Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1997/10/06
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Some very interesting comments from Stephen and Hans, but here is some= serial # weirdness... I have an M-Rokkor 90 that, except for the rubber shade, looks just like the= Elmar-C pictured in the Pocket Book and has a serial # of 2.7 million which= consistent with Leica #s of the time of Elmar-Cs manufacture, '73-77= (Pocket Book). The CLE Rokkor pictured in the July '81 issue of Mod. Photo.= (The CLE test there) is cosmetically different in the aperture ring,= grabbing ring (for want of a better term) and the focusing scale. My Rokkor= and the Elmar-C have two infinity symbols and feet is written out, have= narrow aperture rings and cylindrical grabbing rings. The lens pictured in= Mod (CLE lens) has only one infinity symbol and feet abbreviated as ft. The= aperture ring knurled part of the CLE lens is wider. The grabbing ring of= the CLE lens is tapered from being wide at the camera to being flush with= the focusing scale - to save a few grams in weight??? Also Hans' serial #s,= the one in Mod as well as Pop Photo's tests are 2.0 million, inconsistent= with Leica numbers of that time!! It is thus possible that earlier Rokkors= have higher serials #s than the latter. BTW, my Rokkor lens does not have= the beveled focusing cam. I agree that this is a good field lens and have it with me at work since it= was in my rucksack which I carry around on a daily basis (and with an M= inside!) since it is quite lightweight. I, however, have not made the= performance comparisons like you have and so am further intrigued. regards Tom >Simon Ogilvie wrote: > >> Stephen, >> I was interested in your comments about the 90/4 Rokkor lens. >> I've just bought an old 90/4 Elmar screw-mount lens with a >> screw-to-M adaptor. I assume that the Rokkor is considered >> optically superior to this Elmar? >> > >The 90/4 Elmar screw mount design dates from the 30's, although it did >gain coating after the war. There are TWO 90/4 Rokkors. The first was >for the CL and is the same optically as the 90/4 Elmar for the CL. The >later CLE 90/4 Rokkor has a slightly different optical design and has >standard Leica parallel RF coupling, and UNLIKE the earlier version, is >multicoated. I find it to be a great lens, although I have not compared >it to the current 90/2.8 which many people rate very highly. Because so >many people confuse the CLE 90/4 with the earlier version for the CL, >it sells cheaply, usually for the same price as the CL lens($300-400). >Thus its usually an underpriced bargain. > >I believe the CLE 90/4 Rokkor is a better performer than the 90/4 for >the CL, the older 90/4 Elmar screw mount, the 90/2.8 Tele-Elmarit, the >older version of the 90/2.8 Elmarit, and even slightly better than the >90/2 Summicron. Exactly how it compares to the current 90/2.8 Elmarit >I am not sure, but I would expect that the performance of the two lenses >to be very close. > >Regards, > >Stephen =46rom: "Hans Pahlen" <hans.pahlen@mark.komvux.se> To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us> Subject: Re: Good Tele M Lens Date: Mon, 6 Oct 1997 22:26:59 +0100 The M-Rokkor 90/4,0 is a good lens, but I think Stephen, that you are going a bit too far stating that it is a better performer than many of the older Leica 90 mm lenses. I am using this CLE-lens together with an old 90/2,8 Elmarit (1960), and I would rather rate the Leica lens as a bit sharper. I have compared the two lenses side by side using Velvia at f/4,0, and I think that the Leica lens resolves the finest details a little bit better. I also noticed that the Leica lens has more contrast. I have only tried one sample (my M-Rokkor is No. 2006053). I bought the M-Rokkor at a bargain price, and it was my only 90 mm lens during May-August. However, after seeing the practical results from 35 rolls during my vacation, I felt that something was missing as I saw the 90 mm pictures together with those made by my Leica lenses. This experience made me decide to get another old Elmarit 90/2,8, as I regard this lens to be one of the best 90 mm lenses, often at a bargain price too. My simple test was just a way to confirm my feelings into facts. Yes, the M-Rokkor is very compact and pocketable, but is it really that good compared to the Leica lenses? I would say no. Well, at least not mine... Regards, Hans - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -