Sonnar 58mm f1.5 in Leica screw mount. Despite many years of research by collectors around the world, this rangefinder-coupled 58mm Sonnar for Leica L mount still remains something of a mystery.
The optical design is the classic Sonnar formula with 7 elements in 3 groups. The glass is uncoated, and the minimum focusing distance is 1.0 meter.
Whether these lenses were actually manufactured by Zeiss is highly questionable, but they offer the long-held dream of enjoying Sonnar rendering on a Leica.
We have handled several similar Leica-mount Sonnar 58mm lenses over the years, and most have carried serial numbers in the 1407xxx range. This example is no exception.
Wide open, it retains a gentle softness and subtle glow. It is a rewarding lens to use while carefully adjusting the angle and amount of light. Monochrome images shot with slightly backlit subjects can be especially beautiful.
With its slightly longer-than-standard focal length, attractive bokeh, and pleasing color rendering, this is a surprisingly enjoyable lens with plenty of character. In our view, it deserves considerably more recognition.
A scarce example.
The aluminum barrel shows light signs of use, including minor rub marks and small scratches, but there are no dents or significant impact marks. For a Leica-mount Sonnar of this type, the exterior is quite clean.
A full overhaul, including focus and rangefinder coupling adjustment, was carried out in September 2026. Careful servicing has made all controls exceptionally smooth and pleasant to operate.
The rangefinder coupling was adjusted very carefully while repeatedly checking the lens through test shooting. However, from the minimum focusing distance to around 1.7 meters, the lens tends to back-focus beyond the available adjustment range. Infinity also goes slightly beyond true infinity.
Unfortunately, further adjustment is difficult. For close-distance shooting wide open, we recommend using live view for precise focusing.
The front element shows a fair amount of cleaning marks. There is also some haze in the second group caused by deterioration of the balsam, along with balsam separation around the edge of the rear element.
The results of our test shooting were good. Sample images are available in our Test Shoot Gallery. All were taken wide open on a Leica M9. At closer distances, after aligning the rangefinder image, we advanced the helicoid very slightly toward the closer-focus side before releasing the shutter.
Please have a look at the sample images in our Test Shoot Gallery.
