Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1996/06/09

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To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
Subject: Re: Leica 90mm for CL
From: Hans Pahlen <hans.pahlen@mark.komvux.se>
Date: Sun, 9 Jun 1996 10:44:22 +0200 (MET DST)

At 11.39 1996-06-08 PDT, you wrote:
>At 09:40 AM 08/06/96 -0700, Mark McCormick wrote:
>
>>By the way I've been lurking for a while, just bought my first leica (a
>>lowley CL) and am looking for a very inexpensive 90 for it, anyone?

Many Cl cameras have a bad contrast (deteriorates with age) in the measuring
field of the rangefinder, and are difficult to focus. Hope yours is OK...

>I can't supply you with a 90, but from my experience with the CL, I think
>you'll find the German made Tele-Elmarit-M superior to the Canadian made
>Elmar-C, which was made for the CL.  The Tele-Elmarit was sharper, and had a
>much better "feel".  The Elmar-C somehow managed to lack the silky
>smoothness we all associate with Leica lenses.
>

My first Leica was a Cl, bought in 1974. I used a Tele-Elmarit M on it, but
I never got a sharp picture with this lens, until I used it on a M4! 
Why? Rangefinder couplings are different on M and Cl lenses. The books say:
A) M-lenses focus OK on the Cl-body B)Cl-lenses don t focus correct on M-bodies.
But according to my own experiences, the above A) is not 100% true! So
therefore my advice to Mark McCormick is:
Buy the 90/4 Elmar C! 

(Please correct me if I am wrong, but I think the Minolta Cle has the M-type
of rangefinder coupling?!?)

Regards, Hans