Leitz Wetzlar Xenon 50mm F/1.5

Standard prime lens • Film era • Discontinued

  • Announced:
  • · 1936
  • Production status:
  • ● Discontinued
  • Country of design:
  • · German Reich
  • Original name:
  • · Leitz Xenon f=5cm 1:1,5 D.R.P.a. Taylor-Hobson U.S.Pat.2019985
  • · Leitz Xenon f=5cm 1:1,5 D.R.P.
  • Order No.:
  • · XEMOO
  • Class:
  • · Fast full-frame standard prime lens
  • System:
  • · Leica SM (1930)

Model history (11)

■Leitz Wetzlar Xenon 50mm F/1.5 [XEMOO] [LSM]M7 - 51.00mA51 1936 ●
■Leitz Wetzlar / Leitz Canada Summarit 50mm F/1.5 [SOOIA / 11020] [LSM]M7 - 51.00mE41 1949 ●
■Leitz Wetzlar / Leitz Canada Summarit 50mm F/1.5 [SOOIA-M / 11120]M7 - 51.00mE41 1954 ●
■Leitz Wetzlar Summilux 50mm F/1.4 [I] [11113, SOOME / 11114]M7 - 51.00mE43 1959 ●
—Leitz Wetzlar Summilux 50mm F/1.4 [SOWGE / 11014] (548 units) [LSM] 1960 ●
—Leitz Wetzlar Summilux 50mm F/1.4 for M3 Gold (1 unit) 1961 ●
■Leitz Wetzlar Summilux 50mm F/1.4 [II] [SOOME / 11114]M7 - 51.00mE43 1961 ●
■Leitz Wetzlar Summilux 50mm F/1.4 [II] [11113, 11114]M7 - 51.00mE43 1968 ●
—Leitz Wetzlar Summilux 50mm F/1.4 "Oskar Barnack 100th Anniversary" [11100] (1000 units) 1979 ●
—Leitz Wetzlar Summilux 50mm F/1.4 "Leica 1913-1983" [11114] (200 units) 1983 ●
—Leica Summilux-M 50mm F/1.4 "150 Jahre Photographie, 75 Jahre Leica Photographie" [10450] (1250 units) 1989 ●
—Leica Summilux-M 50mm F/1.4 Gold "Sultan of Brunei" (350 units) 1992 ●
—Leica Summilux-M 50mm F/1.4 Platinum "Sultan of Brunei" (250 units) 1992 ●
—Leica Summilux-M 50mm F/1.4 "Traveller Edition" [11855] (500 units) 1994 ●
■Leica Summilux-M 50mm F/1.4 [III] [11868, 11856]M7 - 50.70mE46 1995 ●
—Leica Summilux-M 50mm F/1.4 Platinum "Sultan of Brunei" (125 units) 1996 ●
—Leica Summilux-M 50mm F/1.4 "150 Jahre Optik" [10482] (30 units) 1999 ●
—Leica Summilux 50mm F/1.4 [11621] [LSM] 1999 ●
—Leica Summilux-M 50mm F/1.4 for M6 TTL "Øresundsbron" [11622] (75 units) 2000 ●
—Leica Summilux-M 50mm F/1.4 for M6 TTL Millennium [11623] (2000 units) 2000 ●
—Leica Summilux-M 50mm F/1.4 "Al-Thani" (16 units) 2001 ●
■Leica Summilux-M 50mm F/1.4 [III] Titanium [11869]M7 - 50.70mE46 1995 ●
■Leica Summilux-M 50mm F/1.4 ASPH. [I] [11891, 11892, 11716, 11717]M8 - 50.70mE46 2004 ●
—Leica Summilux-M 50mm F/1.4 ASPH. Titanium "50 Jahre M-System" (550 units) 2004 ●
—Leica Summilux-M 50mm F/1.4 ASPH. Titanium "9/11 Memorial" (1 unit) 2005 ●
—Leica Summilux-M 50mm F/1.4 ASPH. "LHSA Special Edition" [11627, 11628] (1500 units) 2005 ●
—Leica Summilux-M 50mm F/1.4 ASPH. "60 Years PRC" (60 units) 2009 ●
—Leica Summilux-M 50mm F/1.4 ASPH. "China’s 1911 Revolution" [10556] (101 units) 2011 ●
—Leica Summilux-M 50mm F/1.4 ASPH. "Edition Hermès" (300 units) 2012 ●
—Leica Summilux-M 50mm F/1.4 ASPH. "Edition 100" (101 units) 2014 ●
—Leica Summilux-M 50mm F/1.4 ASPH. "Correspondent" (125 units) 2015 ●
—Leica Summilux-M 50mm F/1.4 ASPH. Black [11688, 11715] 2015 ●
—Leica Summilux-M 50mm F/1.4 ASPH. "Leica Galerie Frankfurt" (50 units) 2016 ●
—Leica Summilux-M 50mm F/1.4 ASPH. "Meister Edition Berlin" (20 units) 2017 ●
—Leica Summilux-M 50mm F/1.4 ASPH. "Jim Marshall" (50 units) 2017 ●
—Leica Summilux-M 50mm F/1.4 ASPH. "Terry O’Neill" (35 units) 2018 ●
—Leica Summilux-M 50mm F/1.4 ASPH. "SC Asset" (30 units) 2019 ●
—Leica Summilux-M 50mm F/1.4 ASPH. for M10-P "White" (350 units) 2019 ●
■Leica Summilux-M 50mm F/1.4 ASPH. [II] [11728, 11729]M8 - 50.45mE46 2023 ●
■Leica Summilux-M 50mm F/1.4 Classic [11714]M7 - 50.70mE46 2025 ●

