Rollei TORIOTAR 40mm F3.5

Rollei 35B lenses to M mount

A review and photo examples of the Rollei TORIOTAR 40mm M-mount modified lens.

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KONICA HEXAR-RF +LOMO CHROME 100 and LOMO NEGA 800

1．Overview

The Ms-optics Triotar 40mm is a modified lens made by taking the lens of the compact film camera Rollei B35 (35B) and C35 and attaching it to the M-mount helicoid MS-40 made by Ms-optics.

The M-mount helicoid MS-40 is a common helicoid for lenses with a focal length of around 40mm, and is adjusted during the modification to allow focusing by double image matching in conjunction with the rangefinder of an M-type rangefinder camera at a focal length of 40mm.

The minimum shooting distance of the modified lens is 0.8m, and the original six-blade aperture blades are used as they are.

The lens barrel is also the same as the original barrel, fixed at the infinity position, and is combined with a helicoid for focusing. The helicoid MS-40 is designed to be versatile enough to convert various lenses into M mounts.

When the lens is attached to an M-type Leica compatible camera, the viewfinder frame will display a 35mm frame. For a focal length of 40mm, use an external 40mm finder, or be mindful of the inside of the 35mm finder frame.

This lens appears to have been modified a long time ago, with a silver barrel, fixed original helicoid, and a directly attached hood.

Recently modified lenses have a black helicoid and some lenses are designed so that the lens’s original helicoid also works, in which case close-up photography is possible with a mirrorless camera. With mirrorless cameras, close-up photography is similarly possible if you obtain a mount adapter with an auxiliary helicoid, so even with old fixed models this is not a big problem.

2．Usage

The Triotar 40mm uses a simple triplet lens, which produces clear images, although the image quality is slightly lower in the periphery.

The Rollei 35 series of film cameras requires eyeballing for focus, so many shots are taken with the aperture stopped down, but this lens, modified by Ms-optics for the Leica M mount, allows accurate focus from the widest aperture using the double image matching method used in rangefinder cameras.

The operation is the same as other modified lenses from Ms-optics, and the helicoid operates smoothly. In addition, there is no click feeling in the aperture ring, but since the aperture ring is located away from the focus ring, it will not move accidentally during shooting.

When used with a mirrorless camera, close-up shots are also possible if you use a mount adapter with an auxiliary helicoid.

The examples are only for film shooting, but the performance is also satisfactory with digital cameras. Like other triplet lenses, it has a wide image circle, and even when shooting with a 44mm x 33mm sensor on a medium-format digital camera, vignetting is only in the peripheral areas, so it is quite usable with a 3:2 44mm x 30mm.

Even in backlit conditions, it does not depict suspicious light, as in the example below, so it can be used with confidence. The lens I own has a fixed hood, and it is possible that this effect is affecting the depiction of backlit conditions. However, since the hood cannot be removed, I cannot confirm how it depicts without the hood.

3．Add info.

The compact film camera Rollei 35 series has four types of lenses: Sonnar (five elements in four groups), Tessar (four elements in three groups), Xesnar (four elements in three groups), and Triotar (three elements in three groups). Sonnar is the most luxurious lens, and Triotar is the least expensive. This can be seen from the lens configuration of Triotar, which is three elements in three groups.

Although it is inexpensive, it is true that there are voices that appreciate Triotar, which shows that the lens is a big factor of preference. Rollei film cameras are not that expensive regardless of the lens they are equipped with, and it seems that the cost of modification is higher. It is interesting that they dared to modify this lens to a Leica M mount under those conditions.

Ms-optics does a lot of work converting compact camera lenses into lenses for Leica M-compatible rangefinder cameras. This lens is one of them.

The focal length of 40mm is a major focal length for compact cameras, and it is not too wide or too narrow, so it can be said to be a compromise that allows this lens to be used in all shooting situations.

Since zoom lenses became mainstream for compact cameras, the lens focal lengths of compact cameras equipped with prime lenses have become mainstream at 28mm and 35mm, with 40mm falling out of use.

仕様

Items	TORIOTAR	Sonnar LSM	SUMMARIT	NOKTON	SUMMICRON C
Manufacturer	Rollei	Rollei	LEICA	Voigtlander	LEICA
Focal length(mm)	40	40	40	40	40
Max aperture	3.5	2.8	2.4	1.4	2
Min aperture	16	22	16	16	16
Aperture balade	6	10	12	10	10
Lens Construction	3 elements in 3 groups	5 elements in 4 groups	6 elements in 4 groups	7 elements in 6 groups	6 elements in 4 groups
Min distance(m)	0.8	0.7	0.8	0.7	0.8
Lens length(mm)	39 (including hood) Hood length 12.5	30.5	21	29.7	23.5
Lens Max diameter(mm)	49	51	49	55	50
Filter Size(mm)	–	39	37	43	39
Lens hood	Direct mounting	Special food	Cylindrical screw-in hood	Bayonet hood LH-6	Trumpet-shaped screw-in hood 12518
Release date	?	2002〜2006	1995	2004	1972
Production numbers	?	?	120,000	–	54,350-
Weight(g)	103	172	54	175	120