Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/03/13

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Elcan??
From: Marc James Small <msmall@roanoke.infi.net>
Date: Mon, 13 Mar 2000 17:01:18 -0500

At 11:53 AM 3/13/2000 -0800, Paul Chefurka wrote:
>When I asked what the Leica lens was, that's what he said.  I didn't see the
>lens, but I've got no reason to doubt him.  What was simplified about the
>Elcan - the optical formula, or just the mechanical bits?

The ELCAN was a simplified 2/50 lens produced for the KE-7A when it turned
out the Summicron significantly exceeded the requirements the US Army had
set for the lens.  Hence, Leitz Midland designed a 50mm lens based on the
2.5/90 Colorplan projection lens.  No optical formula is known to exist,
though I suspect the Colorplan schemata must be around somewhere.

Rogliatti says that the lens is not hard to find.  All other authorities
list it as rare.  It is not even mentioned in Wright & Wilkinson's
commendable CD-ROM, THE LENS COLLECTOR'S VADE MECUM.

Marc

msmall@roanoke.infi.net  FAX:  +540/343-7315
Cha robh bas fir gun ghras fir!