Leica Elmarit-M 135mm f/2.8 I with OVU

Leica Elmarit-M 135mm f/2.8 I with OVU

The defining feature of this lens is the permanently attached optical magnifier, the spectacle or goggle unit (often catalogued under the OVU designation), which sits over the camera's viewfinder windows. A 135mm focal length is at the practical limit of accurate rangefinder focusing, so Leitz built in the goggles to enlarge the framing and improve focusing precision. The attachment converts the M2's 90mm brightline into a 135mm field, and on bodies with a 0.72 finder it magnifies the rangefinder image by roughly 1.4x, which increases the effective focusing base length and makes critical focus more reliable at this focal length [1][2][3]. The Type I was the first version of the Elmarit-M 135mm and was developed at the Leitz facility in Midland, Ontario, with the optical design attributed to Walter Mandler.

Optically the lens uses a five-element design built around a relatively fast f/2.8 aperture for its length, with a 12-blade diaphragm stopping down to f/32. The barrel is finished in black anodized aluminum and carries a built-in retractable lens hood, and the front lens head unscrews so the optical cell can be used with the Visoflex reflex housing via the appropriate focusing adapter. Minimum focus is 1.5 m, and the lens is fully rangefinder coupled through the M bayonet. Users consistently describe the lens as large, heavy by Leica standards, and fitted with a long focus throw, traits that follow from the f/2.8 aperture and the goggle assembly [4]. Filters are mounted in the Series VII size on the front of the Type I[5].

The lens went through three generations sharing the same basic optical concept. The original Type I carries Leitz Canada engravings and uses Series VII filters; later versions moved to an E55 filter thread and were lightened and restyled, with the final Type III produced into the mid-1990s[6]. Within the Type I itself, collectors note running changes: earlier examples have the goggles fixed by screws and a scalloped focusing ring, while later examples use a cast metal mount for the goggles and a finely knurled focusing surface. The order numbers associated with the lens include 11827, 11828 and 11829, the 11827 reference being tied to the configuration whose lens head detaches for Visoflex use.

Optical qualities

Rendering Documented impressions of this lens are limited but broadly consistent. Reviewers describe it as sharp, with critical sharpness depending heavily on accurate focus and correct calibration rather than on stopping down. One long-term user reports that it renders attractively in black-and-white film work and is a lens worth keeping even alongside modern aspherical optics. Because the rendering character is reported anecdotally rather than through systematic testing, claims beyond general sharpness and pleasant tonal rendering are not well supported.

Collector and user notes The built-in goggles can drift out of alignment, which affects focusing accuracy, though users report the adjustment is straightforward and inexpensive to correct. The set screws near the goggle objectives can be loosened to recalibrate focus without fully removing the assembly.

History

Development and Launch The Elmarit-M 135mm f/2.8 was introduced by Leitz around 1963 as a manual-focus telephoto for the M rangefinder system, designed by Walter Mandler and produced at Leitz Canada in Midland, Ontario. Its goggle attachment made it the first 135mm lens able to expand the M2's 90mm framing to a true 135mm field, a feature aimed directly at solving the difficulty of focusing a fast long lens on a rangefinder. The lens occupied the fast end of the 135mm M lineup, sitting alongside the slower and more compact Tele-Elmarit and Hektor designs.

Production Evolution After the original Leitz Canada Type I, the lens was revised across two further generations. The filter mount changed from Series VII to E55, the barrel was restyled and the goggle mounting evolved from a screw-fixed unit with a scalloped focusing ring to a cast assembly with fine knurling. Engravings on the Type I read ELMARIT-M 1:2.8/135 LEITZ CANADA. The third and final version remained in the catalogue until the mid-1990s before the line was discontinued.

Collector Notes This is a comparatively affordable Leica M lens, which collectors attribute to its bulk, weight and the less common 135mm focal length rather than to any optical weakness. Before purchase it is worth confirming that the goggles are correctly aligned and that the rangefinder focus is accurate, since misalignment is the most commonly cited issue. The Type I is identified by its Leitz Canada engraving and Series VII filter mount, distinguishing it from later E55 versions. Buyers should also check the condition of the built-in hood and the detachable lens head, and verify the unusual large metal lens cap, which is itself a sought-after accessory. One published listing describes a Type I as using five elements in four groups, while the Leica Wiki records five elements in three groups for this version; the element-and-group count is therefore worth treating with care, and LeicaLensList records a five-element, four-group configuration.