Difference between revisions of "39mm screw lenses"

Revision as of 02:12, 27 February 2006

The 39mm screw mount was introduced by Leica with the model I (C), and used on all the Leica models until the IIIg. The mount was adopted on many Leica copies and other 35mm rangefinder cameras.

The mount is also called Leica Thread Mount (LTM), Leica Screw Mount (LSM), or M39. It is 39mm diameter and 26 threads per inch, with rangefinder coupling.

The most important bodies using the 39mm screw mount are:

Leica I/II/III
Canon rangefinders
Voigtländer Bessa
the Russian Fed, Zorki, Leningrad and Drug
the British Corfield Periflex

Some makers made cameras and lenses with a 39mm screw mount completely incompatible with the Leica one, because the flange-to-film distance is different. Two such systems are:

the Braun Paxette
the Russian Zenit, first models

We can attempt to make a list of 39mm screw lenses from the most important makers. All the lenses in this list are genuine Leica mount lenses, or at least were advertised as such by reputable dealers. Today some merchants convert old and rare lenses into Leica mount. Please do not include these converted lenses in the list.

Angénieux lenses

35/3.5 X1, black
35/2.5 Retrofocus R1, black
50/1.5 S21, black and chrome

Astro lenses

Astro Berlin seems to have made some lenses with a genuine Leica mount. Today, many sellers are adapting Astro lenses to the Leica mount, often assembling them with the rear barrel of a 50/3.5 Elmar.

58/1.5 Pan-Tachar, chrome (sold at Westlicht Auction 27/11/2005)

Bausch & Lomb lenses

3in/2 EF Anastigmat, black, rangefinder coupled, advertised as original mount

Berthiot lenses

28/3.3 Angulor, chrome (sold at Westlicht Auction 27/11/2005)
50/3.5 Flor (collapsible), chrome (see [1])
50/2.8 Flor (collapsible), chrome (sold at Westlicht Auction on a Gamma body, 23/5/2003)
50/1.5 Flor, chrome or chrome and black (sold at Westlicht Auction 27/11/2005, see also [2])
55/1.5 Flor, chrome (see [3])
75/2.8 Flor, chrome and black (see [4])
90/2.8 Flor, chrome (see [5])
145/4.5 Télé, chrome (ebay auction)

External link: A Japanese page about the Berthiot lenses for Leica

Canon lenses

Corfield lenses

Corfield sold a range of lenses with their Periflex 39mm mount bodies. The Periflex had no rangefinder but a periscopic through the lens focusing system, so it seems that none of the lenses was rangefinder coupled. Some lenses were made in collaboration with Enna, and the last ones were probably entirely made by Enna.

The known finishes were:

type 0: all chrome, only on the first 50/3.5 Lumar
type I: chrome and leatherette
type II: black with wide chrome stripes (like the Enna lenses of the same period)
type IIb: black with thin chrome stripes and one chrome ring

35/3.5 Retro-Lumax (I)
45/1.9 Lumax (I,II)
45/2.8 Lumax (I)
45/3.5 Lumax (I)
50/3.5 Lumar, 1953 (0)
50/3.5 Lumar-X, 1955 (I)
50/2.8 Lumax (II)
50/2.4 Lumax (II)
50/1.9 Lumax (II)
100/4 Lumar, 1957 (I)
135/3.5 Tele-Lumax (I)

Dallmeyer lenses

135/4.5 Dalrac, chrome and black

Enna lenses

85/1.5 Ennaston (sold at Westlicht Auction 27/11/2005)

Fuji lenses

Fuji has made lenses in Leica mount in the 1950s or 1960s.

3.5cm/2, chrome (sold at Westlicht Auction 27/11/2005)
5cm/2.8 L, black and chrome (sold at Westlicht Auction 27/11/2005)
5cm/1.2, black
100/2, black and chrome

Hensoldt lenses

A lens marked Dr Hensoldt Optik Wetzlar 1:1.8/f=55 1057 PROTO in a rigid chrome mount has been seen at an ebay auction.

Isco lenses

The Isco Westar 50mm f/3.5, rigid with chrome finish, was the standard lens mounted on the prototypes of the Recta, a rangefinder variant of the Rectaflex.

Kobalux lenses

The small Japanese company YK from Yokohama made two wide angle lenses in Leica mount. They were sold under the names Kobalux, Avenon, Komura, Pasoptik, Bower or Adorama.

