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rbelyell
Joined: 13 Oct 2009 Posts: 4269 Location: somewhere in the mountains of central NY
Expire: 2014-01-31
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Posted: Tue Dec 06, 2011 8:44 pm Post subject: seriously considering leica cl/summicron 40/2 |
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rbelyell wrote:
ive been reading a lot about this combo and i really think i want it. i'm much more at home with a sharp 40 as opposed to the 'atmospheric' 50 i have now. i am very curious about two things:
1) members opinions of this combo, positive or negative.
2) if anyone knows someone who wants to trade theirs, i have a lot of high quality RF, slr and medium format equipment to offer.
thanks!
tony _________________ Epson RD1 + Elmarit 21/2.8; Summarit 50/1.5; Summarit 75/2.5; Elmar-c 90/4; Sankyo Komura 135/2.8, Hektor 135/4.5; Braun Paxina 29 6x6; Photax Boyer Paris; Holga 120 Pano
GREAT STUFF FOR SALE:
Contax T
Hasselblad XPan + 45/4, 90/4
Kodak Retina Reflex IV + full set of Schneider Krueznach lenses
Mercury 2 half frame 35mm
Kodak Pro slr/n
Fuji GM670+100/3.5+65/8!
Praktisix 6x6 medium format + ZeissBiometar 120/2.8
Bessa T 101 Anniversary Edition in Navy Blue
Mamiya Six Folder with Zuiko 75/3.5
Adaptall: Tamron SP 28-85 macro
Cameras: Canon IX
PM for more complete descriptions/pix. All in great shape!
_________________________
'buy me a drink, sing me a song,
take me as i come 'cause i can't stay long' |
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scsambrook
Joined: 29 Mar 2009 Posts: 2167 Location: Glasgow Scotland
Expire: 2011-11-18
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Posted: Tue Dec 06, 2011 10:54 pm Post subject: |
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scsambrook wrote:
The CL is a really nice camera which never quite caught the public's fancy when it was being made. That was shame, because in many ways it went back to the 1930s concept of the Leica - a small "take it anywhere and not notice it camera". I suppose the Leica fans were upset because it was made in Japan . . . but that didn't affect how it worked, which was pretty good.
Having been kind to it, the next thing to say is that it doesn't have the same feel as the smaller screw thread Leicas, or the bonus of the M viewfinder. Much depends on the size of your hand and thickness of your fingers, I suppose, when it comes to handling. And the viewfinder is fine if you don't also have an M camera.
The 40mm Summicron-C lens has now acquired a cult following that it never had when it was being made. That's not to say it isn't an excellent lens, just that modern enthusiasm seems to have elevated its status. By all accounts it's better than the old 8-element 35mm f2, but despite its seeming inferiority when you look at MTF curves, I always thought my 35mm made more pleasing Kodachromes. But digital is a different game, so maybe that doesn't mean too much now.
The Minolta CLE was, in my opinion, a far better working tool. It fitted the hand better, had a better viewfinder layout and the option of auto exposure control. I liked mine but persuaded myself I didn't need/want/love it enough and sold it to buy something else. The 40mm Minolta lens is the same design as the Summicron but, according to Erwin Puts, used different glasses. To my eyes, the results from both were the same. Maybe the CLE is a less safe buy because of its greater dependence on elelctronics from an era when they weren't as reliable as they are now.
Prices for the Leica CL body have gone up recently, the cost of the 40mm has skyrocketed, maybe because it works nicely on an M8 (=53mm), maybe because people have remembered that it actually exists.
If you're drawn to the idea, and if you can find one at a suitable price, I'd say go ahead and get it. Even if you find it doesn't live up to your hopes or expectations, you'll almost certainly be able to sell it on without losing money. You might even make a profit. _________________ Stephen
Equipment: Pentax DSLR for casual shooting, Lumix G1 and Fuji XE-1 for playing with old lenses, and Leica M8 because I still like the optical rangefinder system. |
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iangreenhalgh1
Joined: 18 Mar 2011 Posts: 15679
Expire: 2014-01-07
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Posted: Tue Dec 06, 2011 11:17 pm Post subject: |
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iangreenhalgh1 wrote:
There's the Minolta version of the 40/2 here for 399 euros:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Minolta-M-Rokkor-40-40mm-F-2-sunshade-and-both-caps-Leica-M-CL-CLE-/140656528600?pt=Obiettivi&hash=item20bfc84cd8#ht_6927wt_1396 _________________ I don't care who designed it, who made it or what country it comes from - I just enjoy using it! |
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rbelyell
Joined: 13 Oct 2009 Posts: 4269 Location: somewhere in the mountains of central NY
Expire: 2014-01-31
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Posted: Wed Dec 07, 2011 12:19 am Post subject: |
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rbelyell wrote:
stephan, thank you so much for your thoughts, they are very valuable to my decision making and are much appreciated!
ian, thanks so much. however i am now thinking i want to try to trade some of my gear for this combo as opposed to buying. i have some really valuable RF gear that this ombo would replace, plus ive got a lot of other top notch stuff, like zeiss lenses, fuji mf cam etc that i need to relinquish.
recently, instead of buying the x100 i really wanted, i ended up trading some gear with some ebay seller. i think i'd like to pursue that avenue first, so if you know anyone.... _________________ Epson RD1 + Elmarit 21/2.8; Summarit 50/1.5; Summarit 75/2.5; Elmar-c 90/4; Sankyo Komura 135/2.8, Hektor 135/4.5; Braun Paxina 29 6x6; Photax Boyer Paris; Holga 120 Pano
GREAT STUFF FOR SALE:
Contax T
Hasselblad XPan + 45/4, 90/4
Kodak Retina Reflex IV + full set of Schneider Krueznach lenses
Mercury 2 half frame 35mm
Kodak Pro slr/n
Fuji GM670+100/3.5+65/8!
Praktisix 6x6 medium format + ZeissBiometar 120/2.8
Bessa T 101 Anniversary Edition in Navy Blue
Mamiya Six Folder with Zuiko 75/3.5
Adaptall: Tamron SP 28-85 macro
Cameras: Canon IX
PM for more complete descriptions/pix. All in great shape!
_________________________
'buy me a drink, sing me a song,
take me as i come 'cause i can't stay long' |
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Attila
Joined: 24 Feb 2007 Posts: 57865 Location: Hungary
Expire: 2025-11-18
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Posted: Wed Dec 07, 2011 12:31 am Post subject: |
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Attila wrote:
A Sony NEX + a Jupiter-8 my tipp _________________ -------------------------------
Items on sale on Ebay
Sony NEX-7 Carl Zeiss Planar 85mm f1.4, Minolta MD 35mm f1.8, Konica 135mm f2.5, Minolta MD 50mm f1.2, Minolta MD 250mm f5.6, Carl Zeiss Sonnar 180mm f2.8
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