Leica Elmarit-R 19 mm f2.8 ROM

The Leica Elmarit-R 19 mm f2.8 ROM is, for most connoisseurs, the
best Ultra wide angle lens ever made .It is almost perfectly Rectilinear
assuring perfect reproduction of the finest image details, and is also virtually
insensitive to flare even at maximum aperture. I own one and it has quickly
become one of my most precious lens , and as a matter of fact , my camera
is always stored with it installed because since it sees the world the same way that my eyes and brain do .That is the view I want to have ,when I first reach for the camera.

This lens has Internal Focusing , which means its external length does not
change when Focusing , but it does so Internally , projecting rearwards
towards the Dust Filter . To accomplish that, its last optical group moves inside a cylinder or barrel that projects rearwards (And touches the Filter ).

To use this lens on a converted SD14 , that barrel needs to be filed down by almost a Millimeter, shown here , at the beginning of the process,already done on one side of it.

This is delicate work , and in this particular lens , the fact that the rear group slides in the barrel , seems to be clearly antagonist to any process that might create dust or filings that might enter the sliding mechanism. It can be done , of course under Controlled Laboratory conditions , mounted on a Special Custom Fixture , with a Strong Vacuum nozzle next to it , and cut with a High Speed Dremmel Tool, Angled away from the Axis so all the debris flies away from the innards of the lens ,directly to the Vacuum Nozzle in close proximity to it

Since this problem is not unique to the 19 Elmarit , but to all the Leica lenses that have internal focusing or Floating Elements, a better solution is to use a Slim Filter that will alleviate Interference problems to many lenses instead of just one.We will be offering that soon . The Slim Filter will provide almost a Full Millimeter of Extra Clearance.

To manufacture this Filter we had to buy a new, higher precision Sherline Mini Lathe , capable of cutting metal to tighter Tolerances than the Unimat Mini Lathe we were using for the Mount Replacement kits.

We are in our last stages of setting it up and we will begin production soon. You can see our Lathes and Milling machines in our Forum

A third alternative and probably the best one ,that provides the largest amount of Clearance , is to modify the camera body , creating a Recess for the Filter and, at one point in the future,we might begin offering that in our
Converted cameras , but it is very involved and we will probably have to wait until Sigma offers a Higher Resolution model that justifies it .

Some people have shown great urgency in being able to use those lenses that require a Slim Filter. For them I offer a Temporary , do it yourself, solution .

Carefully remove the Glass Filter from its plastic enclosure and attach the Glass to the Mirror Cavity using a good Gaffers Tape cut as as shown here: