Rollei 40mm F/2.8 HFT on a Leica M8

[bherman]

Anybody out there use a Rollei 40mm F/2.8 HFT on a Leica M8? I can pick up a new one for about 1/4 of the price of a Leica 50mm Summicron, or for about the same price (a bit less) than a 50mm Zeiss F2 Planar ZM.

Anybody have any experience using it uncoded on an M8?

Thanks, Brad

[f16sunshine]

My #1 on the M8. It renders beautifully and has perfect ergonomics IMO. A bit prone to flare with the stock hood. The cv 2.5/35mm squarish hood fits and gives better protection.

[ChipMcD]

No experience on an M8, but I have on on a Rollei RF, and it is a very nice lens. I've taken as many popping photos with it as with my 35mm Summicron or my 50mm Summicron. Go for it, unless there is some attribute of the M8 that I don't know about.

[bherman]

What about the framelines? It it an LTM lens, or an M-Mount lens? What framelines does it bring up?

Thanks

Brad

[back alley]

on the rd1 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/back_alley/sets/72157624284221829/)

it is an ltm lens

[ZeissFan]

It's an LTM lens that comes with its own LTM => M adapter. However, it brings up the 50mm lines, so I bought a new adapter to bring up the 35mm lines, which I think are much closer.

[chanpei]

I like this lens very much. If you had a chance to acquire it, don't let it go. I've used it on M8, RD-1s and R2a. Here you can find my pictures using this lens. http://www.flickr.com/photos/chanpei/tags/rolleisonnar40mmf28/

[sepiareverb]

I've shot this on the M8.2 and the M9 with much success. E39 threads for the UVIR. Watch out for haze on these lenses, they are prone to it.

[furcafe]

Ditto on using it on the M8 (& M9).

The stock hood barely qualifies as a hood. I use a vintage vented 39mm screw-in hood (or a modern copy) originally intended for the 50/2 Summicrons. They work fine without vignetting. Didn't realize the CV 35/2.5 hood works & will have to look into that.

My #1 on the M8. It renders beautifully and has perfect ergonomics IMO. A bit prone to flare with the stock hood. The cv 2.5/35mm squarish hood fits and gives better protection.

[elmer3.5]

Hi, i had it on my m8, terrific lens, very small and sharp. It renders the 1.33 crop in a 53mm focal lenght, very useful.
It´s better with ir cut filter on it, but no problems about coding since if you edit on raw you won´t need it.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4099/4790583022_cfb729914d_b.jpg


Bye!

[bherman]

Anybody bother 6-bit coding their Rollei 40mm Sonnar for use on an M8? I was thinking about coding it as a Leica 35mm F2 Type IV, which is what is recommended for the 40mm F2 Summicron C and 40mm M Rokkor.

Brad

[f16sunshine]

I dint think that coding is required although, if you do it I would like to hear your feedback.
None of my lenses are coded for the M8. I don't shoot wider than 35 often though. Brad not sure if you got my PM reply the other day. The PM system was(is) weird. Here is the a pic of the cv hood that I'm using. Don't have the model number. It has female threads and a lock screw to orient the hood correctly.

85351

[bherman]

Nope. Didn't get your PM, but this was the same hood that I thought that you were talking about. Thanks!

Brad

[bherman]

All;

Mystery solved!! There are basically two options for a shade on the Rollei 40mm F/2.8 HFT Sonnar for the Leica. One is a 39mm screw-in vented shade, such as the one available on EBay at a store called Heavystar. The other option, (the better but more costly one IMO) is the option proposed by RFF member F16Sunshine. The Voigtlander Shade is the model LH-2. It is a rectangular shade with rounded sides and a locking screw. You would basically unscrew the little, dinky Rollei shade, and the Voigtlander LH-2 screws on the outer threads where the Rollei shade went. Once it is 99% oriented properly, you gently turn the locking screw.

That's it. A gorgeous shade ($79.00), but really fits the bill.

Brad

[f16sunshine]

So Brad... did you get a Rollei Sonnar 40mm ?

