jimithing616
James B - MPLS, MN
So, I was perusing the ole list de la craig for my hometown of Minneapolis as I do regularly. You never know when a Leica M7 is going to get posted for sale by a widow for "best offer just want it gone" (yea right...)
And I see a Leitz Minolta CL with a 40mm M-Rokkor for sale for 400 bucks, rated in 8/10 condition. With the Meter WORKING and having had a CLA at some point in the recent past by a Local repair guy with a very good reputation.
I ended up talking the guy down to 350 as there was a little nick in the front left corner near the shutter speed dial, but other than that this CL is internally one of the cleanest I think you could ever find.
After getting it home I did some research on what to look for on a CL to determine its condition and literally everything came up 100% perfect. The mirror in the little rangefinder window is cleaner than my dinner plate when mom makes sloppy joes.
The meter is as accurate as my Gossen, the shutter speeds are tack on accurate (compared to 4 other camera's which I know are all perfect). The VF window is so clean its amazing (like 2 microscopic specks of dust), the RF patch is spot on accurate at infinity, and at 2 meters, measured with a measuring tape, it is also perfectly aligned vertically as well. The RF patch is pretty contrasty, although it does suffer from "white out" a bit when I look at a 100w bulb directly from 5 feet away, haha.
I would say its about 70% the contrast/clearness of my M4-p, and of course its smaller.. from what I have read this is about perfect for a CL, is that correct?
The meter has been adjusted to work with normal non-mercury batteries at the same time it and the rest of the camera were overhauled. Shutter speeds were made or confirmed to be 100% spot on too during CLA, basically he gave it the full professional CLA job top to bottom, the film advance is so silky smooth and the shutter has a great, strong, re-assuring click to it. Its just a great camera. And the meter.... it WORKS
The lens is also in great shape. The aperture blades look brand new, no discoloration, no fungus, no haze, no seperation AT ALL... infact there isn't even any dust... I have never seen a lens without dust... but there's none... I gotta ask him how he does it. My newest lens is the kit lens that came with my sony NEX and its like 3 months old, and it has dust... what the heck!
Anyway, the 40mm Rokkor is the CLE version with better coatings and the M style focusing cam, better construction or whatever, etc. Which makes it (according to an ebay search) the most valuable of the 40mm Rokkors. The front glass looks like it did the day it left the factory, because the guy I bought it from (original owner) had a B+W filter on it since day one, which he also included!! The focus is smoother than butter, and the aperture clicks are so nice...so so nice. The ONLY and I mean ONLY downside is that the barrel has a "brassing" look to it (only its not brass to my knowledge) so the paint is just fading a bit, no dings or scratches, only area is has this wear is the focus ring from being focussed. The lens was also CLA'ed at the same time.
Anyway, I was in the market for a 40mm Rokkor of this same condition, and I had JUST lost one on ebay, outbid at like 410 bucks, same shape, internally flawless, barrel showing a tiny bit of wear... which would have been a good deal at 410... I see them selling in the 500's all the time like this... and those aren't even the CLE versions!! so to get the lens, with the CL body, in the condition its in with a perfect meter... I think I scored big time! I love this camera!!
Oh, and besides the free b+w MRC filter ($50 value) he also threw in a brand new, basically never used Leica strap ($30 value), the one that comes with the M9's I believe. And 6 rolls of brand new in the box Ilfrod B&W film!!
Sorry that got really long, I am just excited. For those of you who know me, you know I am quite young, broke, working my butt off, and I love film photography... so to get a score like this was really really cool! I will enjoy it for many years to come!
Anyway, I was just hoping you guys could give me some pointers on the CL/40mm combo... things like quirks they have, neat factoids, history, your experiences, best film to use with the 40mm, your favorite shots with this combo if you have some! anything you can add about this camera I would love to know, I just got it yesterday and I am dying to get out and shoot it after work tonight! I have read 4-5 articles on it but I am sure there are other, more personal things you guys can tell me!
