35MM SCREW MOUNT LENSES


3.5cm f/3.5 Elmar 

In his "Geburtstage der Leitz-Foto-Konstruktionen ab 1927" book, Wilhelm Albert dated the "birthday" of the uncoupled variant of this lens ("Objektiv Elmar 3,5 cm 1:3,5 ohne E.-Kupplung") as November 4, 1929, and noted himself and Oskar Barnack as designers573. The same source dated coupled variant of this lens ("Objektiv Elmar 3,5 cm 1:3,5 mit E.-Kupplungskurve") as December 23, 1930, and noted Wilhelm Albert as designer, and dated the variant of this lens with differential worm ("Objektiv Elmar 3,5 cm 1:3,5 mit Differentialschnecke") as September 9, 1932, and noted Wilhelm Albert as designer573. Interestingly, while not a 3.5cm lens, "Geburtstage der Leitz-Foto-Konstruktionen ab 1927" book dated 2.5cm (as opposed to 3.5cm) lens ("Objektiv Elmar 2,5 cm") as designed by Wilhelm Albert on or before December 23, 1933573.

Introduced at the Leipzig Spring Fair in 1930 alongside the Leica I Model C, the 3.5cm f/3.5 Elmar was the first non-50mm lens made for the Leica360. In terms of optical construction, the lens was similar to the 50mm (5cm) f/3.5 Elmar lens, consisting of four glass elements cemented together360.

Weighing 115 grams, the 3.5cm f/3.5 Elmar measured just 15mm from the lens flange when at the infinity focus position166. The f-stop scale included the pre-war continental sequence of 3.5, 4.5, 6.3, 9, 12.5, and 18166. There were rumours of a very late coated post-war version featuring the modern sequence of 3.5, 4, 5.6, 8, 11, and 16166. The focusing mount was of the rotary type; an infrared focusing mark was unnecessary due to the short focal length166.

With a depth-of-field scale that exceeded that of 5cm lenses of its era, this lens opened up an entirely new field: snapshot photography360. Its slim build made it particularly popular among those who preferred to carry their cameras in their pockets360. 