[back alley]

i just received an lh1 and an lh2 from cameraquest last week. they look very cool on these small cv lenses as well as the little rollei sonnar.
they seem to work well but then i really never had much problem with flair with the tiny hoods that come with the lenses.

[bherman]

Andy;

I did get a new Rollei Sonnar, and a JM 35mm LTM-8 adapter. Brad

[f16sunshine]

Great! I think you will be very satisfied. The lens is perfect a for M8 and RD1 normal. The build quality is quite a bit nicer than anything from CV. You will see :)

[kermaier]

The build quality is quite a bit nicer than anything from CV. You will see :)

I was under the impression that Cosina built the 40/2.8 for Rollei. It looks exactly like the CV 50/2.5 Skopar, which is extremely well built (chrome over brass) and with very similar design to the Summaron 35/2.8. I'd be surprised if the 40/2.8 was better made than the 50/2.5 and 28/3.5 Skopars. (Though I must note that the 35/2.5 Skopar in LTM is much more flimsy in construction than the 28mm and 50mm.)

::Ari

[f16sunshine]

I was under the impression that Cosina built the 40/2.8 for Rollei. It looks exactly like the CV 50/2.5 Skopar, which is extremely well built (chrome over brass) and with very similar design to the Summaron 35/2.8. I'd be surprised if the 40/2.8 was better made than the 50/2.5 and 28/3.5 Skopars. (Though I must note that the 35/2.5 Skopar in LTM is much more flimsy in construction than the 28mm and 50mm.)

::Ari

I guess I should temper my statement by saying.....Anything I have used from CV. I've not tried all of their lenses.

[kermaier]

BTW, the CV LH-2 square hood fits the 50/2.5 and 28/3.5 Skopars perfectly. It does not cause any vignetting on the 28mm with my R-D1, but I don't know how it would fare on the M8 or full-frame.

::Ari

[haempe]

I was under the impression that Cosina built the 40/2.8 for Rollei. It looks exactly like the CV 50/2.5 Skopar, which is extremely well built (chrome over brass) and with very similar design to the Summaron 35/2.8. I'd be surprised if the 40/2.8 was better made than the 50/2.5 and 28/3.5 Skopars. (Though I must note that the 35/2.5 Skopar in LTM is much more flimsy in construction than the 28mm and 50mm.)

::Ari

I read Cosina made the parts, assembled by Rollei in Germany.

[kermaier]

I guess I should temper my statement by saying.....Anything I have used from CV. I've not tried all of their lenses.

My impressions of the relative build quality of the CV lenses I've tried:

35/1.2 Nokton > {28/3.5 Skopar, 50/2.5 Skopar} > {28/1.9 Ultron, 50/1.5 Nokton} > {25/4 Skopar P, 35/2.5 Skopar PII} > {35/2.5 Skopar C, 15/4.5 Heliar LTM}

[kermaier]

I read Cosina made the parts, assembled by Rollei in Germany.

Makes sense, as the "Made in Germany" engraving would be a bit of a fudge, otherwise. ;)

[ramosa]

I have not used the 40, but have--and love--the 80. Fine rendering. Well made, easy to focus. Not many out there, but fully enjoyed on this front.

[sepiareverb]

I have not used the 40, but have--and love--the 80. Fine rendering. Well made, easy to focus. Not many out there, but fully enjoyed on this front.

The 80 is even rarer by a good bit!

Have you got the Nikon F mount with it?

[awilder]

The 40/2.8 Sonnar RF purchased new from Robert White had a build quality typical of CV, i.e. less than ZM and Leica. The focusing mount has a slight play and the rf focus needed minor tweeking for optimal sharpness, but I tend to be pickier than some. Fortunately DAG corrected both problems at a reasonable cost. Once properly adjusted, image quality is as good as anything I've tried from Leica.

[ramosa]

The 80 is even rarer by a good bit!

Have you got the Nikon F mount with it?

No, I have not. I only have an M8 these days. I definitely like the lens. It provides a really different "feel" than my other two lenses.