Using Leica R lenses on the Sony NEX 5

[jonoslack]

Hi There - what fun I've been having!
I've never owned any R lenses before, but the focus peaking on the NEX 5n together with the excellent viewfinder prompted me to buy 3 lenses:
21-35 f3/5 Asph
28-90 f2.8 / f4.5 Asph
180 f2.8 APO



I thought they would also go nicely on the A77 with a mount change if necessary, but it's much simpler using them on the NEX with a cheap chinese (very nicely made) adapter, which cost £19.99

Here are a few early samples in no particular order
Processed from RAW in Aperture:

with the 28-90 (Oak Apples )

with the 28-90

with the 180 APO

with the 28-90

with the 28-90

with the 28-90

with the 28-90

with the 180 f2.8

All the best

 

[jonoslack]

Here are some more with the 180 f2.8 APO
focusing is surprisingly easy - even wide open:

with the 180 APO

with the 180 APO

with the 180 APO

with the 180 APO

with the 180 APO

with the 180 APO

n.b. everything is hand held.

 

[Stuart Richardson]

Great to hear that there is a way to use these well on digital. They are spectacular lenses. I am guessing Leica's mirrorless camera will do as well! Maybe they can even get the lenses to stop down automatically...

 

[jonoslack]

Great to hear that there is a way to use these well on digital. They are spectacular lenses. I am guessing Leica's mirrorless camera will do as well! Maybe they can even get the lenses to stop down automatically...

HI There Stuart
Seems to me that if you have a good EVF then it doesn't really matter that much whether they stop down or not - even in pretty low light the focus peaking seems to work really well.
Remember - I've only spent one day fiddling with these lenses - experience will make it easier, by my hit rate for focusing is still really high. The swan shots especially I was pleased with - wild swan and not keeping still either!

all the best

 

[Diane B]

Whoops I was wrong LOL. (see Fuji thread)

Diane

 

[woodyspedden]

Jono

I had an R system with all of the lenses you bought.

The 180 elmarit is just superb. I had both it and also the 180 2.0. The elmarit was so much smaller and the IQ so superb that I sold the Summicron and kept the Elmarit.

I love the 28-90 zoom. I have some images that you would swear had to be taken with a prime lens as the results were so good. However I never really cottoned to the 21-35. Not a bad lens but the primes in that region were just so much better (particularly the 28 Elmarit.)

JMHO. I hope you enjoy the lenses with your 5n. So far the results look great

Woody

 

[jonoslack]

Whoops I was wrong LOL. (see Fuji thread)

Diane

???? I'm very confused ???

nice to hear from you though

 

[rayyan]

Hi Jono,

Liking what you are posting with the Rs. If I may, could you post a 180mm

on the 5N image for me to get a feel for the contraption.

Keep posting Jono, and thanks.

Regards.

 

[Godfrey]

Ah, lovely imaging.

I always wanted a Leica R specifically for the quality of the Leica R lenses. They do lovely things in imaging! They were always more expensive than I was willing to pay for, but an R8 and three or four of these lenses were always in my thoughts during the 1990s.

Enjoy them.

 

[emr]

Well, they seem to be working beautifully! How's the ergonomics? flange focal range of 47mm, longer than almost any other SLR.

BTW, does anybody else remember how a couple of years ago some Leica exec said they're working on a solution that would allow one to use R lenses on a digital Leica? So far - zero?

 

[bensonga]

Ah, lovely imaging.

I always wanted a Leica R specifically for the quality of the Leica R lenses. They do lovely things in imaging! They were always more expensive than I was willing to pay for, but an R8 and three or four of these lenses were always in my thoughts during the 1990s.

Enjoy them.

I had the same thoughts and desires in the 80s and 90s, so I finally bought an R8 and several R lenses over the past 18 months. They are so much more affordable now, although if folks keep posting these great images with R glass, I'm sure the prices of clean R lenses will be trending upwards.

Gary

 

[jonoslack]

Jono

I had an R system with all of the lenses you bought.

The 180 elmarit is just superb. I had both it and also the 180 2.0. The elmarit was so much smaller and the IQ so superb that I sold the Summicron and kept the Elmarit.

