From the very beginning,
Leica lenses have always had a very high reputation for their sharpness and
their special tonal performance. This
was a prerequisite, demanded by Oskar Barnck and realized by Max Berek with even
his first lens designs for the Leica.
As a matter of fact, Leitz
had been criticized from time to time for not having any good portrait
lenses. Many Leica users thought that
the Leica lenses were often too sharp for portrait work. That gave the impetus for Max Berek to design
the Leitz Thambar at the beginning of the 1930s.
The Thambar was a soft
focus lens, displaying some rather unique characteristics, which made it one of
the premier portrait lenses of the time.
The soft focus effect was the result of the lens having been purposely
designed with a considerable amount of residual spherical aberration. The name Thambar was derived from Greek,
meaning “something that inspires wonder”, or wonderful. The lens was comprised of four elements, with
the two central elements cemented to form one group. A very similar formula was later chosen for
the 125mm Hektor for use on the Visoflex.
Leitz Thambar on a Leica
IIIc with VIDOM viewfinder
The spherical aberration
of the lens was produced primarily at the outer perimeter of the lens. Stopping it down to smaller apertures would
reduce this effect and it was totally eliminated at f/9. To further enhance the soft focus effect, the
lens came supplied with a special, clear filter that had a one centimeter
mirrored spot in the center which eliminated the sharp image created by the
center of the lens.
Element configuration of
the Thambar with installed filter on left
Leitz New York Thambar
brochure
The maximum aperture of
the lens was f/2.2. This was reduced to
f/2.3 with the center spot filter in place.
For that reason the Thambar had two aperture scales, one in white for
the f/stops without the filter and one in red for the stops with the filter
installed. The red scale went from f/2.3
to f/6.3 because above f/6.3 the filter became useless. The maximum soft focus effect was obtained
with the lens wide open and with the filter installed. Stopping the lens down would diminish this
effect, thus giving the photographer full control over the amount of soft
focus. Photographing with back lighting
or lighting that produced flare would further increase the soft focus
effect. The distance of the subject also
had a significant effect on the softness.
The Thambar actually was
relatively difficult to use because the rangefinder of the camera did not allow
the soft focus effect of the lens to be seen.
Subsequently a fair amount of experience was necessary to use the lens
effectively.
The production of the lens
started on 1935 and ended in 1949.
According to company records, about 3000 lenses were produced. Today the Thambar is one of the most sought
after pieces by Leica collectors. Even
though a production of 3000 lenses is not all that rare, it is difficult to find
complete sets with the original filter, and sets complete with the filter and
the original red boxes are quite rare.
The Thambar is indeed a legendary piece of equipment among Leica
enthusiasts.
Now Leica has reissued the
Thambar. It is basically identical to
the original with only a few changes.
Leica writes:
A legend reborn: following
the Leica Summaron-M 1:5.6/28, Leica Camera AG has further expanded its lens
portfolio with the Thambar-M 1:2.2/90, the modern renaissance of another
classic lens. Just like its namesake from 1935, the contemporary incarnation of
the lens is distinguished by its characteristic soft-focus effect and
unmistakable bokeh. Its focal length of 90 mm is suitable for photography in a
multitude of scenarios and is as good as predestined for capturing portraits
with a uniquely aesthetic atmosphere that cannot be reproduced in digital
postprocessing. The new Thambar-M is thus an exciting addition to the existing
Leica M lens portfolio and brings photographers entirely new possibilities for
creative composition.
The optical design of its
ancestor remains almost unchanged in the new Thambar-M 1:2.2/90. It has
therefore also inherited the characteristic properties of its predecessor. The
only difference is that the four elements in three groups that make up the
design have now been single-coated to protect the glass against environmental
influences and surface corrosion. The 20 blades of its iris deliver a unique
bokeh with perfectly round rendition of point light sources.
The soft look of the
Thambar is the result of intentionally accepted under-correction of spherical
aberration. This under-correction increases towards the edges of the optical
system with the consequence that not only the depth of focus, but also the
degree of softening can be precisely controlled by means of the stepless
aperture setting. The effect is more pronounced as apertures increase, and is
continually reduced as the lens is stopped down to smaller apertures.
The design of the original
lens has been almost completely preserved in today’s Thambar-M 1:2.2/90. The
black paint finish, the proportions of the lens and its aperture engravings in
red and white correspond to the appearance of the original. In addition to
this, slight modifications have been made that bring the lens into line with
the current, minimalist design of modern M-Lenses. These include the knurling,
the lettering and scales and the specific use of sharp edges and bevelling that
underline the precision of the lens design.
