90MM SCREW MOUNT LENSES

9cm f/4 Elmar

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In his "Geburtstage der Leitz-Foto-Konstruktionen ab 1927" book, Wilhelm Albert dated the "birthday" of the slim version of uncoupled variant of this lens ("Objektiv Elmar 9 cm 1:4 ohne E.-Kupplung (schlanke Ausführung)") as March 30, 1931, and noted himself as designer⁵⁷³. The coupled variant of this lens ("Objektiv Elmar 9 cm 1:4 mit E.-Kupplung") in the same source was dated as June 29, 1932, with Wilhelm Albert indicated as designer⁵⁷³.

The 9cm f/4 Elmar lens, code-named ELANG, was introduced in 1931³⁶⁰, with serial number 94092⁴³⁹. This lens featured a four-glass construction with a double rear element³⁶⁰. 

Throughout its long history, the screw-mount 9cm f/4 Elmar lens underwent several changes in the mount design, only two modifications made to its optical specifications³⁶⁰. Starting from lens number 592451, the lenses were coated, and from number 116050, the front element of the lens became flatter³⁶⁰. The last version of the screw-mount 9cm f/4 Elmar lens (variant no. 14, known as the "parallel-sided" version) featured only three elements instead of four³⁶⁰. This reduction was likely made possible due to the availability of new rare earth glasses³⁶⁰. 

The following list of the various variants of the 9cm Elmar was not exhaustive³⁶⁰:

Variant 1*

This variant was known as 9cm f/6.3 Elmar*³⁶⁰. It was briefly discussed in Paul-Henry Van Hasbroeck's "The Leica : A History Illustrating Every Model and Accessory" book³⁶⁰. The pyramid-shaped lens was introduced in 1930 in an uncoupled, unnumbered mount, and only a few experimental specimens were produced³⁶⁰. The design of this lens, along with its aperture, laid the foundation for the 10.5cm f/6.3 Elmar lens introduced in 1932³⁶⁰.

*The author of this website believes that Paul-Henry Van Hasbroeck's "The Leica : A History Illustrating Every Model and Accessory" book was making a reference to the prototype of 10.5cm f/6.3 Elmar lens, and not the 9cm f/6.3 Elmar.

Variant 2

This variant, often referred to as the "fat Elmar"³⁰, was introduced in 1931¹⁰. This uncoupled lens was originally intended to be used with the Leica I Model C³⁰. The lens was later coupled for use with rangefinder cameras³⁰. This variant was larger and heavier than subsequent models³⁰. The lens weighted 314 grams was 72mm long³⁰. Diameter of the focusing mount was 58 mm and the standard front diameter was 36mm, which was common in all later models up to E39³⁰.

Additionally, the large base of the removable lens head, measuring 42 mm in diameter, restricted its compatibility with various accessories and adapters designed for later versions³⁰. The lens is finished in black enamel with a nickel distance scale ring and a nickel flange ring at the base³⁰.

There were 4 types of Variant 2 ("fat Elmar"):

Type 1 came with a rotating, uncoupled but standardized mount; with no depth-of-field scale and with 36mm filter mount³⁶⁰. This 'extra' fat 9cm f4 Elmar was recognizable by its diamond-knurled focusing ring³⁶⁰. The finish was black and nickel³⁶⁰.

Image below was taken from page 219 of Paul-Henry Van Hasbroeck's "The Leica : A History Illustrating Every Model and Accessory" book³⁶⁰.

Type 2 came in a fat tube-type mount, yet it was slightly thinner than Type 1³⁶⁰. This type came with line-knurled focusing mount and a depth-of-field scale³⁶⁰. It was uncoupled and unnumbered, but standardized³⁶⁰. The finish was black and nickel³⁶⁰.

Image below was taken from page 219 of Paul-Henry Van Hasbroeck's "The Leica : A History Illustrating Every Model and Accessory" book³⁶⁰.