Specification

Optical design:
35mm full frame
50mm
F/1.5
7 elements in 5 groups (Double Gauss derivative)
Leica screw mount
46.8° (35mm full frame)
Diaphragm mechanism:
Diaphragm type:
Manual
Aperture control:
Aperture ring
6 (six)
Focusing:
Coupled to the rangefinder:
Yes
1m
Focusing modes:
Manual focus only
Manual focus control:
Focusing lever
Physical characteristics:
300g
<No data>
Accessories:
Slip-on 51mm
XIOOM

Source of data

  • Own research.

From the editor

A lens based on the optical design patented by H.W. Lee of Taylor, Taylor and Hobson Ltd. in Britain (1932) and in the US (1935). It is a double Gauss design with splitted rear positive element.

Leitz claimed that it was a Leitz design, and in 1934 the company was even granted a German patent for this lens.

T.T.H. granted Schneider a licence to make and sell lenses according to their patented design. Schneider in turn would have been allowed to sublicence to other German companies.

It appears that Schneider and Leitz had been working separately on improvements to T.T.H. design, and then later agreed to work together. Leitz needed agreement from Schneider to use the T.T.H.'s principle of the split rear element and agreed to name their lens Xenon, a Schneider name, in return for Schneider not opposing the Leitz 1934 patent. Since T.T.H. had no German patent, only the licensing agreement with Schneider, it was only necessary to engrave the British and US patent numbers on the Xenon lenses intended for export.

The lens is uncoated, except for some lenses made during the war that were factory coated.

Collapsible lens hood XIOOM serves as a lens cap when folded.

Notes

  • All LEICA lenses having a focusing lever are automatically locked at the infinity position. This feature enables the camera to be used for infinity scenes and subjects without danger of the lens becoming accidentally out of focus due to unintentional movement. To release the lever for focusing on nearer planes press the knob at the end of the lever.

Other standard prime lenses in the Leica SM system

■Leica screw mount (11)
Leitz Elmar 50mm F/3.5 [I] [ELMAR, ELMARKUP, ELMARCHROM] • CollapsibleM4 - 31.00mA36 1930 ●
Leitz Elmar 50mm F/3.5 [II] [ELMAR] • CollapsibleM4 - 31.00mA36 1951 ●
Leitz Wetzlar Elmar 50mm F/3.5 [III] [ELMAR / 11010] • CollapsibleM4 - 31.00mE39 1954 ●
Leitz Wetzlar Elmar 50mm F/2.8 [I] [ELMOO / 11512, ELMOO / 11012] • CollapsibleM4 - 31.00mE39 1957 ●
Leitz Hektor 50mm F/2.5 [HEKTO, HEKTORKUP, HEKTOCHROM] • CollapsibleM6 - 31.00mA36 1931 ●
Leitz / Leitz Wetzlar Summar 50mm F/2 [SUMAR, SUMARKUP, SUMARCHROM]M6 - 41.00mA36 1933 ●
Leitz / Leitz Wetzlar Summar 50mm F/2 [SUMUS, SUMUSKUP, SUMUSCHROM] • CollapsibleM6 - 41.00mA36 1934 ●
Leitz / Leitz Wetzlar Summitar 50mm F/2 [SOORE / 11015] • CollapsibleM7 - 41.00mE36.4 1939 ●
Leitz Wetzlar Summicron 50mm F/2 [I] [SOOIC / 11016] • CollapsibleM7 - 61.00mE39 1953 ●
Leitz Wetzlar Compur-Summicron 50mm F/2 (150 units)M? - ?1.00m 1954 ●
Leitz Wetzlar / Leitz Canada Summarit 50mm F/1.5 [SOOIA / 11020]M7 - 51.00mE41 1949 ●