‘The name Thambar has
always been preceded by the adjective ‘legendary’ – rightly so. It portrays
people with a wonderful aura, in a romantic way – but landscapes too are raised
to a higher, incomparably aesthetic plane. The addition of a new incarnation of
this classic lens to our selection of vintage lenses was one of our greatest
wishes – to my great delight, this wish has now been fulfilled.’ emphasises Dr.
Andreas Kaufmann, majority shareholder and chairman of the supervisory board of
Leica Camera AG.
As is the case with all
Leica lenses, the Leica Thambar-M 1:2.2/90 is also manufactured in strict
compliance with the most stringent quality criteria. The use of only the best
materials in its construction guarantee the familiar long working life of all
Leica lenses. As was the case with the original lens, the lens hood, the ring
of the centre-spot filter and both front and rear lens caps are made of metal.
Even smallest details, like the felt lining of the lens hood and the front cap,
contribute to the exceptional perceived quality of this lens. The design of the
rigid lens keeper in ‘Vintage Brown’ leather is identical to that of the
original from 80 years ago in almost every respect and, as in the past, the
centre-spot filter can be safely and conveniently stowed away in its lid.
Here is additional
information from our friends at Leica Store Miami
Leica has announced
the new Thambar-M 90mm f/2.2 lens for the Leica M-System. Much like the
Summaron-M 28mm f/5.6 re-issue last year, the Thambar-M 90mm f/2.2 features a
similar optical design to the original Thambar, which was produced from
1930-1939, but with modern construction and lens coatings (and it’s 6-bit coded
too!).
The original Thambar,
left, and the reissue on the right.
The original Thambar
(which comes from the Greek word for “blurred” or “out-of-focus”) was designed
with portraiture in mind, and has become an extremely collectible lens due to
its low production numbers and unique rendering. The lens has two aperture scales,
with one designed to be used when the included center filter is attached, which
further increases the soft-focus effect. This design feature has been carried
over to the reissued lens, which has now an E49 (49mm) filter size.
The new Thambar brings
together classic design with modern construction.
The official release, from
Leica:
Leica Camera is pleased to
expand its line of classic lenses with the Leica Thambar-M 90mm f/2.2. First
introduced in the mid-1930s where only about 3,000 units were produced, the new
Thambar-M 90mm f/2.2 has the same optical design but a modified exterior. The
lens still produces the same dreamy, soft focus look of the original 83-year
old lens.
When the Thambar was
originally released in 1935, Leica lenses were already renowned for their
exceptionally sharp rendition. So it was all the more surprising when Leitz
introduced a soft focus lens which – despite being named after the Greek term
‘thambo’, meaning ‘blurred’ – gave rise to images whose romantic aesthetics are
not only unmatched by any other lens to this day, but also impossible to
replicate in digital post-processing.
This makes the new
Thambar-M an exciting counterpoint to Leica’s other 90mm focal length lenses,
and allows the modern-day photographer to experience the unique characteristics
of this classic lens; or as the Greek would say, ‘me thambose me teen omorfia
tis’ – ‘to be blinded by beauty.’
The Leica Thambar-M 90mm
f/2.2 offers the following benefits:
- Optical design similar to the original Thambar-M 9cm f/2.2.
- Lens elements are now single-coated to protect the glass from the elements and corrosion.
- Ensures the same, distinctive dreamy, soft focus look and unmistakable bokeh.
- Provides unmistakable imaging signature which cannot be reproduced by other lenses or digital processing.
- Same proportions as original lens, with black paint finish and red and white aperture scales. Red scale applies when the included center spot filter is in place, for a more dramatic soft focus effect. When working without the center spot filter, the white aperture scale is used.
- Meticulously crafted to the highest quality standards, with a primary focus on high-grade materials and durability.
- Made in Germany, with a delivery scope that includes: metal lens hood, center spot glass filter with metal rim, metal lens cap and a hard leather case in vintage brown color – similar to the original.
Leica has provided a
variety of images which show the lens’ soft-focus properties.
With an almost painterly
rendering achieved entirely in-camera, the Thambar creates images like no other
lens in Leica’s current lineup. I imagine this lens could add a unique twist to
a wide variety of subject matter, especially when paired with live view on a
camera like the M10 or SL, which would allow for precise control over the
focusing effect. Although this could be a fun lens on the TL2 as well, where it
would become a 135mm f/2.2!
The lens is priced at
$6,495. Leica StoreMiami is accepting orders, either by calling 305-921-4433, emailing us or clicking
the link below:
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