Elcan 50mm F2

[reddot925]

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Hello,

Does anyone know if this lens would fit the new digital M like the M10? 

 

 

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[luigi bertolotti]

_{I suppose you do refer to the ELCAN 50mm f2 originally made for the KE7A (=M4) Leitz Canada military camera : as for mount and RF coupling, it's a standard M lens : no reason it wouldn't work on any digital M , probably even actuating the correct VF frame (the KE7A, iirc, has the std. M4 RF/VF )}

_{It seems to me that time ago someone in the Forum posted some picture taken with it... maybe with M9 or MM...}

Edited November 1, 2017 by luigi bertolotti

[derleicaman]

No reason in the world it would not work on the M10. It was designed to go an the KE-7A, which was a military version of the M4.

[jaapv]

IIRC it is a Summicron minus one lens element.

[luigi bertolotti]

Two elements less indeed... it's a 4 elements design of 1972 (Mandler, anyway...) , vs. the then current Summicron with 6 elements.

[gyoung]

Reputedly because cyhe Summicron was too good for the US Army spec? So a cheaper to make, and presumably not so good, design was substituted?

 

Gerry

[jaapv]

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According to Puts the quality difference is small.

[MarkP]

 

According to Puts the quality difference is small.

 

 

 

In favour of which lens?

[gyoung]

Assuming the Summicron is the better, then that's quite an achievemnt for a 4 element f/2.  My 'first rigid' Summicron is the sharpest 50mm (at larger apertures) I have ever owned or used, a dozen or more including Pentax, Nikon and Olympus.  (But not any of the exotic modern Leica ones!)

 

Gerry

[luigi bertolotti]

I think that the statement "Summicron did exceed the US Army specs" is a sort of urban legend...  ... in concrete terms, is worth noting that the 4 elements Elcan had not coupled/cemented elements... this would make easier to be compliant with some specs regarding operating conditions (temperature/humidity: the cementing glue can be an issue regarding this matter, and the KE7A body I seem to remember that differs from std. M4 just to those conditions). The Elcan is surely cheaper to build than the Summicron, but it was designed/developed just for the US Army contract... a Summicron wouldn't had this costs to be accounted, and given the small numbers it would have been, I think, more economical to provide Summicron "as is".

Edited November 4, 2017 by luigi bertolotti

[reddot925]

I don’t think Summicron is too good, I think as in all things military, they focus on absolute nessesity and highest durability, hence the lesser elements but more durable lens overall.

 

 

 

Reputedly because cyhe Summicron was too good for the US Army spec? So a cheaper to make, and presumably not so good, design was substituted?

Gerry