russian M mount lens-question for Luigi

[steed]

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Luigi

I saw your definitive answer regarding the Romanian M-mount lens. I posted on the same subject, but was on the wrong track. My post referred to a Russian/Soviet M mount lens. Can you provide any information on the subject? My post is set out below.

Regards

John W

 

"Classic Camera ", a publication no longer imported to the US ran an article on an eastern bloc M mount lens (USSR made, as I recall). Perhaps this is what you mean

John W

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Mrs. Peel....We're needed.

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[earleygallery]

I've never heard of a Russian M mount lens, nor have I heard of any Russian M cameras.

 

Not to say it doesn't exist of course!

[doubice]

I've never heard of a Russian M mount lens, nor have I heard of any Russian M cameras.

 

Correct.

 

The Russians never made any rangefinder lenses in M mount, only in Leica Thread (Zorki, Fed etc.) and Contax mounts (Kiev). All of these lenses were based on older Carl Zeiss designs. After WWII the Russians, as part of war reparations, transported a whole factory including designers and technicians from Carl Zeiss and Zeiss Ikon, to the old USSR.

 

The only non-Leica Eastern Block lenses available in M mount were produced in China, along with a hand-made copy of a Leica M4, which actually looked more like an M5. If I remember correctly, the only lenses produced for this camera were copies of the 1.4/50mm Summilux and the 2/90mm Summicron.

 

The whole project was ordered by Mao-Tse-Tung's wife and less than 100 (probably only 50) cameras were produced.

 

Best,

 

Jan

[steed]

Please see page 34 of Issue no. 22 of Classic Camera, entitled "Russian Lens Prototypes for he Leica M." The article references a 40mm f1.8 Helios, and a 100mm f2.8 Kaleinar. That is what I thought the other fellow asking about Romanian lenses was referring to.

[doubice]

Please see page 34 of Issue no. 22 of Classic Camera, entitled "Russian Lens Prototypes for he Leica M." The article references a 40mm f1.8 Helios, and a 100mm f2.8 Kaleinar. That is what I thought the other fellow asking about Romanian lenses was referring to.

 

John,

 

Since you seem to have not only the issue number but, also the page number of the Classic Camera's article, maybe you can enlighten us as to what the article is all about....

 

Best,

 

Jan

[doubice]

Simple Google search brought a result - both lenses were indeed manufactured however, probably never reached past-experimental stage.

 

Link:

 

Ukrainian 35mm FED-35 35A Camera

 

Best,

 

Jan

[luigi bertolotti]

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Classic Camera is a good italian magazine, quarterly: I have all the numbers from 1st, included of course the quoted Jan 2002 number: if someone is really interseted, I can scan & mail it (2 pages, Italian, with pictures of both the 40 & 100) : they are undoubtly russian, undoubtly with LBM, the 40 1,8 marked Helios, the 100 2,8 marked Kaleinar, both well known russian lens names: year of production unknown, clearly prototypes, black, with a certain "Leica CL" look; the authors write they cannot say something sure on their position in the "history" , and make some reasonable hypotesis, that could be verified if the year of production would be sure:

 

1) Test lenses for Leitz during the design phase of CL (uneven)

2) Test lenses for Minolta when, after Leica CL's end, they continued by themselves with the Minolta CLE line.

3) Reverse than previous : Minolta could have tried to sell the CLE body production line to Russians, and they tested what it meant to adapt a pair of their lens designs to this body (a 100 2,8 for Nikon/Kiev BM was produced at that time)