Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/02/08
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]ELCAN (Ernst Leitz Canada) did indeed make a 90/1. It is a monster lens, no focussing helicoil, only 3 spacers that set the lens up for 50meters, 100 meters and infinity. Rumours have it that this lens was used for low level aerial surveillance from a helicopter. Evidently the pilot flew at a preset altitude, 50meter!!!!, in the dark and when something needed to be recorded he fired the camera/flash outfit. There were 2 flashes set up, prefocussed to the same distance as the spacer ring on the lens. I haven't owned one of these monsters and have no great desire to do so. A collector friend of mine has one and one of these days I will force him to take it out of the case and allow me to shoot a roll with it. Would be fun to see what it would do at f1 on TechPan. I would need a measuring tape though, even at 50 meters the depth of field is shallow! These lenses usually sell in the $6-8000 range, they are not that rare. Most big auctions have one of these for sale (Christie's/Cornwall, etc.) Limited use and I would prefer the elusive 75/2,4 Apo that ELCAN made — smaller and with a proper helicoil. Tom A