In search for an Elmarit M 90/2.8 normal tube, I just have optical head

[iek1968]

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Hi all,

a good friend of mine gave me an Elmarit 90mm type I head and the M tube for Visoflex Nr. 16464. (He also gave me an Elmar 5cm, see my other thread).

 

I would very much like to try out this lens on my M8, it's in great shape. Any idea where I can find the tube (Einstellschnecke) for it? I can't seem to find it anywhere.

 

If I will not be able to find the tube, what should I do with the lens? I am not interested to go the Visoflex route (well, I think so for now).

 

Is the lens like I have it (with the 16464) sellable and at what price?

 

Thanx for your advice!

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[uptong]

Best bet would be to try and find a lens with a damaged head at a good price and swap over the head units. Not sure about your model but my 90 Elmar and my 135 Elmarit both have focus units marked with serial numbers that match up to the head unit could be a case that they need to be matched pairs to work 100% correctly, possible a calibration issue! You may well strike lucky and find another focus tube works as is or it may need setting up, perhaps someone more enlightened than I on the subject can advise better.

[jaapv]

Yes- that would be doable, but after you swapped over you would have to have the lens adjusted. The tubes were adjusted to the heads individually by the factory.

[lct]

The code number of the lens is 11129 or ELRIM. It is built like a tank so damaged copies won't be easy to find i suspect and you could well need to have the lens calibrated as suggested by Jaap. If you like the IQ of the lens, picking an old copy like this could be a easier solution (BTW forget the erroneous reference to the CL. This was not a lens for the CL. Too fast for its small rangefinder. The CL's was the Elmar-C 90/4).

Elmarit-M 90/2.8 # 11129

[iek1968]

The code number of the lens is 11129 or ELRIM. It is built like a tank so damaged copies won't be easy to find i suspect and you could well need to have the lens calibrated as suggested by Jaap. If you like the IQ of the lens, picking an old copy like this could be a easier solution (BTW forget the erroneous reference to the CL. This was not a lens for the CL. Too fast for its small rangefinder. The CL's was the Elmar-C 90/4).

Elmarit-M 90/2.8 # 11129

 

Thanx a lot for the lens code, I guess either I 'll have to sell my kit as is or find a tube in a shop (not online) where I can test it first with the optical head.

 

In the case I find a foreign tube online which I cannot test, do you think Solms is still willing/able to calibrate my optical head with a foreign tube?

 

take care

[jaapv]

They might, but I feel you would be better off with a third-party repair service like CRR or Will van Manen, In the USA DAG or Sherry Krauter.

[lct]

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[iek1968]

Thank you all,

I found another solution but will also keep looking for a tube of a damaged lens. The other solution is a Fotodiox adapter for Visoflex lenses to Nikon F mount. Cost less than 80$ with shipment to Europe. I bought it because they guaranteed infinity focus and indeed it focuses at infinity and a tiny bit beyond, which is great. Focus confirmation works accurately. My Elmarit look likes this on my S5 (see first pic).

 

Some tests follow, left the Elmarit on my S5, right the Nikon 16-85 on my S5.

Aperture at f8.

First the full size pic, then center crops, then left edge crops.

At center, lenses are similar, Nikon somewhat sharper.

At edges the Elmarit is much sharper (not seen clearly at these compressed jpgs). Not bad at all for a 46 year old lens.

 

The Elmarit on its own is an impressive lens for its age, it needs only a stop down from full. At full aperture it has this nice Leica halo for portraits, but good only for emergency landscapes (which I mainly shoot).

 

I had no other lens to compare the Elmarit with, I am waiting on a friend's Tamron 90/2.5 and will do a test between the two lenses. Greetings to all, thanx again.