21/2.8 Super Wide, chrome or black
28/3.5 Wide, chrome or black

Kodak lenses

50/2.8 Ektanar (see [6])

Komura lenses

Made by Sankyo Koki, alias Komura.

28/3.5 W-Komura, black and chrome
35/3.5 W-Komura, black and chrome
80/3.5 Komura, black and chrome
105/2 Komura, black and chrome
2x converter

Konica lenses

Well before the Hexar RF, Konica had already made lenses in Leica mount, around the 1950s.

50/1.9 Hexanon

In the late 1990s they also made a new series of Leica mount lenses:

35/2 L Hexanon, chrome, 1000 made, 1996
35/2 L UC-Hexanon, black, two versions (see the page of Dante Stella), 1000 made, 2001
50/2.4 L Hexanon (collapsible), chrome, 1000 made, 1997
60/1.2 L Hexanon, black (see the cameraquest page), 800 made, 1999

Leica lenses

Leotax lenses

Showa Kogaku, better known as Leotax, apparently made their own lenses for their very first Leica copies, among which the rare Letana Anastigmat 50mm f/3.5 (see this Leotax page at cameraquest).

Meyer lenses

Meyer made some lenses in 39mm Leica screw mount at an early date, mostly before World War II. They are marked Hugo Meyer.

3.5cm f/2.7 Makro-Plasmat, chrome with black ring (see [7])
5cm f/2.7 Makro-Plasmat (collapsible), chrome (see [8])
5cm f/1.9 Primoplan (collapsible), chrome (see [9])
1 5/8" f/1.5 Kino-Plasmat, all chrome (sold at Westlicht Auction 27/11/2005)
10.5cm f/2.7 Makro-Plasmat, black and chrome, rangefinder coupled (sold at Westlicht Auction 27/11/2005, see also [10])
10.5cm f/4.5 Trioplan, black and chrome, rangefinder coupled (ebay auction)
15cm f/5.5 Tele-Megor, chrome, not rangefinder coupled, marked Ohne Kupplung (ebay auction)
250/5.5 Tele-Megor, black with chrome rings, rangefinder coupled (sold at Westlicht Auction 29/05/2005)

Minolta lenses

28/3.5 G-Rokkor, chrome, 2000 made, 1998, same lens as the Minolta TC-1
50/3.5 QF-Rokkor macro lens, not rangefinder coupled, part of the Minolta MC/MD lens system

Nikon lenses

25/4 W-Nikkor C, all chrome
28/3.5 W-Nikkor C, all chrome
35/1.8 W-Nikkor C, black and chrome
35/2.5 W-Nikkor C, all chrome
35/3.5 W-Nikkor C, all chrome
50/1.4 Nikkor-S, all chrome
50/1.5 Nikkor-S C, all chrome
50/2 Nikkor-H C (collapsible), all chrome
50/2 Nikkor-H C (rigid), all chrome or chrome with black front ring
50/3.5 Nikkor-Q C (collapsible), all chrome
50/3.5 Nikkor-Q C (rigid), all chrome
50/3.5 Micro-Nikkor, chrome and black
85/1.5 Nikkor-S C, black
85/2 Nikkor-P C, black or all chrome
105/2 Nikkor-P C, black
135/3.5 Nikkor-Q, black
135/4 Nikkor-Q C, all chrome

Old Delft lenses

3.5cm/3.5 Minor, chrome (sold at Westlicht Auction 27/11/2005)
9cm/4.5 Delfar (see [11])

Olympus lenses

Olympus made one lens in Leica mount, the 4cm f/2.8 Zuiko C. It was sold with its external finder, marked with the Olympus logo and 4 cm.

Pentax lenses

43/1.9 SMC-Pentax-L Special, 800 made in chrome and 1200 in black, year 2000, same as the SLR lens

Ricoh lenses

21/3.5 GR, 1000 made in chrome and 700 in black, 1999, same lens as the Ricoh GR-21
28/3.5 GR, 2000 made in chrome and 1000 in black, 1997, same lens as the Ricoh GR-1

Rodenstock lenses

35/2.8 Heligon, all chrome

Ross lenses

The British optical company Ross made some lenses in 39mm screw mount. The Xtralux range was released together with the Reid British Leica copy.

90/3.5 Xtralux, black and chrome
4"/5.5 Teleros, black and nickel, collapsible (sold at Westlicht Auction 27/11/2005)
135/4.5 Xtralux, black and chrome

Russian lenses

From FED or KMZ

Schacht lenses

35/3.5 Travenar-R, black with wide chrome stripes
90/2.8 Travenar-R, black with wide chrome stripes

Schneider lenses

Schneider made some lenses in Leica mount very early, before World War II. They also made special lenses ordered by Leica.

