Leica Elmarit 90 mm serial number 1685140

[tonyniev]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

I bought in EBay an elmarit 90 mm and the Leica sites says based on serial number it was manufactured in 1959. The lens has 3 small marks, could be fungus etched marks, the size of an asterisk,* that look like ice crystal seeds. 

I took some quick sample shots this morning and wonder if the lens is good to keep, I paid $200, Or should I return and buy a higher priced used lens.

Any comments that can help me decide of keeping or retruning this lens, is appreciated.

F 8 focused on the fruitss

F8 focused on the nose of the woman

F5 focused on the angel hands

[Advertisement]

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

[pgk]

The lens has  small marks that look like ice crystal seeds. 

 

You need to be a little bit more precise - vague possibility that this could be the start of fungus but then again it might be anything without seeing it - can you take any photos to illustrate your description? Whilst the photos you posted are too small to show much there is probably not a lot basically wrong with the lens in that its capable of decent contrast in good conditions.

[tonyniev]

You need to be a little bit more precise - vague possibility that this could be the start of fungus but then again it might be anything without seeing it - can you take any photos to illustrate your description? Whilst the photos you posted are too small to show much there is probably not a lot basically wrong with the lens in that its capable of decent contrast in good conditions.

the marks are difficult to photograph, I will try, here is a link to bigger image https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-NZc4qHC/0/d1010ce4/X3/i-NZc4qHC-X3.jpg

[tonyniev]

the angel link https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-rwqNP5s/0/a8d1dbf4/X3/i-rwqNP5s-X3.jpg

[tonyniev]

for contrast evaluation, here is a link for the fruits unprocessed, the ones I shared above was processed in LR6

 

https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-tF2LZVr/0/a8397da3/X3/i-tF2LZVr-X3.jpg

[adan]

"Ice crystal" marks sounds like the glass was etched, perhaps by a past experience with fungus at some point (fungus excretes acids to break down whatever it is growing on).

 

Although it could be fungus itself - shape/structure of fungus growths depends on species. This picture shows "star" as opposed to more "stringy" fungus.

 

http://i2.wp.com/www.richardmudhar.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/DSCN2630.jpg

 

I bought (very cheap) a hassy 50mm lens with massive etching speckles in the front coating/glass (but no remaining fungus) - it produced a lot of veiling flare and glowing highlights. I don't see such problems in your shots (e.g. bronze trophy in sunlight).

 

The V.1 90 Elmarit is normally somewhat lower in contrast overall than newer lenses (open shadows) - being nearly 60 years old, with less sophisticated coatings.

 

It is a tough call - $200 is about 35-50% of the going rate ($450-600) for the older 90 Elmarits, so it was a verygood price. It appears to be producing good images at this point. If the focus is not stiff or sticky, and accurate, you are already way ahead of the average mechanical condition of these lenses these days.

 

You might run it past these folks (Las Vegas-based) in person, to find out their opinion as to whether it is what it is, or may get worse. Even if live fungus, they may be able to open it and clean it, for less than you'd pay for a different copy of the lens.

 

http://cameratech.net/repair.html

[spydrxx]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

The pics appear fully satisfactory, at least on a computer screen. Unless the marks, whatever they be, are egregious, affecting the shots or growing in size, I'd say it is a keeper. I would, at some point consider having the lens inspected and cleaned, but that could be a few years off, assuming the focusing mechanism is smooth and the  diaphragm blades are likewise clean..

[tonyniev]

Pgk, Adan, Spdrxx, Thanks for all these feedback, it confirms my initial gut feel about this lens... on the comments- the lens seems to have been mechanically clean, the focusing is smooth, aperture control is also smooth and clicks, and overall it is even better than my Hektor 135, stiff focusing and that was recently cleaned in Colorado.....I will keep it, I am also happy with the image produced, will do some landscape tests this week. 

 

BTW for my Sony A7r I even use the cheap 55-210 mm lens ($250 on sale) and this Elmarit 90 can be very useful for travel.  I may test this too on the A7R, I have the adpater.

 

If I need a good tele, in the meantime, I still have my backup the Canon 70-200 mm F2.8 and 100-400 mm , using adapters.

 

I will post a few more images here in the course of the week.

 

Happy with the $200 price for this little vintage lens.

 

on the M10

 

with the other vintage lenses that I used with my M3, a 135 and Elmarit 28, new: Summarit 50 and Heklar 15 mm

[tonyniev]

Elmarit 90 snapshot at the local home improvemnet store