mharris Posted July 25, 2006 Share Posted July 25, 2006 I have a IIf and had been using a CV 35mm lens. On a recent trip to Chicago Idiscovered Central Camera and found a 50mm Elmar dating to 1948 by the serialnumber. On visual inspection the lens looks very good but when I shined a smallflashlight through it I see some dust and a very light haze. I decided to buy it anyway and have it serviced. On my way back to the hotel Iran into Democracy in action: http://static.flickr.com/62/196952987_ea5af699eb_o.jpg http://static.flickr.com/61/196952994_1988570f49_o.jpg http://static.flickr.com/75/196952993_e86878810b_o.jpg http://static.flickr.com/65/196952992_00c687aab3_o.jpg http://static.flickr.com/64/196952988_e1aeb6c0d7_o.jpg I've made arrangements to have it CLAed but I was very impressed with theresults. Listing you're favorite 50s for screw mount which would you say wasthe best? Thanks,Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troll Posted July 25, 2006 Share Posted July 25, 2006 The Summicron is sharper and faster, but the Elmar 3.5 is the best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wmwhee Posted July 25, 2006 Share Posted July 25, 2006 I've owned only one ltm lens, a 50mm/3.5 Elmar, and liked it a lot. I too was impressed positively by the quality of images produced by this lens in terms of both sharpness and contrast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mharris Posted July 25, 2006 Author Share Posted July 25, 2006 Thanks everyone, I wrestled with months deciding which lens to buy and even bought a real nice Leica book that describes all the bodies and lenses. I don't know too much about Leica but have repaired a few other cameras. I wanted to clean this one myself but not having opened one before I am a little afraid. I guess what I'm looking for is how bad would a lens have to look on the inside before you have it cleaned? I only see dust when I shine a bright light through it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim nichols Posted July 25, 2006 Share Posted July 25, 2006 From the quality of the images that you posted, I see little room for improvement from having it cleaned. Why not use it a while and see if any other problem surfaces that would justify sending it in for service. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arthuryeo Posted July 25, 2006 Share Posted July 25, 2006 Congrats! I'm happy for your decision. The contents of those images are highly inflammatory, though. :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james mitchell dc Posted July 25, 2006 Share Posted July 25, 2006 I agree with Bill with the perfect family name, the Elmar 3.5 is a truly fine lens. I used one for a while with a IIIC, and I found that it handled color as well as any modern lens. It was sharp enough and had a classic separation of strong colors and contrast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffrey_mueller Posted July 25, 2006 Share Posted July 25, 2006 Great photos Michael! I should look at buying an Elmar. Is the lens much smaller than the summicron? Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
runkel Posted July 25, 2006 Share Posted July 25, 2006 Accepting for the sake of argument that posting "inflammatory" photographs is to be frowned upon, those mild photographs of a what looks like a peaceful protest are hardly "inflammatory." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mharris Posted July 26, 2006 Author Share Posted July 26, 2006 Thanks Jim, I tend to agree with you. My main worry I guess what if something is growing? Would it be stopped by a good cleaning? I will take your advice and shoot some more with it and just quit worrying. Arthur what part of people seeking peace is inflammatory? Is it just the color of their scarfs you find disturbing? I spent the day with these people and didn't see one bomb. What is disturbing to me is how quickly you judged these people. Jeffery I have that book and I'll look that up for you. This little book has everything you could want to know about Leica lenses and bodies. All it did was for me is make me want more stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adrian bastin Posted July 26, 2006 Share Posted July 26, 2006 Michael. Please do not try to clean this lens yourself. And when having it cleaned make sure it is not treated as if its a modern lens ; you will loose all of the coatings. These old Leitz coated, inner lens surfaces can be cleaned in a chemical bath. THEY MUST NOT BE TOUCHED. I might have reproduced what others have said, here, but I didn't read any of it in the rush to get this up. Adrian. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyaitken Posted July 26, 2006 Share Posted July 26, 2006 Great pictures Michael. Inflamatory to fascists, perhaps, but surely not to the balanced readers of this forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adrian bastin Posted July 26, 2006 Share Posted July 26, 2006 I agree about the 35/f3.5 Elmar for colour, mine sets the standard for other lenses to come up to. Among the Elmar 50s, apart from the redscale and the uncoated ones, they seem to have a coppery cast - including my early 50/2.8. They're all wonderful for B&W, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael_p2 Posted July 26, 2006 Share Posted July 26, 2006 Those are great pictures - can't see how a clean would improve the results much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mharris Posted July 26, 2006 Author Share Posted July 26, 2006 Thanks Adrian, Andy, and Mike, I'm going to take everyone's advice and just shoot rolls and rolls of film with this lens. I'll wait on the cleaning until I see something goofy. I wish I could find someone to blame for this Leica lens addiction I feel coming on. Alot of people say, "Wait until you try a M series Leica". I still haven't got past the WOW of the IIf. I'm already considering a IIIf now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vincenzo_maielli Posted July 26, 2006 Share Posted July 26, 2006 Hi, Michael. I owned, some years ago, an Elmar 50 mm f/ 3,5 that i ahve changed with a Summitar 50 mm f/ 2 that i find to be better. Ciao Vincenzo Maielli Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronald_moravec1 Posted July 26, 2006 Share Posted July 26, 2006 I bought a nice one thinking it was clean, but i did not have a flashlight. The pics were nice, but not spectacular. The flashlight confirmed some almost invisable haze. DAG cleaned it and the results were well worth it. I have concluded after having the Elmar and a Summitar cleaned from similar condition, any haze at all degrades the tonal reproduction. Sharpness is not effected with light haze. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skeeter Posted July 26, 2006 Share Posted July 26, 2006 "I wish I could find someone to blame for this Leica lens addiction I feel coming on." who needs "someone", you have an entire forum to blame... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkelly04 Posted July 26, 2006 Share Posted July 26, 2006 Summar, Elmar, Summitar, love them all. I have to say, though, my favorite is the Summar.<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob_parker Posted July 26, 2006 Share Posted July 26, 2006 Very nice photos.I would like to how you posted the photos. Did you scan the negatives? If so which scanner? Film? Are they prints? If so, are they digital or wet prints? Thanks Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkelly04 Posted July 26, 2006 Share Posted July 26, 2006 Hi Bob, and thank you. All shots were negatives scanned by the lab and saved to JPG files. Film I believe in all cases was Ilford XP2 Super 400 ASA, except the Summitar shot might have been Fuji NPH 400 Pro. I merged three JPG files using Photoshop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thomas_t Posted July 26, 2006 Share Posted July 26, 2006 Michael, I'm impressed with the results as well, very good captures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbie_caswell Posted July 26, 2006 Share Posted July 26, 2006 Well done by the way. Very PJ. Only Newt Gingrich has it right. This WW3 and we need to go farther than even Bush has done or get out of Afghanistan and Iraq all togeather. Instead of spending that $11million an hour on a Vietnamization style policy doomed to fail, we need a Manhattan styled project to end the worlds oil dependence. Then who would care if they killed each other. We lost this war 35 years before we even knew it started. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dan_spahn Posted July 27, 2006 Share Posted July 27, 2006 These mobs on Michigan Avenue are not uncommon. If it isn't some of the usual far left loiterers, it's some ex-cons selling Street News. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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