Re: [Leica] Comments on Russar 5,6/20 mm please....

[Stephen Gandy <cameras@jetlink.net>]

Marc James Small wrote:

> At 03:04 PM 9/1/1999 EDT, InfinityDT wrote:
> >Here's just my 0.02:  Stephen Gandy advertises Nikon F-to-Leica M adaptors
> on
> >his website www.cameraquest.com for as I recall $175.  For in the $400 range
> >you can get a decent used 20 f2.8AF Nikkor.  It won't rangefinder couple
> >(neither does the Russar) but it will meter with the M6.  By f5.6-f8 it's a
> >fine, fine performer; plus you can use it on any Nikon SLR body and it has
> an
> >almost guaranteed resale value at or near what you paid for it.  It's no 21
> >S/A or Elmarit-ASPH but if it were me I'd place it before the Kobalux or the
> >Russar in terms of performance and value.
>
> And 2 cents is all that is worth.  A discerning shopper can find a Russar
> MR-2 for under $200.  And a Russar, I strongly suspect, will outperform ANY
> retrofocus 21mm design.
>
> It is a much more complex design than I had previously thought.  The
> formula was much admired by Willy Merte, the Zeiss optical scientist
> responsible for the Biotar.
>

I don't know about the East Coast, but on the West Coast the average retail of
Russars with black finder is $500 -- if you can find them.  the last large
shipments I saw happened several years ago.    From what I've been told by my
Russian Spy Vladimir, production of the 20's has stopped, though a last run of
several hundred may be done this year.

I've sold late black Russian 20 finders alone for $175

If you can find them at $200, buy them for resale and make a few hundred bucks.

The adapters I sell are not just for Nikon F to M,  but also Nikon F to LTM,
Canon FD to M, Pentax 42mm to M, Leica R to M.   A Contax/Yashica adapter will be
added in the next few months.

Stephen