Is an f3.5 aperture big enough? For street photography, I say it’s plenty! I often crank my Leica M8’s ISO to 1250, which gives a cool, film-like grain. Sometimes I shoot at f3.5, sometimes even smaller. On bright daytime streets, f3.5 handles any light just fine.
What’s that? Background blur? Okay, the Leica Elmar 50mm isn’t exactly a bokeh champ at f3.5, but hold up—can you say it lacks depth? That lens has a killer sense of space, something even f2 or f1.2 lenses from other brands can’t always nail for that street vibe. Maybe the Elmar was born for the streets!
When I saw this photo, it hit me why the Leica M8’s black-and-white shots pull me in way more than the M9’s. In my mind, only black-and-white film with a yellow filter could come close. The M8’s black-and-white portraits? They make faces pop with brightness. It’s because there’s no infrared cut-off filter, giving those photos a unique charm—like an invisible spotlight lighting up people’s faces on the street. Pretty awesome, right?
I never snack while strolling because my hands are busy with a camera, not food. What I’m feasting on? Light. Yup, out on the streets, every shadow and glow is my buffet. You savor your tasty bites, and I savor my photography. Street photography? It’s never a chore—it’s a treat!
No matter how much you spend or how fancy a photographer you hire, nothing beats the raw magic of a street photographer’s candid portrait. Why? Because it’s real, it’s pure, and nobody’s putting on a show. It’s like that Taoist idea of “doing nothing” — when you stop trying, everything just flows. The only downside? The person in the photo might never see their own raw truth. But don’t go thinking you’re some one-of-a-kind snowflake either! If you see authenticity in a photo, that’s you staring back — and that guy in the picture? Yeah, that’s you too. Meet street photography, meet the real you.
In 1925, a tiny collapsible lens named Elmar 50mm f/3.5 sprouted from Ernst Leitz’s workshop, fertilizing the soil for Leica’s global reign. Weighing less than a bar of Swiss chocolate (120g) and priced today between 400–400–1,200 (2025 USD), this “optical bonsai” remains the DNA of every Leica M lens. Think of it as the Model T Ford of photography—humble, revolutionary, and timeless.
Leica Elmar 50mm f/3.5 (5cm/3.5)Leica Elmar 50mm f/3.5 (5cm/3.5)Leica Elmar 50mm f/3.5 (5cm/3.5)Leica Elmar 50mm f/3.5 (5cm/3.5)Leica Elmar 50mm f/3.5 (5cm/3.5)
Design: Swiss Watchmaker’s Muse
Collapsible Sorcery
Body: Brass cloaked in nickel-chrome—durable as a cast-iron skillet, elegant as a Tiffany pendant. Collapses into your M-body like a telescope retreating into its casing.
Aperture Ring: Turns with the tactile snick of a vintage lighter—each click a haptic love letter to 1920s craftsmanship. （The m-mount version is exclusive, the l39 one is not）
Max Berek’s Legacy
The Einstein of optics, Berek hand-calculated this lens’ design without computers—a feat akin to baking a soufflé with a campfire.
Chinese Proverb Footnote:“老骥伏枥，志在千里” (“An old steed in the stable still dreams of galloping 1,000 miles”) A nod to how this 100-year-old design outpaces modern glass in charm.
Stopped Down: By f/8, it matches modern lenses’ sharpness while retaining the warmth of a vinyl record.
Film vs Digital: Two Eras, One Soul
Film Romance
On Tri-X @400, it channels Ansel Adams’ zone system—midtones sing, highlights glow like moonlight on snow.
Digital Alchemy
On a Leica M11, dial up clarity +15 to mimic its film-era bite. Disable profiles—let its golden flaws dance.
The “Three Delights”
Portability: Fits in a jeans pocket—street photography’s ultimate stealth weapon.
B&W Mastery: Microcontrast so rich, you’ll swear Ansel Adams ghostwrote your shots.
Flare as Flavor: Backlighting paints Impressionist halos—call it “free Instagram filter.”
Who Needs This Lens?
✓ Minimalist Nomads: Who believe less gear = more vision ✓ History Buffs: Collecting tangible fragments of photography’s dawn ✓ Analog Purists: Who’d choose a typewriter over ChatGPT
Avoid If: You shoot sports, crave bokeh orgies, or think “vintage” means “obsolete.”
Final Verdict: The Eternal Underdog
The Elmar 50mm f/3.5 is photography’s comfort food—humble, nourishing, and endlessly satisfying. For the price of a weekend in Napa Valley, you gain:
A working museum piece that still outshines modern rivals in joy-per-ounce
Proof that “progress” isn’t always better—just louder
Permission to fall in love with photography all over again
“A lens that whispers: ‘True greatness fits in the palm of your hand.’”
Pro Tips:
Flare Hack: Shoot into the sun—its uncoated glow paints Renaissance halos.
Film Pairing: Ilford FP4+ @125—Citizen Kane gravitas on a budget.
Digital Zen: Add +20 grain in Lightroom—flaws become features.
Epilogue: The Little Lens That Could In an age of gargantuan f/1.2 monsters, the Elmar 50mm f/3.5 remains stubbornly, gloriously small. It’s a brass-clad rebuttal to excess, whispering: “You don’t need muscle to move mountains—just vision.” As Bresson might say, it’s not the arrow—it’s the archer. Now go shoot something timeless.
Leica 5cm 3.5 Elmar with black & white filmLeica 5cm 3.5 Elmar with black & white filmLeica 5cm 3.5 Elmar with black & white filmLeica 5cm 3.5 Elmar with black & white filmLeica 5cm 3.5 Elmar with black & white filmLeica 5cm 3.5 Elmar with black & white filmLeica 5cm 3.5 Elmar with black & white filmLeica 5cm 3.5 Elmar with black & white filmLeica 5cm 3.5 Elmar with black & white filmLeica 5cm 3.5 Elmar + m3Leica 5cm 3.5 Elmar + m3Leica 5cm 3.5 Elmar + m3Leica 5cm 3.5 Elmar + m3
