Taylor, Taylor & Hobson Cooke Amotal Anastigmat 2 inch f/2

The Taylor, Taylor & Hobson Cooke Amotal Anastigmat 2 inch f/2 is a LTM-mount lens for Leica rangefinder cameras. Leica price index ↗

Reference maintained by Thomas Boots

Model number(s): Cooke Amotal 2 inch f/2, Cooke Amotal Anastigmat ELC, Taylor Hobson 2 inch f/2, Taylor Taylor & Hobson 2 inch f/2

Focal Length: 50mm

Aperture: 𝑓/2

Release Year (from): 1948

Elements in Groups: 6/4

Mount: LTM

Material Weight: Chrome, 0g

Colors: Silver Chrome

Cooke Taylor Hobson Amotal 2 inch f/2 LTM

The Cooke Taylor Hobson Amotal 2 inch f/2 LTM is a rare British normal lens documented in Leica screw-mount / M39 rangefinder-coupled form. The Amotal 2 inch f/2 also exists in other historical contexts, especially Bell & Howell Foton and Reid-related use, so the exact mount, rangefinder coupling and provenance should be verified per copy. KEH lists the lens as “Taylor & Hobson 2" (50mm) f/2 Cooke Amotal Anastigmat Lens For Leica Screwmount,” confirming documented Leica screw-mount examples [1]. Flints Auctions also documents a Taylor Hobson Cooke Amotal Anastigmat ELC f/2 2 inch lens in Leica rangefinder-coupled screw mount [2].

The lens is commonly engraved as Cooke Amotal Anastigmat 2 inch f/2, sometimes with the ELC marking. A Hong Kong auction listing describes an original LTM 39 mount example with 6 elements in 4 groups and a Double Gauss design [3]. Because some Amotal lenses were made for other systems or later remounted, this entry should only be used for examples that are clearly Leica L39 / LTM / M39 screw mount and rangefinder-coupled.

This entry covers documented Leica L39 / LTM / M39 rangefinder-coupled examples. It should not be used for uncoupled lens heads, Foton-mount lenses, Reid-only examples without confirmed Leica-thread compatibility, or later conversions unless the listing clearly shows Leica screw mount and usable rangefinder coupling.

Optical qualities

Rendering

The Cooke Amotal 2 inch f/2 is a fast vintage normal lens with a distinctive British rendering profile. Leica Society International describes the 2 inch f/2 Taylor-Hobson Anastigmat as an excellent lens and notes its relationship to British Leica-copy cameras such as the Reid [4]. User and collector interest generally centers on its classic rendering, smooth tonal transitions and uncommon character compared with the more familiar Leica, Canon, Nikon or Soviet LTM normal lenses.

Sharpness

No reliable modern bench test was found. A clean and correctly adjusted copy should be capable of strong practical performance, but sharpness is likely to vary by sample, mount accuracy and condition. Because surviving examples are rare and may have complex mount histories, rangefinder calibration and infinity focus are especially important.

Contrast and color

The lens is generally found as a coated postwar lens, but exact coating details are not consistently documented across public sources. The seller image provided describes “nice coating,” while auction listings often mention internal marks, cleaning marks or coating condition as copy-specific details. Contrast should therefore be treated as dependent on the exact lens.

Bokeh and transitions

As a 50mm-class f/2 Double Gauss lens, the Amotal can produce meaningful subject separation while remaining a practical standard lens. Strong claims about bokeh should remain conservative unless supported by sample images from the exact copy.

Handling

The Leica screw-mount version can be used on Leica LTM cameras and on Leica M bodies with a standard L39-to-M adapter. The rangefinder-coupled screw-mount form is specifically documented by Flints Auctions [2]. Because Amotal lenses appear in multiple mount histories, normal Leica focusing behavior should not be assumed from the name alone.

Digital use

The lens can be used on Leica M digital bodies with an L39-to-M adapter and on mirrorless cameras with suitable adapters. Rangefinder calibration should be checked carefully, especially at f/2. The lens is uncoded and does not provide six-bit lens identification.

History

Development and Launch

The Cooke Amotal 2 inch f/2 belongs to Taylor, Taylor & Hobson’s postwar Cooke photographic lens family. Rangefinderforum historical discussion notes that the original Cooke Amotal Anastigmat 2 inch f/2 was made for the Bell & Howell Foton around 1948 to 1949, while other examples are found in LTM and other mounts [5]. This broader history explains why the Amotal name appears across several mechanical forms.

Production Evolution

Public documentation does not establish a complete production timeline for the Leica screw-mount version. Some sources suggest that Foton-market Amotal lenses were later remounted or adapted into Leica screw mount, while auction and dealer listings also document rangefinder-coupled Leica screw-mount examples [2] [3] [5]. Because of this, each lens should be judged by physical mount, rangefinder coupling, serial number, engraving and provenance.

Special Editions/Variants

No commemorative factory special edition is documented. Collector-relevant variants include documented Leica screw-mount examples, Cooke Amotal Anastigmat ELC examples in M39 / LTM form, Bell & Howell Foton examples, Reid-related examples and later conversions. The ELC marking, serial number and mount details should be recorded whenever visible.

Collector Notes

Collectors should verify the Cooke Amotal Anastigmat engraving, 2 inch f/2 marking, ELC marking if present, serial number, Leica L39 / M39 screw mount, rangefinder coupling, infinity focus and optical condition. Because Amotal lenses appear in multiple mount histories, including Bell & Howell Foton, Reid-related use and documented Leica screw-mount examples, the mount should not be assumed from the name alone. Seller claims should be checked against clear photos of the screw mount, rangefinder cam and focusing scale.

Special editions

No confirmed factory commemorative special edition is currently documented.

Known collector-relevant variants and related versions include:

Cooke Amotal Anastigmat 2 inch f/2 LTM, documented Leica L39 / M39 rangefinder-coupled examples, this entry.
Cooke Amotal Anastigmat ELC 2 inch f/2 M39 / LTM, likely the same lens family when confirmed in rangefinder-coupled Leica screw mount.
Taylor-Hobson 2 inch f/2 Anastigmat Reid-related examples, historically related and in scope when Leica-thread compatibility is confirmed.
Bell & Howell Foton mount Cooke Amotal 2 inch f/2, historically related but not the same Leica screw-mount entry.
Later remounted or converted Cooke Amotal examples, should be documented as conversions unless original LTM rangefinder coupling is confirmed.
Leica M-adapted examples, should be documented as adapted unless the original LTM rangefinder-coupled mount is retained.