Lenses with similar focal length

■Leica screw mount (71)
Canon 50mm F/1.2 LSMM7 - 51.00m⌀55 1956 ●
Canon 50mm F/1.4 [I] LSMM6 - 41.00m⌀48 1957 ●
Canon 50mm F/1.4 [II] LSMM6 - 41.00m⌀48 1959 ●
Serenar / Canon 50mm F/1.5 LSMM7 - 31.00mS.VII 1952 ●
Serenar / Canon 50mm F/1.8 [I] LSMM6 - 41.00mS.VI 1951 ●
Canon 50mm F/1.8 [II] LSMM6 - 41.00mS.VI 1956 ●
Canon 50mm F/1.8 [III] LSMM6 - 41.00m⌀40 1958 ●
Canon 50mm F/2.2 LSMM5 - 41.00m⌀40 1961 ●
Canon 50mm F/2.8 [I] LSMM4 - 31.00mS.VI 1955 ●
Canon 50mm F/2.8 [II] LSMM4 - 31.00m⌀40 1957 ●
Chiyoko Super Rokkor 45mm F/2.8 [C] LSMM5 - 31.00m 1947 ●
Chiyoda Kogaku Super Rokkor 50mm F/1.8 LSMM6 - 51.00m⌀46 1958 ●
Chiyoko Super Rokkor 50mm F/2.8 [C] LSMM5 - 31.00m⌀40.5 1954 ●
Chiyoko Super Rokkor 50mm F/2 [C] LSMM7 - 61.00m⌀43 1955 ●
Chiyoko Super Rokkor 50mm F/2 LSMM7 - 61.00m⌀40.5 1955 ●
Cosina Voigtlander Color-Skopar 50mm F/2.5 LSMM7 - 60.75m⌀39 2002 ●
Cosina Voigtlander Heliar 50mm F/2 LSM "Cosina 50th Anniversary, Bessa 10th Anniversary" (600 units)M5 - 31.00m⌀39 2009 ●
Cosina Voigtlander Nokton 50mm F/1.5 Aspherical LSMM6 - 50.90m⌀52 1999 ●
Fuji Photo Film Fujinon 50mm F/1.2 LSMM8 - 63.5 ft. 1954 ●
Fuji Photo Film Fujinon L 50mm F/2 LSMM6 - ?1.00m⌀43 1957 ●
Fuji Photo Film Fujinon L 50mm F/2.8 LSMM5 - ?1.00m⌀40.5 1957 ●
Fuji Photo Film Cristar 50mm F/2 LSM • CollapsibleM6 - 43.5 ft. 1949 ●
Konica Hexanon 50mm F/2.4 LSM (1000 units) • CollapsibleM6 - 40.80m⌀40.5 1997 ●
Konishiroku Hexanon 50mm F/1.9 LSMM6 - 53.5 ft.⌀40.5 1956 ●
Light Lens Lab Noctilucent 50mm F/1.2 ASPH. "1966"M6 - 41.00m⌀49 2024 ●
Light Lens Lab Elcan 50mm F/2M4 - 40.70m⌀39 2022 ●
Nippon Kogaku Nikkor-H·C 50mm F/2 LSM • CollapsibleM6 - 33.5 ft.S.VI 1947 ●
Nippon Kogaku Nikkor-H[·C] 50mm F/2 LSMM6 - 31.5 ft.S.VI 1950 ●
Nippon Kogaku Nikkor-S·C 50mm F/1.5 LSM (408 units)M7 - 51.5 ft.⌀40.5 1949 ●
Nippon Kogaku Nikkor-S[·C] 50mm F/1.4 LSMM7 - 31.5 ft.S.VII 1950 ●
Nippon Kogaku Nikkor-N·C 50mm F/1.1 LSM (211 units)M9 - 63.5 ft.⌀62 1956 ●
Jupiter-8 50mm F/2 LSM
akaЮПИТЕР-8 50mm F/2 [П]		M6 - 31.00m⌀40.5 1947 ●
Industar-61[L/D] 52mm F/2.8 LSM
akaИ-61 52mm F/2.8
akaИ-61Л/Д 53mm F/2.8
akaИ-61Л/Д 55mm F/2.8
akaИНДУСТАР-61Л/Д 55mm F/2.8		M4 - 31.00m⌀40.5 ●
Jupiter-3 50mm F/1.5 LSM
akaЮПИТЕР-3 50mm F/1.5 [П]		M7 - 31.00m⌀40.5 1948 ●
Industar-26M 50mm F/2.8 LSM
akaИ-26м 52mm F/2.8
