Leica 100mm APO macro - hard to beat

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Archive 2010 · Leica 100mm APO macro - hard to beat

Grenache
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p.1 #1 · Leica 100mm APO macro - hard to beat

Granted, I have not shot with the Contax or Voit, but it would be hard for me to be happier than with this beauty. Perfect balance of sharp and smooth, contrasty and colorful.

All of these were shot handheld with a Canon 580EX mated to a Ray Flash ring flash (not made to be a macro flash, but worked pretty well that way). Flash output controlled manually, little trial and error.

Comments, critiques, jeers all welcome. Feel free to post your pics as well.
Jim

Feb 05, 2010 at 04:57 AM

Paul Yi
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p.1 #2 · Leica 100mm APO macro - hard to beat

Hard to beat is a real under statement ...
You have the lens that is legendary, and known to many as the 'King of Macro'.

Feb 05, 2010 at 05:09 AM

thrice
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p.1 #3 · Leica 100mm APO macro - hard to beat

It still pains me to have parted with it, especially as mine was mint, and I had a mint apo-elpro as well.

I just never shot that much macro, I used it for portraits though and the performance was phenomenal.

If the M9 had live view I may have kept it.

This image is copyrighted by the owner

Feb 05, 2010 at 05:22 AM

Grenache
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p.1 #4 · Leica 100mm APO macro - hard to beat

Nice shots, Thrice. I have not shot many portraits with mine since I got it late last year and don't shoot many of those any way except family.

My macro is a mint ROM version with a nice ELPRO. I am not convinced that it was ever used given its condition.

Can you use R lenses on an M body?

Jim

Feb 05, 2010 at 05:35 AM

RustyBug
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p.1 #5 · Leica 100mm APO macro - hard to beat

CONGRATULATIONS !!!

Absolutely a favorite of mine ... to dream & drool

The barbecue shot about 1/2 way down page 6 of the APO thread is the shot that is etched in my mind regarding this lens ... somewhat like Richard's motorcycle shot is etched in my mind for the Zeiss 21mm 2.8

http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/810600/5

Edited on Feb 05, 2010 at 05:51 AM · View previous versions

Feb 05, 2010 at 05:43 AM

PSquared63
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p.1 #6 · Leica 100mm APO macro - hard to beat

Thank you for the plug, Kent.

Here's the BBQ rib shot:

This image is copyrighted by the owner

and more recent shots with the lens:
http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/863966.

It was my very first R lens and I never looked back.

Edited on Feb 05, 2010 at 06:00 AM · View previous versions

Feb 05, 2010 at 05:50 AM

RustyBug
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p.1 #7 · Leica 100mm APO macro - hard to beat

I so ... CAN'T ... justify this lens

And, now I'm hungry

If I could have only two lenses, it would be this one and the Zeiss 21mm 2.8.

Of course, I'd have 3 different bodies FF, 1.5x/1.6x & 4/3 (or micro) to achieve various effective FL's with the ability to use a TC and/or crop this resolution ... what more would you need?

Or maybe the Voigt 125, and Contax N 100 Macro, and ...

Edited on Feb 05, 2010 at 06:21 AM · View previous versions

Feb 05, 2010 at 05:52 AM

PSquared63
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p.1 #8 · Leica 100mm APO macro - hard to beat

Grenache wrote:

Can you use R lenses on an M body?

Jim

Yes, there is an R-to-M adapter. However, it is impractical for non-wide angle lenses, because focusing is not rangefinder coupled, so you can only focus by the distance scale. That's why Dan mentioned live view.

Feb 05, 2010 at 05:58 AM

magiclight
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p.1 #9 · Leica 100mm APO macro - hard to beat

In a league by itself.

I enjoyed Lloyd Chambers comparison with the Zeiss f2 ZF.

Feb 05, 2010 at 06:51 AM

indiancanoner
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p.1 #10 · Leica 100mm APO macro - hard to beat

the detail rendition is astounding !

Feb 05, 2010 at 07:56 AM

zombii
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p.1 #11 · Leica 100mm APO macro - hard to beat

thrice wrote:
It still pains me to have parted with it, especially as mine was mint, and I had a mint apo-elpro as well.

I just never shot that much macro, I used it for portraits though and the performance was phenomenal.

If the M9 had live view I may have kept it.

This image is copyrighted by the owner

I really like this portrait Dan. It's really got the Leica color rendition.

Feb 05, 2010 at 08:36 AM

wayne seltzer
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p.1 #12 · Leica 100mm APO macro - hard to beat

My first macro lens and Leica lens, got it along with the ElPro.
Love its incredible sharpness/detail and color along with its nice focusing action.
Hail the king!

Feb 05, 2010 at 09:07 AM

wayne seltzer
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p.1 #13 · Leica 100mm APO macro - hard to beat

Three more:

2012 © wayne seltzer

Feb 05, 2010 at 09:11 AM

thrice
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p.1 #14 · Leica 100mm APO macro - hard to beat

zombii wrote:
I really like this portrait Dan. It's really got the Leica color rendition.

Thanks Rod

It's a great lens, a little big/heavy but less-so than the ZF/ZE 100MP that's for sure.

Feb 05, 2010 at 10:35 AM

jcolwell
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p.1 #15 · Leica 100mm APO macro - hard to beat

Beautiful photos guys. The three 'crons that I recently bought are conditioning me to prefer the Leica image style. Oh well, I guess the quest continues...