A prototype of a similar lens was illustrated in Mr. Lars Netopil's "Museum Leica" book in 2018⁵⁹⁶.

Type 3 was the similar to Type 2, but it was coupled³⁶⁰. The finish was black and nickel³⁶⁰.

Type 4 was the similar to Type 3, but it was coupled and numbered³⁶⁰. The finish wasblack and nickel³⁶⁰.

Image below was taken from page 219 of Paul-Henry Van Hasbroeck's "The Leica : A History Illustrating Every Model and Accessory" book³⁶⁰.

Variant 3

This variant was a transitional between Variant 2 and Variant 4³⁶⁰. It featured a redesigned lens mount which was now thin and tapered³⁶⁰. The lens was coupled, numbered, and finished in black and nickel³⁶⁰. Only a few were known to exist³⁶⁰. A report from March 30, 1931 suggested that Wilhelm Albert was responsible for the development of the uncoupled slim/thin version in 1931³⁶⁴. The coupled slim version was developed in 1932 by Wilhelm Albert, according to the report from March 7, 1932³⁶⁴.

Image below was taken from page 221 of Paul-Henry Van Hasbroeck's "The Leica : A History Illustrating Every Model and Accessory" book³⁶⁰.

Variant 4

This variant was introduced in late 1932 or early 1933³⁰. The earlier version of this variant had a black-nickel finish, code-named ELANGKUP, while the later version had a black chrome finish, code-named ELANGCHROM³⁰.

The lens weighted 268 grams and had a length of 73 mm³⁰. The diameter of the focusing mount was 43 mm, and the base of the lens was 33 mm in diameter, allowing for the attachment of standard accessories and adapters for close-up work³⁰.

The variant was very similar to Variant 3, except for the base was not tapered³⁶⁰. This variant set the pattern for all the variants which followed³⁶⁰.

This variant was coupled and numbered³⁶⁰.

Variant 5

This variant came in thin mount, was coupled and numbered, and finished in black and nickel³⁶⁰.

Variant 6

This variant was similar to Variant 5, but with depth-of-field scale incorporating an infra-red markings³⁶⁰. The variant came with a black and nickel finish³⁶⁰.

Image below was taken from page 221 of Paul-Henry Van Hasbroeck's "The Leica : A History Illustrating Every Model and Accessory" book³⁶⁰.

Variant 7

Introduced in late 1930s³⁰, this variant was the same as Variant 6, but with a sloping front bezel³⁶⁰. Some examples of the lens had white engravings³⁶⁰.

The distance scale ring featured a matte chrome finish, but the base maintained a smooth chrome finish³⁰.

In 1946, there was a slight variation in the finish, transitioning from the usual glossy black to a matte black³⁰. However, Leitz later resumed the glossy black finish until the introduction of the all-matte chrome version in 1949³⁰.

Uncoated lenses weighed 237 grams and were 73mm long³⁰.

Coated lenses (starting serial number 592451 from February 2 (or 12⁴⁶¹) 1946¹⁹⁾ weighed 264 grams and were 73mm long³⁰.

Variant 8 Prototypes

In 1939 and 1945⁵⁷³, just before and after the World War II, Leitz experimented with developing a collapsible mount lens for their 9cm f/4 Elmar lens⁹⁹.  

There were two examples of the prototype screw mount 9cm f/4 Collapsible lens in the factory museum in Wetzlar, as shown in Figures 1 and 2⁹⁹ below. 

 

The one on the left, dated 1945, had M538 museum identification sticker⁵⁴² and no serial number designation⁹⁹. The lens featured f-stops ranging from f/4 to f/32⁹⁹. It had a parallel-type focusing mount measured in meters and a notched front ring that allowed the user to set the selected f-stop⁹⁹. In his "Geburtstage der Leitz-Foto-Konstruktionen ab 1927" book, Wilhelm Albert dated the "birthday" of collapsible 9cm f/4 Elmar lens with grid and rear aperture reading with an ever-ready case ("Objektiv 9 cm 1:4 Elmar mit versenkbarer Fassung, ∞ - Raster, rückwärtiger Blendenablesung in Bereitschaftstasche") as June 19, 1945, and noted himself as designer⁵⁷³. This lens had international aperture values⁵⁴². The photographs the author of this website saw made him believe that the report referred to the lens pictured on the left, or to a similar one.

