Leica screw mount Sonnar 58mm f1.5. Despite the extensive research by collectors around the world, the Leica L-mount Sonnar 58mm remains shrouded in mystery. This rangefinder-coupled lens features a Sonnar-type design with 3 groups and 7 elements, and it is uncoated. The minimum focusing distance is 1.0m.
It’s highly doubtful that this lens was manufactured by Zeiss, but it fulfills the long-cherished dream of enthusiasts to use a Sonnar lens on a Leica.
Interestingly, we’ve handled many similar Sonnar lenses over the years, and almost all of them had the serial number 1407xxx. This particular example has the earliest serial number among them.
At wide open aperture, the lens exhibits a soft, dreamy quality with a slight softness and blur. It's a fun lens to use, adjusting the angle and intensity of light to get the desired effect.
The lens produces an indescribably beautiful result when shooting black and white with a bit of backlighting! We believe this is a very good lens.
The aluminum barrel shows minor scuffing, and there is a small scratch near the 5m distance mark. The filter ring shows a very slight distortion due to a small impact, but a 40.5mm filter can still be mounted.
In January 2025, the lens underwent a full overhaul, including a focusing adjustment. The meticulous servicing has resulted in smooth and pleasant operation of both the aperture and the helicoid.
Most Leica Sonnar lenses have poor rangefinder coupling, and this one was no exception, initially having a misaligned rangefinder. However, after thorough adjustment, the rangefinder coupling is now perfectly aligned.
The lens shows a few very faint cleaning marks on the front and rear elements, but they do not affect image quality. The glass is beautifully clear, providing sharp, crisp results.
The test images show very good resolts. These were taken close to wide open aperture.
