Biotar 58mm f2, Leica screw mount. Made by Carl Zeiss Jena. T coating.
This lens appears to be a Biotar 58mm for M42 mount, manufactured around 1948, and later converted by Zeiss. However, we do not have any definitive information about the story behind this conversion, and even our own understanding remains at the hypothesis level. If anyone has reliable details, we would greatly appreciate your guidance.
We have handled similar Biotar L-mount lenses many times in the past, and all of them featured solid, well-made barrels. Variations include chrome, aluminum, and this black finish. Among them, we most often come across this black version. The rangefinder coupling cam is also beautifully made with impressive precision.
The focusing scale is in meters, with a straight helicoid. The lens alone weighs a light 172g. The aperture has 17 blades. You can enjoy the classic, unmistakably old-lens Biotar rendering on a Leica.
There is noticeable paint wear and general rubbing across the entire barrel from use, but no dents or impact marks are seen.
Aperture and focusing helicoid operate smoothly.
There are a relatively larger amount of cleaning marks on the front and rear elements, and the middle element shows some bubbles and coating deterioration, but the glass is in reasonably good condition for a Biotar of this era.
At infinity, the rangefinder image does not quite reach perfect alignment, but we have judged this setting to be the best overall compromise.
Rangefinder coupling: at f2, coupling is OK from 1–5m; beyond that distance it tends to be slightly back-focused. At f2.8, coupling is OK from 1–10m; beyond that it likewise tends to be slightly back-focused. Stopped down to f4, coupling is OK throughout the full range.
Please note: although the minimum distance marking on the lens barrel is 0.9m, the rangefinder coupling on this lens starts from the 1m mark.
Test shooting results were excellent. Sample images were taken by our staff using a personal Leica M9, shot wide open and focused with the rangefinder. Please refer to our sample gallery.
A third-party UV filter, an L-M adapter, and front/rear caps are included.
