Dust long having settled on the carcass of the industry, it seems in hindsight that Leica treated the production of domestic slide projectors more seriously than the Zeiss / Zett / Voigtlander combine. Leica’s catalogue of projector lenses represents the acme of the craft, matched by none for breadth and few for depth: for image quality, only Rollei and Braun’s finest lenses compare.
Leitz projectors date to at least 1933, when the catalogue shows four models, including a Standard projector (UKLON), onto which was fitted the four-element Elmar 50/3.5 (commonly marked 5cm) taking/enlarging lens. The UBELA and UDANO projectors had a film magazine and semi-automatic transport and was capable of deplying the stock Elmar 5cm, or 90/4, 105/6.3 and 135/4.5 variants, as well as the Hektor 73/1.9. Finally, UKABY was supplied with fixed 80mm or 120mm lenses.
By 1939, Leitz had a compact model in the range: initially called Gnom, but renamed in the 1940s to Parvo. These models had fixed Hektor 80/2.5 or 100/2.8 lenses. Parvo evolved into Parvo II and by the early 1950s, the Prado range.
Before singling out individual lenses for comment, we can draw from Delta’s archive the following summary:
| Pre-1950 Leitz lenses for VIII, etc | Cat. No. | Elements | Date |
| 5cm for VIIIa | 1932-1936 | ||
| 50mm Milar / Epis | 1934-1937 | ||
| 73mm for VIIIa | 1932-1936 | ||
| 80mm Milar / Epis | 1934-1937 | ||
| 80mm (black version) | 1926-1932 | ||
| 8cm Milar for VIIIb | 1932-1936 | ||
| 80mm (chrome version for Umino) | 1935-1938 | ||
| 85mm | Various | ||
| 90mm for VIIIa | 1932-1936 | ||
| 85/2.5 Hektor for VIIIa (2nd Gen) | 1937-1951 | ||
| 100/2.5 Hektor for VIIIa (2nd Gen) | 1937-1951 | ||
| 135mm for VIIIa | 1932-1936 | ||
| 12cm Dimax for VIIIb | 1932-1936 | ||
| 20cm Dimax for VIIIk/m | 1935-1936 | ||
| 25cm Dimax for VIIIk/m | 1935-1936 | ||
| Pre-Colorplan Leitz Prado 100/150/250/500 Lenses | |||
| 8.5cm / f2.5 Hektor for Prado 150 | DUUYO | 1957-1967 | |
| 10cm / f2.8 Dimaron for Parvo II / Prado 250 | UDOYO | 1950-1968 | |
| 100mm Dimaron for Prado S/SM | 1956-1960 | ||
| 10cm / f2.8 Hektor for Parvo II / Prado 250 | UDREU | 1950-1968 | |
| 10cm / f2.8 Dimaron for Prado 150 | DUUXA | 1957-1967 | |
| 120/2.5 Hektor | 1956-1960? | ||
| 150mm Hektor for Parvo II / Prado 250 [31540 S] | FOWUU | 1950-1968 | |
| 150/2.5 Hektor for Prado 66 | YHRUU | c.1956-1968 | |
| 150/2.8 Dimaron for Prado 66 | YACUU | c.1956-1968 | |
| 200/4 Dimar [31560 W] | FEUUG | 1954-1968 | |
| 200/2.5 Hektor (4 / 3) | FUUZC? | 1954-1968 | |
| 300/2.8 Hektor | 1954-1968 | ||
| Leitz Pradovit-Era lenses (1958-1982) | |||
| 35/2.8 Elmaron | 37 041 | c.1969-1982 | |
| 45/2.8 Elmaron for Pradovit Color 110 | 37 007 | c.1974-1976 | |
