Elmarit-M 21mm 11134 Leitz Canada - how old do you think?

[jonoslack]

Hi There
I just got hold of a mint and boxed version of this lens - I think I've worked out that it comes from 1980-1997 - but I've no idea how old it is. The box has bar codes on it, which says something I guess! Serial number is 350758x. It really is in good condition, with a cutaway lens shade and lovely smooth action. it has a white box, and the leather case is like the modern ones (although I suppose it might not be original).

I'll give it a torture test on my R-D1 tomorrow. but first appearances are positive.

Does anyone have an opinion on these Canadian lenses, and how old this one might be?

thanks in advance

[gdewitt]

I think it is from 1990, best I can tell from Erwin Puts' "Leica Lens Compendium."

[bsmith]

Originally Posted by jonoslack

Hi There
I just got hold of a mint and boxed version of this lens - I think I've worked out that it comes from 1980-1997 - but I've no idea how old it is. The box has bar codes on it, which says something I guess! Serial number is 350758x. It really is in good condition, with a cutaway lens shade and lovely smooth action. it has a white box, and the leather case is like the modern ones (although I suppose it might not be original).

I'll give it a torture test on my R-D1 tomorrow. but first appearances are positive.

Does anyone have an opinion on these Canadian lenses, and how old this one might be?

thanks in advance

try http://www.leicagallery.com/lensdates.htm

[adan]

34xxxxx serial numbers were from about 1988, according to my reference, so 35xxxxx should be 1990 or a bit later. If yours has black flanges around the front to mount the shade, it's a later model. If it has two little silver pins to hold the shade, it's earlier production.

The usual caveat, though. Leica has generally assigned numbers in blocks to specific cameras or lenses. So slower-selling lenses may stretch out a given block assigned in, say, 1988, over several years of production, whereas fast sellers (35s or 50s) may get a new block of numbers every 6 months.

The 21 pre-ASPH like yours is a beautiful lens for digital - RD-1 OR M8. Lovely long tonal scale and "3D" quality. My favorite lens on ANY M-mount camera...

[jonoslack]

Originally Posted by bsmith

try http://www.leicagallery.com/lensdates.htm

Hi There, Thank you for that, it seems to be 1990

[jonoslack]

Originally Posted by gdewitt

I think it is from 1990, best I can tell from Erwin Puts' "Leica Lens Compendium."

Hi Gary
Thank you for that - looks like it - it's almost as old as my son!
Looks good though, I suspect that a lot of that time has been spent in a cupboard.

[jonoslack]

Originally Posted by adan

34xxxxx serial numbers were from about 1988, according to my reference, so 35xxxxx should be 1990 or a bit later. If yours has black flanges around the front to mount the shade, it's a later model. If it has two little silver pins to hold the shade, it's earlier production.

The usual caveat, though. Leica has generally assigned numbers in blocks to specific cameras or lenses. So slower-selling lenses may stretch out a given block assigned in, say, 1988, over several years of production, whereas fast sellers (35s or 50s) may get a new block of numbers every 6 months.

The 21 pre-ASPH like yours is a beautiful lens for digital - RD-1 OR M8. Lovely long tonal scale and "3D" quality. My favorite lens on ANY M-mount camera...

Hi Andy
Thank you for that - I've not had a chance to evaluate the lens properly, but it seems fine to me - I'm not sure quite what you mean about the shade - it's cutaway, and there are silver press points on either side of the shade itself - the lens has black flanges around the front rather than silver pins?

I'm glad you like your lens - it's lovely to use, of course, I only have my R-D1 to test it on at present, but hopefully the M8 won't be gone too long. I realise that the Ashp lenses are contrastier and sharper - but I won't be using this much for low light, and I suspect that it might be 'nicer' than the Asph lens for landscapes (and it was MUCH cheaper!)

Thanks again