Needing something wider than 35mm and was all but sold on Zeiss 25/2, but I am having second thoughts, mostly because I miss my Leica 50/2.
I know that the Leica R 28/2.8 (late models, any way) are excellent, but I think that is too close to my 35. How are the 24/2.8 Elmarits? I scoured more pages here than I would care to admit, and I could not find a single shot from a 24.
Grenache wrote:
... it looks like reason for lack of examples is mirror clash with even cropped bodies. Aha.
Which cameras are you using?
I've used the R 24 with a Canon 40D (typical Canon 1.6 crop camera) with no issues at all, you just can't use it with FF Canon bodies. I have no 'test' images I can link to, ie nothing that shows the bokeh or that 'tests' the lens in any way. It's a nice lens, falls off in sharpness at the edges which makes no difference with crop bodies. It might be a Minolta design and the Leicaphiles dump shit on it as a result but Minolta has always made nice lenses so I'm fine with it's pedigree. I always loved using it back in the film days on the R bodies.
I've used the R 24 with a Canon 40D (typical Canon 1.6 crop camera) with no issues at all, you just can't use it with FF Canon bodies. I have no 'test' images I can link to, ie nothing that shows the bokeh or that 'tests' the lens in any way. It's a nice lens, falls off in sharpness at the edges which makes no difference with crop bodies. It might be a Minolta design and the Leicaphiles dump shit on it as a result but Minolta has always made nice lenses so I'm fine with it's pedigree. I always loved using it back in the film days on the R bodies. ...Show more →
I use the R60 (the one Leica produced after Minolta discontinued, but it's basically the same design tweaked slightly for better corner performance) on an a900 and it's fine on the corners and edges by f/5.6. But now that I have the 28, it sees less use. I like the draw on the 24 better for close work. I think that's where the Minolta wides really shine. My Rokkor 17/4 is an absolute stud when it comes to 2m and below.
I have no photos to post at this point. But, I hope that I have not made an error. I have had one of the original 280 f2.8 Apo Telyt lenses since 1986 that developed fungus some years ago. Leica Germany was able to clean out the fungus and they indicated that I should notice little or no loss of performance. I would have loved to have purchased one of the newer 280mm f4 Apo lenses but they are not readily available and have become extremely costly at this point. I was fortunate in 1998 that Leica USA loaned me the Modular 400mm f2.8 and 800mm f5.6 lenses for a month. Remarkable system. Leica USA used 2 of these images in 1998 I believe. Perhaps I will post these and other images.
In any case as some members of the community have reported, I just won this on ebay, a 350mm f4.8 lens for its lighter weight and when I do not want to use/carry the 280mm f2.8 lens.
I also have both the 1.4X and the 2X Apo extenders and know that the 2X will work with the lens and only with modification of the rear of the lens that the 1.4X extenders will work with the lens.
Still debating what to use for a camera and have been using the Lumix G1, but not all that happy with the total performance. Considering the Fujifilm XE-1 or the Fuji X Pro1.
Hopefully Doug Herr will check in and make some comments regarding the new lens and its performance versus my 280mm f2.8 lens.
naturephoto1 wrote:
Hopefully Doug Herr will check in and make some comments regarding the new lens and its performance versus my 280mm f2.8mm lens.
Rich
i've only shot with the 350/4.8, but i'm pretty sure it'll have more CA and SA than the 280/2.8 APO, probably more vignetting as well. still a fine lens, very sharp with excellent color. i've very much enjoyed birding with it on both 4/3 and NEX. be warned, it has quite a long focus throw and does lose something near mfd (it's much improved at 20ft versus 7ft).
sebboh wrote:
i've only shot with the 350/4.8, but i'm pretty sure it'll have more CA and SA than the 280/2.8 APO, probably more vignetting as well. still a fine lens, very sharp with excellent color. i've very much enjoyed birding with it on both 4/3 and NEX. be warned, it has quite a long focus throw and does lose something near mfd (it's much improved at 20ft versus 7ft).
Thank you. I will still wait to hear from Doug. I have been impressed by many of the photos that you have posted in this thread. I look forward to receiving my lens which I believe is not only in really fine condition but what I won for a good price. Of course, if I do not like it, I am sure that I can sell it either here on the forum or on ebay, but I suspect that if nothing else I will find times that I want to use it instead of the 280 f2.8 Apo that I have.
carstenw wrote:
He is not always active here, so you can also look for him over on his website: http://www.wildlightphoto.com/
Carsten,
Thank you. I have known about Doug for years through this and other fora as well as my friends at Leica USA though I have never had any direct contact with him.
I thought that I might post the firs of my images taken quite some time ago on film.
The first of the elk:
Photo taken hand held with Leica R4SP camera and Leica f4.0 70-210 mm Vario Elmar Zoom lens on Kodachrome 64 film.
The second of the Goshawk:
Photo of a rehabilitating Northern Goshawk taken at The Raptor Trust in Millington, NJ in 1990. Image taken with Leica R4SP camera and Leica f2.8 280mm Apo Telyt lens on Kodachrome 64 film.
The third of the pair of nesting Great Blue Herons:
Photo of a nesting pair of Great Blue Herons taken at the Venice Rookery in Venice, Florida in February of 1998. Her is on the left and him is on the right. The image was taken with Leica R7 camera and Leica f5.6 800mm Modular Apo Telyt lens on Fujichrome Provia 100 film. Special thanks to and the 800mm lens was on loan for usage from Leica Camera, USA for a month.
The forth of the male Anhinga in breeding plumage:
Photo of a male Anhinga in breeding plumage taken along the Anhinga Trail in Everglades National Park, Florida in February of 1998. The bird was down an embankment and was about 14 feet away, the closest that the 800mm lens would focus. Image taken with Leica R7 camera and Leica f5.6 800mm Modular Apo Telyt lens set to f11 on Fujichrome Provia 100 film. Special thanks to and the 800mm lens was on loan for usage from Leica Camera, USA for a month.
