Canon 28mm 3.5 lens. Should I see the blades wide open?

[gregarpp]

I just got my M28/90mm adapter in the mail.
I have been playing with this tiny 28mm on a camera now.

I notice when the lens is wide open I can see the edges of the blades.
Is this normal for this lens? Or do I have a problem.

Anyone have a Canon 28mm/3.5 in LTM to look at?

[saxshooter]

I've got a Canon 28mm/2.8 LTM and I can see the lens blades from the front wide open. Edges. I see then with my latest Leica 28mm 2.8 Elmarit M also.

[gregarpp]

Cool... What are your thoughts of the canon lens?
I know mine is different, but they should be close?

[VictorM.]

Just the tiniest bit of each blade shows on mine-there seems to be some sort of mask that hides the rest of them.

[gregarpp]

Is yours the 28mm/3.5 version also?

[VictorM.]

Yes-an earlier Serenar.

[gregarpp]

Is the lens decent?
I was thinking of getting a newer CV lens.. but figure I would try this one out, since it looks like new and the glass is perfect.

Mine has a blue coating.. I suppose this is normal

[VictorM.]

It's OK until it's stopped down a bit when it gets a lot better. Here's a quick snap of the front of mine-the aperture blades can be seen 'shining'-just visible:

[gregarpp]

Mine does not say Serenar on it...

Maybe mine is older..

Will the serial number tell me anything?

[gregarpp]

it does say EP on the bottom of the lens barrel
Near the infinity lock.

[gregarpp]

See this auction.

7599111222

This is the same type of lens I have... except mine has a lower serial number...

this is NOT my auction.. I just ran across it.

[VictorM.]

The Serenar lenses are older versions.

[harry01562]

Originally Posted by gregarpp

Mine does not say Serenar on it...

Maybe mine is older..

Will the serial number tell me anything?

The Serenar came before the later lenses that are just marked Canon. Check Peter Kitchingman's site for a lot of detail onthis and all the rest of the Canon lenses. The last Canon lens is one of the black/chrome type, later and much larger. The Serenar is a 34mm front, the Canon is 40mm. The small Canon was produced after this, but before the new mount, with bigger glass, but no design change. Details also available on the Canon Museum site, which does have some less than accurate information here and there. I believe it's corrected when it's found, and it does have other interesting features.

Canon used different series of numbers, rather than the Leica system. That makes tracking age by the numbers a guessing game. Yours is one of the newer lenses, but they both shared the same design. The 2.8 was the last, and again was one of the newest, larger lenses.

The earlier 3.5 is VERY compact, and is ideal on one of the Barnack style cameras. I use mine on everything from a Canon IV-Sb2 to a P, and a Leica IIIa and IIIf. Makes them all pocket size. The P is most convenient, because the finder is built-in.... and the back opens. It took Leica years to learn about that (please, no rock throwing, you Leica owners know that is true).

Harry