Wollensak Velostigmat 90mm f/4.5 Series II

Wollensak Velostigmat 90mm f/4.5 Series II LTM

The Wollensak Velostigmat 90mm f/4.5 Series II LTM is a rare American-made Leica screw-mount telephoto lens associated with E. Leitz New York. It was sold during the postwar period when German Leitz lens supply was limited, with Wollensak providing the optical components and Leitz New York supplying or assembling the Leica screw-mount focusing mount [1]. The lens is historically important because it was not merely an aftermarket LTM lens, but a Leitz New York catalogue item with the Leica code LEXXC [1].

The lens uses a 4-element Tessar-type optical design, consistent with the broader Wollensak Velostigmat Series II family, which was a long-running f/4.5 Tessar-formula line [2][3]. The Leica screw-mount version is rangefinder coupled and was made for M39 / LTM rangefinder cameras, with published Leica-SM references listing a 90mm focal length, f/4.5 maximum aperture, and approximately 1 m closest focusing distance [2]. Lens DB records the Leitz New York Wollensak Velostigmat 90mm f/4.5 Series II as code LEXXC, with 9 diaphragm blades and 290 g weight [4].

For LeicaLensList, this entry should be kept separate from large-format Wollensak Velostigmat Series II lenses, Wollensak Raptar enlarging lenses, and the Wollensak 127mm f/4.5 LTM. The 90mm LTM lens is collector-relevant because of its E. Leitz New York engraving, American wartime/postwar supply context, Leica screw-mount compatibility, and unusual position as a non-German lens sold through the Leica ecosystem. Surviving examples may be marked Velostigmat or, in later form, Raptar [1][3].

History

Development and Launch

The Velostigmat Series II name predates the Leica screw-mount lens by several decades. Wollensak introduced the Series II line around 1909 as an f/4.5 Tessar-formula lens family for general photography [3]. The Leica screw-mount 90mm f/4.5 version appeared much later, around 1945, when E. Leitz New York sourced lenses domestically because postwar supply from Wetzlar could not fully meet demand [1][2].

Production Evolution

Collector references place the Leica screw-mount Wollensak Velostigmat 90mm f/4.5 in the 1945 to 1950 period [1][2]. The lens was engraved with Wollensak, E. Leitz New York, and Made in U.S.A. markings on documented examples [2]. A Leitz Auction listing also records a 1950 late version with meter scale, confirming that the model remained in circulation at the end of the documented production period [5]. Later examples or related production may carry the Raptar name, reflecting Wollensak’s postwar renaming of some Velostigmat Series II lenses [1][3].

Special Editions/Variants

The main documented variants are the Velostigmat-marked LEXXC version and the later Raptar-marked version. The Leica Forum discussion identifies LEXXC as the 90mm Leitz New York catalogue code and notes that late examples were called or engraved Raptar [1]. Finish and engraving details can vary, including E. Leitz New York barrel markings, Made in U.S.A. markings, and meter-scale late examples. These should be tracked as collector variants rather than separate optical models unless a clear mechanical or optical difference is verified.

Collector Notes

Collectors should verify the LTM / M39 mount, rangefinder coupling, E. Leitz New York engraving, Wollensak or Raptar front-ring marking, LEXXC identity, focus scale, and A36-style accessory compatibility. The lens should not be confused with Wollensak large-format Velostigmat Series II lenses or other 90mm Wollensak lenses in non-Leica mounts. Important condition checks include internal haze, loose elements, cleaning marks, aperture blade damage, stiff focusing, rangefinder calibration, missing caps, and signs of mixed parts or non-original mount conversion.

Special editions

• LEXXC, Wollensak Velostigmat 90mm f/4.5 Series II, E. Leitz New York, Leica screw mount / LTM.
• LEXXC, Wollensak Raptar 90mm f/4.5, late engraving variant, Leica screw mount / LTM.
• Late meter-scale examples are documented by auction records, but no separate factory special-edition code is confirmed.

Sources

• [1] Leica Forum. Wollensak Velostigmat 90/4.5. https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/165595-wollensak-velostigmat-9045/
• [2] MIR. Wollensak Velostigmat f=90mm 1:4.5 short telephoto lens. https://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/companies/nikon/nikkoresources/RF-Nikkor/Leica_RF/Leica_Velostigmat90mmf45.htm
• [3] Western Pennsylvania Historical Society. The Wollensak Velostigmat Series II. https://www.wphsociety.org/post/the-wollensak-velostigmat-series-ii
• [4] The Lens DB. Leitz New York Wollensak VELOSTIGMAT 90mm F/4.5 W Ser. II. https://thelensdb.com/lenses/leitz-new-york-wollensak-velostigmat-90mm-f45-w-ser-ii-1945
• [5] Leitz Auction. Wollensak Velostigmat 4.5/90mm Series II. https://www.leitz-auction.com/de/Wollensak-Velostigmat-4.5-90mm-Series-II/AI-29-33365