The one on the right, dated 1939, had M501 museum identification sticker⁵⁴² and no serial number designation⁹⁹. In his "Geburtstage der Leitz-Foto-Konstruktionen ab 1927" book, Wilhelm Albert dated the "birthday" of collapsible 9cm f/4 Elmar lens ("Objektiv Elmar 9 cm 1:4 in versenkbarer Fassung") as October 30, 1939, and noted himself as designer⁵⁷³. The illustration on the page 46 of the same book illustrated a prototype very similar (or the same) to the prototype with M501 museum identification sticker (author's note). The lens had parallel focusing in meters, but used the older continental f-stop markings ranging from f/4 to f/36⁹⁹. Note that, its front configuration was quite similar to that of the late-style 5cm f/2 Summar⁹⁹. 

Both lenses illustrated in Figure 1 were uncoated and coupled, thus working well with the Leica rangefinder, and focusing from 1 meter to infinity⁹⁹.

Figure 2 presented the front view of the lenses⁹⁹. Notably, neither lens had a serial number designation⁹⁹. The postwar lens included an infinity lock, similar to those found on the 35mm and 50mm lenses⁹⁹.

In 1983, both illustrated examples were in private collections³⁶⁰. 

In 1985, both examples were illustrated on page 36 of the "10 Jahre Leica HISTORICA: Beiträge zur Geschichte der LEICA" book⁵⁹⁵.

After the illustrated prototypes, there was one more step towards a production series - the prototypes with black front rings⁹⁹. 

Some known prototypes and pre-series lenses of Variant 8:

• Prototype Elmar lens in collapsible M39 screw-mount number 0000018 with black front ring was part of a prominent Hong Kongese collection in August of 2026.
  
• Prototype Elmar lens in collapsible M39 screw-mount number 633007 with black front ring was illustrated in Mr. Lars Netopil's "Rare Leica" book in 2014⁵⁹⁴. 
• Prototype Elmar lens in collapsible M39 screw-mount number 633008 with black front ring was illustrated in Paul-Henry Van Hasbroeck's "The Leica : A History Illustrating Every Model and Accessory" book⁴⁰³. Paul-Henry Van Hasbroeck believed there were only 10 lenses of this kind with black front ring, numbered 633001, 633002, 633003, 633004, 633005, 633006, 633007, 633008, 633009, and 633010³⁶⁰. The author of this website believed that the list was non-exhaustive and inlcuded at least 2 more lenses with black front rings - 633011 ⁹⁹ and 633014 ⁴⁰³. Interesting aspect of this variant was that the aperture setting could have been seen when one looked through the viewfinder³⁶⁰.
• Prototype Elmar lens in collapsible M39 screw-mount number 633011 dated 1947 and with black front ring was illustrated on page 17 of Viewfinder magazine Number 13 Issue 2 of 1980⁹⁹. The photograph was credited to Bernd Muser of Stuttgart⁹⁹.
• Prototype Elmar lens in collapsible M39 screw-mount number 633014 and with black front ring was sold for 66000 Euros including buyer's premium at the 21st WestLicht Camera Auction on May 12, 2012⁴⁰³. The lot was described as "extremely rare prototype Elmar in collapsible M39 screw-mount, aperture scale reads from rear to front, black painted front ring, meter scale (clean lenses, both caps)...- ex Paul-Henry van Hasbroeck collection"⁴⁰³.
• Prototype Elmar lens in collapsible M39 screw-mount number 633015 and with chrome front ring was in collection of Surat Osathanugraph of Thailand (see p. 42 of 2010, Viewfinder magazine Volume 43, Number 4). Later, the lens was illustrated in Lars Netopil's "Prototyp Leica" book p.273-275⁴⁰³. 

