Leica Elmar 50mm f/3.5 M (1954)

Leica Elmar 5cm f/3.5 (modelnr 11110)

When Leica introduced the M3 in 1954, the long-running collapsible Elmar 5cm f/3.5 was adapted to the new bayonet, and model 11110 is that native M-mount version of the lens [1]. It carries the Leitz code ELMAR-M and sits alongside the screw-mount edition (code ELMAR, model 11610) as the final iteration of a design that traces back to the original Elmar of the 1920s. For collectors the 11110 is significant as the only collapsible Elmar f/3.5 made specifically for the M bayonet rather than for the L39 thread mount, and it bridges the Barnack and M eras of the lineup.

Optically the lens is a four-element, three-group Tessar-type design with a maximum aperture of f/3.5 stopping down to f/22, a ten-blade diaphragm, and a 45-degree diagonal angle of view. The collapsible chrome barrel retracts into the camera body for transport and extends to the shooting position for use, and it is rangefinder coupled with focusing down to one metre. As with other Elmars of the period, the aperture is set by a small tab on the front of the barrel, which can be awkward to reach, and the dedicated VALOO combination hood with its own diaphragm control was offered partly to ease that operation.

The 11110 was produced in both metric and foot-scale versions, and Leica supplied the lens in two filter and accessory standards: an earlier A36 push-on type and a later E39 screw-in 39mm thread. Documented accessories include the VALOO hood for the A36 fitting, the ITOOY hood for the E39 version, and the ORVZO and ORVZO-CHROM caps. M-bayonet Elmars were made between 1954 and 1961, with serial-number records accounting for a total of around 47,000 lenses across the M-mount run.

Optical qualities

Rendering Detailed published rendering analysis specific to the M-bayonet 11110 is limited, and the lens shares its optical design with the wider family of late collapsible f/3.5 Elmars. As a coated four-element Tessar-type, it is generally associated with the classic, moderate-contrast drawing typical of that formula rather than with high-contrast modern rendering. Specific claims about sharpness, bokeh, flare, distortion, or digital behaviour are not supported here by a single authoritative source for this exact model, so they are left out.

History

Development and Launch The f/3.5 Elmar was Leica's standard normal lens through the screw-mount era, and with the launch of the M system in 1954 it was offered in a native M-bayonet mount as model 11110. This kept the established, compact collapsible normal lens available to early M3 buyers while the faster Summicron and Summarit lenses covered the higher end of the range.

Production Evolution During the M-bayonet production span the lens appeared in metric and foot-scale forms and in both A36 and E39 filter standards, the latter reflecting Leitz's move to the 39mm screw-in filter thread. Serial-number tables compiled by collectors record M-mount Elmar production across 1954 to 1961, with a total of roughly 47,364 lenses assigned.

Special editions No widely documented military, export, or special factory finishes are recorded specifically for the M-bayonet 11110 beyond the standard metric, foot-scale, A36, and E39 variations. A separate red-scale (RS) variant of the 5cm f/3.5 Elmar is noted in the same serial-number records, identified by red focusing and depth-of-field markings.

Collector Notes Buyers should confirm that a lens described as the 11110 is genuinely the M-bayonet version rather than the screw-mount 11610 fitted with an adapter, since both were sold concurrently and look very similar. Checking whether the example uses the A36 push-on fitting or the E39 39mm thread matters when sourcing the correct hood (VALOO or ITOOY) and caps (ORVZO). As with any collapsible Elmar of this age, the optics should be inspected for haze and cleaning marks, and the inscription on genuine examples reads Ernst Leitz GmbH Wetzlar with the Elmar f=5cm 1:3.5 marking and serial number.