Have a CL on the way - need lens suggestions >>

I used a lot of CL, about 5 CLs, always selling them and then regretting and then buying again. The lens that seemed to stick are:

a. Summicron-c 40mm. This complements the CL very nicely as it is very compact. The images are sharp enough.

b. Canon 50/f1.9. I used this as it collapses into the CL fine.

Recently, I used the Canon 35/f3.5 and dropped the CL on the hard pavement. The rangefinder window cracked. I have replaced it with a simple glass but the incident patch is gone.

Not to give up on the CL, I bought from a fellow RFF a nice Voigtlander 15mm/f4.5. I am awaiting the delivery. On the CL, because of the tremendous depth of field, it focuses from 2m to infinity. Below 2m, I will use Scale focusing.

cheers!

raytoei
 
KEH has them infrequently for <$500. Matter of fact there's one there now for $415 if it hasn't already sold.

I also have 2 CL's. both with shot meters, 1 is Leica Minolta, the other is Leitz CL.

I was able to purchase a 40 'cron via the ads here - it was offered with a body but I made an offer for just the lens for less than $300 - this was more than a year ago so prices may have escalated now.

You might also want to consider a 50mm lens - there are often 50 'crons offered here for less than $300. I purchased a collapsible 50 'cron here for less than $300. On my 2 CL's it doesn't impinge on the meter arm.

Another lens to consider is a 28mm. I purchased a CV 28 Skopar w the intent of using the whole VF as a frameline. Have yet to process a roll - 1st roll was damaged (actuallly exposed) as I rewound the film and it apparently didn't rewind and therefore got exposed when I opened the back. So... I can't really tell you how well it (or rather me) frames the shots.

My opinion - The CL's spirit is its compactness (isn't that what the "C" stands for?) - look for a compact lens. The 40 'cron/rokkor, the CV 28/3.5, and collapsible 50 'cron in my opinion meets this spirit. I also have an Industar collapsible 50 which doesn't appear to hit the meter when collapsed. Although somewhat pricy, the 35mm Perar Triplet IMO would be an awesome compact setup with the CL - albeit one would have to guess with regards to framing. I'm curious how it fits on a CL - anyone care to send one to me?
 
I bought the rokkor and have been blown away by many of the portrait shots (160NC, XP2), almost to the point of selling my Hasselblad. I haven't used the other 40mm lenses, but I'm sure they'll be fine. I've not yet felt the need for an extra stop from the lens -- f/2 is difficult enough to work with already in terms of focus accuracy, also considering the short rangefinder base length of the CL.

I also picked up a 28mm m-hexanon, although don't use it as much because it's not as compact & recommend sticking with compact lenses for this camera.
 
Found a Rokkor 40 mm for the camera at a good price, but won't have it for a month, but I can wait.

Thanks for the suggestions

DON
 
From a practical standpoint, the Rokkor is arguably a better choice than the Summicron, because the Rokkor has a filter thread that takes generic filters and hoods. The Summicron's filter thread is used only on Venus. And optical quality aside, I'm certain you'll be impressed by how that body-lens package goes together.
 
Congrats on getting the Rokkor. I agree that a negative is the filter thread on the Cron-C but, with some work you can find a decent range of filters. I'd love to have known what was on the Leica engineer's mind when he spec'd the thread.
 
Brian Levy said:
...with some work you can find a decent range of filters.
Click to expand...

There's always plenty of time to hunt for filters and other such gewgaws when one owns a CL. I mean, what else is one to do while the wretched things are being repaired?

I'd love to have known what was on the Leica engineer's mind when he spec'd the thread.
Click to expand...

Xylene fumes, probably.

Ahem. To be a bit more useful to the original poster, here's a CL wrist strap suggestion. Optex WSTRAPN, neoprene wrist strap. Ten bucks. Frankened a bit.

CLwithSummilux7.jpg


Note the split rings. Do NOT simply loop a digital camera cord through those aluminium strap-lugs. If you do, the camera will head for the nearest tile floor three days before you're due to leave on vacation. Don't ask me how I know this.

But, yeah. That strap, and with the forty on the camera, you can go all day without getting sick of carrying it. (With that monstrous, solid uranium Summilux in the picture...not so much.)
 
Biggles, the camera is not as unreliable as some would lead one to believe. No, it is not an anvil M camera but easily as rugged as most of what it competes against in the market at the time and later. Yes, if you bang it around, the top and bottom will dent or mark up as will almost any camera. Yes, if you try to chip concrete, teh rangefinder can go out of alignment or disassemble but, so will most cameras. Mine was gone through a couple of decades ago as the meter was a little jumpy so I sent it to Leica for a go through. Sinced then, it has been as reliable and more so than other cameras I have. The meter was just checked as I put in a CHRIS adaptor and it was bang spot on with 3 other meters I have. The film takeup is the early style plastic but even before I knew these tend to age and get brittle I learned to thread it according to directions and treat it with care. The love to dice the meter attitude I do not ujnderstand as most mechanical meters tend to have issues after about 10 - 20 years, usually ue to the pivot lube soldifying. I've seem it happen to MANY vintage audio tuners and receivers and these do not usually get exposed to various environments.

If you wait for it to break before looking for the filters, you may find you have to wait many years.

I find it so interesting that the CL may be one of the Leicas produced in the most numbers and reportedly killed off because it was too successful at the cost of the arger M body but, sems today to be the butt of jokes, ill will, derision and condemnation. For me, it killed the desire for an M body as the models felt too large after getting used to the CL and thinking about what the goal of Barnack was in developing the original system.

Sorry for the rant but, I think it is a great camera, just what Leica engineered it for, cost put where it counts and a perfect camera for carrying around as a daily shooter without fear of attracting the attention of the ublic or in certain countries, the authorities.
 
Of course I agree they're great cameras. I've had five of them. Still have two.

They're both at Kindermann for surgery at the moment.
 
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