Variant 8 Pre-Series

The rigid 90mm f/4 prototype number 1010015 was illustrated in Mr. Lars Netopil's "Rare Leica" book in 2014⁵⁹⁴. This lens had "Eigentum der Ernst Leitz GmbH Wetzlar" engraved around the barrel⁵⁹⁴.

The collapsible 90mm f/4 prototype number 1010023 was sold for 45600 Euros including buyer's premium at the 37th Leitz Photographica Auction on November 21, 2020³⁸⁶. The lot had the following description: "An interesting screw-mount prototype of the collapsible Elmar 9cm. The lens shows numerous differences against the serial production units: the markings are engraved on the black rim on the front of the lens, the focusing ring is finely knurled, the Vulkanite covering is omitted, etc. - all this gives this lens a clean, distinctive look. It never went to production in this form and, except for a few prototypes, Leica never issued a collapsible Elmar in screw-mount. The lens is in beautiful, near mint condition, with very good optics. It was a part of the famous collection of Surat Osathanugrah. Exactly this lens can be seen in Lars Netopil 'Prototype Leica' on page 275."³⁸⁶.

Variant 9

Variant 9 was similar to Variant 7, apart from its all-chrome finish³⁶⁰. One specimen, likely a prototype, was not fully chrome-finished; the area just above the focusing mount was made of nickel³⁶⁰. Its serial number (221043) dated the lens to 1933-1934, which was at least two years before Leitz generally introduced chrome finishes³⁶⁰.

Variant 10

This variant was announced in summer of 1949³⁰. It had a matte chrome finish³⁰. It continued all features of Variant 7 introduced in the late 1930s³⁰. The lens weighs 284 grams³⁰ and has a length of 72mm³⁰.

Variant 11

Variant 14

The lens was announced in 1964 and was catalogued until 1968³⁰. It featured a complete redesign³⁰. The lens weighed 188 grams and was sometimes referred to as "the parallel 90."³⁰. It was a three-element lens with E39 filter mount^{360 .}

The f-stop scale was engraved on the diaphragm actuating ring, while the distance scale was indicated in both feet and meters³⁰. According to Leitz literature, "the use of recently developed optical glasses and a new triplet design make the 9cm Elmar better than ever."³⁰.

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9cm f/2.2 Thambar 

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The Leica 9cm f/2.2 Thambar lens, code-named TOODY⁶³, was designed under the leadership of Max Berek⁶³. In his "Geburtstage der Leitz-Foto-Konstruktionen ab 1927" book, Wilhelm Albert dated the "birthday" of this lens ("Objektiv Thambar 9 cm 1:2,2 mit E.-Kupplung") as May 30, 1934, and noted himself as designer⁵⁷³. The lens was publicly demonstrated for the first time at the Spring Fair of 1935, on the 10th anniversary of the birth of Leica⁴⁷⁶ and was introduced to cater to the preferences of portrait artists of the 1930s²²⁸. It was manufactured by Leitz between the years 1935 (starting with serial number 226001⁴³⁹) and 1949¹⁶².

The exact number of units manufactured was uncertain; however, Leitz stated in one correspondence that "we manufactured approximately 3000 units of this lens"⁶³.

Although not definitively proven, the name "Thambar" was commonly believed to originate from classical Greek and translated to "something that amazes."¹⁶² This lens devised to address critics who claimed that Leitz lenses were unsuitable for portrait photography due to their pronounced sharpness and high contrast¹⁶². 