| 50/2.5 Colorplan for Pradovit Color 110 | 37 006 | c.1974-1976 | |
| 50/2.8 Elmar for Pradix | 1964 | ||
| 50/2.8 for Pradolux | 1964 | ||
| 50/2.8 Elmarit-P for 150, 1500, 2500 Series | 37 011 | c.1981 | |
| 50/2.8 Elmaron for Pradovit RA150, etc | 37 008 | 1974-1979 | |
| 60/2.8 Elmaron for 1500, 2500 Series (not 150) | 37 004 | 1979-1981 | |
| 85/2.8 Elmaron for Pradix | 1964 | ||
| 85/2.8 Elmaron for 150, 1500, 2500 Series | 37 003 | 1979-1986 | |
| 90/2.5 Colorplan for Pradovit F [V1 Chrome Barrel] | FEDUU | 5 / 4 | 1958-1967 |
| 90/2.5 Colorplan [V2 Chrome barrel/black nose] | 37 005 37 010? | 6 / 4 | 1967-1982 |
| 90/2.5 Colorplan CF [Chrome barrel / black nose] | 37 015 | c.1981 | |
| 100/2.5 Hektor for Prado 500 | 1964 | ||
| 100/2.8 Elmaron for Pradix / Prado 150 | 1964 | ||
| 100/2.8 for Pradolux | 1964 | ||
| 100/2.8 Elmarit for Pradovit FA (perhaps also Elmarit 90/150) | 1964 | ||
| 120/2.8 Elmaron [-P?] for Pradovit RA150, etc [V1 Chrome] | 37 019 | 1971-1979 | |
| 120/2.8 Elmaron for RT-300, 150, 1500 and 2500 [V2 chrome/black] | 37 022 | 1980-1987 | |
| 120/2.8 Elmaron CF for RT300 | 37 012 | 1980- | |
| 120/2.8 Elmarit-P CF for Pradovit/Pradolux (4/4) | 37 012 | 1980- | |
| 150/2.8 Elmarit-P CF for Pradovit 150, 1500, 2500 and Pradolux (4/4) | 37 013 | c.1980-1981 | |
| 150/2.8 Elmaron-P CF for RT300 | 37 013 | ||
| 150/2.8 Elmaron for 1500, 2500 (in 1979 – same as -P? or revised?) | 37 030 | 1979-1981 | |
| 150/2.8 Elmaron [-P?] (announced for RT300 in 1980) | 37 030? | 1980 | |
| 150/3.2 for Pradolux | 1964 | ||
| 150/3.2 Elmaron for Prado Universal, 150, R15-, RT300 | 37 031 | 1968-1984 | |
| 200/3.6 Elmaron (announced for RT300 in 1980) and 1500, 2500 | 37 062 | 1980-1981 | |
| 250/2.8 Hektor for Prado 500 Auditorium | 1964 | ||
| 250/4 Elmaron for 1500, 2500 Series | 37 082 | 1979-1981 | |
| 300/2.8 Hektor | |||
| 300/4.3 Epnor | 34 837 | 1979-1981 | |
| 80-125 Leitz-France Cadrovit (aperture undeclared) | 6 / 6 | ||
| Leitz / Leica P-Series Lenses (for Kindermann-Produced Projectors) Pradovit R/ RA 152, 153/253, C/ CA 2502, Color 2 | 1982-1990 | ||
| 35/2.8 Elmaron | 37 041 | 1969-1987 | |
| 50/2.8 Elmaron | 37 051 | ||
| 50/2.8 Elmarit-P | 37 011 | 1987 | |
| 60/2.8 Elmaron | 37 004 | 1987 | |
| 60/2.8 Leica PC-Elmarit-P | |||
| 85/2.8 Leica Elmaron | 37 003 | 1986-1987 | |
| 90/2.5 Leitz Colorplan (Chrome) | 37 005 | 1982-1986 | |
| 90/2.5 Leica Colorplan-P | 37 005 37 010 | 1986-1990 | |
| 90/2.5 Leitz Colorplan-P CF | 37 015 | 1982-1990 | |
| 90/2.8 Leica PC-Elmarit-P | 37 509 | ||
| 100/2.8 Elmaron | 37 002 | ||
| 120/2.8 Elmaron [V1 Chrome] | 37 019 | ||
| 120/2.8 Elmaron [-P?] [V2 Black] | 37 022 | 1987 | |
| 120/2.8 Leitz Elmarit-P CF | 37 012 | -1986 | |
