Minolta M-Rokkor 40mm f/2

The Leica CL had a second name in Japan, and a second standard lens. Built by Minolta, the camera went on sale there in 1973 as the Leitz Minolta CL, and instead of a Summicron-C it came with this 40mm f/2, Minolta's own lens made to the same six-element, four-group formula. Leitz's lens takes Series 5.5 filters held in by its hood; the M-Rokkor takes any 40.5mm screw-in filter. When Minolta carried on alone with the CLE, the forty came along in revised form, multicoated from 1981.

That leaves two versions to shop for. Early copies from the CL years are single-coated with the serial number on the front ring, and some are engraved QF, Minolta's optical code: Q for four groups, F for six elements. CLE-era lenses carry the serial on the barrel. More important, they use a parallel rangefinder cam like the ones on Leica's own lenses, while Leitz warned that the inclined cam on CL-era copies may focus imprecisely on M bodies. For a Leica M, that settles it: buy the later one.

A January 2024 review on Phillip Reeve's site used a 42-megapixel Sony A7rII and a 24-megapixel Leica M10 for sharpness, and the M10 for flare, bokeh and most samples. In the center, sharpness improves steadily as you stop down. Corners lag behind: the reviewer wanted f/8 or f/11 out there, and he measured 3.5 stops of falloff wide open. Contrast is lower than on Voigtlander's 40mm Nokton Classic, a softer look some shooters prefer. Distortion is a non-issue. Out of focus, the center renders pleasantly, but the corners stay busier than the middle, especially at longer distances and on mirrorless bodies with thick sensor glass. Stop down and its ten straight blades draw neat sunstars from f/2.8 to f/11.

The flaw that matters most on a rangefinder is focus shift. The reviewer saw the plane of focus move backward as the lens stops down, most of all between f/2.8 and f/4, and he advises caution when relying on the rangefinder at f/4 and f/5.6. Flare is the other habit: put a strong light in or near the frame at f/2 and a big, distracting ring can appear, gone again by f/2.8.

His copy weighed 104 grams, and he called it about as compact as a 40mm f/2 gets. The focusing tab may be plastic on an otherwise metal barrel, and the focus ring turns with little resistance. A retractable rubber screw-in hood was offered, and without it the bare lens leaves the rangefinder window clear. On a CL or CLE the lens brings up 40mm frame lines, whereas an M6 or M10 shows its 50mm set, so the picture takes in more than you framed. Its natural home is a CLE, where it makes a tiny aperture-priority kit for street and travel work.

The same review put a good copy at $350 or more in January 2024. Against the Summicron-C, which shares its formula, the Minolta's best argument is that 40.5mm thread. A yellow filter for Tri-X or an ND for f/2 in daylight just screws on, and if you meter with Zone Light Meter rather than the body, tell the app which filter is fitted and it folds the factor into the reading. Against new glass the case is weaker. The reviewer chose the Nokton Classic 40mm f/1.4 himself, since a new one cost less than a used Minolta and is a stop faster and punchier, though almost twice the weight. He still pointed anyone after the smallest, lightest 40mm toward the Minolta.