More CLE lens advice

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Kerik

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I'm a soon-to-be owner of a CLE and it will be my first Leica mount camera. I'm coming from the world of huge view cameras (8x10 and 14x17) and more recently Hasselblad. So, long time in photography, new to these itty-bitty cameras. My CLE is coming w/the Minolta 40mm, but I'm going to want to add something in the 28mm range fairly soon. From what I can tell, the 28 Skopars are LTM, so I presume I would need a LTM>M adapter? Of so, what is it and where can I get it. I'm fond of classic glass, so recommendations for (affordable) lenses on the short end and longer end are appreciated. Be nice to the noob... 🙂

Kerik
www.kerik.com

ps Got my CLE w/40mm for $430. Seems a good deal if it works as well as described. Should be here in about a week.
 
Welcome. You got a great deal on a wonderful camera. I am not sure about the frame lines on a CLE but you can find great deals here in the classifieds. People are straight shooters and prices are good. If you want new LTM>M adapters Cameraquest or any of the other advertisers have them. Be careful about really off brands, some folks are fine, others not so much. Take some time on the www.cameraquest.com site, lots of great info. I'd recommend you look at a 15/4.5 CV as a fun lens to go wide from the 28. I happen to LOVE the CV 25. Not sure how it would work as full frame on a CLE but you can do a check on old posts. There is a new 28/2 CV out in M mount that would be great on a CLE.

Again, welcome to one of, if not the, best photographic community in the Net.

B2 (;->
 
I love my CLE. Will probably never sell it. I had the 40 Rokkor but sold it. Sometimes I regret that move. But I got into older, 50's glass for lower contrast. I use 35mm and 50mm. Just have to remember the framelines are off. 25mm works well as full frame. The Canon 25 is an incredible small package on the CLE. 90mm is a challenge, because you can only see such a little bit in the viewfinder. You can't see detail well.
From time to time I lust for a fast 40 or 28mm because of the fitting framelines, but the 35mm Ultron is so close...

And it is among the strongest cameras I know. I had no mechanical defects with it. Not even in a handlebar bag cycling on holiday. You got a great deal.
 
Thanks for the tips. The CV lenses seem like good choices, and I definitely like the idea of adding the 15mm at some point.

Tell me more about the Canon 25. Can you be more specific about what I'd be looking for?
 
You could always try the Minolta M rokkor 28/2.8. It's cheap (compared to leica or Zeiss), M mount already and tiny. Many of them have the 'white spot disease', with small white spots on the periphery of the front element. But that doesn't degrade image quality. My copy has a few white spots, but I don't care. I want glass to shoot with, not to caress.

The CLE has built in 28/40/90 framelines. I agree with the others. It's a cracking camera. Only weak point is the electronics, which it shares partly with the old Minolta XG SLR cameras.

Charlie
 
That is a great deal for a great camera. Like Rob, I have no plans to sell my CLE. Truly one of the classic RF cameras. The CV 28/3.5 and the CLE makes an incredibly small shooter. If CV 28/3.5 is too slow for you, look for the Winogrand lens (Canon 28/2.8). They can sometimes be hard to find, but they come around eventually and not for too much. I have one and it's really an excellent lens.
 
Thanks again for the info. I may go for the 28mm Rokkor, but I confess one of the reasons I got this camera was a relatively cheap way to try out some classic Leica glass. And like Charlie, I'm interested in lenses to shoot with, not caress. The prices on those CV lenses sure are tempting, though.

As far as the electronics, can this camera be used manually if the electronics fail or does it become a paperweight?
 
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I have a CLE and use the 40mm Summicron-C on it mainly (similar to 40mm Rokor). Nice compact combo. The CV 15mm also works really well. In between these two lengths, I use a CV 28mm Ultron f1.9 with LTM; it is a bit large but gives great results and you can use the built in frame-lines.
--
Monz
 
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topoxforddoc said:
You could always try the Minolta M rokkor 28/2.8. It's cheap (compared to leica or Zeiss), M mount already and tiny. Many of them have the 'white spot disease', with small white spots on the periphery of the front element. But that doesn't degrade image quality. My copy has a few white spots, but I don't care. I want glass to shoot with, not to caress.

The CLE has built in 28/40/90 framelines. I agree with the others. It's a cracking camera. Only weak point is the electronics, which it shares partly with the old Minolta XG SLR cameras.

Charlie
Click to expand...

I have the 28 Elmarit last version prior to the ASPH, the CV 28/1.9 and the Minolta 28 with white spots. Or at least I assume what are white spots. The Minolta compares extremely well with the Elmarit. What are the white spots anyway? Since they are on the peripheral they seem to have no affect (or at least that I can tell) on the picture and after on these years I doubt if it will get any worse.

As far as the electronics i have yet to see a CLE with failed electronics. I suppose it happens but it is rare. If you take all the electronic cameras of the '70's -Minolta, NIkon, Canon the vast majority have not suffered from electronic failure, they are very robost (excepting the olympus OM-4 /3/2sp,etc). The very popular Leica CL is rarely seen with a working meter but no one ever whines about that. The bug-a-boo about the CLE electronics are nothing but an old wife's tale as far as I'm concerned. Dirty switch contacts are usually the worse that befalls them and any compenent repair shops can fix them with a good cleaning.
 
VC Nokton 40/1.4 is light and fast. If you want a more classic look, maybe Summicron 40/2?

My CLE with Elmarit 28/2.8 is probably my most used combo. Mine is maybe the 3rd version, so it's not that small. But a great lens on a nice little camera.
 
Woo-hoo! My CLE arrived today ahead of schedule. What a SWEET little camera. Everything seems to work as it should and it even came with the original case and manual. I was a little apprehensive because the only pic of the lens I had seen was with a filter on it and the description said there were some marks on the lens surface, so I was taking a bit of a risk. Yes, they are there, but just barely visible and I had to really try to find them. Completely a non-issue. The meter seems to work well and I'm going to take it for a test drive this evening. It feels like a well-made camera, just holding it and releasing the shutter. Next I'll be shopping for a 25 or 28... and a 90... 🙂

Thanks for all the advice. I am stoked.

Kerik
www.kerik.com
 
Here's one off the first roll. Wow, the Rokkor rocks.

banga_cle4.jpg
 
I too adore my CLE. Really compact, great lenses and AE. I use Voigtländer 25/4, M-Rokkor 28mm f/2.8, Voigtländer Nokton 40mm f/1.4, M-Rokkor 40mm f/2.

Have fun!

Ps. Great picture of the dog, the 40/2 is very sharp.
 
My CLE just arrived, now I also need a lens....

I may just opt for the first appropriately priced 40mm that comes on Ebay, whether it be Rokkor or Con-c or Voigt... THe Voigt seems to command the highest price of the 3....
 
Curious, what might be the best pirtrait lense for the CLE? Maybe an odd question, but considering the framelines...

I had written down a feww lenses I really liked from the RFF "best portrait lense" thread, but they were all 50mm, would it be much of a deal for me to go with a 50mm?

Cheers!

Scott
 
Both the Rokkor 40mm and the Nokton 40mm are very slim lenses and that makes them ideal matches for the CLE. Going with a longer lens has two disadvantages 1) the framelines might not exist 2) the overall compactness of this unique system would be compromised.

I say go for a slim 40mm first!
 
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