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M-Rokkor 40/2
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PostPosted: Thu Oct 31, 2013 6:05 am    Post subject: M-Rokkor 40/2 Reply with quote

122 grams designed for small RF:


Made from 1973 to 1976, smallest lightest M mount RF ever made.
Next link a must read if you have any interest in M history, since this camera may have actually killed the contemporary M, selling 85,000 copies, and may have been discontinued for that reason.
http://www.cameraquest.com/leicacl.htm
here the Leitz version:

and the multi-coated "QF" late and last release:

Mine, one of three versions, shown at top, showed up today:




and the bokeh test:

peep:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/55299472@N07/sets/72157637139696725/
shot on nex 5n
for 350usd, it's a damn nice piece of Leica--errr Leitz glass---to my eyes anyway Smile
I believe this is the smallest, lightest 35mm f/2 lens of any FL ever made for normal use.
hope to use as normal on Sony A7r
samples shot right out of the package--later cleaned a fair smudge of rear element, so it may be better yet Wink

The untimely death of the Leica CL may be the "lesson" which prevents the release of a Mirrorless M w/o RF with M240 sensor, something that could sell easily for around 3500usd. Today Leica worries about the "tiny bodies" and M lenses, but apparently no problem in 1975 Wink


You can find the CL sporting nearly every LTM/M lens ever made if you do a little search Smile
The original Nex, eh? I think I want one...


PostPosted: Thu Oct 31, 2013 7:10 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Very nice lens, wanted one when I had my nex.

P.S.
I can see comments incomming "my hexanon 40/1.8 has similar performance at a fraction of the price" and such...


PostPosted: Thu Oct 31, 2013 7:16 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I had it on my EPSON RD-1 a while ago, a very decent performer it was!
Also has the similar Leitz Summicron-C (they are NOT identical btw.)

I also had the M-Rokkor 2.8/28mm (very good!) and the 4/90mm.

Last edited by kds315* on Thu Oct 31, 2013 9:15 am; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Thu Oct 31, 2013 10:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
kds315* wrote:
Also has the similar Leitz Summicron-C (they are NOT identical btw.)


Isn't the CL version, like the one in the top photo, same as the 'cron?


PostPosted: Thu Oct 31, 2013 11:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
i had the cron and loved it, both on film and digital. had both the cl and cle, and id rather have the cle. its still very compact but has added framelines and i believe different/better metering.

i think my (just sold) nikkor 35/2.5 was smaller, but heavier. my canon 28/3.5 may have been smaller too. i tell ya you get this rokkor, a canon 28, the cv 21 and 75/2.5 and youve got a 4 lens rig you can pretty well fit in your pocket!
tony


PostPosted: Thu Oct 31, 2013 4:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
tao wrote:
kds315* wrote:
Also has the similar Leitz Summicron-C (they are NOT identical btw.)


Isn't the CL version, like the one in the top photo, same as the 'cron?


Formulas are identical. Smile

Coatings vary between the three, with the QF being most modern MC.

I'm thinking the crons were made in germany, but I might be wrong on that.

I'm pretty sure many more crons were made.

I think the minolta markings are kinda cool, you can fool your Lphobic budddies, hehe Smile

rbelyell wrote:
i had the cron and loved it, both on film and digital. had both the cl and cle, and id rather have the cle. its still very compact but has added framelines and i believe different/better metering.

i think my (just sold) nikkor 35/2.5 was smaller, but heavier. my canon 28/3.5 may have been smaller too. i tell ya you get this rokkor, a canon 28, the cv 21 and 75/2.5 and youve got a 4 lens rig you can pretty well fit in your pocket!
tony


Did you get accurate focus past say 50 or so? the RF is so narrow, some claim can't focus well with longer lenses.

As Gandy notes, the original "kit" was the 40 and a 90/4.

In the 80s I did alot of traveling--backbacking in SA, Asia etc. My FTb was so friggin heavy it went home. I wish I'd known about the CLE Sad


PostPosted: Thu Oct 31, 2013 11:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Halloween Samples with a now very clean m-rokkor 40/2




oof rendering is gorgeous, as far as I'm concerned Smile

M-Rokkor 40/2 all. Straight out of camera mostly Smile

peep:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/55299472@N07/sets/72157637171972166/


PostPosted: Thu Oct 31, 2013 11:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I used the 90 and the cv 75 and it was hit and miss. The cle has 28 framelines too and is less 'skitish' than the cl.


PostPosted: Sat Nov 02, 2013 3:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
RTI wrote:
Very nice lens, wanted one when I had my nex.