Variants

  • Type 1 was introduced in 1930, featuring a nickel finish and lacking both an infinity lock and rangefinder coupling166. The lens of Type 1 was matched individually to the Leica I Model C camera with non-standardized mount, with the last three digits of the serial number of the camera engraved on the distance scale ring of the lens166. This model had a near focus of 18 inches (0.5 meters)166. In cases where no three-digit number was found on the distance ring, an internal examination would uncover (inscribed in pencil) five-digit serial number of a Leica I Model A that would have been converted to a Leica I Model C camera with non-standardized mount166. This variant featured a focusing tab positioned at the 11 o'clock position when set at infinity focus166. According to James L. Lager, this type could have been identified by Ernst Leitz, New York by code-word LEDTF542. The f-stop scale included the pre-war continental sequence of 3.5, 4.5, 6.3, 9, 12.5, and 18166. 
  • Type 2 featured an "O" engraved on the distance ring near the focusing lever166. Aside from this distinction, Type 2 was identical to Type 1166. According to James L. Lager, this type could have been identified by Ernst Leitz, New York by code-word LEDTF542. The f-stop scale included the pre-war continental sequence of 3.5, 4.5, 6.3, 9, 12.5, and 18166. 
  • With the introduction of Type 3 in 1931, close-focus capability was eliminated166. The closest focusing distance for Type 3 and all subsequent types was standardized at 39 inches (1 meter)166. Type 3 has no other differences from Type 2166. According to James L. Lager, this type was the first one identified by Ernst Leitz, New York by code-word EKURZKUP542. The f-stop scale included the pre-war continental sequence of 3.5, 4.5, 6.3, 9, 12.5, and 18166. 
  • Type 4 was introduced in 1932 alongside the Leica II Model D166. It included a pin (sometimes referred to as a bell) infinity lock at the 11 o'clock position and was rangefinder-coupled via a thick cam known as the "snail" cam166. Most of these lenses their own five- or six-digit serial number166. The f-stop scale included the pre-war continental sequence of 3.5, 4.5, 6.3, 9, 12.5, and 18166. 
  • Type 5 followed soon, featuring a flat-top infinity lock at the 11 o'clock position and was identified by the serial number 143XXX166. The only difference between Types 4 and Type 5 lied in the presence of the serial number and the flat-top infinity lock166. The f-stop scale included the pre-war continental sequence of 3.5, 4.5, 6.3, 9, 12.5, and 18166. 
  • Type 6 was introduced shortly thereafter, starting at serial number 149xxx166. It had a cone-shaped infinity lock at the 11 o'clock position166. When present, the serial number was always engraved on the front f-stop adjustment ring166. The absence of five-digit (9XXXX) serial numbers for these lenses remained a mystery166. It was theorized that changes in the design of the infinity lock were aimed at maximizing manufacturing efficiency166. The f-stop scale included the pre-war continental sequence of 3.5, 4.5, 6.3, 9, 12.5, and 18166. 
  • Type 7 was the last and most common version of the nickel finished lens (EKURZKUP)166. The cone infinity lock was relocated to the familiar 7 o'clock position, and rangefinder coupling via the thick "snail" cam was replaced with a more easily manufactured regular cam, similar to that of the 2.8cm f/6.3 Hektor lens166. Type 7 was introduced around serial number 182xxx166. James L. Lager's research dated this type to early 1933540. The f-stop scale included the pre-war continental sequence of 3.5, 4.5, 6.3, 9, 12.5, and 18166. 
  • Type 8 (EKURZ CHROM) was introduced around serial number 215xxx and featured a satin chrome finish166. Otherwise, Type 8 is identical to Type 7 and was most common version of the chrome finished lens166. James L. Lager's research dated this type to 1933540. It is worth mentioning that a small batch of Type 8 lenses was produced for the German army in 1940, beginning with serial number 5577XX166. These lenses were engraved "HEER" ("Army") on the front f-stop adjustment ring, along with the serial number166. In 1941, another small batch was made for the Luftwaffe, beginning with serial number 5669XX, marked "Luftwaffen Eigentum" around the f-stop scale ring166. The f-stop scale included the pre-war continental sequence of 3.5, 4.5, 6.3, 9, 12.5, and 18166. 
  • The introduction of Type 9 in 1941 brought antireflection coating, although the outdated pre-war f-stop sequence was retained for unknown reasons166. It is possible that this was due to a large stock of pre-war engraved f-stop rings166. The f-stop scale included the pre-war continental sequence of 3.5, 4.5, 6.3, 9, 12.5, and 18166. Among others, lenses of the 580XXX batch belonged to this type.
  • Type 10 had factory coating and were produced between 1949-1950540. Some were rumoured to have modern f-stop sequence (3.5, 4, 5.6, 8, 11, and 16)166. There is at least one lens (number 643423) that confirmed this rumour (see Lot 38 of 32nd Leitz Photographica Auction)391. 


Lens hoods

The adjustable FIKUS lens hood was designed for a focal length of 3.5 cm360. It was discontinued due to its tendency to cause vignetting when used with A36 filters360. However, it could still be used with filters as long as they were of the 19 mm screw-in variety360. 

A Wetzlar-made542 FLQOO 3.5 cm hood, originally available in black and later in chrome, and engraved "Elmar 3.5cm Ernst Leitz Wetzlar Germany"542 was offered360. 

Another Wetzlar-made lens hood was available for the lens: FOOKH542. This lens hood was engraved "Summaron-Elmar 3.5cm" and was available in black and chrome versions542.

