RELEASED IN 1956, THE MICRO-NIKKOR 50MM F3.5 IS A MILESTONE IN OPTICAL PRECISION. DESIGNED DURING THE GOLDEN AGE OF THE LEICA L39 SCREW MOUNT, THIS LENS WAS ENGINEERED SPECIFICALLY FOR MICRO-REPRODUCTION, OFFERING UNPARALLELED RESOLUTION AT THE TIME. THIS PARTICULAR VERSION WAS PRODUCED IN LIMITED QUANTITIES FOR LEICA L39 MOUNT. THE EARLY PRODUCTION UNITS FEATURE THE DISTINCTIVE RED "C" ON THE NAME RING, WHILE LATER UNITS REMOVED THIS MARKING. THE CHARACTERISTIC BRASSING ON THE FOCUSING RING AND THE SHARP ENGRAVINGS REFLECT A MECHANICAL ERA WHERE PHOTOGRAPHY MET SCIENTIFIC EXACTNESS.