Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1997/08/20

[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]

Subject: Re: A question about CL lenses.
From: Stephen <cameras@jetlink.net>
Date: Wed, 20 Aug 1997 09:15:29 -0700

Hi Robert,

I wrote the page you referred to,  its nice to know its showing up in
the search engines now:

> 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.

> Could it be that Minolta changed the lenses to the CLE style prior to
> the
> CLE's introduction a year later?

You could have a variation which I have not seen.  Just check the rear
cam of the lens.  If the lens's rangefinder cam is parallel with the
film plane, it has M/CLE style RF coupling. If it makes contact to the
camera at a sharp angle to the film plane (perhaps 45 degrees or so)
then it has CL style RF coupling.

But it really makes no difference, or at least I don't think so.   Also
discussed is that CL  type  RF coupling seems to work fine on  M
cameras.  The supposed incompatibility probably had more with Leica not
wanting  CL lenses to take away M series sales.   But it makes no
difference what anyone says about your lenses.   Test them out on a M
body and see if you can find a focusing difference.

What Kidders!  Those wild and crazy guys at Leica just love a good
joke.  They are busy working on a "Find Waldo" style poster to "Find the
R8 Motor."

Stephen Gandy