Ernst Leitz, New York, offered its own lens hood engraved "Elmar 35mm E. Leitz N.Y."542. The lens hood was certainly available in chrome version and came in two variants: first one had "E. Leitz N.Y." engraved on the rim, and the second had "Elmar 35mm E. Leitz N.Y." engraved on the rim542.

 

Viewfinders

The earliest viewfinder specifically designed for the 3.5cm f/3.5 Elmar was the WEISU360. Initially, it was finished in black, but later versions were available in chrome360. Eventually, the chrome version was remodeled into a tapered, torpedo-like shape and was fitted with a frame for a focal length of 35mm360. In one author's opinion, the WEISU served as a prototype for a model intended to replace the combination of the 50mm viewfinder and the 135mm swing-over mask occasionally found on the Leica I Model C360. 

Subsequently, several additional viewfinders were introduced360. Two of these, VIDOM and VIOOH, were designed with frames accommodating focal lengths of 35mm, 50mm, 90mm, and 135mm360. 

It's also worth mentioning the AUFSU waist level finder, which was used with a swing-over 35mm lens360. The first model of the AUFSU was a bolt-on conversion, used prior to the availability of a new casting that was introduced alongside the 28mm Hektor and the matching 28mm swing-over mask in 1935360.

RASUK was also available for use with this lens542.


Military

In 1940, 87 3.5cm f/3.5 Elmar lenses, with serial numbers ranging from 515381 through 555706, were delivered to the German military organizations364.

In 1941, 60 3.5cm f/3.5 Elmar lenses, with serial numbers ranging from 555622 through 570197, were delivered to the German military organizations364.


Closing Remarks

The 3.5cm f/3.5 Elmar remained in production until 1949, with total production reaching about 40,000 units360. Helmut Lagler reported that overall, there were 264126 lenses produced between 1930 and 1949, with serial numbers ranging from 101001 through 695000439. The highest known serial number reported by one author was 694055166. In 1949, the 3.5cm f/3.5 Elmar lens was eventually replaced by the 3.5cm f/3.5 Summaron due to the demands of color photography, which required lenses with minimal vignetting442.


3.5cm f/4.5 Elmar 

Leitz recognized the potential market for 3.5cm f/3.5 Elmar-type of lens; however, although a Snapshot Leica with an even cheaper 3.5cm f/4.5 lens was planned for production in 1934-1935, it never progressed beyond the prototype stage, likely due to a lack of production capacity360. 

A 1934 report indicated that the 3.5cm f/4.5 Elmar lens (ELROO177) was announced in several brochures, but there was no information about serial production364. Another source claimed that the very rare 3.5cm f/4.5 Elmar wide-angle lens was made in 1935 and was listed in that year's German catalogue under the code ELROO87. It was known that the lens developed by Wilhelm Albert542.

It was a four-element, three-group design in a very compact mount was to be sold with Snapshot Leica (code-named LYMOO (or LENOT177 and XBFOO later542) for camera and lens combination)177. The lens mount was not coupled to the rangefinder and had four click stops at 1.75m, 3m, 10m, and infinity for scale focusing177. The diaphragm could be closed down to f/1887 and had continental f-stops (f/4.5, f/6.3, f/9, f/12.5, f/18)542. Production of 3.5cm f/4.5 Elmar lens cancelled almost immediately due to a lack of capacity, and only two of these lenses are known to exist today177. While this lens was not included in the Leitz production records, at least one example was known to exist in Wetzlar87:

  • The same example was on display at Leica Museum in Solms in 2002 and illustrated on page 41 of "Leica. Tsushin No. 6: Mechanism and Prototype" magazine in 2002570. The article pictured the lens with its black lens hood570. In the caption, the author of the article described it as "A commercially available model, but an extremely rare item! Only two of these exist at Leica. The lens is not a prototype. Several units are commercially available...it has a nickel finish..This lens is currently trading at an unbelievably high price"570. 
  • This example was also illustrated in Mr. Lars Netopil's "Museum Leica" book in 2018596.

