I bought a thing… Specifically, an old (but super clean) copy of the Leica Elmar 50mm f2.8
So, yeah. Like I said. I got a Leica Elmar. I’ve written ad nauseam about my love of old lenses, specifically simple old lens designs and even more specifically about the experience I had with an old 1930s era f3.5 version of the 50mm Elmar. The 50/2.8 version of the Elmar is the same 4 element/3 group optical formula but with an extra stop of light and better coatings than the older Elmar. The end result is a lens that has that same beautiful rendering that I always loved with the added benefits of speed and less susceptibility to flare (it does still flare though, don’t be fooled here).
Don’t you already have a Zeiss Planar?
Yes. I do have the Zeiss Planar. And it is a fantastic lens. On paper it’s about as perfect as you could ask for from a 50mm lens. It’s a reasonably fast aperture at f2, the Zeiss coatings are incredible for flare resistance, it’s sharp as hell. But, I think it’s that very perfection that has always left me feeling a little cold toward the rendering. Perfect to the point of clinical is how I’ve described it before. It works for a certain aesthetic but it’s not one that I’ve really found resonates super well with how I see the world and, consequently, how I want the world rendered in the images I’m making. So, this is a long way of saying that I’ve always kind of had my eye on another 50…
I’ve considered a lot of different non-Leica options. The Zeiss 50/1.5 Sonnar, the Light Lens Lab 50 Elcan, that new Thypoch Eureka 50/2. Pretty much anything that drifted in the direction of non-clinical was on the shortlist for potential replacements to the Sonnar. Before I bought the Elmar I was really leaning toward picking up either the Elcan or Eureka. This was until my wife made an interesting point (as she does). She said, “What’s your dream lens? If you added up all the money you’ll have spent buying lenses other than the one you really want it’d probably be enough for the lens you actually want.” I answered that the dream lens would probably be a 50 ‘cron or an Elmar. So the seed was planted.
I ultimately decided that the Summicron wasn’t sufficiently different to the Planar to really be worth it. Between the Planar and the Summicron you’re really splitting hairs after you stop the lens down just a stop or so. But the Elmar was different, and when I found one for sale with a fresh YYE CLA I couldn’t resist the urge to jump on it and I’m quite pleased so far. I haven’t shot much more than a handful of photos with it but so far it is everything I remember loving about my old 1930s Elmar but improved in a way that is still faithful to the beauty of the older lens. I’m looking forward to making lots of images with this bad boy.
