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Antique and classic cameras/lenses price guide.Erwin Puts, the author of Leica Lens Compendium book and TAO of Leica web-site allowed us to convert his book to html format and publish it on the collectiblend without images. Book covers Leica history, optical theory and lens reviews. If you are interested in a complete book, you can buy a newer version directly from Erwin (it should be available soon). Also you can check out the pocket version of this book: Basic Leica Information.
© Erwin Puts
Content
Chapter
2: The evolution of the LEICA Lens.
2.1.3
The first lens for the "Leica" format: some design aspects
Part
2: The expansion, 1930 to 1957
2.2.1
The family of lenses for the Leica.
2.2.3
The postwar period till 1957.
2.2.4
Summary for first period 1925 to 1957.
Part
3: The challenges, 1957 to 1988
2.3.1
Evolution of the Leica camera.
2.3.2
An Herculean task From 1957 to 1988
2.3.3
Evolution of the lens systems for M and R.
2.3.4
The quest for image quality
2.3.9
Design and manufacture of Leica lenses
2.3.10
Summary for the second period: 1957 to 1988.
Part
4: the new generation from 1990
2.4.2
Current status of optical design and lens manufacture.
Part
1: A gentle introduction to optical design and aberrations.
3.1
Optics and optical designers: ray bending.
3.2
The origin of aberrations.
3.3.2
Coma Spherical aberration
3.5
The analytical approach in designing lenses.
3.6
The numerical approach in designing lenses.
3.9
Erwin Lihotzky (1887 - 1941)
3.10
The current design team and design method.
3.11
What about this fingerprint of a lens?
Part
2: Some advanced topics in optical design and manufacture
4.2
Can lenses be corrected for black & white emulsions only?
4.4
Vignetting and the cos4-effect.
4.7
Wide apertures and the geometric flux.
4.9
Bo-ke, unsharpness and circle of (least) confusion
5.2.3
The shortcomings of the resolution test .
5.3
Spatial frequency and contrast
5.4
The Modulation Transfer Function.
5.4.1
The generation of MTF graphs.
5.4.2
The interpretation of MTF graphs
5.4.3
Tradeoff between contrast and resolution?.
5.4.5
The limitations of the MTF analysis.
6.2
The question of focal length
6.3.1
3.5/50, Anastigmat/Elmax,1925
6.3.2
3.5/50,Elmar,1925, 3.5/50,Elmar,1932 and later years
6.3.8
2.0/50,Summicron collapsible, 1953
6.3.11
2/50,Summicron (III), ,1969
6.3.12
2/50, Summicron-R (II), f, 1976 & 2/50,
6.3.13
1.5/50, Xenon,1935/1936 & 1.5/50,Summarit, 1954
6.3.14
1.4/50, Summilux (I), 1959
6.3.15
1.4/50,Summilux (II), 1961
6.3.16
1.4/50,Summilux-R (I), 1970
6.3.17
1.4/50,Summilux-R (II), 1998
6.3.18
1.4/50mm Summilux-M ASPH, 2004
6.3.21
4/28-35-50,Tri-Elmar, 1998, New version 2000
6.4.2
3.5/15, Super-Elmar-R, 1980
6.4.3
1:2.8/15mm Super-Elmarit-R ASPH General remarks
6.4.4
2.8/16,Fish-Eye-Elmarit-R, 1975
6.4.7
4.0/21,Super-Angulon, 1958
6.4.8
3.4/21, SuperAngulon, 1963 & 3.4/21,Super-Angulon-R, 1965
6.4.9
4/21,Super-Angulon, 1968
6.4.11
2.8/21,Elmarit ASPH, 1997
6.5.1
2.8/24,Elmarit-R, 1974 11221/11257
6.5.2
2.8/24,Elmarit ASPH, 1998
6.5.5
2.8/28, Elmarit (1),1965 Germany and Canada.
6.5.6
2.8/28, Elmarit (2), 1972
6.5.7
2.8/28 Elmarit-M (3), 1979 (new focusing mount from # 3037401 Canada mnf)
6.5.8
2.8/28 Elmarit-M (4), 1993.
6.5.9
2.0/28 Summicron-M ASPH, 2000
6.5.12
2.8/28, PC Super-Angulon-R,1988
6.6.5
2.0/35, Summicron (1), 1958
6.6.6
2.0/35, Summicron, (2), 1969
6.6.7
2.0/35, Summicron, (3), 1971
6.6.8
2.0/35, Summicron (4), 1979
6.6.9
2.0/35, Summicron ASPH, 1997
6.6.10
1.4/35, Summilux, 1961 (11870 to 1 meter, 11871 to .65 meter).
