40mm on the M - what am I not getting?

[david strachan]

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Always good to see that amazing image again. Hope you've sent it to Andy for the charity book.

 

Cheers...

[Ecar]

I've had mine for 5+ years now and at the time it was around the same price as the 40 Summicron so I assume it's a case of the Summicron being undervalued now.  

 

There are some well-known Japanese dealers who will doubtless offer the Rollei boxed up at a premium price but that's to be expected from them  From time to time I've noticed reasonable prices for it on RFF so it's probably one of those lenses that you'd need to casually keep an eye on the market for and after a while one will turn up at a price that suits.

 

Pete.

 

Yes. That's what I did. Bought mine 2 years ago, but had been looking for a while...

 

I didn't see a price drop of the 40/2 Summicron since I sometimes check availability and pricing - they go for about $400 depending on condition. This hasn't changed since 2014 I believe. I briefly checked on the 40/2.8 Sonnar - cheapest I found is for > $800 and one other for over $1K. Likely they can go for less as you pointed out. 

 

FWIW, mine was slightly north of 600$. Mint.

 

I can only really say that I've been very happy with the Rollei, which is nicely sharp wide open with pleasantly smooth out of focus areas with well-controlled vignetting towards the edges.  As is to be expected, stopping down increases sharpness and reduces vignetting but by f/5.6 the performance of most lenses is comparable.  I've included a picture taken with the Rollei 40/2.8 Sonnar HFT on my M10 as an example and I think it was at f/4 and ISO 400.

 

Pete.

 

The Baby in the Bubble.jpg

 

Also, the Rollei is a joy to use (more so IMO than the Summicron or the Rokkor) and can produce typical Sonnar images. However, Pete's picture is an unfair illustration of the lens capabilities. May I suggest the photographer played a bigger part than the lens in the end result?

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[Ko.Fe.]

Minolta Rokkor-M CLE 40 f2 bokeh:

 

 

It is 400$ lens and so is Nokton 40 1.4. But Summicron 40 f2 price went up.

Edited February 22, 2018 by Ko.Fe.

[Martin B]

Minolta Rokkor-M CLE 40 f2 bokeh:

 

 

It is 400$ lens and so is Nokton 40 1.4. But Summicron 40 f2 price went up.

 

Really nice shot with beautiful background blur! My earlier point is in regard to the circular bokeh which you see in the lower left of your photo at the white chairs. I personally don't like the ring effect, but I am aware that others like the lens just for this. 

[farnz]

... However, Pete's picture is an unfair illustration of the lens capabilities. May I suggest the photographer played a bigger part than the lens in the end result?

Ecar, thank you but I think you're far too kind.

 

Pete.

[farnz]

Always good to see that amazing image again. Hope you've sent it to Andy for the charity book.

 

Cheers...

 

Thank you, David, just as soon as I get my a into g.

 

Pete

[Abram]

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I actually really love the 40-45mm focal length.... on an SLR. It is just perfect to look at the world through I find. I wish I could feel the same about it on a rangefinder, but I struggle with it not having the frame lines, I know... I know. 

 

Some of my favorite 40-45s have been the Vogitlander 40mm Ultron, the Nikon 45mm f/2.8P and the Pentax 43mm f/1.9. 

[Alberti]

I got the 40mm when I had the M8: a 50mm perspective with the crop, like would be expected on a CL.

I like the angle.

I use the 40mm Rokkor for colour work (in words, it has a slightly higher contrast). I like the size/weight. But I am a bit set back by the very tight framing on the M240.

On the M10 the framelines are again more M8-like, I heard, what I would appreciate for the 40mm as it would increase useability.

Edited February 25, 2018 by Alberti

[Alberti]

I looked again at my 40mm files, and can say one thing: great quality (super sharp details) and found one with an emphasised bokeh.

 

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At a metro station. The ring is very suble in my opinion.

Compare that with the competition (like VC). Many lenses have an exaggerated ring, because this design detail (flaw to me) is the only way for them to still get sharpness (sharpness being their goal). The same for older 1.5 Summarits etc.

 

So what you are not getting with the two Leica-based 40mms: swirls. And the Sonnar design might be better still in this aspect.

Edited February 26, 2018 by Alberti

[jmahto]

Used 40 summicron-C on M240 over the weekend hike in rain, hail and snow.

 

This is why I love this lens.

https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/282450-hunt-for-snow-in-san-francisco-bay-area/?p=3474766

[mustafasoleiman]

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Just got one from a fellow forum member (thank you Marc) and took a couple of pictures before the sun set.
 
