the name game – a Leitz ‘Xenon’ with a Taylor-Hobson Patent number
Toronto. Shortly after the Leica was first marketed, Leitz standardized the lens-to-film distance and offered a group of interchangeable lenses suitable for any camera. To compete with the Johnny-cum-lately CONTAX by the mighty Zeiss factories, Leitz looked to others to complement their line of lenses. It looked to Schneider for a fast f/1.5 50mm lens.
The Xenon was offered from 1936. Marked Leitz, it used the Schneider Xenon name. In all, a bit over 6,000 were made including around 165 or so in 1936. Exported lenses were marked with the Taylor-Hobson patents (some British and US; other US only).
In 1949, a few years after WW2 ended, A redesign of the lens was named Summarit and the Schneider designation of Xenon was dropped. About 65,000 lenses of this newer design were made (including the bayonet mount version of nearly 40,000) until it was discontinued after 1969.
Come out to Sunday’s auction – you may get the 1936 Xenon lens (in beautiful condition) for your own collection!
