LENS-DB.COM

Model history (2)

Specification

Source of data

• Own research.

Manufacturer description #1

The Leitz-Thambar F/2.2, 9 cm. focus gives at full aperture and moderately stopped down, soft definition and is therefore chiefly suitable for portraits and for certain landscape photographs; when stopped down further the definition becomes sharp, so that it may also be used for sharp landscape and distance photographs.

The degree of the soft effect obtained is controllable within wide limits by the use of the normal iris diaphragm and an addition screw-in central diaphragm. It is greatest with the iris diaphragm at full aperture and with the central diaphragm screwed in, and somewhat less when working with the iris diaphragm at full aperture and without the addition screw-in diaphragm. Stopping down the iris diaphragm lessens the softness, but only then uniformly over the whole field when the central diaphragm is screwed in.

The white aperture scale on the Leitz-Thambar applies when working without the central diaphragm, the red one when the central diaphragm is screwed in.

Manufacturer description #2

From the LEICA photography magazine (1961, No. 1):

Some 20-odd years ago, when there were still romantics left in the world, even among photographers, Leitz made a special lens for them. It was the 90mm Thambar f/2.2, long discontinued, but one of the most interesting lenses ever computed. And the greatest boon to 35mm portraiture since faces.

The Thambar was a variable soft-focus lens, producing images ranging from soft (when wide open) to critically sharp (when stopped down below f/6.3).

The Thambar, as you may have guessed, achieved its unique image qualities by means of incomplete correction of the edge rays which passed through the peripheral lens areas. Thus, it was softest at highest apertures and gradually reached critical sharpness as the diaphragm confined light passage to the center of the lens as it was stopped down. The center of the lens had better correction than the extreme edges.

Ultimate image softness was achieved with a special mirrored "spot" centered in a thin, clear glass, filter-like disc which came with the lens. This was attached in front of the lens, blocking off the more highly-corrected central area and causing the image to be formed only by the relatively uncorrected peripheral rays, but even with the spot in use, softness was controllable.

The spot, however, could not be used at apertures smaller than f/6.3, since depth of field at small apertures was sufficient to register the spot as a light blob in the center of the negative area.

An aspect of the Thambar which was more useful as a clue to the maker's integrity than as a practical feature, was its double diaphragm scale. A white scale beginning with f/2.2 etc., was used when the lens was used without the spot. A red scale beginning with f/2.3, etc., was used when the spot was in place. The reason for the minute difference in aperture rating is, of course, because the spot blocked off some lens area and hence some light. Thus, it made a small change in the f/ratio, since a given diaphragm opening had the same area both with and without the spot in place. The difference in exposure at f/2.2 and f/2.3, practically speaking, is zero. But those who would rather have been right than have been President were given the opportunity to be so.

Thambar images had much to commend them, especially in portraiture. They were kind to wrinkles and skin texture (which solved retouching problems), and they offered an ineffable but striking luminosity, especially in strongly-lit pictures. And Thambar landscapes were as effective as Thambar portraits, taking on an enchanted air especially when back- or side-lighting was used.

The Thambar was a specialist's lens, demanding practice and experience from the photographer who used it successfully. But for the Leicaman who knew the result he wanted, and how to get it, the Thambar offered nuances of performances no other lens could match.

From the Classic Camera magazine (November 2002)

From the very beginning, Leitz lenses for Leica have always stood out for their sharpness and special tonal performance, features that have made them popular with amateurs and professionals the world over and have helped to establish the Leica legend.

Because of its performance characteristics, the 9cm f/2.2 portrait tele lens called the Thambar occupies a place of its own in Leitz lens output. In fact, it is the only soft focus lens produced by Wetzlar, soft focus refering to the fact that even the areas of the image that are perfectly in-focus appear softened and diffused. Designed at the beginning of the 1930s by Max Berek, the Thambar was Leitz's answer to some of the criticism it had been receiving. Some had accused Leitz lenses of producing an image that was too hard and high-contrast to be utilized for portrait work. In fact, from the nineteenth century, all sorts of tricks had been used to soften portrait images, especially those of the "fair sex", in order to obtain photographs that had a soft, "dreamy" effect.

With the Thambar, Leitz presented an absolute first for 35mm cameras, opening up a new, highly-specialized sector. The name Thambar was derived from Greek, meanning "something that inspires wonder", wonderful. The lens formula was comprised of four elements in three groups, with two cemented central elements. A very similar lens formula would be used twenty years later for the 125mm f/2.5 Hektor for Visoflex. In the Thambar, the soft-focus effect was obtained by allowing a certain percentage of spherical aberration at the edges to pass in order to lower contrast. The effect was further accentuated by the addition of a special filter equipped with a silver bubble in the center, one centimeter in diameter, that neutralized the influence of the central part of the lens, notorious for being the sharpest zone.

Thambar features included a focal length that was ideal for portrait-taking, a noteworthy maximum apelture of f/2.2 that became f/2.3 with the special filter, a minimum focusing distance of one meter and the ability to control the soft-focus effect through the aperture. The minimum aperture was f/25, the lens weighed 520 grams and it used E48 diameter filters. Using the lens without the special filter and at apeltures above f/9 produced sharp, high-contrast images like those of a normal 90mm telephoto lens; alternatively, using the filter with smaller apertures than f/9, the central circle created an area of shadow on the frame. To create a soft image, the special filter had to be used and the aperture not closed more than one or two stops.

The Thambar was equipped with two aperture scales, the one in white gave the f/stops without the filter, while that in red gave aperture values with the filter inserted. The red scale went from f/2.3 to 6.3 because above this value, use of the filter became useless and counterproductive. The maximum effect was obtained using the filter and with an aperture setting of f/2.3 or 3.2, the soft-focus effect lessening with values from f/3.2 to f/4.5. Without the filter and with the same f/stops, the soft effect existed, but was much less accentuated. Photographing with back- or flare lighting increased the Thambar's soft focus effect, and the distance of the subject also had significant effect on the softness. However, it was a difficult lens to use and required considerable practical experience. Having been designed for rangefinder cameras, the Thambar's soft-focus could not be controlled through the viewfinder as in modern reflexes and required a significant amount of experience.

Production of the Thambar began in 1935 and ended in 1949 and, according to Leitz production logs, 3151 lenses were produced, with only 200 of these made in the later period from 1942 to 1949. Rogliatti and Laney, on the other hand, give a total of 2984 pieces. It is likely, but not totally confirmed, that those produced after the war had anti-reflection coating.

Today, the 9cm Thambar is one of the most sought after pieces by Leica collectors, even if, with approx. 3000 having been produced, it is not all that rare. However, it is often difficult to find one complete with the original filter that was sometimes replaced with other filters, adapted as best as possible. Its special position within the Leitz universe, its filter accessory and last, but perhaps not least, the allure of its name, have made the Thambar a legendary object among Leica enthusiasts who disburse huge sums for the honor of owning one.

Frequently asked questions

Other short telephoto prime lenses in the Leica SM system

Lenses with similar focal length