rokkor 40mm vs nokton 40mm

[lrochfort]

Hello all,

I have an R3A on its way and want to buy a 40mm. People seem to rate the rokkor and nokton and I have the opportunity to buy either for similar money.

What are peoples feelings on both? Any preferences?

Thanks all.

Edit: Of course anything good for less than those two would be great too! No objection to adapters.

 

[back alley]

both good lenses...the cv is a bit more 'modern' looking in it's images, the minolta seems more 'smooth'...still sharp but less harsh...and harsh is too strong a word here.
i've had both and would be happy to have either again.

i finally settled on the rollei sonnar 40/2.8...a bit slower, nice and sharp but also very smooth rendering and i like the softer edges to the images...

 

[Bingley]

There are threads devoted to photos from each lens. The thread for the Rokkor 40 (CLE version) is a sticky on the Leica M-Minolta CLE forum. The thread for the CV 40 is here: http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=89628

 

[Godfrey]

I have both (M-Rokkor 40mm f/2 II from CLE and Nokton 40mm f/1.4). They cost me a similar amount of money each.

- The M-Rokkor is smaller and lighter.
- The Nokton is faster.
- Both lenses are very very sharp, particularly when stopped down a little.
- At the same f/stops, the rendering from both lenses is quite similar.

Either is an excellent choice. With the Nokton, you get the advantage of a little more speed. With the M-Rokkor, the compactness is the primary advantage. While they do not render identically, both are very pleasing when used appropriately.

 

[Shutterspark]

I'd say it's a toss up for lens character and technical quality. The M-Rokkor probably wins in build, but aside from that it's equal. And for that reason, I ended up with the Nokton because you can get it new with a warranty, and it's a little faster.

 

[haempe]

Had both and tried they side by side.
Kept the Nokton.
Made a contrary experience than backalley.
Nokton medium contrast, smoother bokeh.
Rokkor more contrast, harsher bokeh.

 

[Jockos]

Does the Rokkor focus shift? I had the 40 nokton for a month, and it did.Not by all that much, but it was noticeable at shorter distances. Liked the .7m MFD tough!

 

[ferider]

Nobody will be able to tell them apart in a blind test.

Also, they are both built very well. It comes down to size, speed, and handling.

Nokton: 43mm filter, 0.7m min. focus
Rokkor: 40.5mm filter, 0.8m min. focus

Roland.

PS: you might want to check out my comparison: http://ferider.smugmug.com/Technical/Tests/40mm-Tests/2727734_SxDWmP

 

[sparrow6224]

Here's why to go for the Nokton: excellent image quality; faster; and most of all 25 yrs newer -- which means far less likelihood of haze, fungus, separation, cleaning marks, hitches in the focusing/aperture set etc.

 

[lrochfort]

Thanks for the detailed analysis ferider. As you say, they're extremely close, certainly closer than I tend to care about.

The newness factor is a good point. All my current cameras and lenses are from the 60s, several with designs older than that. Newness was part of the appeal of the R3A.

 

[raid]

The Rokkor is similar to the Summicron C, and I have compared the Summicron C 40mm lens with a Pentax-L 43mm/1.9. While the Pentax is very expensive, I was unable to tell the difference between these two lenses.

Another issue is how well a lens does on a digital camera. Sometimes, older lenses don't do as well as modern lenses. This is not the case with the 40mm lens.

There always is the issue of choosing between old and recent, and this is up to you. If the Rokkor is in very clean condition, I would not worry abou the aspect of age.

The Rokkor and the C increase in value each year. I am unsure whether the CV lens also has a similar increase in value or not.

 

[torn]

i had the rokkor, but i think either is good, at f2 you wont be able to tell it apart
with the nokton you get 1.4. rokkor has the tab which sucks imo.
the nokton is more well known so itll be easier to sell if you do

 

[zwarte_kat]

For me the rokkor is a small and good performing lens on the CLE, especially B&W. The Nokton is good too, but it goes one stop faster. For me, that is where the magic often happens. It is one of the (few) lenses that I prefer wide open, and prefer for it's look, not performance. If I hadn't known better, I would have guessed the Nokton was the old one.
That one stop will also make a difference at night, more then you would think.

I keep my Rokkor because I have the CLE. That package is just so magically small and was my first film rangefinder plus lens that I really appreciated. I will probably never sell that set.
But you don't have the CLE, or my nostalgia. And with the bigger bessa the difference in size between the rokkor and nokton is less relevant. It's not like the nokton is big, anyway. It's one of the smallest lenses out there.

So I recommend the nokton, amazing lens.

 

[zwarte_kat]

(in case it wasn't clear, I still have both lenses)

 

[zwarte_kat]

BTW you are not the one I sold my R3A to right?? In Kagurazaka?
That would be so funny because I sold it a few days ago and it could be you.

 

[lrochfort]

Well, finances came into play and I had a budget that negate both these lenses.

Fortunately, a generous RFF member offered to sell me his Rokkor with a small chip on the front element for a song.

I'm going to take it out today. I'm really looking forward to trying out 40mm.

zwarte_kat, no I'm in Englad; another RFF member from Canada sold me an absolutely pristine R3A 😀