Canon 50/3,5 Canon Lens

[andreas_wirth]

Hello

 

My photo dealer offers a Canon collapsible lens for LTM (from 1954). This lens seems to me an alternative to the

collapsible Elmar 5cm/3,5 because aperture is much easier to manipulate. As much as I could find out in the

internet, this lens is of the tessar type and hense similar to the mentioned Elmar. Could anyone tell me what the

characteristics of this lens are or post some example shots with this lens, so I can get an impression of its qualtities

and weaknesses. Thanks.

[john_shriver]

It is a well-regarded lens. It is a true Tessar. The Elmar is not a true Tessar, as the diaphragm is in shifted one element in the Elmar design. (It may have been a patent workaround?)

 

I don't have anything scanned to compare my Canon 50/3.5 to my Elmar 50/3.5. They are both highly competent lenses, the Tessar formula is pretty fool-proof. You won't "lose" anything using this instead of the Elmar.

 

One plus of the Canon is that it is definitely coated, and they used a hard coating, rather than the soft coating that Leica used for many years. So the coating will be in great shape. One has to be lucky to get an Elmar with a good coating.

 

A plus of the Elmar is that it collapses flatter.

 

Price runs from $150 (eBay) to up to $300 (dealers).

[steve_levine]

Just beware of fogging or haze in old Canon glass. Like with any quality lens, these conditions detract from sharpness and contrast. Shine a small light inside at various angles, the nastiness if present will reveal itself.

[kelly_flanigan1]

The Tessar patent ran out in 1922.

[pensacolaphoto]

I got a CZJ 50mm/2.8 LTM Tessar lens. It was modified who knows when into LTM. The Tessar design is really nice.

[pensacolaphoto]

I sold my Canon 50/2.8 a while ago,which was a Tessar design too.