In June of 1935, ELROO was no longer listed542.


3.5cm f/3.5 Summaron

The 3.5cm f/3.5 Summaron (code-named SOONC) lens, perfected by Professor Max Berek during the war166, was announced in 1946 but did not become available until 1949, when it replaced the 3.5cm f/3.5 Elmar lens360. Some sources claimed that the 3.5cm f/3.5 Summaron was believed to first appeared in 1946, with an initial production run of 700 units, which should have serial numbers less than 700000166. James L. Lager referenced Dennis Laney's "Leica Collectors Guide" book and asserted that those lenses from 1946 would have carried serial numbers between 601001 and 633000540. Helmut Lagler reported that overall, there were 740700 lenses produced between 1949 and 1958, with serial numbers ranging from 706001 through 1640500439, rendering the 1946 production theory somewhat uncertain166.

The lens featured a 6-element, 4-group symmetric Gauss achromat design, providing improved contrast, resolving power, and more uniform illumination compared to its predecessor, 3.5cm f/3.5 Elmar lens166. All examples were fully coated166. Two of the elements in that lens were single, while the other four were arranged in pairs358. Vignetting could be a significant issue when the angle of view increased358. To address this, Leitz had enlarged the diameter of the front element in the Summaron lens beyond what was typically needed for a maximum aperture of f/3.5358. Additionally, the back element was specifically designed to magnify angular rays, which helped to increase the light in the corners of the image and effectively reduced vignetting358.

The 3.5cm f/3.5 Summaron offered a total field of view of 68°, with a vertical field of 38° and a horizontal angle of view of 55°358. It featured a factory coating that minimized reflection, haze, and lens flare, and it was housed in a sturdy, non-collapsible barrel with a click-stop diaphragm358.

"Summaron" had been a registered trademark of Leica Camera AG since October 3, 1940534.


 Variants 

 There were several variants of this lens. 

  Variant 1  

 Variant 1 had: 

  • significantly different mount and a fully round, mushroom-shaped diaphragm control ring597 .
  • examples of the lenses of this variant were:
    •  unknown serial number, dated 1949, illustrated on the page 32 of the Issue 1 of Leica Photography    597    .  
    •  unknown serial number, illustrated on the page 136 of Wilhelm Albert's "Geburtstage der Leitz-Foto-Konstruktionen ab 1927" on the photograph titled "3,5 cm Sucherlinse mit Aufsteckhalter" dated March 15, 1951 (with reference to the "birthday" of the 3.5 cm viewfinder lens with clip-on mount illustrated in the photograph      573      .  
    • 706968 ,  dated 1949, that was auctioned off at the 3rd Wetzlar Camera Auctions.   
    • 712003, dated 1949, that was auctioned off at the 8th Wetzlar Camera Auctions597.
    •  712036 , dated 1949, that was auctioned off at the 2nd Wetzlar Camera Auctions.     


  Variant 2  

 Variant 2  came with a rotating mount and A36 filter mount360 . This was a screw-mount lens360 . The available f-stops included 3.5, 4, 5.6, 8, 11, 16, and 22, all of which were click-stopped166 . The rotary A36 accessory size focusing mount had a near focus distance of 1 meter, and no special infrared focus mark was provided166 . Lenses of this variant were      numbered below 1423140 and dated earlier than 1956542.  

Among some of the examples were: 713019, 713606, 776107, 776488, 776915 (engraved with the British Crown on the lens mount), 781295, 781384, 840433, 880023, 882460 (engraved "Leitz-Eigentum"), 883807, 886681 (engraved with the British Crown and "R.C.A.F" (Royal Canadian Air Force)), 887096, 889353, 972555, 973430, 1018338, 1060176, 1061204, 1062118, 1109841, 1157128, 1283990.

Some lenses of this variant were engraved "Ernst Leitz Wetzlar", while others - "Ernst Leitz GmbH Wetzlar" 542.  