| 120/2.8 Leica Elmarit-P CF | 37 012 | 1986- | |
| 120/2.5 Hektor | 37 020 | 4 / 3 | |
| 150/2.8 Elmaron | 37 030 | ||
| 110-200/3.5 Leitz Vario-Elmaron-P | 37 027 | 1982-1986 | |
| 110-200/3.5 Leica Vario-Elmaron-P | 37 027 | 1986-1987 | |
| 150/2.8 Leitz Elmarit-P CF | 37 013 | -1986 | |
| 150/2.8 Leica Elmarit-P CF | 37 013 | 1986-1989 | |
| 150/2.8 Leitz Elmarit-P | 37 017 | -1986 | |
| 150/2.8 Leica Elmarit-P | 37 017 | 1986- | |
| 60-110/3.5 Leitz Vario-Elmaron-P | 37 026 | 1982-1986 | |
| 60-110/3.5 Leica Vario-Elmaron-P | 37 026 | 1986-1990 | |
| 200/3.4 Leica Elmaron [-P] | 37 009 | 1987 | |
| 200/3.6 Leitz Elmaron | 37 062 | -1986 | |
| 250/4 Leica Elmaron | 37 082 | 1987 | |
| 300/4.3 Leica Epnor | 34 837 | 1986-1987 | |
| Leica P-Series Lenses Made in Portugal | |||
| 90/2.5 Colorplan-P CF (Curved Field) | 37 015? | 1986- | |
| Leitz Colorplan CF 90/2.5 marked Leitz Wetzlar | 37 015 | 1982-1986 | |
| Leitz Colorplan 90/2.5 marked ‘Made by Leitz Portugal’ | |||
| Leica P2-Mount Lenses (Zett Factory Produced) for Pradovit P150, P155, P255, P300 (1990), P2002 | 1990-2008 | ||
| Pradovit 600 (P2-Series) | 1995-2006 | ||
| Pradovit IR (P2-Series) | 2002-2008 | ||
| Pradovit PC (P2-Series) | 2003-2008 | ||
| 60/2.8 Elmarit-P2 | 37 510 | ||
| 85/2.8 Hektor-P2 | 37 511 | 1990-2008 | |
| 90/2.5 Colorplan-P2 | 37 512 | 1990-2008 | |
| 90/2.5 Colorplan-P2 CF | 37 513 | 1990-2008 | |
| 90/2.5 Leica Super Colorplan-P (for P2002) | 37 085 | 5 / 4 | 1993-2000 |
| 90/2.5 Super-Colorplan-P2 | 37 514 | 5 / 4 | 1993-2008 |
| 120/2.8 Elmarit-P2 (2003) (Elmaron misprint in 1995?) | 37 515 | 1990-2006 | |
| 150/2.8 Elmarit-P2 | 37 516 | 1990-2006 | |
| 70-120/2.8 Vario-Elmarit-P2 | 37 518 | 1990-2006 | |
| 200/3.4 Elmaron-P2 | 37 520 | 1990-2006 | |
| 250/4 Elmaron-P2 | 37 521 | ||
| 100-200/2.5 Vario-Elmaron-P2 | 37 522 | ||
| 100-200/3.5 Vario Elmaron-P2 | 37 524 | ||
| 85-150/4 | |||
| Leica Pro Mount Lenses (52.5mm diameter) for Kodak-produced Pradovit RT-m, RT-s. Made in Portugal. | 1998-2004 | ||
| 35/2.8 Elmarit-Pro | 37 352 | 1998-2004 | |
| 45/2.8 Elmarit-Pro | 37 353 | 1998-2004 | |
| 60/2.8 PC-Elmarit-Pro | 37 361 | 1998-2004 | |
| 90/2.8 PC-Elmarit-Pro | 37 362 | 1998-2004 | |
| 90/2.5 Colorplan Pro | 37 354 | 1998-2004 | |
| 90/2.5 Super-Colorplan Pro | 37 355 | 5 / 4 | 1998-2004 |
| 120/2.8 Elmarit-Pro (all new design) | 37 356 | 1998-2004 | |
| 150/2.8 Elmarit-Pro (all new design) | 37 357 | 1998-2004 | |
| 200/3.4 Elmaron-Pro | 37 358 | 5 / 4 | 1998-2004 |
| 70-120/2.8 Vario-Elmarit-Pro | 37 363 | 1998-2004 | |
| 100-300 Vario-Elmaron-Pro | 37 360 | 1998-2004 |
Pradolux cheaper range from 1962-1970 with plastic barrel lenses.
All single focal length Pro lenses have 67mm front filter.
