[Leica] A Connecticut Leica in Queen Elizabeth's Court (long rant)

[mark at rabinergroup.com (Mark Rabiner)]

(by Mark R.):
Here's a shot of Queen Elizabeth with her Connecticut Leica.
http://www.rolleiclub.com/rollei/35/rollei_35_history.htm
And also there's maker Mr. Waaske and the first prototype.
(not all in the same shot)

I raved to an out of town friend of mine "George" about my 40 Summicron C
which has taken over my Leica M shooting since Williamsburg in October.
Apparently super glued to my M6 with Rapidwinder.
I just checked and its
"Tite'n for bolts", liquid nut/bolt locker by Loctite. (kidding)

And how the 40 has changed my life as I know it.
"George" has not been on the LUG for a long time. This was mainly over the
phone and on a few off list emails. And was easily persuaded as he's a
Rollei 35 guy and we'd gone out with our Rollei 35's on quite a long trek to
downtown Portland the first time he come up to do a gig and visit.
I knew him from the RUG at first. The Rollei Users group - Sister group to
the LUG.
Yes! there is a camera company even more screwed up than Leica.
Rollei easily wins it in that department.
They've been taking their last gasp far longer and more realistically than
Leica. 
Leica may often shoot blanks but Rollei puts real bullets in and shoots
itself in the foot at every turn.

Rollei 35's are classic 35mm "Connecticut Leica's" which came out in 1966
and have been made off and on ever since. Mainly off.
http://www.cameraquest.com/rol35se.htm
http://www.rolleiclub.com/rollei/35/rollei_35_cameras.htm
A life support system for the 35mm film cassette it appeared to be built
around.
And uses a 40mm lens.

Some people were more excited about the lens than anything else.
They just wanted to use the lens.
That's what the reviewer said in Pop photography amazing I remember that.
And wish it was instead called a "Rollei 40"
(just made that up)
The "superb" Zeiss Sonar 2.8 is the classic lens which was on most of the
long run From 1974 up to the latest. I don't think the camera is quite made
anymore. But when you least expect it they make some more you never know
with these guys they hide the machinery between runs under large drop cloths
marked "Giftiger Abfallstoff" ("Toxic Waste")

Mine, one of the first out I lucked out and it does say "made in Germany" on
it which is almost rare (and not necessary) has got the 40//3.5 Zeiss Tessar
by the way which may be merely "excellent" in comparison to the "superb"
Zeiss Sonar 2.8.
http://www.rolleiclub.com/rollei/35/35_orig_germany_silver.htm
And notice there is a third option a bargain version the
Rollei Triotar 3,4/50mm
Which is supposed to be maybe not superb or excellent but merely "real
good". I had to check my sources to make sure on that one.

I have one 11x14 fiber (and I'm sure some inkjets) print taken with my
Rollei 35 in the middle of a stack of Leica shots and it doesn't call itself
out. Many here who have seen my prints have seen it.
This is a scan of the print, not the neg.:
http://rabinergroup.com/ImagePages/PortlandRollei35.html
Which of course doesn't really tell you anything other than the fact that I
was "there". And have some sense of composition.
If there is a cleaner viewfinder than what you see when you look though a
Rollei 35 I don't know what it is.

If Rollei 35's are the classic "Connecticut Leica" then a Mamiya 7 II Pro is
an good example of a "Texas Leica" and the Linhof Master Technika is a primo
example of the "Alaskan Leica".
http://www.galerie-photo.com/master-technika-classic-et-2000.html
The "Jovian Leica" would be the hand held 8x10" "Hobo".

The 40 on the Rollei 35 always seems to get the shot.
It's like a prime lens which zooms when you're not looking.
And I think that's because its a tad wide of true normal and there's
something to be said for true normal. Which is 43.3mm not 50.
Having a 50 be normal for 35mm still shooting was that obscure eccentric
lunatics idea lets see what was his name?
Barnak!

A 50 is cropped a bit from true normal making life just a tad harder instead
of easier. (did I say that already?)
So my friend it seems was sold on 40's and intrigued by the possibilities.

The possibilities
There's my Summicron C which is a near pancake, light as a feather and can
be gotten for a song but has a .75 pitch making filters and shades a
problem.
But hey it says "Leitz Wetzlar" on it! And comes with a secret signal ring
and hand signal.

There's the new 1.4 just out from Cosina-so-called-Voigtl?nder-in-the
fields. The first 40mm 1.4.
The 40/1.4 Nokton being sold by our Steven Gandy for $349
http://www.cameraquest.com/voigt4014.htm
With a 45 dollar really good but not free lens hood and a single coated
option for lovers of a smooth look in black and white. No doubt we have our
Tom Abrahamson behind that if I recall right, (I think he told us over
breakfast at the LHSA Williamsburg meeting)
And they came out with a camera to go with it. The Voigtl?nder Bessa R3A
selling for $559 With a 40 frameline so you don't have to bother with shoe
mount viewfinders.
Although I love shoe mount viewfinders.
And got my gorgeous 40 from Steven.
http://www.cameraquest.com/voigtr2ar3a.htm
(that's the camera not the finder)

There's the flattest pancake every made a smc Pentax DA 40mm F2.8 Limited
But you'd need that Loctite stuff again to get it on your Leica.
And which interferes with the flavor.
So I'm sure that got that out of the running early on.
Check out how pancakelike this lens really is
I've got lens caps fatter than this:
http://www.letsgodigital.org/en/news/articles/story_2200.html
Must have used an expired leavening agent.

Then there's the Rollei Normal 40mm f/2.8 Sonnar HFT Manual Focus Lens for
35 RF Camera - Silver or Black
This is the "same" (same?) classic lens he loves on his Rollei 35.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?A=details&kw=RO4028RF35S&is=
USA&Q=&O=productlist&sku=303306
Only ported over for a Leica m mount camera for $549.95 at B&H
It does look more gorgeous in the pictures than the Nokton.
Is more compact and stops down to f22.
George bit on it.

But was slightly bummed at first at first when he opened the box.
Turns out the finish in person is not what it is on the Sony monitor.
Screams a cheaper "cheaper made in Japan" look he paid extra not to get and
didn't have the matching higher end German look to the Leica he hoped it
might.
Although the numbers are at least engraved, not painted on.
He thinks its a Cosina thing as the lens caps are the exactly the same as
the Cosinas. And it just looks like a Cosina.

But the funny part was the "Rollei made in Germany" on the lens with the
instructions which are just perfect if you can read Japanese.
Which hints as to where it was really made perhaps.
He's not sending it back.
The proof is in the pudding.
And my friends pudding takes the form of 11x14 fiber darkroom prints he
carefully makes.
Not comparative conversations of specs from various half assed internet
sources. 
So when he tells me a lens is good it does not go in one of my ears and out
the other.

We're sure the real world results will make the glass fully redeem itself as
really useful.

I say "40" is the magic number.
And "Connecticut" the place to be to make your vote count!



Brought to you by "Connecticut highways".

Mark Rabiner
Photography
Portland Oregon
http://rabinergroup.com/