This 40mm lens from Leica is an underrated lens. I actually enjoy taking it out for photography. And its imaging is also Leica’s color style.

This lens is specially designed by Leica for Leica CL film cameras and is made for portability. There are three versions in total, and the optics are basically the same. The 40mm viewfinder range is between 35mm and 50mm, which is a weird focal length for many people.

The workmanship of this lens is average, whether it is the Minolta version or the Leica version, it is not as good as the Leica summicron 35mm lens. Fortunately, the price here is not high. What is criticized about this lens is that it suffers from backlighting, glare, coma, etc… It is not a wise choice to face the light in front of the lens.

The Minolta 40/2 Rokkor is exactly the same as the Leica summicron-c. You can use this lens just like you would use a Leica! In fact, its center sharpness is comparable to the Leica summicron35, and the color also inherits the Leica tone. However, the image sharpness decreases obviously at the corners of the maximum aperture. For me, it’s not a problem that the corners are blurry. The blurring creates a special hazy atmosphere. However, it is best to avoid leaves and branches when choosing a background, as the blur will be messy and unflattering.

The Leica CL belongs to a special category in Leica history. Designed by Leica and produced in Osaka, Japan. It comes with 2 lenses, a 40mm and a 90mm, both of which are authentic Leica style. Unfortunately, the CL was discontinued after only being produced for 3 years.

Usually the Leica CL is also considered part of the Leica M camera family. In order to be lightweight, this 40/2 lens has a simplified thread pitch design, so the focusing accuracy will not be as good as a normal M lens. But for a Leica lens with an f2 aperture, it is definitely worth it.