35/2.8 Xenogon, chrome
50/2.8 Xenar (collapsible), chrome
8cm/2 Xenon, uncoupled, black and chrome (sold at Westlicht Auction 27/11/2005)
80/2 Xenon, black and chrome (see [12])
13.5cm/3.5 Xenar, black and chrome
135/3.5 Tele-Xenar, all chrome

Steinheil lenses

Steinheil made some lenses in M39 mount. It was essentially the optical range developed for their own Casca model. They were all in chrome finish.

35/4.5 Orthostigmat
50/2 Quinon
85/2.8 Culminar
135/4.5 Culminar
135/4.5 Triplar

Steinheil also made lenses for the Braun Paxette, with a 39mm diameter screw mount, not compatible with the Leica rangefinder because the flange to film distance and rangefinder coupling were different.

Sun lenses

90/4 Sola, chrome

Tanack lenses

Made by Tanaka Kogaku, originally sold for the Tanack Leica copy.

50/2.8 Tanar, black and chrome
50/3.5 Tanar, chrome

Taylor, Taylor & Hobson lenses

Taylor, Taylor and Hobson made the collapsible 2" f/2 Anastigmat as the standard lens for the Reid British Leica copy. They also made a rigid 2" f/2 Cooke Amotal Anastigmat lens for the Bell & Howell Foton camera. Some of them were later converted to the Leica screw mount, but it is also possible some were originally made for it.

Telesar lenses

Maker's name unknown.

35/3.5 W.Telesar, black and chrome

Topcon lenses

Tokyo Kogaku, better known as Topcon, made some lenses in 39mm Leica mount for some Japanese Leica copies, mainly the Leotax. All were all chrome unless noted. The chronological order is State - C Simlar - Simlar - Topcor - Topcor S.

35/2.8 Topcor, sold with a very big external finder
50/3.5 State (collapsible)
50/3.5 C Simlar (collapsible)
50/3.5 Simlar (collapsible)
50/3.5 Topcor (collapsible), diaphragm ring around the front lens, then around the barrel
50/3.5 Topcor K (rigid), aluminium barrel and knurled rings
50/2.8 Topcor, black and chrome finish
50/2 Topcor
50/2 Topcor S, chrome, then black and chrome, then black with aluminium barrel
50/1.8 Topcor S, black finish
50/1.5 Simlar
50/1.5 Topcor
90/3.5 Topcor, aluminium barrel and knurled rings, sold with an external finder
135/3.5 Topcor, aluminium barrel, sold with an external finder with 50/90/135 frames

External link: 39mm lenses page of the Topcon club

Voigtländer lenses

Voigtländer Braunschweig

Voigtländer made some lenses in 39mm Leica mount. They are very rare and sought after.

50/1.5 Nokton, one of the lenses of the Prominent

Cosina Voigtländer

Carl Zeiss Jena lenses

Carl Zeiss Jena made some of the Contax lenses developed for the Contax rangefinder camera in M39 mount. They were mostly sold during the war and are quite rare. All were in chrome finish, with a slim barrel and rangefinder coupled, unless noted.

50/1.5 Sonnar (rigid)
50/2 Sonnar
75/1.5 Biotar
85/2 Sonnar
135/4 Sonnar
135/4 Triotar (sold at Westlicht Auction 27/11/2005)

Some very rare lenses were made by Zeiss but with no Zeiss marking. There is a Sonnar or Leica-Sonnar 5.8cm f/1.5, and a Sonnar 6cm f/1.5 (sold at Westlicht Auction 15/11/2002).

Zuiho lenses

Zuiho were the makers of the Honor, a Japanese Leica copy. Its standard lens was the Zuiho Honor 50mm f/2, rigid with black and chrome finish.

Zunow lenses

Teikoku Kogaku, better known as Zunow, made some lenses in Leica mount. Some have impressive characteristics, and all are very rare.

35/1.7, black
50/1.1, all chrome, two versions: 1953 and 1955
50/1.9, all chrome (see here)
100/2, black

External links:

@@ Line 153: / Line 153: @@
 * 28/3.5 W-Nikkor C, all chrome
 * 35/1.8 W-Nikkor C, black and chrome
+* 35/2.5 W-Nikkor C, all chrome
 * 35/3.5 W-Nikkor C, all chrome
 * 50/1.4 Nikkor-S, all chrome