Does anyone have experience using the tri-elmar on the Leica CL body? I'm considering purchasing the 3E for use on my CL body and would like to hear the pros and cons of this. I expect to use an external BL finder for the 28mm focal length and use the 40mm built in frameline as a guide for the 35mm focal length. The 50mm frameline is, of course, already built in. I'm hoping that this will be a good combination for travel photography (along with my 90mm elmar-c in the bag). I like the size of the CL body for carrying in a small bag while traveling. I'm attracted to the 3E flexibility without changing lenses. I mostly shoot slide film.

Is this combination easy to use? Are there problems with the 3E lens blocking the viewfinder? Is there some pitfall I'm missing here?

Thanks,

Bob

-- Robert Martin (robertnmartin@earthlink.net), May 17, 2001

Answers

Leica framelines already show substantially less (at longer distances normally used in general and travel photography) than what gets on film, so using the 40mm framelines for the 35mm focal length might be more approximate than you will find acceptible. Otherwise, I can't think of any other downside. I use my 3E almost exclusively on a Hexar RF and really love it.

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), May 17, 2001.

It seems to me that Leica frame lines show more, not less, of what goes to the film, especially at distances greater than 10 feet. You might want to find out for sure what frame lines the 35mm lens brings up in the CL--I'm not sure the 40 lines will be there. your best bet is to take the camera to a lens and try it out. Let us know.

-- Andrew schank (aschank@flash.net), May 17, 2001.

Leica framelines are sized to show the angle of coverage at the lens' closest focusing distance, which is less than at infinity due to extension, and the disparity increases along with focal length. In addition a little more is cropped to emulate a slide mount. Most Leica references make mention of this fact, and a quick comparison with an SLR aimed at something relatable will substantiate it.

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), May 19, 2001.

I quess it's just the way it was stated that through me off. You get more on the negative than the finder lines show at infinity, Right? So that at infinity, the 35 lines are showing more of what a 40mm lens would put on the film, but you will actually get stuff on the negative that is outside the lines in the finder when using a 35mm lens.

-- Andrew schank (aschank@flash.net), May 19, 2001.

Bob

You need to try it. The 3E does no fit on my CL. I can't twist it in the bayonet. I don't get it since someone on this forum (I forget who) uses one on theirs. Might it be a first versus/second issue of the 3E?

-- Robin Smith (smith_robin@hotmail.com), May 21, 2001.

FYI - The old Tri-Elamr works fine on the Minolta CLE. But 35 brings up the 40 & 28mm frames, while 28 and 50 both bring up 28 & 90mm frames.

-- Steve Patriquen (patriquen@yahoo.com), June 14, 2001.