40mm Summicron V's 35 Summicron

[Fotomiguel]

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And it's available for around £250!

 

Graeme

Where????

Thanks in advance!!!!!!!!!!

[Fotomiguel]

I use a Summicron-C 40 f2 Leitz Wetzlar Made in Germany w/a UV/IR filter that manages to stay on. It is usually my "normal" lens when I bike around with one body.

I enjoy it even more after discovering that if you over-rotate it on mounting (as with the tele-elmar 135 where over-rotation brings up the 90 mm frameline) it brings up the 35 mm. framelines, which approximate it's field of view closely.

If you don't over-rotate it on mounting, the 50 mm frameline comes up, which is far less desirable and detracts from the set-up.

All this on M8 bodies, no upgrades.

Sorry, but how do you over-rotate a lens? Should this happen with just old lenses?

Cheers

[Anguish]

My bad. I should have outlined the complete procedure. It has been discussed elsewhere with regard to the 135 mm but was not on this thread. So here goes.

 

When mounting the lens, insert it as per usual and rotate it until the lock clicks. Then, press in the lens lock release button as if to remove the lens. But instead of unmounting the lens counter clockwise, continue turning it in the clockwise direction.

 

With the lock button depressed, the lens will rotate a couple of degrees farther in the clockwise direction and come to a stop. During this final rotation, the 35 mm frameline will come up. You will be able to watch the manual frameline selector lever on the front of the camera move to the 35 mm frameline position, although this position is not marked anywhere on the camera.

 

Release the lens lock button. The lens will remain in place. You can rotate it back, counterclockwise, to the point the lock button will snap in place. If you do this, the 50 mm frameline will reappear. To remove the lens, regardless of where you have positioned it, follow the normal procedure of first pressing in the lens lock release button.

 

According to the smart chap who figured this out for the 135 and the 90 mm frameline (another thread) the over-rotation with that lens does no damage to the camera. I assume the same with this operation, but have not done any probing and inspecting to ensure as much - perhaps a shortcoming on my part.

 

Let me know if I am off base.

Angus

[Anguish]

Correction,

Over rotation will bring up the 28 and 90 mm framelines.

The 35 mm frameline is exhibited when the lens is inserted and before it is rotated into the lock position, at which point the 50 mm frameline comes up.

Sorry for the confusion.

[luigi bertolotti]

Correction,

Over rotation will bring up the 28 and 90 mm framelines.

The 35 mm frameline is exhibited when the lens is inserted and before it is rotated into the lock position, at which point the 50 mm frameline comes up.

Sorry for the confusion.

 

If I remember well there had been a thread about how to file Cron 40 bayonet to bring 35mm frame on M8.

 

Anyway I keep my opinion that 35 Summicron asph is better... btw, I've just SOLD my CL-40-90 set... hard decision but wished to "soften" the acquisition of a new lens...

[johnloumiles]

Sorry didn't see this was in M8 section, moving it to lens section.

[marcelgladbach]

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Another thing to consider is how small the 40mm cron is. I always had problems with my big hands (my second finger showed up approximately every fifth frame). Thats why i sold the lens, but i was a great performer. But if you have small to normal hands is definitely a good choice (Just consider the price difference).

I currently own a 35mm ASPH Cron, and it's size fits me much better (Especially with the hood on).

 

Greetings from Austria,

Marcel

[Rus]

Have been using the cron 40 for over a year, on Sony A7, Leica M8 and M9. Haven't found it particularly wanting in any aspect. Sure it'd be even more of a versatile lens had it been a f1.4, but if one can feel happy with the cron 35 then a cron 40 will basically give you all you need~

 

The bokeh from this lens does vary..depending on subject distance and background..of course. 

 

Here are some shots from this lens:

 

DSC03011 - by YB M

 

L1002738 by YB M

 

Into the summer by YB M

 

L1002740 by YB M

[Guest]

...

 

On the M8 the Summicron 2.0-40mm loses much of its short construction by an adapter to attach the necessary UV / IR filter for color photography.

Then the original lens hood made of rubber can no longer be attached and must be replaced by a larger lens hood made of plastic or metal.

Therefore I prefer on the M8 a Summicron 2.0-35mm.

[lct]

 

On the M8 the Summicron 2.0-40mm loses much of its short construction by an adapter to attach the necessary UV / IR filter for color photography.

Then the original lens hood made of rubber can no longer be attached and must be replaced by a larger lens hood made of plastic or metal. [...]

