Leitz Elmar 90 F4 (M39) and M 8

[Sakana]

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I have an old Leitz Elmar 90 F4 (M39) which I never used before and now thinking about using it on my M 8.

 

Has anyone experiences with this lens on a M8 and which adapter would I need for my M 8 ?

 

Any comment is highly appreciated

[UliWer]

The lens will work without problems, if you can live with its low contrast and the sharpness you have to expect from an 80-years old lens design.

The are pictures with this lens taken by the M8 in the thread about "old glass" and the M8. Coding is not necessary.

 

Any Leitz-Adapter LTM to M engraved with 90mm (or 28+90mm) will do, there are also Voigtlaender adapters for this purpose.

[lm_user]

Be sure to apply a uv/ir filter to the lens. Some versions take a common 39mm filter. Others take the A36 filter for which I am unaware of available filters. You can buy L39 to Madapters from jinfinance on ebay with pre-milled slots for paint coding if desired - only $15. That said, I am very pleased with the photographs from my copy.

 

Contrast is a little low, but can be increased in photoshop. I find resolution from the lens to be very nice for portraits. However, the lens is very sensitive to camera shake due to the longer focal length.

[Orient XI]

I bought one of the last LTM models of this four element lens new in 1963. It's still going strong and providing good pictures on my M8 especially when stopped down to between f/5.6 and f/8. Yours will require push-on A36 filters if the lens is numbered <1573000. Higher numbered lenses use screw-in E39 filters. Red Dot Cameras in London usually have a good selection (second hand) of the now discontinued A36 filters and often an A36 fit lens hood (code FIKUS) which can be adapted for other focal length A36 fronted lenses. Later lenses use the IUFOO or 12575 hood which also fits the later, E39 versions of Hektor or Elmar 135mm lenses. Unless you propose making very large prints from your M8 files you will find the Elmar quite satisfactory.

Remember the crop factor of the M8 makes all 90mm lenses equivalent to 120mm lenses on full-frame cameras.

Welcome to the forum and enjoy using the lens.

[john cope]

I have a 1960 M bayonet model,which is used regularly on my M8,It is particularly

useful when travelling light, producing really excellent 120mm images.

The cropping factor of the M8 eliminates its weakest areas, ie,the sides and corners

of the image at wider apertures.Stopped down to f5.6 and smaller the results are still

good even by todays standards

My advice would be to use it, it is slim and light and you might be pleasantly surprised

by it,s capabilities..

[luigi bertolotti]

As said above, if it's an A36 model, the issue of UVIR filter does exist... but the SOOGZ adapter, which allows to mount E39 filters on A36 lenses, is not difficult to find.

[david strachan]

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They are a fantastic lens, so is the Elmar-C 90mm f4. I use them both on my M8.

 

The nice thing is they focus to 1m and are great with flash close ups. If you've got a strong flash, particularly swivel-bounce, you can use as a v long portrate lens...for example at a party.

 

The Elmar head comes off and can be used for Visoflex, enlarging, projection, macro, bellows. (Leitz literature). It is a long focus lens, so just the front elements are used.

 

Doesn't matter about lower contrast...always easy to boost, but sometimes difficult to pull back.

 

Enjoy the new lens. One of Letz's cheapest lenses...outstanding value for money.

 

cheers Dave S

[Marac]

I have this same lens made in 1932, it produces some excellent images, I shoot in B&W and this lens is ideal for that. If you need more contrast then simply add a green filter.

 

I also use a 1934 Sumar 50mm f2 and a 1950 Elmarit 35mm f3.5. The Wife uses all of these on her Fuji X-E1 and has some stellar results.

[shortstop]

Anyone has experience with elmar 90 M with film?

Shortstop

[tobey bilek]

It looks like the APO 90 digital or film. The lens is not APO, but it is very very close. so close you can not see the difference. The images just pop on film.

 

Or are you referring to the non current 90 made since 1932 with small changes. nice lens, but not current . It is a superb portrait lens, where as the new one has more microcontrast and a very sharp rendering.

[shortstop]

Yes, I'm talking about the 90/4 elmar in M mount (coated).