Leica Newbie: Elmar, Summar, Summarit, etc... what does it all mean!

Hiya,

 

I'm very new to this Leica shenanigans and it's seems as confusing to

me as the Hasselblad system was this time last year... now I know

what the differences are between a Planar, Distagon, Sonnar, Chrome,

T*, B50, B60, 500C, 501CM, etc.

 

I'm intending to buy a Voigtlander Bessa R soon and have been looking

at the range of available second hand screw mount lenses. However

there seems to be 3-5 different Lecia 50mm lenses all with different

names and the Elmar lens type is available from 35mm through to 90mm

focal lengths.

Sure I know the name indicates the lens design used, but what are the

major differences?

 

Also many retails also offer the prefix of the serial number on the

lens, is this similar to Hasselblad system so that you can work the

year the lens was made?

 

And I keep seeing this strange code popping up (eg. LVFOO or

something else with lots Os in it), what does these codes mean and

should I know about them before dishing out that hard earned cash?

 

Is there a Leica system for Dummies website or something like Canon's

Camera Museum (www.canon.com/camera-museum) for Leica?

 

Many thanks in advance,

Stu :)

 

PS. If it's any help I'm looking at getting a 50mm, 35mm and a 90mm

lenses.

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

A good Leica FAQ:

 

http://nemeng.com/leica/

It's a mess! The exact meaning of the names has changed over the years. Sometimes it refers to optical design, other times to lens speed. All Summicrons are f/2, Elmarits are f/2.8, and Summiluxes are f/1.4. But in the past 50mm f/2 lenses have been called Summar and Summitar, and some very late production Summitars were supposedly the same optics as the Summicron that followed. To further confuse things you'll hear people discussing different "editions" of a lens over the years. Sometimes this was a change only in the mount style, other times a change in the optics, but all might still be, for instance, 35mm Summicrons. The f/1.5 lenses, long gone, were called Sumarex in 85mm and Summarit in 50mm. To confuse things further the Summarit was a Schneider design originally marketed as a Schneider Xenon by Leitz. Opinions vary as to whether the Summarit, as well as the 21mm f/4 and f/3.4 Super Angulons (a Schneider name) were made by Leitz to Schneider designs, or made by Schneider for Leitz. 35mm Summarons were made in both f/3.5 an f/2.8 versions, but the 28mm was f/5.6. Elmars have appeared in f/4, f/3.5 and f/2.8 varieties in focal lengths up to 135mm at various times. Have fun;>)

"Elmar, Summar, Summarit, etc... what does it all mean!"

 

It means that you're about to start bleeding money.

Back in pre-computer days 5 letter codes were assigned to products by Leitz (and other companies) as a matter of convenience in cataloging items. They were pronounceable nonsense words, widely understood by Leica photographers. They really had no meaning otherwise, anymore than today's 5 numeral number codes do.

Hey, Al! How do you pronounce FKDSMI?

At one time you could surmise the construction of the lens, by its name. But now it is about as valid as the statement of the queen in "Alice in Wonderland" in that a word means only what she wants it to mean: No more, no less!

Leica had registered trademarks for the names on all Leica products. *Absorban, *Colorplan, *Elmart Aperture: F/4, F/2.8, *Elmarit F/2.8, *Hektor F/2.5, and F/4.5, *Summaron F/2.8, *Summicron F/2, *Summilux F/1.4, *Summicron-C 40/2, *Noctilux F/l, F/1.2, *Tele-Elmarit F/2.8, *Tele-Elmart F/4, *Apo-Teley F/3.4, *Tri-Elmart-M F/4

There are two small books that I found were the best, easiest to understand introductions to Leicadom authored by Sartorius. One for lenses, and one for cameras. They used to be about $25 each, but I notice now that the price has balooned to $70 each, which is ridiculous, given their size. Stick to Cameraquest.com, it's a very good reference.

Thank you very much for all your answers, they where a great help. Specially that http://nemeng.com/leica website. Has cleared the confusion very well.

I've decided to get a 50mm f2 Summar and a 90mm f4 Elmar. Then start shopping for a 35mm.

 

"It means that you're about to start bleeding money"

You think so? Leica seems reasonable compared to the likes of Ha$$elblad. Soon as you walk into a camera store ask for accessorily 'X', expect to get bend over the counter and raped (in the wallet).

 

Stu :)