Super-Colorplan and 120 Elmarit absent from May 1987 catalogue
Elmarit and Elmaron [TBA]
The Colorplan Story
Leica’s Colorplan slide projector optics are, quite properly, the best-known and most highly regarded lenses of their kind. While other products may match their performance (Rollei’s AV-Apogons, Braun’s Ultralits and Schneider’s Xenotars are certainly in the running for ultimate honours), nothing matches the heritage of the Colorplan, originally designed by Walter Mandler in 1958/9. Given how well our 1960 test sample performed in 2022, it must have been a revolution – its complex design a shark among triplet minnows in the early Sixties.
They are also marked out by offering an unusually high level of performance at an affordable price. Leica made them well and sold a lot of them, for a long time – resulting in a potentially daunting number of variants – uniformly 90mm and f2.5 – swilling around in today’s marketplace, commonly divorced from the projectors that once housed them.
Its history is somewhat tarnished (among collectors at least) by the Portuguese period. Marco Cavina’s article documents a series of cost- and weight-cutting measures undertaken by Leitz in the early 1980s to lower production costs to the point where most Leitz projectors could ship with a Colorplan lens: ‘Made in Portugal’ models are almost 60g lighter and generally inferior in construction, which only impacts on performance (given identical optics) by making them more prone to internal reflection. Given the global cachet of ‘Made in Germany’, it’s somewhat mystifying that Leica chose to advertise the provenance of these lenses so prominently. The company’s mastery of optics evidently didn’t always apply in the marketing sense.
However, when Leitz restructured and rebranded in 1986, the German-made P-Series Colorplans, now marked Leica Colorplan-P (instead of Leitz Colorplan) were made using the same ‘cost-efficient’ parts as the Portugal models. In fact, subsequent production was split ‘silently’ between Solms and XX (Portugal), and standards improved at the remote facility to the point where the distinction between German and Portuguese lenses became meaningless.
Purists still argue that peak Colorplan (mechanically, at least) was the ‘Leitz Wetzlar’ production of 1977-1981. Optically, though, the later six-element lenses were slightly superior. As taking lenses, both are fine: the early five-element models are actually sharper in the frame centre, but the late six-element version is better in the outer image circle.
Here we explain the when, what and why of Leica’s Colorplan models – or Leitz Colorplan as they were known pre-1986 . . .
Leitz Colorplan [V1] (1958-1967) [Cat. FEDUU]
All-metal silver barrel. Five elements / Four groups. Single-coated. Made in Germany.
Leitz Colorplan [V2a] (1967-1973) [Cat 37 005]
Silver metal barrel; black nose. Six elements / Four groups. Made in Germany.
Leitz Colorplan CF [V2a] (1967-1973) [Cat 37 015]
Silver metal barrel; black nose. Six elements / Four groups. Made in Germany (marked Leitz Wetzlar). Curved Field.
Leitz Colorplan [V2b] (1973-1986) [Cat 37 005]
Silver metal barrel; black nose. Six elements / Four groups. Made in Portugal.
Leitz Colorplan CF [V2b] (1973-1986) [Cat 37 015]
Silver metal barrel; black nose. Six elements / Four groups. Made in Portugal. Curved Field.
Leica Colorplan-P (1986-1990) [Cat 37 005]
Silver metal barrel; black nose. Six elements / Four groups. Made in Portugal.
Leica Colorplan-P2 (1990-2006) [Cat 37 512]
Black plastic barrel. Six elements / Four groups. Made in Portugal. Some CF (Curved Field)
Leica Colorplan-Pro (1998-2006) [Cat. 37 354]
Black metal barrel. Six elements / Four groups. For Pradovit RT Series
Leica Super-Colorplan
Super-Colorplans are products of the Leica era, not arriving until 1993 and apparently simultaneously launched in P and P2 mounts – the former only fitted to the Pradovit P2002 and the latter initially provided as a factory option for the Pradovit P300, although it naturally became an option for all subsequent P2 series models. They were hugely more expensive and feature aspheric glass and state-of-the-art multicoating. Mount aside, all versions appear to be identical optically – although it’s possible the final Pro models had improved coatings to match their all-metal construction.
Leica Super-Colorplan-P for Pradovit P2002 (1993-2000) [Cat. 37 085]
Black metal barrel. Five elements / Four groups. Multicoated.
Leica Super-Colorplan-P2 for Pradovit P300 / P600 (1993-2008) [Cat 37 514]
Black metal barrel. Five elements / Four groups. Multicoated.
Leica Super-Colorplan Pro (1998-2008) [37 355]
Black metal barrel. Five elements / Four groups. Multicoated.