A Sonnar 58mm f1.5 in Leica screw mount.
Despite decades of study by collectors around the world, this Leica L-mount rangefinder-coupled Sonnar 58mm remains a lens full of mysteries.
It is a Sonnar-type design with 3 groups and 7 elements. Uncoated. Minimum focusing distance is 1.0m.
Whether it was actually manufactured by Zeiss is highly questionable, but it fulfills a long-held dream: shooting a Sonnar on a Leica.
Incidentally, we have handled several examples of this Leica Sonnar 58mm over the years, and almost all of them carry serial numbers in the 1407xxx range. This lens is no exception.
Wide open, it shows a gentle softness and a touch of glow. It is a lens that rewards careful control of light direction and intensity. Black-and-white photography in slightly backlit situations has a beauty that is truly hard to describe.
Most Leica Sonnar lenses suffer from very poor rangefinder coupling, which has kept their reputation rather low. This example, however, has been meticulously adjusted for rangefinder accuracy and can be enjoyed from wide open across the entire focusing range. With its slightly telephoto focal length, pleasing bokeh, and attractive color rendering, it is a highly enjoyable lens. One that deserves far more recognition.
A rare item.
This item was previously sold by our shop. It was carefully used by the customer and has now returned to us. The overall condition remains very good, just as it was at the time of the previous sale.
There are some very minor scuffs on the aluminum barrel, but no dents or bumps. For a Leica Sonnar, the exterior condition is exceptionally clean.
A full overhaul was carried out at the time of the previous sale in 2019. For this resale, the lens has again undergone a complete overhaul including focus adjustment in January 2026. Thanks to this thorough servicing, all controls operate extremely smoothly and the lens is a pleasure to use.
Careful adjustment through repeated test shooting has also ensured perfect rangefinder coupling.
The lens shows a few extremely faint cleaning marks on both the front and rear elements, but these have virtually no effect on image quality. There is no haze, and the glass is clear and transparent.
Actual shooting results were excellent. Only the image with the incinerator chimney in the distance was taken stopped down to f4; all other samples were shot wide open at f1.5 using the rangefinder. We would be pleased if you take a look at the sample images. A lens that makes shooting truly enjoyable.
