens

designers ever and also that they were outside of the heavily

bureaucratic Wetzlar plant. If Midland wanted to make it, they just

went ahead and did it and never bothered Wetzlar with corporate

discussions. A lot of strange M cameras came out of there, 1/2 frame

M4-2's, some 1/2 frame Md-2's, 30 chrome M4-2's and the "Israeli Tank

Command" olive green M4-2 version. Some of these were made

for "friends" of the company and some were bona fide special order

items.

The Wetzlar plant stagnated in the 70's - very little creative

design was done there. Midland was the creative source in many

aspects. There is very little research being done on the Midland

production. Leica Germany is not too interested in it and the current

management of ElCan/Rayethon bluntly tells you "No" to any request

for information. They make satellite imaging stuff and super

sophisticated gun sights and understandibly cant be bothered with

some Leica fanatic trying to unearth obscure lens or camera

information for old stuff. For a good 25 years, 1965 to 1990 Midland

was probably the top optical facility in the world, both as designers

and manufacturers.

Occasionally you hear "I prefer the German Summicron to the Canadian

one". Sometimes they even carry a price premium! Most of these lenses

were made in Canada and shipped to Germany minus the front ring and

rear mount = labelled as "parts" and with far less duty than a

finished lens. Wetzlar put on a rear mount and a front ring suitably

engraved Made in Germany - and they were, both the rear mount and the

front ring! The parts that really counted were all made in Canada.

Tom A

I think it was <a href=" http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=008aSz">this one</a> Tom

Very interesting, Thank you Tom. I like Canadian stuff, my wife was made in Canada :)

Tom, very interesting Leica historical information. May be you should

consider writing a book about this facinating period of Leica history

by interviewing retired former Elcaners. A book with history of Elcan, Dr. Walter Mandler biography, his epoch making contribution to lens design, Elcan lenses with pictures, serial numbers, production dates, Elcan Leica bodies with pictures, serial numbers, production

dates, Elcan special projects; bibliography, including a list of

Dr. Mandler's articles....

Tom, thx for your very useful info on LEITZ/ Leica-Canada.

 

I like to believe you every single sentence of it, exept the two last ones. Never heard this before and would not mind if this is just a roumor ...

 

Have a good Leica-time and best regards

I asked the question about Leica in Canada. thanks for your detailed answer.

Thanks for the interesting info! One other lens you didn't mention is the 90 Tele-Elmarit... I have one of these in black finish marked "Canada", purchased new in 1968.

Fascinating, thanks Tom.

I realize this is a late response, but I recently came by three Elcans made for Vinten F95 aerial cameras as flew on, among other aircraft, Harriers -- 1.75"/2.8, 3"/2.0, and 6"/2.8 -- and have a little to add about them. I got my Elcans with the intention of using them on a 2x3 Speed Graphic.

 

The 1.75" is an easy fit. Its rear section passes through the lens throat with a little room to spare. It focuses to infinity with the front standard on the inner rails. It can, in fact, be focused well through infinity on my camera.

 

The 3" and 6", however, can't be used on my camera. Their barrels are too large to clear the front standard and both have back focus shorter than the camera's minimum flange-to-film distance.

 

Tom was mistaken about 6" Elcans on "6x9 Speed Graphics" or was thinking of a different lens than the 6"/2.8 I have.

 

Cheers,

 

Dan

<p>Does anybody where i would be able to get my hands on a manual for A KE-28B? Either print or electronic will do.</p>