Contax T/Leica CL any experience with these...

[Anand]

There is an Leica CL (looks WELL used) with the standar 40 mm at my lokal camera store for about 640 dollars. Any idea about the prices of this camera? Performance?
I would like to be able to use different kind of lenses but as far as I understand the CL only can use 3-4 different lenses. So may-be Bessa R is a better option.

A friend of mine has a Contax T that has a crack in the wiev-finder glas on the (not a big problem..) inside and a minor bump on the left upper side. Any idea of price? (if it works OK)

I allready have a Konica S3 and a Hexar AF that are performing well. Does anybody have experiences with severall of these cameras. Picture quality etc.. I guess that the Contax T will be very similar to the Hexar AF and the S3 (fixed lenses)


Greatings AN

 

[phototone]

The Leica CL can use the bulk of all lenses ever made for Leica mount, either "M" mount, or LTM with an "M" mount adapter. The ONLY exceptions are certain wideangle lenses that have a protrusion back into the camera that would hit the swing-away meter cell. These lenses would be the Leica "M" mount Super Angulons, the Jupiter 12 LTM 35mm, and perhaps some of the Elmar and Summicron collapsable 50mm lens, but this would be if you wanted to collapse them, they will work just fine in shooting position. Put a piece of tape around barrel to keep them from collapsing fully.

The Leica CL is a "True" M-mount camera, but it has a shorter rangefinder base than the con-current M5 did, so focusing with 90mm and 135mm lenses will be less precise.

The Leica CL has built-in frame lines for 40, 50 and 90mm. Some people claim that you can use the whole field of view-outside the frame lines to approximate the 35mm lens.

It will accept accessory viewfinders that mount in the hot-shoe on top for other focal length lenses.

The Leica CL and/or the Lietz/Minolta CL are very fine little cameras.

 

[Andrew Touchon]

I purchased my CL new in 1975 and it has served me well for 30 years. The only maintenance it required was one CLA and repair of a sticking frame counter. However, If I were buying a similar in price camera today, I would opt for the Bessa R3A with the 40mm F1.4 lens. The CL is a 30 year old camera with much less capability than the R3A and the CL is very expensive to repair. The R3A has the advantage of a longer base lenght, a more accurate shutter with speeds up to1/2000 sec., exposure lock, exposure copeensation and manual shutter speed options.

 

[RML]

I bought my CL less than a year ago. It is now my favourite traveling camera. Last October I went to Mongolia once again and brought my Bessa R, my Leica M2 and my Leitz Minolta CL. In Ulaanbaatar I shot with both the R and the CL. On a week long trip to Beijing I only brought the CL and it served me well (see my gallery).

The CL is small and compact. It is lightweight without being flimsy. It can handle all but a few M-mount and LTM-mount lenses. It has an accurate light meter. Changing film is easy as pie. The VF is bright and, though the CL has a very short RF base, focuses accurately.

I use my R most of the time because I have my wonderful Jupiter-8 50/2 lens on it. I use the CL with my CV 25/4 lens, though on trips I'll bring the Minolta Rokkor-M 40/2 as well. That lens is fantastic.

I can't choose between my R and my CL. They complement each other beautifully.

 

[mtokue]

I used to own a CL but I sold it to a friend just over a year ago....I've regretted it eversince!!
IF the CL in the shop is mechanically sound BUY IT! great Camera.
Plus if you wanted to use wides on the CL there is a company overhere in Japan that will for about $200 customise your CL so that it can take all lenses. My friend had it done and basically my old CL now has a Super Angulon as its main lens.
Great compact setup!
Mike

 

[Sonnar Brian]

I had a Contax T and sold it off. I found the front "trap-door" got in the way of focussing. The lens is very sharp, better than the Konica S3 and most other fixed-lens RF's.

I now have a CL, and like it very much. $640 with lens seems a little high for one that is "well-used". The lens is very sharp and the camera is convenient to use.

A CLA/Standard repair will run $120 at Essex.

Summicron 40mm F2 Folder:

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/showgallery.php/cat/749

 

[Roman]

A question to all the CL users - I just got mine in the mail today, looks/feels very nice; don't have a lens for it yet (ordered LTM-> M-adapters, maybe a friend will loan me his 40mm Rokkor from his CLE for testing the camera) - is it normal that you can see both the 40 and 50mm framelines without a lens mounted?

Roman

 

[Sonnar Brian]

Yes, the two sets of lines stay up. The 40mm lens engages the 50mm framelines. With the 90mm lens on it, the 50 lines go a way and the 90mm framelines come up. The 40mm lines are always there. The Leica M3 is the same way, with the 50mm lines always being visible even if you have a 90mm or 135mm lens mounted.

I would have preferred that the 40mm lens be notched to engage the 35mm framelines on the M series cameras, but I suspect that the designers figured the framelines should not show more than what is included on film.

 

[Roman]

Thanks, Brian!

Roman

 

[Anand]

Thanks for answering!

Greatings AN