Early Nickel & Chrome 35mm f3.5 Elmar 11 o'clock

[Pyrogallol]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

I went to Southwold last week to try the lens out, results better than expected.

The bacon and egg sandwich picture was taken on 20th at f6.3 with the lens focussed at about 18 inches, it goes down closer than the 2 feet scale. Guessed the distence and amount of parallax compensation.

The following pictures of the boats and sheds were taken at 100th or 200th at f9.

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

[Pyrogallol]

These are some other pictures, 100th or 200th at f9, all scanned from A4 size darkroom prints made this morning.

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

[George Furst]

On 4/3/2019 at 11:23 PM, Pyrogallol said:

On a dull cold spring day this little gem arrived in the post;

A Nickel 35mm f3.5 Elmar body in a chrome 11 o'clock focussing mount.

 No infinity catch. No visible serial number.

The long focus stop screw looks nickel.

The mounting flange is smaller than the camera body lens mount. I have read about that on the forum, but thought it only related to early interchangable 50mm Elmars.

Both parts have a "O" for standardised. It couples with the camera rangefinder and the distence scale seems to match the rangefinded distence, the scale goes down to 2 feet. The focussing cam on the back of the lens shows machining marks and looks quite different from an ordinary pre-war 35mm Elmar that I have. Could it have been converted from an un-coupled model? Maybe an "unofficial" conversion using mismatched nickel and chrome parts, both early?

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

I have a 35mm f3.5 lens that is almost identical to this lens. Mine is not coupled and James Lagar said that it is a very early example of this first 35mm lens. It also focuses down to 0.5 meters so is a close focus example. I found it when I stopped by my favorite camera shop in Seoul, OuriSa, and the owner said that someone had returned it because it was not rangefinder coupled. As soon as I heard that I knew that this was an early lens. I also noted that it was the 11 o’clock non locking focusing small diameter nickel example. I immediately paid the $250 asking price and knew that this was a special lens. As soon as possiblll I will take a few photos of this lens and post them here so you can compare my lens with your example. My bet is that they were made about this same period. Other than your example having a foot scale, mine also has a small notch cut in the focusing arm to allow it to rotate a bit more. Thanks for sharing your lens.

[luigi bertolotti]

5 hours ago, George Furst said:

I have a 35mm f3.5 lens that is almost identical to this lens. Mine is not coupled and James Lagar said that it is a very early example of this first 35mm lens. It also focuses down to 0.5 meters so is a close focus example. I found it when I stopped by my favorite camera shop in Seoul, OuriSa, and the owner said that someone had returned it because it was not rangefinder coupled. As soon as I heard that I knew that this was an early lens. I also noted that it was the 11 o’clock non locking focusing small diameter nickel example. I immediately paid the $250 asking price and knew that this was a special lens. As soon as possiblll I will take a few photos of this lens and post them here so you can compare my lens with your example. My bet is that they were made about this same period. Other than your example having a foot scale, mine also has a small notch cut in the focusing arm to allow it to rotate a bit more. Thanks for sharing your lens.

 Lucky you to buy for 250$ a close focus Elmar 35 !! I haven't idea on how many were made, but it is surely a rare and short-lived variant. Now you MUST find the special Rangefinder (to 0,5 m) that was made just for it….

Edited September 13, 2019 by luigi bertolotti

[George Furst]

On 9/14/2019 at 12:08 AM, George Furst said:

I have a 35mm f3.5 lens that is almost identical to this lens. Mine is not coupled and James Lagar said that it is a very early example of this first 35mm lens. It also focuses down to 0.5 meters so is a close focus example. I found it when I stopped by my favorite camera shop in Seoul, OuriSa, and the owner said that someone had returned it because it was not rangefinder coupled. As soon as I heard that I knew that this was an early lens. I also noted that it was the 11 o’clock non locking focusing small diameter nickel example. I immediately paid the $250 asking price and knew that this was a special lens. As soon as possiblll I will take a few photos of this lens and post them here so you can compare my lens with your example. My bet is that they were made about this same period. Other than your example having a foot scale, mine also has a small notch cut in the focusing arm to allow it to rotate a bit more. Thanks for sharing your lens.

Here are a few photos of my early 35 mm lens.

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

Edited September 15, 2019 by George Furst
iPad issue

[alan mcfall]

  Here is a photo of my early 35mm f 3.5 nickel lenses.

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

On the left is 3 digit serial 751 intended for use on non-standard camera 49751. Uncoupled, 11 o'clock, fixed knob, 45mm rear flange, no "o", marked 35mm not 3.5cm, 0.5m close focus.  Original, I think.

In the center, no serial, uncoupled,  fixed knob, 11 o'clock, 45mm rear flange, has "o" mark of standardization, marked 3.5cm, feet to about 18 inches focus. Original, for Model C camera before serial numbers were engraved.

Right. Coupled, no serial, infinity lock, 47mm rear flange, has "o" mark and is 3.5cm, 7 o'clock with 'mushrum' infinity lock button, common late lens 1 meter close focus..  Likely an upgraded lens, converted to 7 o'clock with large flange and infinity  lock.   The 7 o'clock position was not necessary until the III camera of 1933, when serial numbers were in full use.

I have some "heavy cam" lenses of this type but they are serial numbered 143xxx.

With regard to the rangefinder for the 0.5m lens, I have not seen one, but here is a photo of a couple that are close.The nickel one is actually made by Leitz for Nagel, and the black one which does go to 0.5 meter is origianlly for a cine camera, but made by Leitz.

 

Edited September 16, 2019 by alan mcfall

[George Furst]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

22 hours ago, George Furst said:

Here are a few photos of my early 35 mm lens.

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

I am adding a few more photos of this early E. Leitz 35mm lens along with my early Leica II Camera with the lens attached. The picture illustrates that this lens has the smaller diameter flange and is an II o’clock infinity focus with no lock. As I said in the prior notes it does not rangefinder focus even at infinity as the two views do not align in the built in viewfinder. I believe this lens was made before Barnack introduced the Leica II “Auto Focusing” Camera.  I have also included close ups of the 0.5 focus mark on the lens flange and the cut out on the focus arm that allowed it to be a close up focus lens. It was sold to me at a reduced price because others thought that it was a defective lens. I knew otherwise. The combination of no serial number (maybe it is etched inside the lens?) and the fact that it would not rangefinder focus on the Leica cameras meant that it was a very early lens and a real prize.

[George Furst]

On 4/8/2019 at 11:19 PM, Pyrogallol said:

These are some other pictures, 100th or 200th at f9, all scanned from A4 size darkroom prints made this morning.

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

I really enjoyed your photos and the fact that they were taken by a very early Elmar 35mm lens. I too develop my own film (Agfa  APX 100 and 400)   and  then scan them. They can be seen in my discussion of the conversion of the UR Dummy to a working camera. Please share what film you used and developer. I am interested in this because I like the texture and contrast of your pictures. You certainly have a photogenic location!

[Pyrogallol]

41 minutes ago, George Furst said:

I really enjoyed your photos and the fact that they were taken by a very early Elmar 35mm lens. I too develop my own film (Agfa  APX 100 and 400)   and  then scan them. They can be seen in my discussion of the conversion of the UR Dummy to a working camera. Please share what film you used and developer. I am interested in this because I like the texture and contrast of your pictures. You certainly have a photogenic location!

Thanks.

They were taken on Ilford FP4 developed in Rodinal 1:25 for 8 minutes, my standard, though I am trying out some Pan F at the moment.

printed on Ilford Multigrade resin coated paper. The A4 paper is just the right proportions for a 35mm negative and I like to print the whole negative with the margins showing to give a black border.