  Variant 3  

Variant 3 had A36 filter mount, fixed focus and was made to special order for post office use360. With a screw mount, this variant was fitted to the Leica Ic. One example of such lens was 1015956 with "PTT" (Posterijen, Telegrafie en Telefonie (Post, telegraph and telephone) of the Dutch Postal office) engraving533. 


 Prototype of   Variant 4    

  Among the prototypes of were:  

  • Prototype 3.5cm f/3.5 lens number 0000116 , dated 1955, that was    auctioned off at the 5th Wetzlar Camera Auctions424. The auction catalogue described the lens as "Very rare experimental lens of a 35 mm Summaron to the later Leica IIIg. With a largest aperture of f/3.5 and A42 front mount, for use with E39 screw-in filters. Black name ring with engravings filled in white. In the serial production version, the name ring was chrome-plated and engraved with "3,5 cm". A total of 10 experimental Summaron f/3.5 lenses were manufactured within the prototype number range 0000116-125. Apart from the very first lens from this test series offered here, only a few individual specimens with a name ring finished in black paint are known.".      
  •  Prototype 3.5cm f/3.5 lens number 1106582 that was illustrated on page 12 of Viewfinder 13(4) of 1980 and described as "Factory records indicate that it is one of a kind. It was picked at random from a large batch of wide angle lenses to be sent to model shop for experimental purposes. Date of release from the works was February 6, 1954. The reason for the modification remains unknown; perhaps it is related to the introduction of the M3 with its set of E-39 lenses in that year. " The same lens appeared on xingzhelitao.com in 2016 and was captioned "Experimental use of E-39 filter on Summaron-SM 3.5/35mm (No.1106582) ". The prototype E39 3.5cm f/3.5 Summaron was lighter and more compact than the production version166 . The lens was also illustrated        on   page 22 of James L. Lager's "Leica: An Illustrated History - Volume 2 - Lenses - Signed Deluxe Limited Edition" book542.  


   Variant 4   

 Variant 4 had a non-rotating mount and E39 filter mount360 . This was a screw-mount lens360 . Lenses of this variant were      numbered above 1423141542. The f-stop sequence and near focus distance remained unchanged from Variant 2166 . This was the second most common version of the 3.5cm f/3.5 Summaron, with approximately 10000 units sold166 .     

Among some of the examples were: 1437818, 1437852, 1483994, 1484382, 1485775, 1489766, 1519628, 1553496, 1553618, 1555978, 1596221, 1614936, 1639035, 1639296.

All lenses of this variant familiar to the author of this website were manufactured between 1956 and 1958.


  Variant 5  

 Variant 5 had a A42 filter mount, fixed-focus and was made to special order 360 . With a screw mount, this variant was fitted to the Leica Ig Post camera360. Some known examples were:

  • 1640282 was illustrated on page 22 of James L. Lager's "Leica: An Illustrated History - Volume 2 - Lenses - Signed Deluxe Limited Edition" book542, together with Leica Ig Post number 987333540.
  • 1690673 that was supplied for the Deutsche Bundespost (German Federal Post)  425 . This lens was mounted on Leica Ig Post number 987339 425.


Accessories

Accessories for the A36 variations included: 

  • 35mm Albada-style viewfinder (SBLOO)166
  • universal finder (VIOOH)542
  • lens hood (FOOKH)166
  • 1:1 copy device166
  • All A36 filters were compatible166. The filters were of clamp-on variety542.