Center Spot Front Filter / Spot Filter / Disc

Leica 9cm f/2.2 Thambar came with a 48mm removable screw-in mirror disc, referred to as the "spot," "center spot front filter", "spot filter"¹⁶². This spot filter was made of optically flat clear glass with a 0.5-inch diameter silvered center, prevented all central (axial) rays from entering the lens while allowing the peripheral rays to pass freely¹⁶². As a result, only the marginal rays at the edges, where spherical overcorrection was most pronounced, contribute to the image¹⁶². The aperture stop effectively controlled these peripheral rays, producing the lens's characteristic luminous effect and halo¹⁶². Thus, the spot filter functioned as a central stop rather than a true diffusion disc⁶³.

The lens could be used wide open with or without the spot filter; however, it should not have been used without the spot filter at apertures below f/2.2 down to f/6.3⁶³. Using the lens without the spot filter at these apertures could result in an irregular softness across the image field⁶³. Consequently, the spot filter was a crucial component of the lens⁶³.

With the spot filter, the degree of diffusion was controllable and influenced by various factors¹⁶². The diffusion was uniform across the entire negative, softening the definition and gradation at suggested apertures of f/2.2 to f/3.2¹⁶². A less pronounced soft effect could occur without the spot filter at aperture settings between f/3.2 and f/4.5¹⁶². The distance from the camera to the subject also significantly impacted the lens's soft-focus performance, and experience was the best guide for predicting outcomes¹⁶². A light-colored background was preferred because it enhances the spread of light from brighter to darker areas, leading to the desired luminous effect and softening the subject while retaining detail¹⁶².

Notably, no two Leica 9cm f/2.2 Thambar lenses produced exactly the same results⁶³.

Variations

Variant 1 was a prototype/sample (Muster), and had:

• chrome finish
• black scale with f-stops of 2.3 and 2.2, 3.2, 4.5, 6.3, 9, 12.5, 18, 25
• 2.2 and 2.3 engraved on same line
• meter scale
• without "Germany" engraving on the scale

Variant 2 had:

• black finish
• white scale (for use without the spot filter) with f-stops of 2.2, 9, 12.5, 18, 25
• red scale (for use with the spot filter) with f-stops of 2.3, 3.2, 4.5, 6.3
• 2.2 and 2.3 engraved on same line
• meter scale
• without "Germany" engraving on the scale

Variant 3 had:

• black finish
• white scale (for use without the spot filter) with f-stops of 2.2, 9, 12.5, 18, 25
• red scale (for use with the spot filter) with f-stops of 2.3, 3.2, 4.5, 6.3
• 2.2 and 2.3 engraved on same line
• feet scale
• with "Germany" engraving on the scale

Variant 4 had:

• black finish
• white scale (for use without the spot filter) with f-stops of 2.2, 2.4, 2.6, 9, 12.5, 18, 25
• red scale (for use with the spot filter) with f-stops of 2.3, 2.5, 2.8, 3.2, 4.5, 6.3
• 2.2 and 2.3, 2.4 and 2.5, 2.6 and 2.8 engraved on same line
• meter scale
• without "Germany" engraving on the scale

Variant 5 had:

• black finish
• white scale (for use without the spot filter) with f-stops of 2.2, 2.4, 2.6, 9, 12.5, 18, 25
• red scale (for use with the spot filter) with f-stops of 2.3, 2.5, 2.8, 3.2, 4.5, 6.3
• 2.2 and 2.3, 2.4 and 2.5, 2.6 and 2.8 engraved on same line
• meter scale
• with "Germany" engraving on the scale

Considerations

Achieving satisfactory results with this lens required practice, as the soft focus effect served as a tool rather than an end in itself¹⁶². It created two distinct images: one very sharp from the axial rays (at f/9 and below) and another soft one from the peripheral rays (at f/4.5 and above)¹⁶². Without the spot filter, the lens performed as sharp and crisp as any typical 9cm lens at apertures from f/6.3 to f/25¹⁶². Even with the spot filter in place and the lens stopped down below f/9, the spot filter will be captured on film¹⁶². All in all, the Leica 9cm f/2.2 Thambar was effectively an anastigmat from f/9 and smaller stops⁶².

