Mountain Elmar?

[Wayne]

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Just like with the Hektor 28mm 6.3, I am having difficulty obtaining much information- or examples of photos- on/from the Mountain Elmar. The technical information is, or course, available on WIKI, but comments and opinions from owners and users is pretty scarce. If possible, I would like to hear from those who have the lens: do you use it,? is the rendering significantly different (aside from focal length) from the old 90mm Elmars?

[Michael Hiles]

My understanding is that the Mountain elmar 90 is the same optical design as the normal elmar 90 of 1930.

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[M9reno]

The Mountain Elmar is of course a 105mm.  I brought mine along last February to the Pyrenees on a skiing trip with my Leica II, which rode in a MBROO case.  The mountain Elmar went in a chest pocket, light as a feather.  I didn't use it much on the slopes, but I went on a couple of walks in the evening, and found the results astounding, the rendering extremely sharp, with the signature Elmar falloff in the corners, very un-disturbing.  The film is Ektar 100.  Once you get these old lenses serviced and cleaned, the results will simply blow you away.

 

  

 

 

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[Susie]

Hi Wayne,

 

I have both the 2.8cm Hektor and a 10.5cm Mountain Elmar, and have used them both to some extent.  The Hektor is really good - far better than I expected after having read some of the reviews. I had thought I would need to upgrade to a Summaron, but don't think I will now.

 

Although the 10.5cm Elmar has the same construction as the 9cm one it does give a softer image, certainly when used on a digital body.  Although it is a nice lens to have and use occasionally, I doubt I would take it on a significant trip instead of the 9cm Elmar.  You'd really need to get a VIDOM or the right VIOOH too for ease of use.

 

When I had the some of my lenses serviced last year, Peter at CRR Luton said, "For some reason the use of old Leitz lenses on a digital M body doesn't show up the character difference of the lens as much as it does on film but, for expediences' sake, it gives an idea of how the lens will perform.  The Mountain Elmar is OK if slightly soft, the 9cm Elmar is really good."  Although in this case the 9cm lens is a mid '50's coated M series lens.

 

Susie

[luigi bertolotti]

I have it, but frankly, apart few shots on film when bought it for collecting (it's one of the finest styilings of the '30s, imho), never used it regularly : at film times, I quickly found that my "modern" (postwar coated) Elmar 90 was better, so as the postwar Hektor 135... but I must admit that the glass of my mountain Elmar looks a bit hazy, while the Elmar and Hektor are very clean, and this could explain the low contrast that seems a character of my Mountain Elmar (btw, same applies to my "Fat" Elmar 90, my oldest - unnumbered - lens) .  I tested it, just for fun, on M240.... and conclusion is that don't envision any reason to make usage of it. 

 

Btw, my Hektor 2,8 is quite a different mood : good contrast, with uniform pleasant softness, and no vignetting at 8/11.

 

One of my curiosities about the Mountain Elmar, which I had never the opportunity and patience to verify, if it is really a design made for the Leica... I mean, 105mm f 6,3 used to be a typical focal for folding 6x9 cameras... I'd be curios to verify if the 105 Elmar does cover this format... the first Elmar 135 f 4,5 was indeed a lens designed for medium format, assembled onto a Leica Mount... and Leitz did make 105mm lenses for 6x9 cameras of other brands...

Edited April 8, 2016 by luigi bertolotti

[Wayne]

Thanks for the responses. I appreciate your taking the time. I had the same problem with the 28mm 6.3; finally, I just went for it, and have been pretty pleased with the results.

 

M9reno

 

I love both photos; the second is really neat/unique...enough to make me get one. Is that just a plain, unadulterated scan from the negative?

 

Best

[M9reno]

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Hi Wayne, Here is the file as it came out of the Nikon Coolscan IV, only exposure adjusted. I don't think you can go wrong with this lens as long as you get it serviced.

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[Wayne]

Thanks again. I was deciding between three vendors with some nice examples of Mountain Elmar, when I came across a nice condition Trinol Anastigmat 105mm 3.5 "Stewartry" lens made by National Optical Co., England....But made in Scotland. I will still seek the Mountain Elmar; but, how often do you get a chance to buy a lens made in Scotland?.......the side of my family's provenance...on the maternal side......Not to mention the happy two years I spent in Dunoon.

[luigi bertolotti]

Thanks again. I was deciding between three vendors with some nice examples of Mountain Elmar, when I came across a nice condition Trinol Anastigmat 105mm 3.5 "Stewartry" lens made by National Optical Co., England....But made in Scotland. I will still seek the Mountain Elmar; but, how often do you get a chance to buy a lens made in Scotland?....

... and even proudly engraved accordingly....

 

http://www.auction2000.se/auk/w.MegaPic?inC=WLPA&inA=15&inO=365&inSO=2

Edited April 10, 2016 by luigi bertolotti

[250swb]

 

One of my curiosities about the Mountain Elmar, which I had never the opportunity and patience to verify, if it is really a design made for the Leica... I mean, 105mm f 6,3 used to be a typical focal for folding 6x9 cameras... I'd be curios to verify if the 105 Elmar does cover this format... the first Elmar 135 f 4,5 was indeed a lens designed for medium format, assembled onto a Leica Mount... and Leitz did make 105mm lenses for 6x9 cameras of other brands...

 

You are correct in your assumptions, the Leitz 105cm used on the Vollenda 6x9 cameras is the very same lens.

 

 

 

Steve

[luigi bertolotti]

You are correct in your assumptions, the Leitz 105cm used on the Vollenda 6x9 cameras is the very same lens.

 

 

 

Steve

But... isn't the Elmar 105 on Vollenda only in f 4,5 aperture ?

 

(not old thread... http://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/257481-elmar-lenses-on-nagel-cameras/)

[seekwhence]

I wish I could find an original lens cap (FIZID) for my Mountain Elmar. I've been looking for years but to no avail.

 

Dave

[luigi bertolotti]

I wish I could find an original lens cap (FIZID) for my Mountain Elmar. I've been looking for years but to no avail.

 

Dave

The FIZID+FIZEN (hood) pair is surely a rare bird : or you have an Elmar complete with them, or probably the originals have been lost (the lens was provided with them... but they are tiny and not so firm on the lens... easy to disappear)

[250swb]

But... isn't the Elmar 105 on Vollenda only in f 4,5 aperture ?

 

(not old thread... http://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/257481-elmar-lenses-on-nagel-cameras/)

 

I didn't mean to imply the mechanic's of the lens were the same, just the lens parts. :-)

[UliWer]

You'll find some examples from the "Mountain-Elmar" on the M8 and M9 here:

 

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/110554-m8-and-old-glass/page-9?do=findComment&comment=1329007

 

 

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/173385-has-leica-ever-make-a-bad-lens/page-2?do=findComment&comment=1936640

 

Though the focal length of 105mm is not so easy to guess without an additional finder:

 

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/200960-ok-call-me-stupid-but/?do=findComment&comment=2278479

 

 

 

 

[Pyrogallol]

Reviving an old thread. Here is a picture of a Mountain Elmar I bought recently. It had lost almost all its black paint so it is now polished and lacquered. The finder is 90mm, close enough. It came with the hood and small lenscap that goes over the reversed hood.

Images soft but sharp.

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Edited October 28, 2023 by Pyrogallol

[jc_braconi]

Just for illustrating a full black paint and a standard one 

 

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