Elmar M 50mm

[antonioxrosa]

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I am looking for the Elmar M 50mm 2.8 but I am a bit confused. How many models of this lens has been produced? I found these. Are they equal in optical terms? Coatings?

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[espelt]

Your picture above:
Leica Elmar-M 50 mm 1:2.8 from 1994 – 2007:

Leica has this f/2.8 lens that only sells as part of a kit with the M6 in 1994.
From 1996 it was produced as a standalone lens until 2007.
It was available in silver and black.

The new 1994-2007 Elmar-M is a different and superior optical design than the original f/2.8 lens.

The second illustration:
This is the original variant from 1957-1974: Leica Elmar 50 mm f2.8.
This f/2.8 Elmar came with both screw and bayonet mounts, with the screw mount being slightly more popular in the 1950s and the bayonet mount in the 1960s.

I own the newer version and really like it.
The 50mm Elmar m has no distortion. Stopped down to the f/5.6 ~ f/11 range it is super sharp.
The bokeh, the quality of the out-of-focus areas, is quite pleasant. However, not as pronounced as others.
At f/2.8 it gets a bit crooked in the sides and corners, but otherwise it's quite nice: out of focus areas simply disappear without distraction.
You can also use it on modern digital M's without restrictions. However, you should make sure that you mount it in the extended position.
Its small size makes it a wonderful travel lens.

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[Pierre68]

All the answers are there to be found:

https://www.kenrockwell.com/leica/50mm-f28-m.htm

[antonioxrosa]

3 hours ago, espelt said:

Your picture above:
Leica Elmar-M 50 mm 1:2.8 from 1994 – 2007:

Leica has this f/2.8 lens that only sells as part of a kit with the M6 in 1994.
From 1996 it was produced as a standalone lens until 2007.
It was available in silver and black.

The new 1994-2007 Elmar-M is a different and superior optical design than the original f/2.8 lens.

The second illustration:
This is the original variant from 1957-1974: Leica Elmar 50 mm f2.8.
This f/2.8 Elmar came with both screw and bayonet mounts, with the screw mount being slightly more popular in the 1950s and the bayonet mount in the 1960s.

I own the newer version and really like it.
The 50mm Elmar m has no distortion. Stopped down to the f/5.6 ~ f/11 range it is super sharp.
The bokeh, the quality of the out-of-focus areas, is quite pleasant. However, not as pronounced as others.
At f/2.8 it gets a bit crooked in the sides and corners, but otherwise it's quite nice: out of focus areas simply disappear without distraction.
You can also use it on modern digital M's without restrictions. However, you should make sure that you mount it in the extended position.
Its small size makes it a wonderful travel 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!

Many thanks for your detailed explanation. I knew about the two versions but I got confused when I saw the lens in the second photo described as Elmar M. I understand  now it was an error and they are really two different lens. I will go for the Elmar M. You mentioned that when used with digital to be careful about mount and dismount. Is it safe to use with a M11M ? there is enough  space until the shutter ? Once more thanks for your help

[mfunnell]

3 minutes ago, antonioxrosa said:

Many thanks for your detailed explanation. I knew about the two versions but I got confused when I saw the lens in the second photo described as Elmar M. I understand  now it was an error and they are really two different lens. I will go for the Elmar M. You mentioned that when used with digital to be careful about mount and dismount. Is it safe to use with a M11M ? there is enough  space until the shutter ? Once more thanks for your help

I think that's a good choice: the more modern Elmar-M 50mm/f2.8 is one of my favourite lenses. I don't know about the M11 - but it works fine on my M240. Just make sure the lens is extended, not collapsed, while mounting or removing the lens. Once mounted it collapses just fine on my M240 and I'd guess it works just as well on an M11. (Though I'd also say: "don't take my word for that - check carefully".)

   ...Mike

[TomB_tx]

I have both the Elmar-M and the original Elmar 2.8, and while the -M model has more modern performance, I really like the images from the older model. (But it was the first Leica lens I tried back in the mid 1960s that sold me on Leica.) I like the mechanical quality of the older version, but the simple focusing mount turns the whole lens barrel while focusing, so the aperture index marks change position as you focus. The -M model doesn't turn the whole barrel, like modern lenses.

The lens mount to shutter distance is the same on digital Ms as film, so none of the collapsible M lenses will touch the shutter, but the digital Ms have more protrusions into the area between the mount and shutter that the collapsing lens could contact.

[antonioxrosa]

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18 minutes ago, mfunnell said:

I think that's a good choice: the more modern Elmar-M 50mm/f2.8 is one of my favourite lenses. I don't know about the M11 - but it works fine on my M240. Just make sure the lens is extended, not collapsed, while mounting or removing the lens. Once mounted it collapses just fine on my M240 and I'd guess it works just as well on an M11. (Though I'd also say: "don't take my word for that - check carefully".)

   ...Mike

Thanks. Very  helpfull

[dpitt]

The Leica Elmar 2.8 is derived from the Elmar F3.5 and the Elmar F3.5 screw mount lens. The Elmar F3.5 LTM is much lighter and some say even better than the F2.8.
The Elmar 50 F3.5(I) was produced from 1930-1950
https://wiki.l-camera-forum.com/leica-wiki.en/index.php/Elmar_(I)_f%3D_5_cm_1:3.5

After that, the so called red scale Elmar F3.5 from 1954 - 1961
https://wiki.l-camera-forum.com/leica-wiki.en/index.php/Elmar_(III)_f%3D_5_cm_1:3.5

I prefer to use both these above, because they are so light and small, and have roughly the same performance as the modern ones... It can be used with an almost invisible adapter (1mm thickness) on all digital Ms.

The Elmar 50 is probably the most iconic Leica lens ever, from even before it could be dismounted until now. Almost 100 years of Leica history. They should re-issue the original LTM version in a few years...

Edited February 12 by dpitt

[oldwino]

I would add that the newer Elmar-M is very sharp and very contrasty. My only complaint about the lens was the copies I have had were rather "loose" feeling in the focus ring. A lens tech could probably upgrade it to a slightly heavier lubricant. Great travel lens.

[Pyrogallol]

Just put mine on an M2.

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[espelt]

vor einer Stunde schrieb Pyrogallol:

Just put mine on an M2.

I also really like using it on the M2...

By the way: When buying, make sure that the screw-on sun visor is included. These sun visors are very difficult to obtain individually and are correspondingly expensive.

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