freaklikeme
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 p.2 #1 · Best Macro lens on the a7(r) | |
Yeah, the 60's a good place to start with R lenses. You can't go wrong with either version (the Frankenlens posts for the cap/hood or the newer, built-in hood model). The lens is built like a tank, so I didn't and wouldn't worry much about the exterior condition. Mine looks like it was run over with a rolling sander and still performs beautifully. The most important thing is clean optics.
As for the rest, it's probably easier to figure out what else you're interested in and ask specific questions (just about everyone that hangs out in the Leica R thread is very friendly and helpful). Here's a brief overview on my way of thinking.
Bargains (everything's relative) in the line:
Elmarit 28/2.8 vI- it doesn't compare well to it's replacement, but it stands up just fine against most other 28s of its age.
Elmarit 35/2.8 (e55)- if you don't need the speed, this is every bit the lens of it's faster siblings, and is lighter and cheaper. It's also a bit better than the C/Y Distagon 35/2.8 and has a useful built-in hood.
Summicron 50/2 (e55)- this is the lens that comes to mind when I hear people talk about the "Leica look". Plentiful, so it remains decently priced.
Macro-Elmarit 60/2.8- you're already sold, so moving on...
Elmarit 90/2.8- the version doesn't matter to performance. Very sharp lens.
Macro-Elmar 100/4- another lens that can take a beating a keep going like a champ. Make sure you're looking at the helicoid mount, not the bellows lens, which is the same optical cell but lacks a way to focus it mounted on a camera. However, if you want to save some cash, pick up a Minolta 100/4 Macro. I don't believe the lenses are identical, but the performance is.
Elmarit 135/2.8 vII- another sharpie.
Elmarit 180/2.8 vII- I mostly use it for performer headshots, but it's a very capable all-around tele. Add a 1.4x and it's an equally capable 250.
Pricey, but worth it:
Elmarit 28/2.8 vII- yeah, the lens really is, in my opinion, good enough to justify the price tag. However, the Elmarit-M 28/2.8 vIII catches up with edge performance at f/5.6, has the same beautiful colors and contrast, and has a useful hood, though not a built-in one. It's also smaller and lighter and sells for half to two-thirds the going rate of the R.
Summilux 35/1.4- you have to search a bit to find one that's not ridiculously expensive, and it's questionable how much value the extra stop brings over the Summicron, but it's so usable wide open, I don't question it. This lens was a big reason I moved from Canon to Sony SLRs, and I don't regret it.
Summicron 35/2 (e55)- the extreme corners never get good, only acceptable by f/5.6, slightly better at f/8, but this lens was my faithful companion when I was shooting Canon DSLRs.
Summilux 80/1.4- it's not my personal favorite, and one of the few Mandler-deisgned lenses that I didn't get attached to (I prefer the Summicron 90, so the 80 never got used), but that doesn't mean that it doesn't belong on this list.
Summicron 90 (e55)- my first alt lens after picking up a digital camera. It was strongly recommended to me by other forum members when I wanted a portrait lens. It's still my favorite sniper lens for candids, though I use the M-mount version (same optics) now.
APO-Macro-Elmarit 100/2.8- my favorite pano and landscape lens. Oh, and it's a pretty decent macro lens too. 
Legends (and priced accordingly):
APO-Elmarit 180/2.8- it's hard to find, and I'd say you'd really have to love the focal length to justify the price when it does pop up, but you'd be hard pressed to find a better 180.
APO-Telyt 280/4- or God's right eye, given the status the lens has among photographers who have used it. If you spend your days crawling around the wilderness shooting pictures of creatures big and small, this lens will put a smile on your face.
The modular APO 400/560/800 head and focusing mounts- add the 1.4x and 2x APO extenders for 1120 and 1600mm and head out on safari (assuming you have enough money left for a plane ticket... or food).
Zooms:
The earlier zooms were Minolta designs (and are available cheaper in MC/MD mounts), Sigma did the 28-70, Kyocera the 35-70/4 and 80-200/4. The 80-200/4 is probably the best of this bunch. The 35-70/4 is good lens from about 40mm on, and the macro function is on the tele end, which I find handy, but here the C/Y Zeiss 35-70/3.5 is the better all arounder, even if the macro is on the wrong end and it's a push-pull.
Then there's the stellar pair of the 35-70/2.8 and APO 70-180/2.8. Together, they'll set you back a small fortune, but there are no better manual focus zooms.
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