Identify Leitz Lens Made in Canada Summicron M 1:2/35

[mori335]

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I have scoured the internet looking for the history of this model lens. The title of this thread is all that is on the face of the lens. There is no serial number anywhere that I can find on it.

Any ideas?

Edited yesterday at 03:53 AM by mori335

[nitroplait]

A picture is required to say anything with certainty. Version 2, 3 and 4 had production in Canada.

[jankap]

At the top of this window you can find the switch LeicaWiki with lots of information.

[pippy]

5 hours ago, mori335 said:

I have scoured the internet looking for the history of this model lens. The title of this thread is all that is on the face of the lens. There is no serial number anywhere that I can find on it......Any ideas?

There will be a serial number; I've never heard of any Leitz / Leica lens not having one. You need to look again. The serial number will indicate in which year the lens was made and through using this date the specific version can be discerned. As far as I know the Leitz Canada 35 Summicron lenses were made - off-an-on - between 1960 and 1979 (versions 1 to 3).

Alternatively you might have a look through the pictures in this link to see if your lens is shown here;

https://www.kenrockwell.com/leica/lens-reviews.htm#35mm-summicron

Philip.

Edited 21 hours ago by pippy

[Maarten]

The Summicron 35mm type IV made in Canada has it’s serial number engraved on the back of the handle of the aperture ring.

You’ll therefore have to look from the back of the lens and turn it around, you’ll find it there.

[lct]

12 minutes ago, Maarten said:

The Summicron 35mm type IV made in Canada has it’s serial number engraved on the back of the handle of the aperture ring.

You’ll therefore have to look from the back of the lens and turn it around, you’ll find it there.

+1

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[mori335]

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Thanks LCT. Found the serial number.

 

[lct]

You're welcome but @Maarten gave the right answer first. I don't remember why Leica changed the usual place of serial numbers this way but they did almost the same with early Canada made Summicron 50/2 v4 copies. German made copies of both lenses gave up on this new location fortunately.

[mori335]

Thanks Maarten!

[adan]

1 hour ago, lct said:

I don't remember why Leica changed the usual place of serial numbers this way but they did almost the same with early Canada made Summicron 50/2 v4 copies. German made copies of both lenses gave up on this new location fortunately.

I believe it was in the brief era when M production first moved almost entirely to Canada (1978-1985 or so; M4-2/M4-P cameras, "Class of 1980" new lens designs 21/28/35/50/75/90).

Leica wanted to make absolutely sure purchasers knew they were NOT getting German-made Leicas/Lenses, and thus (literally) spelled out LEITZ LENS MADE IN CANADA around the front element. (Or perhaps Walter Mandler wanted to promote the factory in his adopted country.)

All those extra letters left no space for the serial number on the front bezel ring, especially on the cramped space of E39 lenses (but also even the first E49 90 Summicrons).

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Eventually, Leica decided that the simpler LEITZ CANADA engraving on the front was sufficent, and used less space.

 

[Jean-Michel]

2 hours ago, adan said:

Leica wanted to make absolutely sure purchasers knew they were NOT getting German-made Leicas/Lenses, and thus (literally) spelled out LEITZ LENS MADE IN CANADA around the front element. (Or perhaps Walter Mandler wanted to promote the factory in his adopted country.)

 

 

Not so sure about that statement. One needs to remember that, for decades,  pretty much every lens made by Leica after 1952 were designed and manufactured in Midland, Ontario, Canada. Walter Mandler came to Midland in 1952 and remained there, as a Canadian citizen, until his death in 2005.

In the early 1970s, an acquaintance who worked at the Midland mentioned to me that some of the "Made in Germany" lenses were in fact Midland-made lenses. The optical cells and mounts were sent to Germany for final assembly and therefore "Made in Germany".  Even in those days, it was all a matter of tariffs!