On the M10 it is definitely closer to the 35mm frames but I will leave it to bring up the 50mm and just use the lever to check how far more it covers if I need the extra room... Perfect for when you love the 50 and adore the 35 and cannot decide if you are a 50 or 35mm man.

 

AdiM

 

durini.com

Edited March 6, 2018 by mustafasoleiman

[lct]

[...] 40mm lenses work fine with classical framelines, i.e. set to be accurate at 0.7m or 1m (unlike 2m with M8.2, M240 or M10), because they fit well 35mm framelines at long to medium distance, better so than 35mm lenses themselves to my view. The flange of the lens can be filed easily to bring up 35mm framelines if needed. [...]

 

Interesting focal length on the CL as well in that it allows to shoot both eyes open more easily than with 50 or 35mm lenses.

[mustafasoleiman]

As I got this mainly for the small size I am planning not to use the lens shade... any idea on what I could use to protect the front lens?

Not a filter or anything that thick (or I might as well keep the shade and the clip on cap)

Something like the cap that clips onto the lens shade would be ideal, very thin and sturdy... is there anything like that?

 

Thanks

 

Alex

Durini.com

[lct]

[...] (or I might as well keep the shade and the clip on cap) [...]

 

Sure both rubber hood (12518) and hood cap (14191) are the thinnest available, and the lens is not flare free.

 

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[Herr Barnack]

You do realize that theres best 50mm and best 35mm videos, too ? From the exact same guy. This is all very tongue in cheek.

 

 

Kai is barking mad. 

 

Everyone knows full well that 35mm, 40mm and 50mm lenses are useless on an M camera.  37.5mm is the only focal length that's fit to use!

[LichtUndDunkelheit]

Some of my favorite 40-45s have been the Vogitlander 40mm Ultron, the Nikon 45mm f/2.8P and the Pentax 43mm f/1.9. 

 

Welll ... those are all very different lenses.

 

The Nikon 45/2.8 is a 4 elements in 3 groups Zeiss Tessar (1), not really sharp until f/8.

 

The Voigtländer Ultron 40mm f2 SL is a modern lens - 6 elements in 5 groups, 1 aspherical.

 

The Pentax is something in the middle - 7 elements in 6 groups, but its kind of very soft at the borders

 

 

 

(1): Due to the relatively small number of just six air to glas surfaces, the Tessar was very popular lens design before the invention of lens coating. It was so extremely important to Zeiss that the Zeiss logo was for a long time that of the double element group of the Tessar - apparently its sometimes even used today. Once lens coating was invented though everybody quickly switched to the much sharper Planar and Sonnar designs instead.

 

German link about that: https://www.zeiss.de/corporate/geschichte/firmengeschichte/das-zeiss-logo.html - Even people who cant speak german can still see the many Zeiss logos formed of the backside double lens element group of the Tessar.

Edited March 7, 2018 by LichtUndDunkelheit

[lct]

[...] The Nikon 45/2.8 is a 4 elements in 3 groups Zeiss Tessar (1), not really sharp until f/8. [...]

[...] Due to the relatively small number of just six air to glas surfaces, the Tessar was very popular lens design before the invention of lens coating. It was so extremely important to Zeiss that the Zeiss logo was for a long time that of the double element group of the Tessar - apparently its sometimes even used today. Once lens coating was invented though everybody quickly switched to the much sharper Planar and Sonnar designs instead. [...]

 

My Nikon 45/2.8 is sharp at all the apertures, on APS-C cameras at least. It is one of my favorite lenses but i'm in love with the Tessar design so i'm not impartial . BTW the Elmar-M 50/2.8 is a Tessar design as well and is at least as sharp as the Nikon, both with little flare and smooth bokeh, other features of Tessar lenses since 1902 or so AFAIK. 

Edited March 7, 2018 by lct

[Ickx]

I bought a Leica-Minolta CL with the Rokkor 40mm about a year ago but never really used it. I got it for about $200 from the store as the light meter was broken. Never really used it but thanks to this thread I gave it a shot. I usually have my 35 most of the time but I have to say I'm starting to enjoy the 40. Using the 50 lines work fine with me, most of the time I shoot while walking anyway so there is little time to frame with full control anyway. 

 

Here is a sample picture from yesterday

 

Calling home by Joakim Bomanson, on Flickr 

[Ecar]

 

The Pentax is something in the middle - 7 elements in 6 groups, but its kind of very soft at the borders

 

 

...  and suffers from significant focus shift (at least my copy does) ...

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[jmahto]

What am I not getting about 40mm Summicron-C? How can I get pictures like this!

 

Picture from last weekend on M240. Shot at f2.8 to create some sort of isolation.

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Edited March 9, 2018 by jmahto