Using Leica R lenses on the Sony NEX 5

[Godfrey]

I believe the drool will never come out of my keyboard.

Somehow, I thought you might feel that way. Looks beautiful.

The Leica S2 system (aside from being so far above my pay grade it would take a Saturn V to get me there is not the direction I'm headed at present. My recent infatuation with ultra long lenses (yes, 180mm is ultra-long for me ... !) fitted to the GXR or E-5 is about as bulky as I'll get ... I think.

In the S2 direction lies madness. Or bankruptcy.

 

[jonoslack]

In the S2 direction lies madness. Or bankruptcy.

HI Godfrey - there is a point where our financial considerations coincide!

 

[jonoslack]

The number one reason I would like a full frame digital R camera from Leica (whether optical DSLR or mirrorless body with EVF) is to have a native R-mount body, so I can switch from using my R lenses on either my R8 or a digital R body as easily as I can do that with my Canon and Nikon film and digital bodies. No messing with adapters etc. I don't want to convert my Leica R lenses with Leitax to Nikon or Sony, because I'm not willing to give up on my R8.

Gary

HI Gary
Although changing the mounts is obviously an issue . . . I'm not sure that a good adapter is too much of a problem - you'll still be able to change your lenses from the digital camera to your R8 without difficulty.

Of course - that's true of using the NEX now . . and it's why I'm not rushing my lenses off to Spain to get converted (Like you and Marc, I'm hoping for a full frame Leica camera . . . although I'd rather it was M mount with a classy R mount adapter than native R mount).

I don't really think that stop-down is important with an adapter . . . it would be nice to have one which transferred exif information from the lens.

all the best

 

[Shashin]

Jono, sorry to hijack the thread, but are they your apples?--the red things on the tree, not the black metal thing on your camera. Do you spray?

 

[Knorp]

. . and it's why I'm not rushing my lenses off to Spain to get converted

Really Jono, no need sending the lot to Spain: it actually is just a piece of cake !
I did the K-mount conversion myself for my 100/2.8 :clap:

Kind regards.

 

[Godfrey]

HI Godfrey - there is a point where our financial considerations coincide!

lol!

well, you've infected me. i found a 2-cam Elmarit-R 180mm f/2.8 at KEH in BGN condition for $340. Add a couple of Kipon adapters (R->M, R->Fourthirds) ... call it $430. it looks to be a nice big lump of Leica glass ... will be fun to play with. be interesting to see how it makes images compared to the last Nikkor 180mm f/2.8 AI i sold. (i sold that one mostly because there was no sensible way to put it on a tripod with a small camera like the G1 ...)

the M9 will have to wait another increment. sigh. the addictive quality of camera gear is really scary. =8^0

 

[bensonga]

lol!

well, you've infected me. i found a 2-cam Elmarit-R 180mm f/2.8 at KEH in BGN condition for $340. Add a couple of Kipon adapters (R->M, R->Fourthirds) ... call it $430. it looks to be a nice big lump of Leica glass ... will be fun to play with. be interesting to see how it makes images compared to the last Nikkor 180mm f/2.8 AI i sold. (i sold that one mostly because there was no sensible way to put it on a tripod with a small camera like the G1 ...)

the M9 will have to wait another increment. sigh. the addictive quality of camera gear is really scary. =8^0

Congrats Godfrey! I have the 180/2.8 E67 (non-APO) and find it's much easier to hold and use, especially when mounted on smaller cameras (I've used it with my Panny G1 a few times) than the Nikkor 180/2.8 (which I also own). I think you'll really enjoy it. I just wish I could put a tripod mounting ring on it. None of my cameras have in body image stabilization.

http://slrlensreview.com/web/leica-...eica-elmarit-r-180mm-f28-e67-lens-review.html

Gary

 

[monza]

The Leitax mounts are not difficult to install...that said, it's still much cheaper to adapt the R lenses to NEX instead of A77. Only one adapter required, and no screwdrivers.

 

[Godfrey]

Congrats Godfrey! I have the 180/2.8 E67 (non-APO) and find it's much easier to hold and use, especially when mounted on smaller cameras (I've used it with my Panny G1 a few times) than the Nikkor 180/2.8 (which I also own). I think you'll really enjoy it. I just wish I could put a tripod mounting ring on it. None of my cameras have in body image stabilization.

http://slrlensreview.com/web/leica-...eica-elmarit-r-180mm-f28-e67-lens-review.html

nice review!
I hope the earlier version isn't too different.

