CLE Lens Compatibility List/Questions

m.sids

m.sids

Mike Sideris
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Feb 20, 2018
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Greetings CLE folks. I've recently sold my C/V Color Skopar 35mm f/3.5 while my CLE is off for CLA (a CLE off for a CLA heh) in favor of either a 40 or 28 to match the frame lines. I am leaning more towards a 40 right now but I do enjoy my 28 on my X-700.

I am keeping price in mind and hunting on the usual places but I haven't come across a lens compatibility list and that is really what I am after here. I have heard that some lenses can have an interference with the light meter when focused towards infinity. Does anyone know if there is a known-compatibility list out there that I haven't run into yet?

For reference the lenses that I have considered are:

40mm
M-Rokkor 40mm f/2 ~$350-450 used
Nokton 40mm f/1.4 ~$350-450 used

28mm
M-Rokkor 28mm f/2.8 ~$300-400 used
7Artisans 28mm f1.4 ~$300-460 used

I know the Rokkors/Nokton are compatible so the questionable option here is the 7Artisans. If I am missing something in that price range that I should look into please throw it in a comment. I am early into my research and these are just the ones that have popped up in my price range.

Thanks,
-Mike
 
Thank you splitimageview. I was referring to physical interference between the rear lens element and the meter cell housing.

This is described HERE under the heading 'Most Leica M lenses work fine on the CL and CLE, the main exceptions being'
 
Have had several CLEs over the years, never have seen any 40 that has a rear element that reaches deep into the shutter chamber.

Never saw any problems with any collapsibles either, from early 30s era onward...

Some lenses don’t make much sense on the CLE, as indicated on your link, for various reasons, one not being mentioned is viewfinder blockage.

The first version of the Elmarit 28 wont work with the M5 or CL but I’m not sure if the rear element conflicts with the meter cell on the CLE.
 
Thats is encouraging news! Can you recall which lenses you have used? If someone comes across this in the future it might be helpful to have some record of what other users have confirmed as compatible.
 
m.sids said:
For reference the lenses that I have considered are:

40mm
M-Rokkor 40mm f/2 ~$350-450 used
Nokton 40mm f/1.4 ~$350-450 used

28mm
M-Rokkor 28mm f/2.8 ~$300-400 used
7Artisans 28mm f1.4 ~$300-460 used

I know the Rokkors/Nokton are compatible so the questionable option here is the 7Artisans. If I am missing something in that price range that I should look into please throw it in a comment. I am early into my research and these are just the ones that have popped up in my price range.

Thanks,
-Mike
Click to expand...


Isn't the 7A 28 1.4 very large? When I had my CLE, there were quite a few big lenses that I could not focus as they blocked one of the RF windows. So you would not see the focus aid/split image.

I have used the Leica 28 2.8 Asph, and the CV 28 3.5 LTM (with M adapter of course) on my CLEs. Both are excellent.
 
Page 6 of the Leica CL instruction manual says:-


"When using lenses from the LEICA M system, note the information leaflet No 120-50."


A copy of the leaflet (as a pdf) used to be available but I've done a search and can't find it. If anyone has one, then perhaps we could stop this question recurring.


Regards, David
 
David Hughes said:
Page 6 of the Leica CL instruction manual says:-


"When using lenses from the LEICA M system, note the information leaflet No 120-50."


A copy of the leaflet (as a pdf) used to be available but I've done a search and can't find it. If anyone has one, then perhaps we could stop this question recurring.


Regards, David
Click to expand...

Wrong kamera

;)
 
Huss said:
Isn't the 7A 28 1.4 very large? When I had my CLE, there were quite a few big lenses that I could not focus as they blocked one of the RF windows. So you would not see the focus aid/split image.

I have used the Leica 28 2.8 Asph, and the CV 28 3.5 LTM (with M adapter of course) on my CLEs. Both are excellent.
Click to expand...

That is an excellent point. It is pretty large. I think I will rule that lens out. It would be so unfortunate to buy a lens just to have it block the RF window...
 
CharlesDAMorgan said:
By coincidence was reading the Ken Rockwell review (yes I know) and he mentions 35/1.4 Summilux-M and 35/2 Summicron-M as maybe having issues.
Click to expand...

Yes I had just read that. He also reviewed the 40mm f/1.4 Nocton as being comparable to the 40mm f/2 Summicron but criticised it for being more expensive which is no longer the case. I may just pick up one of those.
 
The Minolta CLE's viewfinder framelines are different from the Leica M's.

With 50 mm and 75 mm M lenses, the CLE will show the 40 mm frame lines.
With 35 mm and 135 mm M lenses, the CLE will show the 28 mm frame lines.
With 28 mm and 90 mm M lenses, the CLE will show the 90 mm frame lines.

Vice versa, the M-Rokkor 28 mm will activate the 35/135 mm frame lines on M cameras.
 
m.sids said:
Yes I had just read that. He also reviewed the 40mm f/1.4 Nocton as being comparable to the 40mm f/2 Summicron but criticised it for being more expensive which is no longer the case. I may just pick up one of those.
Click to expand...

I had zero issues with the 40 1.4 and 40 f2. What's really nice about the 1.4 is you get a really fast lens in a tiny package.

The CLE does not work with the new 40 1.2, 7A 50 1.1, CV 50 1.1, CV 35 1.2 and I do not remember if the 50 1.4 lux asph and ZM 50 1.5 also blocked the RF window.

But the bottom line is the CLE is tiny, and is completely off balance with big lenses anyway.
 
I use the Voigtlander 40/1.2 on my CLE a lot. If you don't use the hood, there is no blockage of the rangefinder window. I can't recall if the viewfinder was significantly blocked, but I doubt it or I would have noticed. I've lent it away at the moment or I'd check.
I recommend this lens on the CLE for sure. It's heavy but short, so doesn't feel odd on the camera. Its only downside is there's barrel distortion if you take photos of straight lines, as I do from time to time (buildings, orthogonally).
 
When I had a CLe, I had zero problems with it with any of the lenses that owned. So to add to your list

40mm f2 summicron
28mm f2.8 vers 2
 
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