Does anyone have experience with one of the really wide-angle Leica-R lenses? I was thinking of getting the Elmarit-R 19mm F/2.8 R1? I would be using it for either my Canon EF cameras or possibly for my new Sigma X1 Merrill. The R2 has an issue with a ROM that sticks out(?). Regardless, I've seen some fantastic photos from R1, but I'm wondering if anyone has experience with this lens and is it worth it? Anything good or bad to report on this lens? Also, what does it cost?
Thanks.
billsamuels wrote:
Does anyone have experience with one of the really wide-angle Leica-R lenses? I was thinking of getting the Elmarit-R 19mm F/2.8 R1? I would be using it for either my Canon EF cameras or possibly for my new Sigma X1 Merrill. The R2 has an issue with a ROM that sticks out(?). Regardless, I've seen some fantastic photos from R1, but I'm wondering if anyone has experience with this lens and is it worth it? Anything good or bad to report on this lens? Also, what does it cost?
Thanks.
Hi Bill,
I had the original 19mm lens. Unfortunately my copy had Fungus that had been removed by Leica and redeveloped and was returned to my store. It was my first UW angle lens back about 1985? and I found it very difficult to control the angle of view. It is supposed to be a good lens. As with all UW lenses to control the WA view you must keep the lens level. The second version of the lens is supposed to be a fair amount better, but is much more costly, larger, and heavier, and has built in filters.
I returned the 19mm lens and got the Leica R 21mm Super Angulon which I was much more able to control. I still have this lens, but am really considering letting go at this point.
I have noticed that there is definitely an advantage to shooting the R lenses on an SL as opposed to other bodies.
I went through pages and pages of images on the Leica forum where there were images shot with R lenses on other bodies and images taken with R lenses on the SL. There was only a couple times that I guessed wrong, that an image was taken with a different body than the SL. There is something inherently Leica about images shot with the R on an SL. I had purchased a couple SL lenses and found them to not have that Leica look. Others have also mentioned that there is something more digitally accurate yet sterile in the images though the SL lenses I've tried.
I had the original 19mm lens. Unfortunately my copy had Fungus that had been removed by Leica and redeveloped and was returned to my store. It was my first UW angle lens back about 1985? and I found it very difficult to control the angle of view. It is supposed to be a good lens. As with all UW lenses to control the WA view you must keep the lens level. The second version of the lens is supposed to be a fair amount better, but is much more costly, larger, and heavier, and has built in filters.
I returned the 19mm lens and got the Leica R 21mm Super Angulon which I was much more able to control. I still have this lens, but am really considering letting go at this point.
I'm not sure what you mean about being difficult to keep it level? With a lens that wide, it would seem that being slightly off level would be hard to notice in such a wide photo? And then couldn't you fix it in post or am I missing the point all together? Before I try to find a copy, I want to make sure I know what I'm up against.
Funny enough, I have a 17mm Olympus that had a bad problem with fungus. I finally gave up on it. I have a Mamiya lens that also had it but a couple of hours in the oven seemed to kill it without killing the lens. Cheers.
The mark ii R 19/2.8 ROM is regarded more highly but is very pricey! I have for some years been using the wide zoom, Leica R 21-35/3.5 ROM, and found it to be a truly excellent lens, particularly on the Leica SL, but it has also worked well with the Sony A7Rii. It is also considerably less expensive. The somewhat constrained range has never been an issue for me in practice. The shots of the Yellow Mountains which I've posted above were all taken with this lens on the SL.
billsamuels wrote:
Does anyone have experience with one of the really wide-angle Leica-R lenses? I was thinking of getting the Elmarit-R 19mm F/2.8 R1? I would be using it for either my Canon EF cameras or possibly for my new Sigma X1 Merrill. The R2 has an issue with a ROM that sticks out(?). Regardless, I've seen some fantastic photos from R1, but I'm wondering if anyone has experience with this lens and is it worth it? Anything good or bad to report on this lens? Also, what does it cost?
Thanks.
I'm not sure what you mean about being difficult to keep it level? With a lens that wide, it would seem that being slightly off level would be hard to notice in such a wide photo? And then couldn't you fix it in post or am I missing the point all together? Before I try to find a copy, I want to make sure I know what I'm up against.
Funny enough, I have a 17mm Olympus that had a bad problem with fungus. I finally gave up on it. I have a Mamiya lens that also had it but a couple of hours in the oven seemed to kill it without killing the lens. Cheers. ...Show more →
Hi Bill,
What I meant was for hand holding I found it difficult to keep the lens level. Much easier to keep the lens level when the camera was mounted on a tripod. If the lens was not level lines of the landscape and architecture would bend dramatically. Back in 1985 or so shooting slide material was all that I was doing. Photoshop and all of the software was far in the future. For any prints from slides I needed to rely on a Pro lab that would print Cibachromes and I am not sure how much success they would have had trying to correct for the curvature noted in a conventional dark room.
I wanted to take my "new to me" 90/2 AA out for a spin. Little did I know that there would be some classic cars (~7 different Model As) parked in the lot where I was going to be hanging out. The 90 mm was not the right lens for pictures of the full cars (there was very little space to move around), so I only got some close ups.
Summicron-R 90/2 AA on Sony A7R3. The pictures of the dash were shot at f/2. The metal door step was probably at f/5.6.
Photo cross posted in the Sony FE Image Thread and taken in Magic Hour at 4:28 PM about 21 minutes before sunset.
Looking at trees in Autumn Color bathed in Magic Hour light.
Tripod mounted Leica R 280mm f4 Apo-Telyt lens and Sony A7r.
ISO 400, f8 for 1/100 second.
Exposure corrected +0.12 Stops.
November 10, 2014
Near the top of the Trexler Nature Preserve, Schnecksville, PA.
Photo cross posted in the Sony FE Image thread and taken at 1:14 PM
Looking from the Point Overlook near Skyline Drive at the trees at the end of the overlook toward the nearest hill/ mountainside in Autumn Color and into the distance.
Tripod mounted Leica R 280mm f4 Apo Telyt lens and A7r.
ISO 100, f11?, 1/320 second.
Exposure corrected by +0.12 Stops.
October 23, 2016
At The Point Overlook, Shenandoah National Park, Virginia.
