Ain't she sweet!

I've been looking and looking, and losing and losing. Everytime I find an original 50/2.8 Elmar M-mount, it's either full of cleaning marks, haze, fungus, or oily aperture blades. Or when I found the one I wanted, someone's highest bid was higher than I wanted to pay.

Finally, a few days ago, I found one. But I was feeling a bit uneasy about the whole deal, as the seller wasn't providing any more than a couple of pics that gave no impression of the glass's condition. He said he didn't have a camera to take anymore pictures, but he assured me the lens was in excellent shape. He wouldn't provide a serial number. But through all this, he assured me the lens was in excellent shape. Well, I was getting a bit nervous, since I had already placed my highest bid. And I won. It came today, a few days earlier than I expected. And the lens...well, it's truly "in excelllent shape".

The glass is immaculate. Not a bit of haze. Not a bit of cleaning marks. Not a bit of oil on the aperture blades. In fact, the blades look hardly worn from use. The lens barrel onto which the lens collapses, is like brand new. I wanted one of these original Elmars for two reasons. First, this one was manufactured the same year as my M3 (1958), where it will live day and night. But I wanted it mostly because it has FIFTEEN aperture blades! The newer Elmars, of which I have one for my MP, have six blades. This lens is a real beauty. It even came with the original bubble case and Leitz UVa filter. And the funny thing is, I paid WAY less than any other one I've seen around. It was certainly worth the wait. Now I'm going to play with some light. :)