Re: A question about CL lenses.

[wilcox@umcc.umcc.umich.edu (Ken Wilcox)]

Although Leica does not recommend it, many users report that the CL lenses
work fine on their M bodies. Try yours, especially wide open and see what
you think. It will not harm the body or lens if it doesn't work. It will
just fail to focus properly.

kw

>A question about CL lenses.
>
>Hello,
>
>I am new to this list but not to leicas. I have had an M3 and an R4 in the
>past and currently have a Leitz-Minolta CL I purchased new in 1978 and an
>M6 I recently purchased (love those "rebates").  While purchasing the M6 I
>inquired about the use of the two CL Rokkors (the 40/2 and 90/4) on the M6.
>The advice I got was that Leica does not endorse using the CL lenses on an
>M camera. I accepted this advice and did not think much of it until
>"surfing" the "net" and finding a very detailed description of the CL and
>the CLE (http://cameraquest.com/classics.htm).  That description documents
>the life span of the Leica CL (1973-76) and mentions that when the CLE came
>out (1980?), the two Rokkors were revised for the CLE rangefinder and were
>then fully compatible with the M camera focus cam/rangefinder.
>
>(from the CLE page: "What are the difference between Minolta CL and CLE
>Lenses? The CLE lenses are multi-coated, the CL lenses are not. The CLE
>lenses have traditional Leitz parallel focusing cams, the CL 40/2 and 90/4
>lenses have very angular focusing cams. The CLE lenses have the filter size
>of 40.5 on the filter ring, the CL lenses do not. ")
>
>My L-M CL was purchased brand new in late 1978 (a college graduation
>present to myself-it only cost my older Canon F1 and three canon lenses in
>a direct trade).  It came with the 40 mm f/2 made in Japan Rokkor.  A month
>later I bought (again new) the made in Germany 90 f/4 Rokkor.  Both the
>camera and the lens came in boxes that reflected the style of all Minolta
>camera boxes at the time (1978-1979).  Both lenses have a 40.5 mm filter
>ring.
>
>Could it be that Minolta changed the lenses to the CLE style prior to the
>CLE's introduction a year later? Do I have lenses that would fully work
>with the M body?  Any tips on my identifying the focusing cams on the CL
>lenses (I do have a new 50 mm f/2 Summicron purchased with the M6).  Any
>information in general on the CL lenses would be helpful.  Thanks.
>
>Robert Ardinger
>
>Robert H. Ardinger, Jr., M.D.

- ----
Ken Wilcox                                Carolyn's Personal Touch Portraits
LHSA, MEA, LAW                         preferred---> <wilcox@umcc.umich.edu>
                                              <kwilcox@genesee.freenet.org>