Accessories for the E39 variations included: 

  • 35mm Albada-style viewfinder (SBLOO)166
  • universal finder (VIOOH)542
  • lens hood (ITDOO) (1956)166 (engraved with "Summaron 3.5 cm Summicron 5 cm" on the rim542)
  • lens hood (IROOA) (1959)166 (early ones engraved with "Summaron 3.5 cm (on the new line) Summicron 5 cm" on the rim, and later ones engraved with "1:2/50 1:2/35 IROOA 1:2.8/35 1:3.5/35" on the rim542)
  • E39 screw-in540 filters166


Closing Remarks

In 1958, a faster 3.5cm f/2.8 Summaron lens was introduced360. Both the 3.5cm f/3.5 Summaron and 3.5cm f/2.8 Summaron models were produced simultaneously until 1960, when the 3.5cm f/3.5 Summaron model was discontinued360. Rogliatti reported a production total of 80219 for the more common 3.5cm f/3.5 Summaron lens166.


3.5cm f/4 Snapshot Elmar 

Same as the 3.5cm f/4.5 Elmar from pre-war era, this 1950 3.5cm f/4 Snapshot Elmar was developed by Wilhelm Albert542. A lens of this type was mentioned on page 223 of Wilhelm Albert's 'Geburtstage der Leitz-Foto-Konstruktionen ab 1927' as: 'Objektiv f=3,5cm / 1:4 mit Schnappschußrastungen' (Lens f=3,5cm / 1:4 with snapshot detents)388. The lens had international f-stops (f/4, f/5.6, f/8, f/11, f/16, and f/22)542.


Known Samples

  • An extremely rare post-war 3.5cm f/4 Snapshot Elmar, dated 1950, without serial number was sold for 72000 Euros including buyer's premium at the 35th Leitz Photographica Auction on November 23, 2019388. The lot had the following description: "extremely rare post-war Snapshot Elmar, designed for shooting without the need to use the rangefinder, a lens of this type is mentioned in Wilhelm Albert's 'Geburtstage der Leitz-Foto-Konstruktionen ab 1927' on page 223 as: 'Objektiv f=3,5cm / 1:4 mit Schnappschußrastungen' (Lens f=3,5cm / 1:4 with snapshot detents), in conforming with this brief description this uncoupled lens is indeed equipped with notable detents on every mark on the focusing scale and on f:5.6 on the aperture scale...this is the first time we have the pleasure to offer a post-war Snapshot Elmar in our history!"388.
  • unnumbered example of this lens appeared on page 124 of James L. Lager's "Leica: An Illustrated History - Volume 2 - Lenses - Signed Deluxe Limited Edition" book388,542.
  • unnumbered example was illustrated in Mr. Lars Netopil's "Rare Leica" book in 2014594.
  • unnumbered example was expected to be auctioned off at the 8th Wetzlar Camera Auctions on October 10, 2026597.


35mm f/2.8 Summaron 

The faster 35mm f/2.8 Summaron (SIMOO/11006361) lens was developed in 1958 by recalculating the 3.5cm f/3.5 Summaron lens360. The 35mm f/2.8 Summaron utilized rare Lanthanum glass360. This innovation increased maximum aperture by one stop, while maintaining the same six-element design and its original symmetry360. The lens was initially equipped with a screw mount and was available in this form only from 1958 to 1962, as its introduction coincided with the end of the era of screw-mounted Leicas360. A prototype of this lens, numbered 0000463, had been documented360. 


Variants 

There were several variants of this lens.


Variant 1

Variant 1 was a prototype. This prototype had a screw mount and A36 filter mount360. This variant could focus to a distance of 1 meter166. James L. Lager asserted that only 3 known of this variant were known to him, and all of them were "trial or test" models542. According to James L. Lager, this variant was very unusual and there were no catalogue listings for it542. Among some known prototypes were:

