A question about CL lenses.

[rardinge@KUHUB.CC.UKANS.EDU]

A question about CL lenses.

Hello,

I am new to this list but not to leicas. I have had an M3 and an R4 in the
past and currently have a Leitz-Minolta CL I purchased new in 1978 and an
M6 I recently purchased (love those "rebates").  While purchasing the M6 I
inquired about the use of the two CL Rokkors (the 40/2 and 90/4) on the M6.
The advice I got was that Leica does not endorse using the CL lenses on an
M camera. I accepted this advice and did not think much of it until
"surfing" the "net" and finding a very detailed description of the CL and
the CLE (http://cameraquest.com/classics.htm).  That description documents
the life span of the Leica CL (1973-76) and mentions that when the CLE came
out (1980?), the two Rokkors were revised for the CLE rangefinder and were
then fully compatible with the M camera focus cam/rangefinder.

(from the CLE page: "What are the difference between Minolta CL and CLE
Lenses? The CLE lenses are multi-coated, the CL lenses are not. The CLE
lenses have traditional Leitz parallel focusing cams, the CL 40/2 and 90/4
lenses have very angular focusing cams. The CLE lenses have the filter size
of 40.5 on the filter ring, the CL lenses do not. ")

My L-M CL was purchased brand new in late 1978 (a college graduation
present to myself-it only cost my older Canon F1 and three canon lenses in
a direct trade).  It came with the 40 mm f/2 made in Japan Rokkor.  A month
later I bought (again new) the made in Germany 90 f/4 Rokkor.  Both the
camera and the lens came in boxes that reflected the style of all Minolta
camera boxes at the time (1978-1979).  Both lenses have a 40.5 mm filter
ring.

Could it be that Minolta changed the lenses to the CLE style prior to the
CLE's introduction a year later? Do I have lenses that would fully work
with the M body?  Any tips on my identifying the focusing cams on the CL
lenses (I do have a new 50 mm f/2 Summicron purchased with the M6).  Any
information in general on the CL lenses would be helpful.  Thanks.

Robert Ardinger

Robert H. Ardinger, Jr., M.D.