There were several important considerations when using the Leica 9cm f/2.2 Thambar lens⁶³. One key requirement was ample light and sufficient illumination was crucial for satisfactory results⁶³. When used under proper lighting, prints would have a sparkling quality reminiscent of sunshine⁶³. In contrast, dull lighting could lead to disappointing outcomes⁶³.

Construction and Coating

The construction of the Leica 9cm f/2.2 Thambar featured a four-element, three-group anastigmat design, including a central cemented pair that resembled a simplified version of the 13.5cm f/4 Hektor lens of 1933¹⁶². It was nearly identical to the 125mm f/2.5 Hektor lens for Visoflex introduced in 1949¹⁶². The aperture was located behind the cemented pair, and the rangefinder-coupled mount focused down to 1 meter¹⁶².

While no Leica 9cm f/2.2 Thambar lenses were originally factory-coated, Leitz of New York coated more than 100 Leica 9cm f/2.2 Thambar in the late 1940s and early 1950s⁶³. One other source hinted that some later production lenses were said to have been coated at the factory, although firsthand accounts of such lenses were rare¹⁶². Application of these coatings could enhance contrast, but would negate the lens's intended soft focus function¹⁶².

The unique effect of the Leica 9cm f/2.2 Thambar lens was achieved by intentionally not fully correcting spherical aberration⁶³. For many years, the common practice was to leave chromatic aberration uncorrected⁶³. However, with the introduction of panchromatic film, the results became less predictable, leading to the decision to utilize spherical aberration⁶³.

Accessories

Accessories for Leica 9cm f/2.2 Thambar included¹⁶²:

• Leather case code-named EQOOT¹⁶²
• The Leica 9cm f/2.2 Thambar lens head was removable from the mount⁶³. In 1939⁶⁵, Leitz briefly produced a special focusing short mount (code COOTL⁴¹ / catalog number 70122⁶⁵) for the Leica 9cm f/2.2 Thambar, intended for use on the rotating copying attachment (code OORES) or the sliding focusing copy attachment (code GRBOO) for Leica 250⁶⁵. These two devices were also described in the catalog from March of 1939 and were equally difficult to obtain⁶⁵. 
• Reversing lens hood code-named SHADE¹⁶²
• E48 screw in for use without spot A52 Clamp type for use with spot¹⁶²
• Spot filter supplied with lens¹⁶²
• Early lens cap was code-named ORZHO, while later one was TNOOZ¹⁶²

Leitz also manufactured special filters for use with the Leica 9cm f/2.2 Thambar lens⁶³. These filters were designed to fit over the central stop and were secured to the lens barrel using a clamping ring and setscrew⁶³. They were quite rare⁶³. The filter was constructed so that a slip-on lens hood can attach to its front⁶³. No. 1 light yellow filter was code-named PEOOZ and is from 1936⁸⁵. If the Leica 9cm f/2.2 Thambar was used without the spot filter, the 48mm screw-in filters for the 200mm f/4.5 Telyt lens were recommended⁸⁵.

Production Figures

H. Schofield was able to establish the following from his research using Leitz delivery records¹⁶²:

• 500 Lenses with serial numbers from 226001 through 226500 were dated 1935¹⁶²
• 500 Lenses with serial numbers from 283001 through 283500 were dated 1936¹⁶²
• 500 Lenses with serial numbers from 311001 through 311500 were dated 1936¹⁶²
• 500 Lenses with serial numbers from 375001 through 375500 were dated 1937¹⁶²
• 500 Lenses with serial numbers from 416501 through 417000 were dated 1938¹⁶²
• 500 Lenses with serial numbers from 472001 through 472500 were dated 1939¹⁶²
• 150 Lenses with serial numbers from 540001 through 540150 were dated between 1940 and 1949¹⁶².