  • 880901, dated circa 1953, was sold for 28800 Euros including buyer's premium at the 45th Leitz Photographica Auction on November 23, 2024378. The lot had the following description: "An interesting screw-mount prototype Summaron with a f:2.8 maximal aperture (instead of f:3.5), in near-mint condition, engraved near the lens mount with the number of optical formula B2572..."378. The same lens was auctioned off at the 42nd Leitz Photographica Auction.
  • 1106409 was illustrated on page 24 of James L. Lager's "Leica: An Illustrated History - Volume 2 - Lenses - Signed Deluxe Limited Edition" book542. The photograph was credited to "Kisselbach Photo"542.
  • 1109811, dated circa 1955, was auctioned off at the 5th Wetzlar Camera Auctions     424. The auction catalogue described the lens as "Very rare experimental version of a 3,5 cm Summaron with maximum aperture f/2.8 and front mount fitting A36 clamp-on filters. The name ring as well as the tiny black collar of the optical block´s mount on the outside each engraved "Summaron f=3,5 cm 1:2.8 Ernst Leitz GmbH Wetzlar"."      424           
  • 1227419, dated 1954, was illustrated on page 24 of James L. Lager's "Leica: An Illustrated History - Volume 2 - Lenses - Signed Deluxe Limited Edition" book542.
  • 1227414 that was known to the author of of this website.


Variant 2

Variant 2 was a prototype. It had the shape similar to that of the later production model. It came with non-rotating screw mount and E39 filter mount. Among the known lenses were:

  • unnumbered prototype that was auctioned off at the 4th and 15th Westlicht Photographica Auction and later at the 36th Leitz Photographica Auction. It was described as "an original Leitz prototype of a 2.8/35mm Summaron, a special lens head in brass mount, hand-engraved aperture scale, mounted in a standard Summaron focusing mount, total height 75mm, front element diameter 34mm, very good optics and excellent image quality"387.
  • prototype number 0000242 that was auctioned off at the 38th Leitz Photographica Auction385. It was described as "an interesting, original prototype of the Summaron 2.8/35mm, optical formula B638a, different style of the engraving (engraving on the front ring without paint filling)"385.


Variant 3

Variant 3 was a production model. It came with non-rotating screw mount and E39 filter mount360. Including rare earth glasses and special lens coatings introduced in 1960166. It featured a lightweight parallel focusing mount with both feet and meter distance scales166. The original 7 o'clock position cone-style infinity lock had been replaced with a crescent push tab design166. The stop sequence remained unchanged166. This variant could focus to a distance of 1 meter166.

Some select lenses of this variant were painted black, like 1853803 illustrated on page 26 of James L. Lager's "Leica: An Illustrated History - Volume 2 - Lenses - Signed Deluxe Limited Edition" book542.


Variant 4

Variant 4 was a rare chrome-finished lens with three crowns engraved at the rear of the mount, with about 100 units sold to the Swedish military 166. This variant represented the finest development of the Summaron design and was highly sought after by collectors and users, leading to significant prices due to its limited production166. Among some examples were: 1664311, 1678204, 1678224, 1678241, 1678246, 1678305, 1678328, 1679028.


Accessories

Accessories for the A36 variations included: 

  • 35mm Albada-style viewfinder (SBLOO)166
  • lens hood (FOOKH)166
  • 1:1 copy device166
  • All A36 filters were compatible166. 

Accessories for the E39 variations included: 

  • lens hood (ITDOO) (1956)166
  • lens hood (IROOA) (1959)166
  • E39 screw-in filters166


Closing Remarks

The lens was in catalog from 1958 till 1963361. 

Both the 3.5cm f/3.5 Summaron and 35mm f/2.8 Summaron models were produced simultaneously until 1960360. From 1960 until the discontinuation of all screw mount lenses in 1963, only 5289 units of the screw mount 35mm f/2.8 Summaron were produced166. 

Helmut Lagler reported that overall, there were 266500 screw mount and bayonet mount 35mm f/2.8 Summaron lenses produced between 1958 and 1974, with serial numbers ranging from 1615001 through 23125000439.


35mm f/2 Summicron 

The extremely rare136 screw-mount 35mm f/2 Summicron lens (SAWOO136/11008361) was introduced in 1958136 with serial number 1630501439. This lens remained in the catalogue from 1958 to 1963361.