P.S.
I can see comments incomming "my hexanon 40/1.8 has similar performance at a fraction of the price" and such...


BTW I had Summicron and Hexanon. The 40 Summicron blowed the Hexanon 40 away at all apertures, Summicron has much better build quality, precise RF-oupling and is smaller. Very Happy Wide open it even beats the modern Voigtländer 40/1.4 stopped down to F2.
The Summicron 40mm works best on B/W film imho - it produced the most crispy 35mm negatives I've had in my own hands.
I sold mine because I didn't like the bokeh and especially focal lengh - on crop it's not normal and not tele and on FF it's not wide angle and not normal.

Does anyone here ever made a comparision between Summicron 40/2 and the Minolta 40/2

Last edited by ForenSeil on Sat Nov 02, 2013 5:27 pm; edited 2 times in total


PostPosted: Sat Nov 02, 2013 3:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote


The other really incredible 40 M

@forenseil

Funny, to my eye the Boca is excellent: see skeletons shots above.

There are several threads at RF F and I camera, where the comparison between the summicron and the 2 Rokkors is discussed.

There are differing views, but the most credible say it is impossible to tell the difference.

More than a few claim these 40s are among the best leica glass ever made.

Handling on the 5n is outstanding.


PostPosted: Sat Nov 02, 2013 5:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
uhoh7 wrote:


The other really incredible 40 M

@forenseil

Funny, to my eye the Boca is excellent: see skeletons shots above.


Interesting, I didn't know that there's an Rollei RF 40/2.8 in Leica M
It's made by Cosina/Voigtländer with Rollei label I guess?

I think bokeh is matter of aperture, distance, highlights in background and especially taste.
Reminds me of RFF discusions about the bokeh of the Summicron-M 35/2 series (King of Bokeh and so on), in most cases their bokeh is awesome, but sometimes hightlights look distracting, especially on close ups at wide apertures.
Same with Contax G Planar 35/2
Bokeh in your sample sceleton on swing pic from the Minolta 40/2 works really good for me indeed, while the bokeh on the other sceleton pics are slightly ugly imho.

Here's a sample of the Cron 40/2 with bokeh I don't like. Shot wide open on APX100, Minolta CLE

The tonal range, crispiness, acutance, contrast, clarity... of the analog negatives delivered by this lens were really awesome. For B/W film it was even visibly better than my Contax G1


PostPosted: Sat Nov 02, 2013 11:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
wonderful shot there Smile

contax 45g truly has terrible boca, and the pen 42/1.2 can be pretty nasty too.

But even these, as you imply, in the right shot its fine.

Leaves are the most challenging, and sharp light streaming from behind makes it even tougher.

But boca like in your shot is not what I'd personally call "bad".


now, to me, that's bad Smile
pen f 42/1.2 on the same camera.

thanks for your great posts,
Charlie


PostPosted: Sun Nov 03, 2013 10:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thanks for the report! Very nice lens. I do not particularly like the bokeh, but otherwise very interesting.

And I would love to have that Rollei!! Shocked


PostPosted: Mon Nov 04, 2013 12:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
that rollei is supposed to be one of the best 40's ever. i have a version of it on my rollei sl126, an all metal 126 cartridge film camera, and it is truly awesome. i understand it was made by, and / or incorporates zeiss coating.


PostPosted: Mon Nov 04, 2013 4:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
rbelyell wrote:
that rollei is supposed to be one of the best 40's ever. i have a version of it on my rollei sl126, an all metal 126 cartridge film camera, and it is truly awesome. i understand it was made by, and / or incorporates zeiss coating.

Rollei HFT coating which is identical to the Zeiss T* coating.
40/2.8 lens itself was also designed produced by Zeiss in Germany according do Wikipedia.de

I don't know if it's identical to the old fixed 40/2.8 Rollei (which was already stellar) or only based on it's design with some tweaks like old Sonnar 50/1.5 and C-Sonnar 50/1.5 or Biogon 35/2.8 and C-Biogon 35/2.8 for example.


PostPosted: Mon Nov 04, 2013 4:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
The 40/2.8 was made in Germany by Rollei using cosina barrel. The optics is the same as the one in Rollei 35S. The coating is HFT which is supposed to be as good as T*. I believe it is the shortest focal length Sonnar. (There is also a CZJ Sonnar 40/2.8 in Pentaka mount which I do not know whether it actually is a Sonnar or not.)


PostPosted: Tue Nov 05, 2013 3:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
OK I have to stand corrected on the sometimes iffy bokeh:



40/2 on A7r

Vickko, at RFF points to the red collar.
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