Rollei LTM the 40 rollei sonnar...a question!

Rollei M39 screw mount lenses
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if, for the sake of this question only, we consider a 40mm lens to be in the same category as a 35mm lens...

where would the 40 rollei sonnar lens stand among the leica, konica and voightlander 35's of this photo world?
 
I had a C Biogon and moved to the Rollei Sonnar, Joe.

They are two very different lenses, though the coatings both produce images with warmer color. The C Biogon vignettes wide open, and resolves at a high level all the way into the corners. Not the Rollei, which I believe has significantly higher resolution on center than the C Biogon, but way less in the corners.

I'd be surprised if there were any modern 35 that has a rendering like the Rollei Sonnar. Not too mention the small size of Rollei! Seems like most modern 35s aim for evenness across the frame, with perhaps the exception of the CV 35/1.2 wide open--but that's an unfair comparison if there ever were one!

Send a pm to Alan Wilder, he's done extensive resolution tests.

Not sure how much difference there would be however on crop sensors. Even on the M8, the Rollei is pretty good in the corners.

Occasionally I think about switching back to the C Biogon. It would be a better lens for landscape use. But you can't beat the size of the Rollei, and I do love the way it renders!
 
Hard to say, Joe. Closest look you'll probably get from the modern 50/2.8 Elmar-M. Including bokeh, contrast, soft corners wide open, etc. I feel there is not much comparable in either 35/40. And I know the lens from the Rollei 35S.

Roland.
 
i'm not looking for a description of it's character....i'm learning that by using the lens...

but i am (being shallow here) wondering where it sits on the 'prestige' line up...
 
I would say that the Rollei ranks similar to the Pentax 43mm lens. Both have first rate built with very special rendering and both are rare.
 
I have used the Rollie in my lens comparison projects in the past. It did very well.
 
Yes- Roland and Raid are right- the Pentax 43 and the Elmar-M 50 draw quite similarly to the Rollei Sonnar 40 in my experience. I don't know my lens diagrams well, but would be hard pressed to see much difference on HP5 or Tri-X between these three, tho the Elmar does deliver a wonderful unique spacial quality to the prints at times... contrast seems pretty level across the three, and crispness as well.

There is a warmth to the coatings on the Rollei for sure for those shooting color film, a UV was preferable to my usual 81A.

I never had all three at the same time, but now use the 50/2.8 & 40/2.8 regularly. The 43 is sadly long gone. One of those I wish I hadn'ts.
 
i remember the 50 m-elmar to be a touch warmer than the rollei with colour images...but they are similar, yes.
they both are very sharp but have a 'smoothness' to them that takes away any clinical edge that some other lenses have.
 
As an avid fan of the Rollei 35S with its fixed Sonnar 40mm f/2.8 len, and having had one alongside a Leica CL with Summicron-C 40mm f/2, I'd say these two lenses are about as similar as peas in a pod. The Summicron is a stop faster and very slightly sharper at f/2.8 than the Sonnar is wide open, but there's not much between them.

Might not be the lens comparison you were looking for, but if the 40mm lens you're talking about has the same or similar optical formula, yeah, I'd rank it right up there with a very good Leica lens.

(The Summicron-C 40/2, and its siblings from Minolta, the M-Rokkor 40/2 first and second generation are amongst my very favorite lenses. I have a 2nd gen M-Rokkor 40/2 nowadays—it returns superb results with the M4-2, M9, and the Ricoh GXR-M.)
 
Godfrey said:
As an avid fan of the Rollei 35S with its fixed Sonnar 40mm f/2.8 len, and having had one alongside a Leica CL with Summicron-C 40mm f/2, I'd say these two lenses are about as similar as peas in a pod. The Summicron is a stop faster and very slightly sharper at f/2.8 than the Sonnar is wide open, but there's not much between them.

Might not be the lens comparison you were looking for, but if the 40mm lens you're talking about has the same or similar optical formula, yeah, I'd rank it right up there with a very good Leica lens.

(The Summicron-C 40/2, and its siblings from Minolta, the M-Rokkor 40/2 first and second generation are amongst my very favorite lenses. I have a 2nd gen M-Rokkor 40/2 nowadays—it returns superb results with the M4-2, M9, and the Ricoh GXR-M.)
Click to expand...

I once compared the 43mm Pentax with the Summicron-C and I could not tell the difference.
Maybe we have very similar rendition by Summicron-C, Pentax 43mm, and Rollei 40mm.
 
last time I have chance to buy one at around USD400 with its hood. But the lens has serious wobble problem. I quit and never regret for it. I won't buy a lens that I have no confidence on its building quality.
 
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