This lens came with E39 filter mount; focused down to 1m and featured chrome finish360 although some black-painted versions are known to exist361 (such as 1653562 dated 1959423, 1686609 dated 1960533, 1853803 dated 1961542, 1997235 594, 1997237 594, 1997243 dated 1963424, 2099522 dated 1967378) and were made by Leitz to special order378.

The lens was made both in Germany and Canada136. The Wetzlar and Midland lenses were identical except for minor variations in the lens coating color136. Both versions shared an 8-element, 6-group design that originated with Dr. Walter Mandler at Midland in 1957136. The extensive use of rare-earth glasses and exotic coatings resulted in a very fast wide-angle lens with superb optical performance136. The minimum aperture was f/16, and the lens featured a parallel mount engraved in feet and meters136. 

Serial numbers ranged from 1630501 to 2286450 for both screw mount and bayonet mount lenses361. Among these, the lenses in the following batches had screw mount: 

  • 16307XX
  • 16522XX - these were made in Midland in 1959 and were finished in chrome136.
  • 16538XX
  • 16549XX
  • 16556XX - these were made in Midland in 1959 and were finished in chrome136.
  • 16710XX
  • 16714XX - these were made in Wetzlar in 1959 and were finished in chrome136.
  • 16718XX
  • 16719XX
  • 16862XX - these were made in Wetzlar in 1959 and were finished in chrome136.
  • 16866XX
  • 17452XX
  • 17814XX
  • 18527XX
  • 20102XX
  • 20995XX


Counterfeits

There were some counterfeit copies of 35mm f/2 Summicron lenses136. An unfortunate practice involved modifying bayonet mount lenses, originally designed for the Leica M2 and Leica M3 cameras, by removing their factory bayonet adapters to convert them to a screw mount136. This was often done by loosening a small set screw136. While the modified lens would fit onto a screw mount camera and was optically identical to the original, it was important to note that the focusing helix of the bayonet mount lenses was not designed to work with screw mount rangefinders136. This mismatch could potentially lead to focusing issues136. 


Accessories

Accessories included:

  • VIOOH viewfinder542
  • SBLOO viewfinder542
  • IROOA lens hood542
  • lens hood 12585542


Closing Remarks

Only 577 of this lens were made before it was discontinued in 1963136 which suggested that the Leica III-series cameras had diminished in status361. However, this number may have only applied to the Wetzlar-manufactured lenses; if so, it was significantly low, as a substantial number were produced concurrently at Midland136.


35mm f/2 Summicron ASPH

In 1999, Leica AG in Solms produced a special edition screw-mount 35mm f/2 Summicron ASPH lens (catalog number 11608349)   exclusively for Lemon Camera, Japanese Leica dealer (see page 108 of Camera Review No. 54, published by Asahi Sonorama (Tokyo)). This lens was made with a bright chrome finish and was mathematically and optically equivalent to its contemporary Leica M counterparts252.   

Originally intended solely for the Japanese market, some of these lenses were returned to Germany because they were not all sold252. The exact total number of lenses produced was unknown, as the Leica Camera Company did not disclose this information252. Furthermore, these lenses were never listed in the official price catalogs252. The motivation for producing these screw-mount lenses remained speculative252. One source  claimed that a total of 1080 lenses were produced, with 65 of them shipped to New Jersey 256 . Another source indicated that only 800 of them were produced385. 

Notably, the hood for this lens (catalog number 12504252), unlike its M counterpart, featured a round metal design that could be twisted off to accommodate drop-in filters256. This was different from the plastic rectangular hood that came with the M equivalent lens256.

The lens had a length of 33.5mm and weight of 0.33kg252. The closest focusing distance was 1m252. 

The price in October of 2000 was 1705.69 USD and, by July of 2001, increased to 3144.55 USD252.

Among known lenses were the ones in the following batches: 3868XXX, 3878XXX, 3880XXX.