Feb 05, 2010 at 11:22 AM

RustyBug
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p.1 #16 · Leica 100mm APO macro - hard to beat

Wayne ... your butterfly is up there with the ribs ... both look so NATURAL.

Jim ... I just picked up the M645 80mmm/4 Macro ... and a new FotoDiox adapter. That's as close as I can get to the Leica ... for now

Dan ... captivating shot ... strangely discomforting & alluring at the same time ... nice.

Okay, question ... what is it about Leica that I can drool over shots for their ability to look so 'natural' ... then dislike shots from the same lens that exhibit the 'Leica glow' ... which BTW, I respect and understand to be desirable for its uniqueness?

Is there a specific technique / aperture / working distance etc. that renders the 'Leica glow'? Sometimes I find it really lovely, but I'm confused as to why / how a lens can seem to have a 'split personality' ... and how to best control (use, not eliminate) it ... in the event that my wife wants to buy me one for Valentine's Day

Edited on Feb 05, 2010 at 02:45 PM · View previous versions

Feb 05, 2010 at 02:23 PM

Grenache
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p.1 #17 · Leica 100mm APO macro - hard to beat

RustyBug wrote:

If I could have only two lenses, it would be this one and the Zeiss 21mm 2.8.

A nice pair indeed. If I did not have kids to chase around and generally so enjoy my 24-70, it would be replaced by a ZE 21 in a heartbeat. Oh the agonizin choices in life.

Jim

Feb 05, 2010 at 02:32 PM

Grenache
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p.1 #18 · Leica 100mm APO macro - hard to beat

Couple more shots, these showing its chops and sharpness in more landscape mode. Fairly sure that the aperture was f/5.6.

Jim

Feb 06, 2010 at 12:24 AM

Paul Yi
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p.1 #19 · Leica 100mm APO macro - hard to beat

I'll play....
I may have posted these before....

at f/4 ....

Feb 06, 2010 at 12:30 AM

wayne seltzer
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p.1 #20 · Leica 100mm APO macro - hard to beat

RustyBug wrote:
Wayne ... your butterfly is up there with the ribs ... both look so NATURAL.

Jim ... I just picked up the M645 80mmm/4 Macro ... and a new FotoDiox adapter. That's as close as I can get to the Leica ... for now

Thanks Kent! Look forward to seeing shots from your newly acquired M645 80mmm/4 Macro.
When you talk of Leica glow, I think of only the Leica R 80 1.4 with its famous Mandler glow at f1.4. The glow goes away when stopped down f2 and beyond. I don't think the 100 APO has any glow.

Jim, very sharp shots of the windmill blades with no CA, just nice and clean.

Feb 06, 2010 at 12:50 AM

Bifurcator
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p.1 #21 · Leica 100mm APO macro - hard to beat

Hard to beat? I'm not seeing it. Not at these small sizes. These are all (so far) nice images, properly exposed and processed - sure. And it does look like a "good" $500 to $800 lens. And it's APO so you don't have to be careful with edge CA showing up in ultra high contrast scenes. I hate to say it but my point and shoot competes well among the images posted here - at this size. At 100% I'm sure it looses out tho.

Also isn't this lens like $4,300 or something? And my $200 P&S is competing almost directly with it (at these sizes)?

Maybe I need educating but where's the "hard to beat" part?

/flame suit at the stand-by
/ready for incoming

Feb 06, 2010 at 03:27 AM

telyt
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p.1 #22 · Leica 100mm APO macro - hard to beat

Bifurcator wrote:Maybe I need educating...

You said it best. OTOH if web-sized images are all you're interested in, your P&S is all you need.

Feb 06, 2010 at 04:10 AM

thrice
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p.1 #23 · Leica 100mm APO macro - hard to beat

Bifurcator wrote:
Maybe I need educating but where's the "hard to beat" part?

Here you go. 100%, wide open, unsharpened and unprocessed (import into lightroom, export as unresized 100 quality sRGB jpeg with no sharpening).

Any loss of per pixel sharpness is due to the blur filter (AA filter) in the 5D mark II, or the fact that I shot it handheld.

It is a lens without optical or mechanical weakness.

Bifurcator wrote:
Also isn't this lens like $4,300 or something?

Also, mine was 1100, and was a ROM. My Elpro was 250. But I bought at the right time from a collector, I sold the combo for around 1800.

Edited on Feb 06, 2010 at 05:49 AM · View previous versions

Feb 06, 2010 at 04:39 AM

philip_pj
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p.1 #24 · Leica 100mm APO macro - hard to beat

That's a courageous post, Bif. I guess it must be a matter of taste, but most things Leica do not get my aesthetic appreciation going either, old HCB-style B&W excepted. I can't imagine shooting landscape with the R lenses going by their look.

Can't agree re your P&S comments however, and good luck with the incoming, hah hah...a thick skin/sense of humour helps if you want to dissent from the zeitgeist in this world of ours.

Feb 06, 2010 at 04:44 AM

thrice
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p.1 #25 · Leica 100mm APO macro - hard to beat

philip_pj wrote:
I can't imagine shooting landscape with the R lenses going by their look.

I shot all except the 5 most recent and a couple of the oldest (the gallery is chronological newest->oldest : left->right) with the 19mm Elmarit-R, 35mm Summilux-R and 90mm APO-Summicron-R:

http://www.aeos-photo.com.au/

Feb 06, 2010 at 04:47 AM


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