Having purchased a number of contax lenses and am enjoying the MF way of life and the superb IQ my mind turns to my Leica days.
I gather R lenses are going to be easier to adapt and i remember my R 50 f2 sumi that (from memory) gave superb results. (I hope I`m not just remembering the 50 f2 M lens I had)
Any advice? does the 50 f2 adapt well to 1 series Canons and are there any lenses to avoid?
Hi Dave I use some Leica R lenses on my 40d no problems on a 1.6crop but on full frame some do not clear mainly the wide lenses like my 21-35 Vario Elmar.
Adaptors to use are the Tago from Singapore, well made plus focus confirm.
Actually my 21-35 can be modified by removing the rear shroud I hope to use this one on a 5DII when available.
IQ is outstanding with most R lenses and best with the wider ones I think if you search a lot can be found here.
Manfred
I've used Leica R lenses on my 5D with adapter from HappypageHK with AF confirmation. He codes for each lens, which you have to ask, so that the exif data shows.
IMHO, if you're planning to keep the camera, it's best to modify the mirror so that you don't have to worry about the mirror clearance.
Even the One series have problems with the best of the Leica lenses, such as the 19mm, 21-35mm, 35-70mm f2.8, and possibly the 28-90mm and the 35mm f1.4.
I have a Leica-EOS adapter from HappyPageHK, which has an extra pin to activate the unique AF switch found on the 1D through 1Ds2 bodies.
I bought it to possibly adapt a 4x5 to EOS kit I'm working on, but may sell it and just send my chinese 4x5 adapter bayonet to HappyPage to have him add his AF chip. (and add the AF switch pin myself) The HappyPage adapter works great, even with a 90mm large format lens and a cloth draped over the rig. (since I don't have bellows set up yet)
I also tested the HappyPage adapter using a 40D with Liveview at 10X, and his AF chip is right on the money, even with an f/4.5 lens.
Rom may be the latest, but most of the lenses could have ROM added later. If you stick to a lens with 55mm filter and built in hood, you would have the latest design.
There are also Canadian and German versions. All are identical optically, I think the cheapest are the third cam only, which came out around the R3 and late 1970's. These lenses were also in three cam, so Leica buyers now prefer the three cam in case they have an old SL or SL2.
Most of the modern ones were made in Canada, until probably the era of the R8 or R9, when they were made in Germany. I am not sure of the cut off date or serial number, but they will be clearly marked, made in Canada or Made in Germany.
I want to shoot a series of images with the 1 series with 50mm focal length, from those that might have the 50 summi and Contax 35-70 would there be much between them IQ wise. I`d prefer to use a wider f stop like f2 for focussing and thats why I`m leaning towards the Leica + memories of my Leica SLR days and the 50.
Took the plunge and ordered a mint latest model for £200. Hoping the CA is absent like on my contax lenses (although it won`t be quite as much of a problem at this focal length)
If and when the proposed R10 sees the light of day and Leica get it right this time with a FF high mega pixel chip you can expect to pay double what the current lenses are fetching IMHO
The lens arrived, model 11345 so it`s the latest, made in Germany. Boxed as original and to be quite honest if you were sold it as new you wouldn`t tell the difference. Initial tests in dull conditions sees the images just as remembered, spot on natural colours, sharp and life like.
The only Canon lens that will get a look at my 1dsmk3 will be my 70-200 f4 IS
shirozina wrote:
Where the hell did you get a late 50mm Summicron for £200!!!
From Ffordes Photographic in Scotland, I have known Steve Byford( and his father before him) for many years and just phoned at the right time as the lens came in. If there was one person I`d trust it`s him. I also sell my gear through him on commisssion. I trust him.
That's a good deal - I reckon you got £30 off the usual price eh? Let me know how it performs - I sold a 1st version and was kind of regreting it but looking back over the images the bokeh wasn't that good. I love my CZ 1.7 when it's stopped down but wide open the bokeh is nasty so I'm looking for an all round cracker of a lens that has both good bokeh and killer center to corner resolution.
shirozina wrote:
That's a good deal - I reckon you got £30 off the usual price eh? Let me know how it performs - I sold a 1st version and was kind of regreting it but looking back over the images the bokeh wasn't that good. I love my CZ 1.7 when it's stopped down but wide open the bokeh is nasty so I'm looking for an all round cracker of a lens that has both good bokeh and killer center to corner resolution.
Actually my Contax 50 1.7 is beaten by my Canon 50 1.8mk2 easily (I was very surprised at that) but my Nikon 55 2.8 micro beats the Canon and by the look of a few garden shots today with the Summicron it should be the best. I don`t shoot much wide open so Bokeh isn`t such an issue but f4-f8 on this cron looks very impressive.
I`ll never forget many years ago buying a Leica M4 and could only afford the 50mm f2 `M` lens at the time. When I developed my first roll of slide film from that combo I was knocked over by the detail, colours and life like look of the images, I`m not saying this R lens is as good as the M lens (it might be) but it won`t be far behind. Another classic M lens was my 21 2.8 Asph and 90 f2 AsphM lens.
I`m getting a bit old in the tooth for big upgrades now but if Leica brings out a sorted FF M series camera of reasonable res i will have to get my wife to take charge of my credit card till the feeling passes
I also have "roots" in the Leica M system. The M and R versions of the 50mm Summicron are thought to be almost identical in optical quality. I currently maintain M and R versions of the 50mm Summicron and 28 Elmarit. Who knows, maybe one day there will be an affordable M camera that I can use these M lenses on.
JimBuchanan wrote:
I also have "roots" in the Leica M system. The M and R versions of the 50mm Summicron are thought to be almost identical in optical quality. I currently maintain M and R versions of the 50mm Summicron and 28 Elmarit. Who knows, maybe one day there will be an affordable M camera that I can use these M lenses on.
Jim
Yeh, I made the mistake of selling all my M lenses, they were second to none. The lens that really stuck out from the crowd was my 90 Asph, talk about detail in heavy cropped 35mm film prints.
I doubt I`ll ever lay out for that system again but am getting superb results now with the 1dsmk3 and CY/Leica lenses.
How about this proposed Leica R10 then, if it is sorted and FF it could really be nice to use.
There must be sample variation in the CZ 1.7 because mine knocks the socks off every lens I have ever used. I too had an M 50mm F2 Summicron on my old M6 and it was awsome.
?
sees the images just as remembered, spot on natural colours, sharp and life like.