 

Not necessarily. See my little DIY here: http://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/33548-uvir-filter-for-leica-summicron-c-40mm/page-2?do=findComment&comment=881442

One can also screw an E39 UV/IR filter into the lens and the hood into the filter. Just don't screw the filter too tight as it has not the same thread pitch as that of the lens (0.75mm for C lenses vs 0.5mm for E39 filters). 

[Guest]

Not necessarily. See my little DIY here: http://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/33548-uvir-filter-for-leica-summicron-c-40mm/page-2?do=findComment&comment=881442

One can also screw an E39 UV/IR filter into the lens and the hood into the filter. Just don't screw the filter too tight as it has not the same thread pitch as that of the lens (0.75mm for C lenses vs 0.5mm for E39 filters). 

 

Really a good guide for artisanal skillful people.

However, if you still need more filters, the peculiar filter size for the Summicron-C 2.0-40mm becomes awkward to handle, why I will would not buy one again.

And on a just a little screwed E39 filter nobody better should additionally screw in a lens hood.

If at least the lens hood 12504 with its inside series-7 filter would have been fitted in front of the Summicron-C 2.0-40mm, I would have kept it.

[lct]

[...] And on a just a little screwed E39 filter nobody better should additionally screw in a lens hood. [...]

 

Works fine for me. I do the same on my 90/4 macro. No problem at all. Only issue with the 40/2 is the thread pitch of the lens as mentioned above.

 

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[james.liam]

I must ask this, as I've never used the 40.

 

Whilst I understand the interesting FOV from the 40mm perspective and its tiny form factor, what I recall reading in E. Puts essay long ago on this optic, was that it isn't "all that" and one must make due with the guesswork of the frame line issue.

 

Why all this interest? Most 35's from Zeiss, Leica and Voigtländer are superior by any metric. If it's the size, the ZM 2,8/35 and CV 2,5/35 are but marginally larger. 

[Rus]

I must ask this, as I've never used the 40.

 

Whilst I understand the interesting FOV from the 40mm perspective and its tiny form factor, what I recall reading in E. Puts essay long ago on this optic, was that it isn't "all that" and one must make due with the guesswork of the frame line issue.

 

Why all this interest? Most 35's from Zeiss, Leica and Voigtländer are superior by any metric. If it's the size, the ZM 2,8/35 and CV 2,5/35 are but marginally larger. 

I think also the bang for the bucks

[a911s]

I think also the bang for the bucks

Yes, the 40mm is a great value for its performance. I had this lens and a 35mm Summicron at one time. Sold the 40 and kept the 35. 

[Rus]

Indeed..the 40mm is a good value lens. Combines relatively fast speed, small size, reasonable sharpness, and versatile focal length for both FF and APSH sensors (not too bad on ASPC size sensor as well, I think). True, there are optically better choices from Zeiss, Leica, and Voigtlander...but those that are F2 or faster are way more expensive..and those of comparable price to the cron 40/minolta 40 are slower lenses. Hence the Cron 40 "cult"..i guess.. 

[jmahto]

40 summicron-c is sharp across the frame on M240 when stopped down to f/8. I can share DNG if someone want to pixel peep.

 

I avoid f/2 since it is soft but I am ok with f/2.8 onwards. The bokeh is ok. Nothing to get exciting about but not bad.

 

Do not have any experience with 35.

[lct]

The Summicron-C 40/2 is sharp at f/2 in the center of the frame, but soft in borders and corners. In that, it is neither better nor worse than the more expensive Summicron 35/2 pre-asph v4. At f/2.8 and on, both are more or less on par but the 40/2 has no significant focus shift, which is not the case of the 35/2 v4 at f/4 - f/5.6. The latter's focus shift is not terrible but neither is that of the 35/1.4 asph pre-FLE. Flare wise, the 40/2 is close to the 35/2 v4. In both cases distortion is low and CA rather high at f/2 and f/2.8. All in all i don't sense significant differences in the rendering of these nice tiny lenses whose bokeh is softer than that of the CV 35/2.5 and contrast lower than that of the ZM 35/2.8. Adding the fact that 35mm framelines of M (except M8.2 and M240, no idea about MMs) and R-D1 bodies fit almost perfectly the 40mm FoV at medium to long distance, one can understand why the Summicron-C 40/2 is praised that much.

[james.liam]

I think also the bang for the bucks

Not so much anymore. Priced seem close to US$500 these days. 

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[jmahto]

Not so much anymore. Priced seem close to US$500 these days.

Then let us start saying how horrible 40 is, and price will come down. Let it be our little secret.