Leitz Elmar 4,5/7,5cm

Leitz produced photographic lenses even before Oskar Barnack designed the UR-Leica in 1914. The first photographic lens made by Leitz was the 220 mm Duplex in 1894, followed by early Periplan and Summar lenses, which were used in plate cameras of other manufacturers or early Leitz micro- and macro-photographic units. Even after the introduction of the Leica, Leitz continued to supply photographic lenses for other companies.
One well known example is the 5 cm Leitz Elmar lense for the Nagel Pupille. An existing Leitz brochure from April 1933 lists individual photographic lenses. Interestingly, these include a few focal length and/or largest apertures which did not exist in this combination as Leica lenses at the time. Those lenses were offered for other cameras only and are extremely rare. Some of those listed in that brochure have never even been seen.
The lenses were offered each in different mounts, of which one always was mounted in a Compur shutter. The 7,5 cm Leitz Elmar f/4,5 lens seems to have been produced in a very small number only. Interestingly, the price sheet of the 1933 leaflet quotes a price of RM 72.00 and defines the value of one German Reichsmark (RM) as equivalent to 1/2790 kg (0.36 g) fine gold.

Photo credit: © WestLicht Photographica Auction