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Tessar look in 35mm?

lct

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lct

lct

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I am fond of the so-called Tessar look provided by my 50mm (Elmar 50/2.8), 45mm (Nikkor 45/2.8) and 40mm (Heliar 40/2.8) triplet four-element lenses but i miss a similar 35mm lens for use on APS bodies. My first idea was to order an Elmar 35/3.5 from the thirties but i wonder if there are later 35mm lenses, in M or LTM mount, with similar optical design. I know vignetting can be an issue with thoses lenses but i shall get over that. Any idea about Tessar 35/3.5, MS-Optical 35/3.5 or possibly others? 

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Ecar

Ecar

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IIRC, Miyazaki - in addition to offering its Perar triplets - also used to make custom conversions of Zeiss Tessars to LTM (and perhaps M?).

Bellamy at Japan Camera Hunter would know more.

The Perar 35/3.5 (a straight triplet) is a decent performer, but quite idiosyncratic in actual use.

Sorry - no other 35mm Tessar or Tessar-like lenses in LTM or M mount come to mind.

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pgk

pgk

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I'm not sure that the Elmar is actually a 'Tessar' design. Obtaining a 'true' Tessar for use on a Leica M depends on whether you are interested in an off the shelf lens or a modified one. If the latter then there are several adaptable lenses such as the 40mm f/3.5 Tessar fitted to the Rollei 35 or the Minox 35mm f/2.8 Minotar (a Tessar design I think) both of which could probably be adapted by MS-Optical or others. The Yashica T series used a 35mm Tessar lens, there were Contaflex tessars and so on. There are probably others too. If you want a custom build I'm sure its quite possible at a price. 

Edited by pgk
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romanus53

romanus53

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As already said, the corners are weak therefore the lensmakers switched to double-Gauss-designs. So the Canon serenar 3.5/35 is a Tessar-design, the 3.2/35 and the later ones are double-Gauss. I like the Elmar 3.5/35 for its compact size and use it regulary, mostly on M8:

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lct

lct

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I'm not sure that the Elmar is actually a 'Tessar' design. Obtaining a 'true' Tessar for use on a Leica M depends on whether you are interested in an off the shelf lens or a modified one. If the latter then there are several adaptable lenses such as the 40mm f/3.5 Tessar fitted to the Rollei 35 or the Minox 35mm f/2.8 Minotar (a Tessar design I think) both of which could probably be adapted by MS-Optical or others. The Yashica T series used a 35mm Tessar lens, there were Contaflex tessars and so on. There are probably others too. If you want a custom build I'm sure its quite possible at a price. 

 

Ah yes i forgot the Minotar. Four elements in three groups like Tessar and Elmar it seems. Just ordered one (pic). Thanks pgk :)

 

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lct

lct

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As already said, the corners are weak therefore the lensmakers switched to double-Gauss-designs. So the Canon serenar 3.5/35 is a Tessar-design, the 3.2/35 and the later ones are double-Gauss. I like the Elmar 3.5/35 for its compact size and use it regulary, mostly on M8:

attachicon.gif20170517_L0971_35_Elmar.jpg

 

Interesting thanks. Do you need to put an UV filter on your Elmar 35/3.5?

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Ecar

Ecar

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As already said, the corners are weak therefore the lensmakers switched to double-Gauss-designs. So the Canon serenar 3.5/35 is a Tessar-design, the 3.2/35 and the later ones are double-Gauss. I like the Elmar 3.5/35 for its compact size and use it regulary, mostly on M8:

attachicon.gif20170517_L0971_35_Elmar.jpg

 

Of course, the Canon...

Now that I think of it, the Chiyoko (Minolta) Rokkor 35/3.5 from the 50's should also be a Tessar and comes in LTM.

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romanus53

romanus53

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Interesting thanks. Do you need to put an UV filter on your Elmar 35/3.5?

no filters at all as I don't mind the IR-issue on the M8. My lens was made about 1930 and post-war coated. On ff the corners are soft but Summaron or Summicron from th 1950ies aren't perfect in the field either.

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einem anderen

einem anderen

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I am fond of the so-called Tessar look provided by my 50mm (Elmar 50/2.8), 45mm (Nikkor 45/2.8) and 40mm (Heliar 40/2.8) triplet four-element lenses but i miss a similar 35mm lens for use on APS bodies. My first idea was to order an Elmar 35/3.5 from the thirties but i wonder if there are later 35mm lenses, in M or LTM mount, with similar optical design. I know vignetting can be an issue with thoses lenses but i shall get over that. Any idea about Tessar 35/3.5, MS-Optical 35/3.5 or possibly others? 

 

My Tessar for the Leica M that comes closest to the 2.8/50 Elmar is the Elmarit-C 40mm. - on the Sony Alpha it is the D. Zuiko 2.8/38mm for the old Pen-F.

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lct

lct

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My Tessar for the Leica M that comes closest to the 2.8/50 Elmar is the Elmarit-C 40mm. - on the Sony Alpha it is the D. Zuiko 2.8/38mm for the old Pen-F.

 

I forgot the Elmarit-C 40/2 is another Tessar design. Did you try it on the CL or another crop camera? Just curious.

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mdemeyer

mdemeyer

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The Summicron 40mm and M-Rokkor variants are a symmetrical design, not a Tessar. You might be confusing it with the 40mm 3.5 on the Rollei 35 compact film camera.

 

That said, I love my M-Rokkor 40mm. A great daily carry lens.

 

My Tessar for the Leica M that comes closest to the 2.8/50 Elmar is the Elmarit-C 40mm. - on the Sony Alpha it is the D. Zuiko 2.8/38mm for the old Pen-F.

Edited by mdemeyer
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lct

lct

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The Summicron 40mm and M-Rokkor variants are a symmetrical design, not a Tessar. You might be confusing it with the 40mm 3.5 on the Rollei 35 compact film camera. [...]

 

Einem anderen was referring to the Elmarit-C 40/2.8 (# 11541), not Summicron-C 40/2, sorry for my typo above. Tessar design indeed according to LeicaWiki.

https://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-wiki.en/index.php/40mm_f/2.8_Elmarit-C

 

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pgk

pgk

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Einem anderen was referring to the Elmarit-C 40/2.8 (# 11541)

But not a wondrous performer from all I've read, and expensive as its collectable. I think that someone did supply some images from this lens on the forum some time ago which might be worth a search.

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lct

lct

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But not a wondrous performer from all I've read, and expensive as its collectable. I think that someone did supply some images from this lens on the forum some time ago which might be worth a search.

 

+1 but it was not on APS cameras if memory serves me well. Weakness of the 40/2.8 is softness at corners and edges at wide aperture, somewhat unsurprisingly for a Tessar design, so it would be interesting to see how it performs on crop cameras. 

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lct

lct

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Bit expensive for a « dog » that « even Minolta » refused. « By all accounts, a terrible lens optically » according to this blog.

Not sure if the author has ever used an Elmarit-C but that kind of statement would make me want to buy the lens if i were after a 40mm.

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einem anderen

einem anderen

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Well - I found mine in the normal historical set with an early CL and the 90mm Elmar-C - at the normal set price. :D

All you have to do is look carefully at the private ads.

 

I have already selected sample photos with the M9 and will post them here soon.

Edited by einem anderen
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