Leica Elmar-M 50mm f/2.8

Leica Elmar-M 50mm f/2.8

The Elmar-M 50mm f/2.8 revived a collapsible standard lens for the modern Leica M era, packing a retractable barrel into one of the smallest 50mm lenses Leica ever offered for the system. It first appeared in 1994 not as a regular catalogue item but bundled with the limited M6J camera, a set produced to mark forty years of the Leica M, before demand led Leica to offer the lens on its own from 1996 [1][2]. The name itself is a deliberate nod to history. By Leica convention an f/2.8 lens would normally carry the "Elmarit" designation, but Leica kept the "Elmar" name for its collapsible f/2.8 fifties to preserve the family link back to the original 1926 Elmar 50mm f/3.5 [1].

Optically the lens is a four-element, three-group design using high-refractive-index glass and modern multicoating, a layout often described in the Tessar tradition with the rear pair cemented [1][2]. The barrel collapses to save space and locks when extended by a slight anticlockwise turn so the aperture and focusing indexes align; the lens must be fully extended and locked for correct focus [1]. Focusing covers 0.7 m to infinity in roughly a quarter turn on a smooth helicoid, and the focusing ring is free of tabs or locks [1]. The diaphragm has six blades with click stops, set in half-stops from f/2.8 to f/8 and full stops from f/8 to f/16, and unlike the earlier screw and bayonet Elmar f/2.8 the aperture scale does not rotate during focusing [1][2]. The lens accepts E39 screw-in filters and is fully rangefinder coupled. It can be collapsed into M bodies generally, with the documented exception of the M5 and CL, where the retracted barrel can foul the metering cell [1][2].

Two finishes were produced over the lens's life: a black anodized aluminium version (order number 11831) and a heavier silver lacquered brass version (order number 11823) [2]. Published weights for the chrome version vary; sources commonly cite figures around 207 to 245 g, noticeably heavier than the black version [2][3]. The first examples were the special M6J units of 1994, after which open production ran to 2007, with Leica Wiki tallying roughly 17,461 lenses assigned through the documented serial ranges [2]. Lenses carry the inscription LEICA ELMAR-M 1:2.8/50 E39 with the serial number [2].

Optical qualities

Rendering The Elmar-M is generally regarded as a high-contrast, sharp performer, with users reporting neutral, well-saturated color and crisp detail across the frame [1]. Reviewers describe negligible distortion and only mild vignetting wide open that clears by the middle apertures [1]. Wide-open extreme corners trail a fast modern Summicron, but stopped down to around f/5.6, often cited as the optimum aperture, the lens is described as essentially flawless for a 50mm [1]. Flare is reported as well controlled thanks to the modern coatings and modest aperture, to the point that some users do not bother with the dedicated clip-on hood [1].

History

Development and Launch The Elmar-M descends from a long line of compact Leica fifties: the original collapsible Elmar 50mm f/3.5 of 1926, followed by the collapsible Elmar 50mm f/2.8 introduced in 1957 [1]. After the older f/2.8 wound down around the early 1970s the collapsible Elmar concept lapsed until the Elmar-M arrived in 1994 as a new computation with modern glass and coatings [1]. Its public debut came through the limited M6J set celebrating forty years of the M, and the strong interest in the small, light lens prompted Leica to begin selling it individually from 1996, continuing until 2007 [1][2].

Production Evolution Across its run the lens was offered in black anodized aluminium and silver lacquered brass finishes, the two distinguished by order numbers 11831 and 11823 respectively [2]. Leica's serial-number records track production from the 1994 M6J batch through annual runs to the mid-2000s, mixing silver and black output in many years [2].

Special editions The lens's own origin is effectively a special edition: the first examples were made for the limited M6J camera set marking the M system's fortieth anniversary [1]. No other major factory variants beyond the standard black and silver finishes are widely documented [2].

Collector Notes Buyers should confirm the lens locks firmly in the extended position; on some examples the front section can feel slightly loose when extended, a known trait [1]. Because the barrel can rotate freely when collapsed, the aperture index needs to be aligned before extending and locking [1]. The dedicated clip-on hood (black 12550, silver 12549) and correct E39 filters with the proper thread pitch are worth checking when present [1]. Owners of M5 and CL bodies should note the documented caution against collapsing the lens fully into those cameras [1][2]. Published specifications differ in places, particularly the chrome version's weight, so figures from individual listings should be treated with care [2][3].

Sources

• [1] A Singular Eye. Elmar-M 50mm f2.8. https://asingulareye.wordpress.com/2014/02/03/elmar-m-50mm-f2-8/
• [2] Leica Wiki (English). 50mm f/2.8 Elmar-M. https://wiki.l-camera-forum.com/leica-wiki.en/index.php/50mm_f/2.8_Elmar-M
• [3] MrLeica.com (Matt Osborne). Leica Elmar 50mm Review (f2.8 Collapsible). https://mrleica.com/leica-elmar-50mm-f2-8-collapsible/