40mm Summicron ad M9

[pebbles]

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Is it possible to use the 40mm Summicron on the M9 and if so what frame comes up in the viewfinder ?

[Gregm61]

^{Here's an article posted several year ago by someone who filed down a portion of the mount to "trick" an M6 into bringing up the 35mm frame line rather than the 50mm frame line, so it sounds like the 50mm frame is what you will get based on the default setup on the mount.}

 

^{http://photo.net/leica-rangefinders-forum/00CcwG}

 

^{I've never used one of the Leica CL lenses on my M bodies, so no idea how well they work.}

[exile]

I have the Minolta CLE version of the 40'cron. I filed down the flange (easy and quick job, only neeeds a few mm) and replaced the focus tab with a spare for a 35'cron ASPH. I don't feel bad about doing this (I have breathed new live into an old lens sat on the shelf) and I don't care about resale value because I will NEVER sell it.

The lens now focuses quickly with a single finger and brings up the 35mm frame lines, which on an M9 are surprisingly accurate for 40mm - I've never lost a shot through too tight framing.

As a general comment, I've found 40mm to be a LOT more versatile focal length than either 35 or 50mm, but that may be a personal preference thing.

I can't talk about the 40cron, but my 40/2 gives superb images from f/2.8 and narrower aperture. It's optically very well corrected because very sharp in focus but not with the smoothest bokeh behind. Also one of the smallest lenses you can buy, so perfect for travel and hiking. If you are looking for a bargain high performance "user" lens, you won't have any regrets at all.

Stu

[Rus]

Like Stu I do also find the 40mm a very versatile FL, and that plus the fact that the Cron 40 is so compact, makes it an excellent go-around lens. I use it on my M9 a lot.

 

IQ-wise I find it more than satisfactory for the majority of the time, and especially with a good hood. Erwin Puts places it between the cron 35 type III and type IV. I've no experience with either of those 35 crons, so i can't verify that. But there must be plenty on this forum who can judge that. 

 

I have also filed the bayonet mount to bring up the 35mm frame line. And the common experience that the M9's 35mm frame line works better for the Cron 40 seems very true to me too. And by contrast, my 35mm FLE quite often seems to me to deliver images that are wider than the M9's 35mm frame line indicates. (P.S. For the 35mm FLE I actually find the KMZ universal viewfinder works very well). 

[Gregm61]

Any 35mm lens, Summicron or otherwise, should produce wider images at normal to longer distances than the M9 frame lines indicates. That's the way it was set up. Should be close to accurate at 1 meter and wider beyond. The manual visually demonstrates that. All of my lenses do, be it 35mm, 75mm, 50mm or any other. That an image captured with a 40mm lens "fits" into the frame is further indication.

 

The newer M262 is calibrated at 2 meters instead of 1, and shows much more accurate framing for all lenses at 7-10 feet and less "extra" beyond that. For the most accurate framing with a 40mm lens, you'll want to stay with an M9.

[exile]

Regarding the M9 frame lines, just wanted to confirm the above. Whilst the 40mm works great on the M9, I also have a 35'lux ASPH which frequently captures wider images than I frame.

Interestingly, I do not notice the "wide" framing so much with my 50mm and 90mm lenses as I do with the 35. I think that is because the wider coverage of the 35mm forces me to get closer to the subject and pulls me into the less accurate focus zone of the M9 (no criticism of the M9, every rangefinder has this limitation Nearer or further away).

Stu

[friedeye]

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I have a very similar experience to Stu.  My 40mm is the Voigtlander Nokton -- and I find it my favorite day-to-day lens. Compact, fast, and, with a filed flange, fits the M9 35mm lines perfectly.  I also have a 35 Lux, and also feel that it shoots wider than the frame lines. A 40 for me seems to be perfect.

[ehecatl]

Just saw this thread. Starting to participate in the forum again after being gone a long time.

 

The 40mm Summicron-C is my primary lens on my M9. I also have the Voigtlander Nokton 50 mm f1.1, but I find it a bit big and cumbersome for an every day carry. So the 40mm it is then.

I've had the lens since 2003, when I briefly owned a CL. I've never done any modification to the lens, and after years of using it on my M7, an Epson RD-1, and now my M9, I've learned to estimate what will be in the resulting photo. And in those instances when I'm wrong, cropping in Lightroom has always done the job.

For my everyday lens, I quite like it, and it works great with the M9. Enjoy!

 

-Santiago

[MarkP]

The 2.0/40 Summicron-C is a lovely lens on the M9.  I have not modified the lens.  It doesn't take long to learn the 'virtual' 40mm framelines. 

[AceVentura1986]

Like Stu I do also find the 40mm a very versatile FL, and that plus the fact that the Cron 40 is so compact, makes it an excellent go-around lens. I use it on my M9 a lot.

 

IQ-wise I find it more than satisfactory for the majority of the time, and especially with a good hood. Erwin Puts places it between the cron 35 type III and type IV. I've no experience with either of those 35 crons, so i can't verify that. But there must be plenty on this forum who can judge that. 

 

I have also filed the bayonet mount to bring up the 35mm frame line. And the common experience that the M9's 35mm frame line works better for the Cron 40 seems very true to me too. And by contrast, my 35mm FLE quite often seems to me to deliver images that are wider than the M9's 35mm frame line indicates. (P.S. For the 35mm FLE I actually find the KMZ universal viewfinder works very well).

 

If I understand this, the M9 35mm framelines work better at infinity than with a a 40mm than with a 35mm. How loose is an M9 at close focus?

[uhoh7]

L1056671 by unoh7, 40/2 Cl M9 WO

 

Here full CF with very slight straighten in post:

L1056675-3 by unoh7, WO

 

now in landscape mode:

Light on the Burn by unoh7, f/8

 

It's like the TE90 thin. Some compromise to bigger lenses WO, but at f/8 it is strong. Another secret is the 28, which is better than elmarit v3. I don't have that one though, these all M-Rokkor 40/2 (Identical formula-40.5 filter)

 

L1053249 by unoh7, on Flickr

 

L1053136 by unoh7, on Flickr

 

Focus NP. This is "cheapest" version M-rokkor CL 115 grams all shots on M9.

 

DSC09784 by unoh7, on Flickr

 

I really wasn't using it a bunch, but somebody wanted to know, it was better than I thought It is usable on stock Sony A7, better than any other small M this wide. But, not like this. M9 loves the thing.