Best Lenses for Leica KE-7A?

[Rangeer Finder]

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I have an opportunity to purchase a   KE-7A but can not find the military Elcan 50mm lens.  I old use this primarily for street photography - day and night.  Lens recommendations you love?  Or should I just buy an M 4?  I know the KE-7A is a rare bird, very cool, but very pricey.  My buddy, a pro and a teacher, has several Leicas and the M4 is his favorite.  Appreciate your opinions - many thanks!

 

[adan]

A Chinese lens company has reproduced the ELCAN 50: https://lightlenslab.myshopify.com/products/50mm-f2-elcan?ref=6PmsEk5oXIXKaR

But bear in mind that even the original was not ALL that great a lens. Its value lies in the matchup with the special camera.

Its primary design brief was compactness and "combat-worthiness" (thus no cemented elements that could separate under shock, and only four of those).

A fair number of posts in the regular "M-System-Lens" forum about the ELCAN and the recent  LLL reproduction.

Another ELCAN that is even rarer and pricier than the 50mm is the 66mm f/2.0, lead item in this auction annoucement. I've always wanted to run across one of those, just to try out.

https://www.tamarkinauctions.com

Otherwise, M lenses contemporaeous with the KE-7A - but not ELCAN - are the 35mm Summicron v.1 (eight elements, rare in black), 50mm Summicron v.2 "Rigid" or DR versions (also rarer in black), the large "stovepipe" 90mm Summicron (see below), 28mm v.1 Elmarit (symmetrical design, now somewhat rare and pricey, not recommended for digital or metered bodies) and the 21mm Super-Angulon f/3.4 (symmetrical design, moderately common, not recommended for digital or metered bodies

http://wiki.l-camera-forum.com/leica-wiki.en/images/e/e2/M-9f2-i.jpg

Edited March 3 by adan

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[GRBrown]

See also the "stovepipe"/"collapsable drinking cup" 90mm Summicron in silver chrome.

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[spydrxx]

Personally I'd go for the M4, a body I've always loved (was my first Leica in the 1960s). Great with a 35mm lens. Good with a 50, and a little challenging with 90-135mm lenses, but certainly dooable, I've got lots of family photos with a 90 and some historical shots with the 135 Tele-Elmar like the one below

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[a.noctilux]

Don't buy another lens if you already have one favorite.

As somebody said so often, the best lens is the one you have with you ( = your prefered lens ! ).

...

edit:

the "not used for years" KE-7A (if it's the case) may have some "problems", so be careful or take it for a CLA, before use.

I was long time lover of M4, my first M so long ago, now "replaced" by M-A and other Ms.

[Rangeer Finder]

Thank you!

[alphonse2501]

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21 hours ago, a.noctilux said:

Don't buy another lens if you already have one favorite.

As somebody said so often, the best lens is the one you have with you ( = your prefered lens ! ).

 

Basically, you can just add LLL ELCAN 50/2 on your bag with the other lenses you favored. This is not only the one of default "kit lens" from official record, also the least low-profile lens par with Voigtlander 35/2.5 pancake and other collapsible lenses. 

[alphonse2501]

ELCAN 50/2 and 66/2 are known military lenses the US Army requested. Other focal length lenses may just "over the counter" commercial lens purchased from Leitz. I did saw auction photos included 35/1.4 Summilux or Goggled 135/2.8 but ELCAN 50/2 was that most lens paired with KE-7A.

[Anbaric]

On 3/2/2024 at 11:04 PM, Rangeer Finder said:

I have an opportunity to purchase a   KE-7A but can not find the military Elcan 50mm lens.  I old use this primarily for street photography - day and night.

Is it worth the premium over a regular M4 for a camera you want to use in the street? Only you can decide this (many people here are user/collectors) but for the price difference you could probably fund some nice glass...

[pgk]

The KE-7A and Elcan lens were probably not intended to be used for 'street' photography so your lens choice should be based on whether you want a rare camera with its original lens as something to enjoy in their own right, or whether you actually want a lens on a camera body which fits your 'street' needs. Perhaps I should add that the 'street' has changed since the days of the KE-7A and M4 too so what was relevant back then may not be now.

Personally I'd say that you can't go far wrong with an M4 and 35mm lens for 'street' or much else IMO. The KE-7A offers nothing better except for being rarer or more obscure.

Edited March 4 by pgk