Elmar 50mm f3.5 with nickel-finished barrel. Leitz product code: ELMAR. Serial number in the 130,000 range, manufactured in 1932. The infinity lock has the somewhat uncommon flat bell-push style knob. The front element was later coated by Leitz, which should help improve performance in backlit situations. Distance scale in meters. Rangefinder coupled. Helicoid number 6. This is the New Elmar from the era of the Leica DII and DIII.

The optical design remains the same 4 elements in 3 groups as the earlier Elmar. Considering the long history of the Elmar, which remained a beloved standard lens well into the M-mount era, this example is still a very early one despite being called the New Elmar.

A classic Leica standard lens that has crossed borders and generations, capturing countless lives and events along the way.

Even in today’s digital era, it still has plenty to offer!

This item was previously sold by our shop and has now returned to us after being carefully used by its previous owner. Considering that it was made 94 years ago (!!), it remains in very good cosmetic condition. There is some deterioration to the plating on the nameplate, but no distortion or deformation is visible.

A full overhaul was completed in 2024. Thanks to careful servicing, all controls still operate very smoothly. Rangefinder coupling is also spot-on. During the overhaul, the matte anti-reflection lacquer inside the lens barrel was carefully repainted, helping to produce crisp, well-defined images.

There are a few extremely light cleaning marks on the front element, some coating deterioration on the rear surface of the front element, and one very small trace of fungus on the rear element, but these should have virtually no effect on image quality. Otherwise, there are no noticeable cleaning marks, and the glass is clear and bright. Our test shots also showed excellent results.

Third-party front and rear caps are included.