akaИНДУСТАР-26м 50mm F/2.8 П		M4 - 31.00m⌀40.5 1954 ●
FED 50mm F/2 LSM • Collapsible
akaФЭД 50mm F/2		M6 - 41.00mA36 ●
Jupiter-17 50mm F/2 LSM
akaЮПИТЕР-17 50mm F/2 П		M5 - 41.00m⌀40.5 1953 ●
Steinheil Munchen Quinon 50mm F/2 LSMM6 - 30.60m ●
Tanaka Kogaku Tanar 50mm F/2.8 LSMM4 - 33.5 ft. 1954 ●
Tanaka Kogaku Tanar 50mm F/2.8 H.C. Close Focus LSMM4 - 31.5 ft. 1955 ●
Tanaka Kogaku Tanar 50mm F/2.8 H.C. Close Focus LSM BlackM4 - 31.5 ft. 1957 ●
Tanaka Kogaku Tanar 50mm F/2 H.C. LSMM6 - 31.5 ft.⌀40.5 1956 ●
Tanaka Kogaku Tanar 50mm F/2 H.C. LSM BlackM6 - 31.5 ft.⌀40.5 1957 ●
Tanaka Kogaku Tanar 50mm F/1.9 LSMM6 - 30.60m⌀40.5 1959 ●
Tanaka Kogaku Tanar 50mm F/1.8 LSMM6 - 30.60m 1960 ●
Tanaka Kogaku Tanar 50mm F/1.5 H.C. LSMM7 - 32 ft. 1957 ●
Teikoku Kogaku Zunow 50mm F/1.1 [I] LSMM9 - 53.5 ft.⌀54.5 1953 ●
Teikoku Kogaku / Zunow Opt. Zunow 50mm F/1.1 [II] LSMM8 - 53.5 ft.⌀54.5 1955 ●
Tokyo Kogaku Topcor-S 50mm F/2 Type 2 LSMM6 - 41.00m⌀40.5 1958 ●
Tokyo Kogaku Topcor-S 50mm F/2 Type 1 LSMM6 - 43.5 ft.⌀40.5 1957 ●
Tokyo Kogaku Topcor 50mm F/2.8 LSMM5 - 33.5 ft.⌀34 1958 ●
Tokyo Optical Topcor 50mm F/1.5 LSMM7 - 43.5 ft.⌀40 1954 ●
Tokyo Kogaku Topcor 50mm F/2 LSMM6 - 53.5 ft.⌀40 1954 ●
Tokyo Kogaku Topcor-S 50mm F/2 "Panda" LSMM6 - 41.00m⌀40.5 1957 ●
Tokyo Optical Simlar 50mm F/1.5 LSMM7 - 43.5 ft.⌀40 1950 ●
Voigtlander Nokton 50mm F/1.5 LSMM7 - 51.00m 1953 ●
Yashica [Super-]Yashinon 50mm F/1.8 LSMM6 - 53.5 ft.⌀43 1959 ●
Yashica Yashikor 50mm F/2.8 [II] LSMM5 - 40.90m⌀40.5 1959 ●
Yashica Yashikor 50mm F/2.8 [I] LSMM4 - 33.5 ft.⌀40.5 1959 ●
Yasuhara 50mm F/2.8 MC LSMM4 - 30.80m⌀35.5 2001 ●
Zuiho Honor 50mm F/2 LSMM6 - 43.5 ft. 1959 ●
Zuiho Honor 50mm F/1.9 LSMM? - ?3.5 ft.⌀43 1959 ●
Nicca 50mm F/2.8 Type 2 LSMM4 - 33.5 ft.⌀40.5 1958 ●
Nicca 50mm F/2.8 Type 1 LSMM4 - 33.5 ft.⌀34.5 1958 ●
Taylor-Hobson Anastigmat 50mm F/2 LSM • CollapsibleM6 - 43.5 ft. 1951 ●
K.O.L. Xebec 50mm F/2 LSM • Collapsible
akaSun Xebec 50mm F/2 LSM		M6 - 41.00m 1942 ●
Phenix 50mm F/2.8 MC LSM (500 units) • CollapsibleM4 - 30.70m⌀35.5 1999 ●
Lomography x Zenit New Jupiter-3+ 50mm F/1.5 LSMM7 - 30.70m⌀40.5 2016 ●
Carl Zeiss Jena Sonnar 50mm F/2 T LSM • CollapsibleM6 - 31.00m ●
Carl Zeiss Jena Sonnar 50mm F/2 T LSMM6 - 31.00m ●
Carl Zeiss Jena Sonnar 50mm F/1.5 T LSMM7 - 31.00m ●

Your comment

Copy this code

and paste it here *