A Gem from the past (2021)

(Caption: Leica camera M8 with Leica 135 mm f/4 lens attached. The lens hood has been removed to reveal the lens identity imprinted around the front element)

Leica lenses are among the best in the world. The oldest date from the early 1930s. Skilled design and manufactured to the very highest standards, it is not surprising that modern models cost roughly the equivalent price of a new small car. However, for those photographers who aspire to own one or more, but only have a modest budget, the good news is that Leica lenses last for a very long time, when used considerately, outliving many owners. If you know what to look for, it is possible to find a few older versions at relatively bargain prices, exemplified by the subject of this article. While optical performance will not equal that of modern lenses, many people enjoy the slightly softer and more kindly rendering these older lenses yield. Older types of glass coupled with mainly manual manufacturing processes, each one is unique. This was an age before computer-aided design and manufacture had been invented.

During my transition to digital photography, I used a Leica M8 rangefinder camera. It worked with a wealth of old and new bayonet mount lenses designed by Leica and a few other companies. One day, while attending a public air show and facing the challenging task of ground to air photography of fast moving jet aircraft, it became clear that I needed a lens with a longer reach. For this occasional requirement, I was disinclined to purchase an expensive modern lens, so I searched for, and found, the perfect lens for me. It was a Leica 135mm f/4 Elmar, made in Germany in the mid-1960s and came in a plastic hi-dome ‘keeper’ and original box. It was in perfect working order, with very clean unmarked optics and smooth focusing, it cost me less than £150. It still serves me well for garden landscapes and dreamy portraits. It is more often fitted to a Leica CL crop-sensor body, extending the equivalent focal length to 200 mm, which is ideal for small animal photography.

If you would like to read more about this old Elmar lens, I refer you to an illustrated article I wrote for Macfilos website which can be found here. It is a timeless topic which illustrates the pleasures possible from using older Leica lenses and, at the same time, not upsetting the ‘Chief Accountant’.