R lenses with what body brand ?

[sinwen]

I am a Leica R and M user for many years now. I didn't buy the DMR nor the M8, prices being out of reach for one and second I consider electronic as non reliable with fast obsolescence so it should be ten time cheaper (ten being a way of saying of course).
My R6 still works perfectly beside the internal rubber coating going apart.
The next R body is probably going to score new price high ever, it is then easy, I won't buy it :angel:

Getting to digital, which is to my eyes "consumer products", it has to be cheap as it wont last, my idea is to get the entry price models. Leica will never produce a 400/600$ camera.

So here is the question, which camera brand to get for my Leica lenses ? I can cope with a cropping factor of 1.3 at the most.
In other words which brands have adapters to fit Leica lenses ? I know Canon is a possibility but where to get it and what are the limitations ?
What's about Pentax ? Olympus being half size sensor I am not interested due to cropping factor.

Many thanks for your answers.
Michel

 

[glenerrolrd]

Canon bodies work best and focus confirmation adapters are readily available for R to EOS (try eBay). Canon has 3 sensor sizes .....1.6 which is used for the Rebel,20D.30D and 40D. These are the only bodies you have a chance of finding under $1000. The 1.3 sensor has been used in the Id mark II and III . The full frame is used in the 5D and the Ids models. The 5D has been the choice of many because of its FF sensor and lower cost (think around $2000). Not every R lens will work on a Canon body due to the mirror clearance. Those whose rear elements protrude into the body (generally the newer wide angles 15,19,25,35lux etc). Most of the older affordable lenses work without problem.

 

[woodyspedden]

Canon bodies work best and focus confirmation adapters are readily available for R to EOS (try eBay). Canon has 3 sensor sizes .....1.6 which is used for the Rebel,20D.30D and 40D. These are the only bodies you have a chance of finding under $1000. The 1.3 sensor has been used in the Id mark II and III . The full frame is used in the 5D and the Ids models. The 5D has been the choice of many because of its FF sensor and lower cost (think around $2000). Not every R lens will work on a Canon body due to the mirror clearance. Those whose rear elements protrude into the body (generally the newer wide angles 15,19,25,35lux etc). Most of the older affordable lenses work without problem.

However it is relatively easy to do a mirror "shave" on the 5D which then allows all R and CZ lenses to be used successfully. And if you worry about the resale market for a shaved mirror 5D it costs only $300 to have Canon replace the mirror.

Woody

 

[fotografz]

Hey Woody, how does one "shave" the Mirror?

 

[woodyspedden]

Hey Brent

Haven't done one myself (70 years old and early staqe Parkinson's disease causes too much hand shake for such work) but Kurt Kamka and Pham Minh Son have both done two of my bodies and apparently is is a simple matter of sealing off the mirror box and carefully using a dremel tool to "shave the bottom of the mirror" until it no longer interferes with the objects at the end of the lenses such as shrouds, stop down levers etc.

I can only tell you that I have done this twice and very successfully. Of course when you look at where the mirror was shaved you see a not perfect look any longer but it is all cosmetic. The mirror still does its job perfectly and all my Zeiss and Leica R glass work as you would expect. I have all the R lenses from the wonderful 15 Elmarit to the 280 4.0 and they all are superb on the 5D (and I would expect even better on the R10 when it is available. I also have the 35-70 Elmarit, the Zeiss 85 1.2 50 jahre, 100-300 etc. So the shaved mirror of the 5D is a godsend for me.

All I know and all I know is that it works just perfectly.

You can contact both Kurt and Son through this forum since they both subscribe

Hope this helps

Woody

 

[Steen]

I've allways wondered why do it while the mirror is still in the camera, why not do it to a separate mirror and then have them changed after the shave ?
/Steen

 

[EH21]

/Steen

I did this myself on my 5D and it was no big deal. Took about 1hr and I'm sure were I to do a second it would take half the time. I used a glass cutter and scored the mirror before using the dremel and the mirror glass broke off on the score line so mostly I only had to dremel the plastic frame. There was some dust to clean out of course.

I think if you take out the mirror unit then you'll have to have the camera adjusted for focus and this will be a job much harder to do yourself plus you will waste the money on another mirror.

Eric