Steinheil Culminar 135mm f/4.5 VL

Steinheil München Culminar 135mm f/4.5 VL L39

The Steinheil München Culminar 135mm f/4.5 VL is a vintage German telephoto lens produced in Leica screw mount for 35mm rangefinder cameras. It belongs to the group of third-party L39 lenses made for Leica, Canon, Nicca and other Leica-thread-mount bodies during the postwar rangefinder period. Kamerastore describes the lens as a Steinheil rangefinder lens for Leica Thread Mount, LTM / M39, and states that it is rangefinder coupled [1].

The lens is a compact long-focus 135mm design with manual focusing, a maximum aperture of f/4.5 and a minimum focusing distance of 1.5m. Lens-DB identifies the optical formula as 4 elements in 3 groups in a Tessar-type layout, while AllPhotoLenses lists the lens as an M39 35mm rangefinder prime with first production year 1956 [2] [3]. The lens is usually seen as a relatively small, lightweight alternative to contemporary 135mm Leica-thread-mount telephotos, although published dimensions and weight differ between sources.

The L39 version should not be confused with Steinheil Culminar lenses made for Exakta, M42, SLR M39, enlarger use, large-format shutters, or removable-head applications. Some examples are engraved in centimeters as 13.5cm, while others are described in millimeters as 135mm. Collector checks should focus on the Leica screw mount, the presence and correct operation of the rangefinder coupling, the exact front engraving, coating condition, aperture behavior and whether the lens has its original caps, keeper, hood or accessory finder.

Optical qualities

Rendering
Reliable formal testing is limited. Available user reports generally describe the lens as a vintage, lower-contrast 135mm telephoto with smooth rendering and rounded out-of-focus highlights. These comments should be treated as user experience rather than laboratory data [4].

Sharpness
User reports describe the lens as usable but not modern in contrast or resolution, especially at larger apertures. One Photo.net discussion describes the 135mm Culminar as a fine but underrated lens, while also noting that Culminar lenses are not necessarily very sharp wide open [6].

Bokeh and transitions
The aperture blade count is not consistently documented. Kamerastore and AllPhotoLenses list 17 blades, while Lens-DB and one user report list 16 blades [1] [2] [3] [4]. Because of this conflict, the database field should remain Unknown unless verified from the exact copy being catalogued.

Digital use
The lens can be adapted to Leica M with an L39-to-M adapter and to mirrorless digital cameras with suitable adapters. Because it is a 135mm rangefinder lens, focusing precision depends strongly on camera rangefinder calibration, adapter accuracy and the user’s ability to focus a long lens accurately [4] [5].

History

Development and Launch

The Culminar 135mm f/4.5 VL sits within Steinheil München’s postwar camera-lens production, when the company supplied lenses in several mounts including Leica screw mount, Exakta and M42. AllPhotoLenses lists the first year of production as 1956 for the M39 version, although the exact production span for the L39 rangefinder version is not clearly established in the available published references [2].

Production Evolution

Documented examples appear with Leica L39 / M39 screw mount and rangefinder coupling, and some listings describe the lens as coated. The lens is often marked “Steinheil München Culminar” with either 135mm or 13.5cm focal-length notation depending on the example. Published sources disagree on some mechanical specifications, especially aperture blade count, size, weight and filter provision, so those details should be checked copy by copy [1] [2] [4].

Special Editions/Variants

No confirmed factory special edition is widely documented for the Steinheil Culminar 135mm f/4.5 VL in Leica L39 mount. Collector-relevant variants include Leica screw mount rangefinder-coupled examples, Exakta versions, M42 versions and other non-rangefinder forms. Only the Leica L39 / LTM / M39 rangefinder-coupled version belongs directly in LeicaLensList’s main scope [1] [5].

Collector Notes

Collectors should confirm that the lens is a true Leica screw mount rangefinder lens, not an M39 SLR lens, Exakta lens or unrelated Steinheil Culminar in another mount. Important checks include the rangefinder coupling cam, infinity focus, mount thread condition, aperture smoothness, haze, fungus, cleaning marks, separation, coating damage and whether the aperture ring turns during focusing. Some user reports also note no click-stops and possible confusion around filter or hood attachment, so front accessory fit should be verified on the specific copy [4] [6].

Special editions

No confirmed factory special edition is currently documented.

Known collector-relevant variants and related versions include:

• Leica L39 / LTM / M39 rangefinder-coupled version, suitable for LeicaLensList.
• 13.5cm engraving variant, likely the same focal length expressed in centimeters.
• 135mm engraving variant, same focal length expressed in millimeters.
• Exakta mount versions, outside LeicaLensList unless converted to Leica M or L39.
• M42 or SLR M39 versions, outside LeicaLensList unless converted to Leica M.
• Removable-head or bellows-related use has been reported by users, but should be verified by the exact copy before treating it as a database-level variant.

Sources

• [1] Kamerastore. Steinheil 135mm f4.5 Culminar - Lens. https://kamerastore.com/en-fi/products/steinheil-135mm-f4-5-culminar-ltm-m39
• [2] AllPhotoLenses. Steinheil München Culminar 135 mm f/4.5 VL Lens. https://allphotolenses.com/lenses/item/c_2728.html
• [3] Lens-DB. Steinheil München Culminar 135mm F/4.5 [VL] LSM. https://lens-db.com/steinheil-munchen-culminar-135mm-f45-vl-lsm/
• [4] Flyalf’s Creek. Steinheil Culminar 135mm /4,5 VL used on a M9. https://flyalf.wordpress.com/2011/12/09/steinheil-culminar-135mm-45-vl-used-on-a-m9/
• [5] Cameratique. Steinheil Culminar 1:4.5/135mm lens Universal turret viewfinder hood M39 Leica. https://cameratique.co.za/steinheil%2Cculminar%2C145135mm%2Csteinheil-culminar-145135mm%2Cculminar-145135mm-lens%2C145135mm-lens-universal
• [6] Photo.net. Steinheil Culminar 85mm/2.8 Lens, Leica and Rangefinders. https://www.photo.net/forums/topic/176255-steinheil-culminar-85mm28-lens/