Leitz 'R' Elpro c/u lenses - who made them?

[dkCambridgeshire]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

I'm experimenting with some Series VI and VII Elpro lenses on my X1 http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/leica-x1-forum/212809-experimenting-x1-plus-elpro-lens-es.html

and becoming rather intrigued by them because they produce far better images than anticipated - even 16x10 exhibition quality prints are possible.

 

And surprisingly they are usable stacked in fours on the X1 ie two VIb plus two VIa - which I would not have thought possible - but it's just an 8 element convertor

 

I have looked at most of the Elpro R threads within the L Camera sub forums but cannot find anything about their manufacture.

 

Does anyone know if Elpro R lenses were made 'in house' by Leica or were they contracted out to another manufacturer eg Schneider or Rodenstock?

 

Bet wishes

 

dunk

[Advertisement]

The Leica Q3 is available for pre-order at B&H Photo Video and Adorama

[adan]

I see no reason not to think that Leitz made them in-house. Remember Leitz was a general purpose optics company - grinding glass was what they did (microscopes, telescopes, binoculars) - cameras were sort of an afterthought, as we all know.

 

From Dennis Laney, Leica Collectors Guide, Chpt. 14: "Close-up attachments" (paraphrased)

 

Supplementary front lenses for close-ups were made from at least 1928. Originally "ELPRO" was just the five-letter catalog code for the "No. 1" (lowest power) lens for the 50 f/3.5 (other magnifications, or for other lenses - Hektor, the leaf-shutter Compur B - were ELPIK, ELPET, HEPRO, ELCAT, etc.).

 

Those were single-element lenses - the name ELPRO was reintroduced for the two-element achromat CU lenses for the R system, as a brand-name rather than a catalog listing.

 

BTW - I've neve used ELPROs, but did use 2-element Japanese CU lenses (likely Hoya) in my Nikon days, and two elements definitely make a difference.

[luigi bertolotti]

Agree with Andy : simple closeup lenses were made for so many years that I think that is uneven they outsourced them, when they were still a rather big concern with many glass workers - machines etc... maybe the newest ones, after the sellout of microscopes and geosurvey depts. could have been outsourced.

[masjah]

I don't know whether they were made in house, or by a third party for Leica. I used to have the ELPRO R 1 and 2 (before I got my 100/2.8 with its own dedicated ELPRO) and I thought they were very well made indeed. Even if they are outsourced, they are a relatively simple coated achromatic doublet construction, so it really shouldn't matter in practice. (Still an interesting question in principle though.)