6.6.11
1.4/35, Summilux aspherical, 1990
6.6.12
1.4/35, Summilux ASPH, 1994
6.6.13
2.8/35, Elmarit-R (1), 1964
6.6.14
2.8/35, Elmarit-R (2), 1973.
6.6.15
2/35,Summicron-R (1), 1972 Wetzlar design and Midland production
6.6.16
2/35 Summicron-R (2), 1977
6.6.17
1.4/35 Summilux-R, 1984
6.7.1
3.5/65, Elmar, later Elmar-V, 1960
6.7.2
2.8/60,Macro-Elmarit-R, 1972
6.7.4
1.4/75, Summilux-M, 1980 & 1.4/80, Summilux-R, 1980
6.7.5
1:2/75mm Leica Summicron-M ASPH
6.8.1
1.5/85, Summarex, 1943/1948
6.8.3
4/90mm Elmar (rigid and collapsible), 1954.
6.8.4
4/90mm, Elmar , 3-element lens, 1964
6.8.8
2.8/90, Tele-Elmarit-M, 1964
6.8.10
2.8/90, Tele-Elmarit-M, 1974
6.8.11
2.8/90, Elmarit-M, 1990 & 2.8/90, Elmarit-R, 1980
6.8.12
2/90, Summicron (1), from 1953 and 1957
6.8.13
2/90, Summicron (2), 1963
6.8.14
2/90, Summicron-R, from 1970
6.8.15
2/90, Summicron-M (3), from 1980
6.8.16
2/90, Apo-Summicron-M ASPH(4),1998
6.8.17
2/90, Apo-Summicron-R ASPH (2)
6.9.1
4/100, Macro-Elmar,1968, and Macro-Elmar-R, 1978
6.9.2
2.8/100, Apo-Macro-Elmarit-R,1987
6.10.4
4.0/135, Tele-Elmar, 1965
6.10.5
3.4/135, Apo-Telyt, 1998
6.11.1
2.8/180,Tele-Elmarit,1965
6.11.3
2.8/180, Elmarit-R,1968
6.11.4
2.8/180, Elmarit-R,1980
6.11.5
3.4/180, APO-Telyt-R, 1975.
6.11.6
2.8/180, Apo-Elmarit-R,1998
6.11.7
2/180,Apo-Summicron-R,1994
6.11.10
4/250 (1), Telyt-R,1970
6.11.11
4/250 (2),Telyt-R,1980
6.11.13
4/280, Apo-Telyt-R,1993
6.11.14
2.8/280, Apo-Telyt-R, 1984
6.12.4
2.8/400, Apo-Telyt-R, 1992
6.12.5
8/500, MR-Telyt-R, 1980.
6.13
Telescope lenses: 400 to 800mm
6.13.1
5.6/400 Telyt 1966, 6.8/400 Telyt 1970, 5.6/560 Telyt 1966, 6.8/560 Telyt 1971
6.14
The Apo-Telyt-R module system, 1996
6.15.1
1:3.5-4/21-35mm Vario-Elmar-R ASPH
6.15.2
3.5-4.5/28-70,Vario-Elmar-R,1990 & 1997
6.15.3
2.8-4.5/28-90mm Vario-Elmarit-R ASPH
6.15.4
3.5/35-70,Vario,Vario-Elmar-R, from #3171001, 1983, and from # 3418891,
1986/88
6.15.5
2.8/35-70,Vario-Elmar-R,1997
6.15.6
2.8/35-70,Vario-Elmarit-R Asph,1998
6.15.7
2.8/70-180, Vario-Apo-Elmarit-R, 1995.
6.15.8
4/70-210, Vario-Elmar-R,1984
6.15.9
4/80-200,Vario-Elmar-R,1996
6.15.10
4.2/105-280,Vario-Elmar-R,1996
7.1
Appendix A: Serial numbers and production dates.
7.2
Appendix B: all Leica lens designs
7.3
Appendix C: best image quality
7.3.2
Shutter speed and tripod use.
7.4
Appendix D: groups of focal lengths
7.5
Appendix E: the rangefinder accuracy
7.5.1
Rangefinder focus accuracy.
7.6
Appendix F: Lens manufacture in detail.