I have a 28/2.8 ELmarit-M, serial 3,2xx,xxx (dont have it in front of me, but examined it very carefully at home last night)which is just inscribed "LEITZ", not Leitz Canada or Leitz Wetzlar. Nowhere on the body does it say "MADE IN CANADA" or "MADE IN GERMANY", not even black on black. I suppose it's Canadian since Leitz always trumpeted German manufacture while sometime playing down Canadian (black on black "MADE IN CANADA"). Weird.

Does anyone know of other Leica lenses whose place of manufacture is not specified?

-- Adam G. Lang (aglang@hotmail.com), May 21, 2002

Answers

Adam this is a third version 28/2.8 Elmarit. I have one. It should say Canada on it. All Leitz Canada (or Leica Canada) lenses say Canada on them somewhere, whether on the front ring or on the side of the lens or usually both.

-- Eliot (erosen@lij.edu), May 21, 2002.

Indeed a 3rd version Elmarit 28mm. I have one too (serial #3,2xx,xxx). It has LEITZ LENS MADE IN CANADA on the front ring.

-- Bert Keuken (treb@operamail.com), May 21, 2002.

I know it is the third version, but it only says "LEITZ" on the front ring!

Maybe a rare and valuable variant! An engraving error!

-- Adam G. Lang (aglang@hotmail.com), May 21, 2002.

Eliot-

It does not say Canada ANYWHERE, front, side, focusing ring, aperture ring.

-Adam

-- Adam G. Lang (aglang@hotmail.com), May 21, 2002.

...playing down Canadian (black on black "MADE IN CANADA")

Let me add to the confusion by telling you I've got a 4th version Summicron 35 mm (pre-ASPH) that has 'LENS MADE IN GERMANY' on it black on black. Leica playing down Canadian manufacture, I don't think so.

-- Bert Keuken (treb@operamail.com), May 21, 2002.

The 28mm could have had its front ring replaced. Bert: the v.4 pre- ASPH 35/2 *was* made in Germany in its final years.

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), May 21, 2002.

I bought this lens new, it has never been serviced.

-- adam g. lang (aglang@hotmail.com), May 21, 2002.

Adam. It's an unusual lens. You might contact Jim Lager and ask his opinion.

-- Eliot (erosen@lij.edu), May 22, 2002.

I sent Jim Lager the info by email, awaiting his response.

-- adam g. lang (aglang@hotmail.com), May 24, 2002.

Adam. Don't be disappointed if he doesn't reply quickly. It make take a while before he gets back to you, since he gets a lot of emails.

-- Eliot (erosen@lij.edu), May 24, 2002.

Adam: My 28 (3245xxx) only sez Leitz on the filter ring - no "Canada".

But... it has the following engraved in very small letters on the bottom of the ring closest to the body (the one with the depth-of-field scale and big yellow "28" on it:

LENS MADE IN CANADA E49

This engraving is not filled with white paint - it's black-on-black.

If yours doesn't even have this faint marking - maybe someone was asleep at the engraving machine that day. 8^)

-- Andy Piper (apidens@denver.infi.net), May 25, 2002.

Andy- I have another 28 Elmarit just like yours, with the black on black. The lens to which I refer lacks this engraving, infact the flat area on yours where the engraving in is missing on my lens, its ribbed all around.

-- adam lang (aglang@hotmail.com), May 28, 2002.

Wild! - maybe it dates from the transition back to Wetzlar (?) They'd taken the "Canada" off but forgot to put the "Germany" back on?

Or, a scenario already alluded to - it was an earlier lens that originally had "Canada" on the front ring and not the back, and then had the front ring replaced at some point with the newer style, which resulted in no Canada anywhere.

In any event this sounds like a rare co-incidence of events, and not likely to be duplicated often.

-- Andy Piper (apidens@denver.infi.net), May 28, 2002.