I would really appreciate it and thank you for reading my gloat/ramble!!
And I see a Leitz Minolta CL with a 40mm M-Rokkor for sale for 400 bucks, rated in 8/10 condition. With the Meter WORKING and having had a CLA at some point in the recent past by a Local repair guy with a very good reputation.
I ended up talking the guy down to 350 as there was a little nick in the front left corner near the shutter speed dial, but other than that this CL is internally one of the cleanest I think you could ever find.
After getting it home I did some research on what to look for on a CL to determine its condition and literally everything came up 100% perfect. The mirror in the little rangefinder window is cleaner than my dinner plate when mom makes sloppy joes.
The meter is as accurate as my Gossen, the shutter speeds are tack on accurate (compared to 4 other camera's which I know are all perfect). The VF window is so clean its amazing (like 2 microscopic specks of dust), the RF patch is spot on accurate at infinity, and at 2 meters, measured with a measuring tape, it is also perfectly aligned vertically as well. The RF patch is pretty contrasty, although it does suffer from "white out" a bit when I look at a 100w bulb directly from 5 feet away, haha.
I would say its about 70% the contrast/clearness of my M4-p, and of course its smaller.. from what I have read this is about perfect for a CL, is that correct?
The meter has been adjusted to work with normal non-mercury batteries at the same time it and the rest of the camera were overhauled. Shutter speeds were made or confirmed to be 100% spot on too during CLA, basically he gave it the full professional CLA job top to bottom, the film advance is so silky smooth and the shutter has a great, strong, re-assuring click to it. Its just a great camera. And the meter.... it WORKS
The lens is also in great shape. The aperture blades look brand new, no discoloration, no fungus, no haze, no seperation AT ALL... infact there isn't even any dust... I have never seen a lens without dust... but there's none... I gotta ask him how he does it. My newest lens is the kit lens that came with my sony NEX and its like 3 months old, and it has dust... what the heck!
Anyway, the 40mm Rokkor is the CLE version with better coatings and the M style focusing cam, better construction or whatever, etc. Which makes it (according to an ebay search) the most valuable of the 40mm Rokkors. The front glass looks like it did the day it left the factory, because the guy I bought it from (original owner) had a B+W filter on it since day one, which he also included!! The focus is smoother than butter, and the aperture clicks are so nice...so so nice. The ONLY and I mean ONLY downside is that the barrel has a "brassing" look to it (only its not brass to my knowledge) so the paint is just fading a bit, no dings or scratches, only area is has this wear is the focus ring from being focussed. The lens was also CLA'ed at the same time.
Anyway, I was in the market for a 40mm Rokkor of this same condition, and I had JUST lost one on ebay, outbid at like 410 bucks, same shape, internally flawless, barrel showing a tiny bit of wear... which would have been a good deal at 410... I see them selling in the 500's all the time like this... and those aren't even the CLE versions!! so to get the lens, with the CL body, in the condition its in with a perfect meter... I think I scored big time! I love this camera!!
Oh, and besides the free b+w MRC filter ($50 value) he also threw in a brand new, basically never used Leica strap ($30 value), the one that comes with the M9's I believe. And 6 rolls of brand new in the box Ilfrod B&W film!!
Sorry that got really long, I am just excited. For those of you who know me, you know I am quite young, broke, working my butt off, and I love film photography... so to get a score like this was really really cool! I will enjoy it for many years to come!
Anyway, I was just hoping you guys could give me some pointers on the CL/40mm combo... things like quirks they have, neat factoids, history, your experiences, best film to use with the 40mm, your favorite shots with this combo if you have some! anything you can add about this camera I would love to know, I just got it yesterday and I am dying to get out and shoot it after work tonight! I have read 4-5 articles on it but I am sure there are other, more personal things you guys can tell me!
I would really appreciate it and thank you for reading my gloat/ramble!!