skeeter Posted January 22, 2007 Share Posted January 22, 2007 a friend of mine recently got a good deal on a nice 135mm tele-elmarit ($305) on ebay. one of the lenses we were watching wound up selling for $990! is there a reason why this lens sold for so much? http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=002&sspagename=STRK%3AMEDW%3AIT&viewitem=&item=120074259044&rd=1&rd=1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skeeter Posted January 22, 2007 Author Share Posted January 22, 2007 ok so that link didn't work it is item number 120074259044 if you can to to ebay and look it up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Blackwell Images Posted January 22, 2007 Share Posted January 22, 2007 I did not look at the referenced auction, but the latest 135mm version (just prior to the current Apo version) with the collapsible shade will catch a premium - generally around US $1,000. Prior versions of this lens will fetch much less. This is for no good reason since the optics are the same (with only changes in the lens coatings). “When you come to a fork in the road, take it ...” – Yogi Berra Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Blackwell Images Posted January 22, 2007 Share Posted January 22, 2007 Actually, now that I have looked at the auction... This is for the 2.8 version with the goggles. I would agree the closing price was over the top for this lens. Either someone really wanted it, or it was artificially bid up by a friend of the seller. Top dollar for this lens would be in the neighborhood of US $550-600, but only for the very latest E55 version. “When you come to a fork in the road, take it ...” – Yogi Berra Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtdnyc Posted January 22, 2007 Share Posted January 22, 2007 Bill, for a mint condition, late E55 example with case, caps and box, the price can go higher, as I found when I decided I wanted one. IIRC, I paid close to $800 in 2004. I often read that it should be available for less, but since buying mine, I have kept my eye on FS postings here and I have not seen another one in the same condition, complete with everything supplied by the manufacturer, for less than I paid. The cheaper ones were either the earlier design or not mint or without the caps or case. In any event, it's a good lens and the only practical choice if you use a .58 viewfinder, as I do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Blackwell Images Posted January 22, 2007 Share Posted January 22, 2007 "... a mint condition, late E55 example with case, caps and box, the price can go higher, as I found when I decided I wanted one..." Ok... I will grant you that this lens can sell for more. And I would agree that when I decide I want something and a truly mint example comes along, I will pay a premium. But common! You have to agree $990 is over the top, and the one in question is the older version with a series VII filter retaining ring. “When you come to a fork in the road, take it ...” – Yogi Berra Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtdnyc Posted January 22, 2007 Share Posted January 22, 2007 Yup, I would agree that $990 for the older version is way out of line. For money like that, you could almost buy a user body with 135 framelines AND a Tele-Elmar. You'd be giving up f/2.8 but getting the sharpest lens Leica ever made in the pre-APO days. I wonder whether Elmarit prices are being driven up by the lens's compatibility with the M8. It would give the angular coverage of a 180mm lens on a film camera, and the combination of goggles plus viewfinder magnifier would give a larger-than-lifesize view. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skeeter Posted January 22, 2007 Author Share Posted January 22, 2007 i don't think so. my friend bought the same lens from adorama (via ebay) the week before for $305. he said there were minor cosmetic issues (it was a used lens......) but the glass was perfect. i still think you can get a superb lens of this type for around $400. just couldn't figure out if there was something i was missing....like a rare variety of lens or something, but it doesn't look like it. i'm guessing my friend's $305 lens will take just as good a pic as the $990 lens, assuming they buyer actually uses it, which may be doubtful given the price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
35mmdelux Posted January 22, 2007 Share Posted January 22, 2007 Skeeter - Not a big mover. Seen them $350-$450 frequently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
35mmdelux Posted January 22, 2007 Share Posted January 22, 2007 or Elmars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skeeter Posted January 22, 2007 Author Share Posted January 22, 2007 paul i think you are incorrect. this is straight from cameraquest. 135/2.8 Tele-Elmarit 1963, discontinued 1997, is a rather large lens with a built in 1.4x optical magnifier to increase the size of the camera's frameline and accuracy of the camera's focusing. This allows you to effectively use the larger 90 mm frameline on your M2/4/5/4-2/4-P/6. This increase in focusing accuracy also works with the earlier M3. Not a popular lens on the used market due to its large size. All versions are black, with detachable lens head for Viso work and built in hoods. Focusing ring with heavy ribs, magnifier attached by screws Focusing ring with heavy ribs, magnifier cast into lens body Focusing ring with fine ribs 1975 Two piece extendable hood became one piece, optical design now same as R lens "135" added on barrel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtdnyc Posted January 22, 2007 Share Posted January 22, 2007 Skeeter, cameraquest is a great online resource, but I think in this case Paul is right. I just checked my Leica brochures for the period in question, and cameraquest appears to be wrong on two counts: the name of the lens and the magnification of the goggles. Think about it: to make the 90 frame lines usable for the 135, the magnification would have to be 1.5, not 1.4. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin_elliott Posted January 23, 2007 Share Posted January 23, 2007 The 135mm f2.8 Elmarit is a long focus lens, not a telephoto. It therefore does not have the "tele" designation. The 135mm f4 and 90mm f2.8 Tele Elmarits are both true telephoto lens designs, as per the descriptor in their names. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skeeter Posted January 23, 2007 Author Share Posted January 23, 2007 in that case i stand corrected. i was relying on the cameraquest site. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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