Angénieux Type Y1 90mm f/2.5 M39

P. Angénieux Paris Type Y1 90mm f/2.5 M39

The P. Angénieux Paris Type Y1 90mm f/2.5 M39 is a rare French short telephoto lens made in Leica screw mount for rangefinder cameras. It belongs to the small group of original Angénieux rangefinder lenses supplied in Leica L39 / LTM / M39 mount, rather than the more common Angénieux lenses for Exakta, M42, Alpa, Rectaflex or Contax. Leitz Auction describes the Type Y1 2.5/90mm as a sought-after Angénieux lens in original rangefinder-coupled M39 mount [1].

The lens is a manual-focus 90mm f/2.5 short telephoto with 12 aperture blades and a 1.4m minimum focusing distance. Kamerastore lists the Leica Thread Mount version with 95 x 49mm dimensions, 43mm filter size and a metal body in dark grey and silver finish [2]. Japanese collector writing identifies an early L-mount example as a 4 element, 4 group Ernostar-type construction with 12 aperture blades, 1.4m close focus and 43mm filter size [3].

The Type Y1 should be kept separate from other Angénieux 90mm lenses. The faster Type P1 90mm f/1.8, the later Type Y12 90mm f/2.5, Alpa AlfitAR versions, Exakta versions, M42 versions, Rectaflex versions and Contax rangefinder versions are separate variants or separate database candidates. For LeicaLensList, the important version is the original rangefinder-coupled Leica M39 / LTM lens [1] [4].

Optical qualities

Rendering

The Type Y1 90mm f/2.5 is generally valued as a vintage French portrait telephoto with a fast aperture for its period. Published collector and user reports describe it as an Angénieux lens with classic portrait rendering, good central subject separation and a softer vintage character than modern 90mm lenses. Formal bench testing is limited, so strong claims about exact resolution, field flatness or digital edge performance should be avoided [3] [6].

Sharpness

Available user reports generally describe the Type Y1 as capable wide open, with stronger definition when stopped down. Because many surviving examples show cleaning marks, haze or coating wear, sharpness should be treated as copy-dependent. Leica Classic and Leitz Auction listings often mention minor cleaning marks, light haze or coating blemishes, which are common condition issues for this lens family [1] [5].

Contrast and color

The lens is coated, but contrast depends strongly on condition. Some examples show blue, amber or purple coating reflections. Flashback Camera describes Type Y1 examples with blue-based coating and amber layers, while Leica Classic listings document examples with minimal coating blemishes or slight haze [5] [7].

Bokeh and transitions

The 12-blade diaphragm is a documented mechanical feature and supports rounded stopped-down highlights. The f/2.5 aperture and 90mm focal length make the lens relevant for portrait use, but detailed bokeh descriptions should remain conservative because published testing is limited [2] [3].

Digital use

The lens can be used on Leica M bodies with an L39-to-M adapter and on mirrorless cameras with suitable adapters. Since it is rangefinder-coupled, focus accuracy should be tested on the exact camera and adapter combination. At 90mm and f/2.5, small rangefinder calibration errors are more visible than with standard lenses.

History

Development and Launch

The Type Y1 90mm f/2.5 belongs to the postwar Angénieux rangefinder period, when Pierre Angénieux’s company supplied high-quality French lenses in several mounts. Collector documentation identifies early L-mount Type Y1 examples from the mid-1940s, while Leica Classic lists a rangefinder-coupled M39 example as circa 1949 [3] [5].

Production Evolution

Known Leica M39 examples appear across a wide serial-number spread, including Leica Classic serial no. 74171 dated circa 1949, Leitz Auction serial no. 65373 listed as 1950s, and Leitz Auction serial no. 86216 dated circa 1953 [1] [5] [8]. Public documentation does not establish a confirmed production end year or total production number. CollectiBlend lists the 90mm f/2.5 Type Y1 M39 and notes “several types,” which supports treating barrel and finish differences carefully rather than merging all Angénieux 90mm lenses together [4].

Special Editions/Variants

No commemorative factory special edition is widely documented for the Type Y1 90mm f/2.5 M39. Collector-relevant variants include early Leica LTM / M39 rangefinder-coupled examples, Contax rangefinder versions, and later or related 90mm f/2.5 Angénieux versions such as the Type Y12. Only the Leica M39 / LTM rangefinder-coupled version belongs directly in this LeicaLensList entry [1] [4] [7].

Collector Notes

Collectors should verify the front engraving, Type Y1 marking, Leica M39 / LTM mount, rangefinder coupling, infinity focus, close-focus scale, aperture blade count, coating condition, filter rim condition and original caps or case. The lens should not be confused with SLR M39, M42, Exakta, Rectaflex or Alpa versions, which may use similar optics but do not automatically fit Leica rangefinder bodies. Known issues include haze, coating blemishes, cleaning marks, dented filter rims and mismatched boxes or accessories [1] [5] [8].

Special editions

No confirmed commemorative factory special edition is currently documented.

Known collector-relevant variants and related versions include:

• P. Angénieux Paris Type Y1 90mm f/2.5 M39, original Leica screw-mount rangefinder-coupled version.
• Early L-mount Type Y1 examples, sometimes described as 1946-era production.
• Black and chrome Type Y1 examples with 12 aperture blades.
• Dark grey and silver Type Y1 examples, as documented by Kamerastore.
• Angénieux Type Y1 90mm f/2.5 Contax rangefinder version, related but separate from Leica M39.
• Angénieux Type Y12 90mm f/2.5, later related 90mm f/2.5 lens, separate entry.
• Angénieux Type P1 90mm f/1.8, faster portrait lens, separate entry.
• Alpa AlfitAR 90mm f/2.5, related Angénieux 90mm lens for Alpa, outside LeicaLensList unless converted.

Sources

• [1] Leitz Auction. Angénieux f. Leica M39 Type Y1 2.5/90mm. https://www.leitz-auction.com/en/Angenieux-f.-Leica-M39-Type-Y1-2.5-90mm/AI-41-40718
• [2] Kamerastore. Angenieux 90mm f2.5 Type Y1, LTM / M39. https://kamerastore.com/en-fi/products/angenieux-90mm-f2-5-type-y1-ltm-m39
• [3] Rocky Days. P.Angénieux PARIS 90mm F2.5 TYPE Y1. https://note.com/rocky_days_/n/n98d6849c3410
• [4] CollectiBlend. Angénieux 90mm f2.5 Type Y1, M39, black/chrome. https://collectiblend.com/Lenses/Ang%C3%A9nieux/90mm-f2.5-Type-Y1-%28M39%2C-black-chrome%29.html
• [5] Leica Classic. Angénieux f. M39 2.5/90mm Type Y1. https://classic.leica-camera.com/en/Angenieux-f.-M39-2.5-90mm-Type-Y1/35173-4
• [6] The Lens DB. P. Angenieux Paris 90mm F/2.5 Type Y1. https://thelensdb.com/lenses/p-angenieux-paris-90mm-f25-type-y1
• [7] Flashback Camera. Angenieux 90mm f2.5 Type Y1 / Y12 listings. https://flashbackcamera.jp/en/collections/angenieux
• [8] Leitz Auction. Angenieux 2.5/90mm Type Y1. https://www.leitz-auction.com/en/Angenieux-2.5-90mm-Type-Y1/AI-12-20205