I love the 28-90 zoom. I have some images that you would swear had to be taken with a prime lens as the results were so good. However I never really cottoned to the 21-35. Not a bad lens but the primes in that region were just so much better (particularly the 28 Elmarit.)

JMHO. I hope you enjoy the lenses with your 5n. So far the results look great

Woody

HI Woody
I'm really enjoying the lenses - the 21-35 is probably more exciting on the NEX 5n - i.e. it's cropped, and it turns into a more useful 30-55 lens. It's also quite small.
I quite agree with you about the 28-90 though - it's wonderful!

all the best

 

[jonoslack]

Hi Jono,

Liking what you are posting with the Rs. If I may, could you post a 180mm

on the 5N image for me to get a feel for the contraption.

Keep posting Jono, and thanks.

Regards.

Hi There Ray
Please to oblige - it looks odder than it feels! (I promise)

 

[jonoslack]

Ah, lovely imaging.

I always wanted a Leica R specifically for the quality of the Leica R lenses. They do lovely things in imaging! They were always more expensive than I was willing to pay for, but an R8 and three or four of these lenses were always in my thoughts during the 1990s.

Enjoy them.

Thank you Godfrey.
I got all the three lenses for less than the price of a 35 'lux - hardly cheap, but they certainly feel worth it!

I'm not sure how it'll pan out in the end, but they're reassuringly easy to focus. I'm not sure that the Sony sensor does them justice, but it's refreshing to have lenses which certainly do the sensor justice !

all the best

 

[soupcxan]

I like using Leica M-mount lenses on my Nex because even with the adapter, they're very compact. Going to R-mount lenses adds a fair amount of bulk to the package.

 

[jonoslack]

Well, they seem to be working beautifully! How's the ergonomics? flange focal range of 47mm, longer than almost any other SLR.

They feel good - it's a different experience, but even on the first day I've been getting a reassuringly good hit-rate on focus, and it's fun to use

BTW, does anybody else remember how a couple of years ago some Leica exec said they're working on a solution that would allow one to use R lenses on a digital Leica? So far - zero?

Oh! Everyone remembers! Who it was that said it, what he said . . . . I don't doubt for a second that there will be some kind of a solution - when, is anybody's guess! I bought the lenses because I could see a positive use for them now . . . and a hopeful use for them in the future.

 

[jonoslack]

I had the same thoughts and desires in the 80s and 90s, so I finally bought an R8 and several R lenses over the past 18 months. They are so much more affordable now, although if folks keep posting these great images with R glass, I'm sure the prices of clean R lenses will be trending upwards.

Gary

Hi Gary
Thank You!
It seemed to me that focus peaking meant that their moment had come. Of course, I'd rather use them on a Leica sensor, and I hope that someday I will, but they're worth having right now . . . . maybe you should grab yourself a NEX 5n and play digital with your lenses?

all the best

 

[jonoslack]

I like using Leica M-mount lenses on my Nex because even with the adapter, they're very compact. Going to R-mount lenses adds a fair amount of bulk to the package.

Hi There
Of course - quite agree . . . . .but personally, if I'm using M lenses, I put them on the M9!

The point here is to use lenses of Leica quality, but which are either zooms, or of a longer focal length. Hence my choice of lenses. There isn't anything like an M 28-90 zoom - or an 180mm f2.8!

all the best

 

[rayyan]

Thanks Jono.

The images you have presented using this combo are wonderful. The ergonomics of this ' machine ' appears a bit uncomfortable to me.

Best regards.

 

[bensonga]

Hi Gary
Thank You!
It seemed to me that focus peaking meant that their moment had come. Of course, I'd rather use them on a Leica sensor, and I hope that someday I will, but they're worth having right now . . . . maybe you should grab yourself a NEX 5n and play digital with your lenses?

all the best

The size and ergonomics of the NEX cameras has never appealed to me.....but I'm looking forward to hearing of your experience using the R lenses on the A77 (and seeing some images from same)! The A77 body style is more to my liking. In any case, the images you've posted here look terrific. :thumbup:

Gary