Yes, the Nikkor was really just about hopeless on the G1, and clumsy fitted to the Panasonic L1 too. It worked much better with the Oly E-1 and E-5. I used to have one when I was shooting with the Nikon F3 and motor, at close field Motorsports events .. Much more similar to the Oly pro bodies.

I've kind of made it a policy now that any lens longer than 135mm must have some kind of tripod mounting as these small formats make them too long for effective hand holding unless the light is good enough for pretty hi shutter speeds. Longer than 135mm and I don't want to hang all the weight on the cameras tripod mount.

Now I'm all jazzed to see this lens in action... It will also be fun to see how it compares to the Micro Nikkor 200.

 

[jonoslack]

Really Jono, no need sending the lot to Spain: it actually is just a piece of cake !
I did the K-mount conversion myself for my 100/2.8 :clap:

Kind regards.

The Leitax mounts are not difficult to install...that said, it's still much cheaper to adapt the R lenses to NEX instead of A77. Only one adapter required, and no screwdrivers.

Hi There Bart - Robert
if you look at the Leitax site, they make it very clear that if you have Leica ROM lenses . . . . and you want to be able to change them back . . . then the only way is to send them in for fitting of the mount - can't remember how much the fitting is, but it is hundreds of euros.

 

[jonoslack]

lol!

well, you've infected me. i found a 2-cam Elmarit-R 180mm f/2.8 at KEH in BGN condition for $340. Add a couple of Kipon adapters (R->M, R->Fourthirds) ... call it $430. it looks to be a nice big lump of Leica glass ... will be fun to play with. be interesting to see how it makes images compared to the last Nikkor 180mm f/2.8 AI i sold. (i sold that one mostly because there was no sensible way to put it on a tripod with a small camera like the G1 ...)

the M9 will have to wait another increment. sigh. the addictive quality of camera gear is really scary. =8^0

Well - enjoy - I'm sure you will
Sad that the new doesn't have sensor IS, but I've been having good results using the high ISO abilities.

 

[philip_pj]

Jono, maybe this applies to some specific ROM lenses but it would be surprising if it applies to all of them.

I see nothing in this page mentioning this 'return to Leitax retrofit' cost:

http://www.leitax.com/Leica-lens-for-Sony-cameras.html

but I admit to not reading it with an editor's eagle eye, so maybe I missed something.

And I did this one in 20 minutes or so a few months back, for the A900:

http://www.leitax.com/conversion/leica/summicron-50-ROM/index.html

Very nice results from it on that body, a special lens even among my Contaxes.

 

[jonoslack]

Jono, maybe this applies to some specific ROM lenses but it would be surprising if it applies to all of them.

I see nothing in this page mentioning this 'return to Leitax retrofit' cost:

http://www.leitax.com/Leica-lens-for-Sony-cameras.html

but I admit to not reading it with an editor's eagle eye, so maybe I missed something.

And I did this one in 20 minutes or so a few months back, for the A900:

http://www.leitax.com/conversion/leica/summicron-50-ROM/index.html

Very nice results from it on that body, a special lens even among my Contaxes.

Thanks for that - I can see the point here . . . . . but this is a direct quote from the Leitax website:

- I'm offering now a reversible custom conversion work for the Leica Zoom lenses with ROM contacts that are, in general, not suitable for direct bayonet replacement, please contact me for an estimate.
Of course, there is no problem with 3-cam Zoom lenses to use the standard Leitax mount.

Here is a Link to the next page

More reading shows that the 70-180 is actually okay.
So - I could convert the 180 APO myself.
But, to be honest, I'm very happy with the Zeiss zooms on the A77 - I'll wait and see how these zooms do on the NEX7 before undertaking the trip to Spain

all the best

 

[jonoslack]

Hi There

Here are a few more shots. Some taken at lunchtime yesterday, the tree shots are from early this morning.

A few from the journey to work and the lunchtime walk.

with the Leica 21-35

with the Leica 21-35

with the Leica 28-90

with the Leica 28-90

with the Leica 28-90

with the Leica 28-90

Still loving these lenses with the NEX

 

[cmb_]

Nice stuff Jono! Stay away from the R Lux's (35, 50, 80), they can be as intoxicating (addictive) as their M cousins.

 

[jonoslack]

Nice stuff Jono! Stay away from the R Lux's (35, 50, 80), they can be as intoxicating (addictive) as their M cousins.

Oh Yes - I fully understand. But I am determined to stay away - I already have the M cousins, and if I'm going to MF shoot primes, then they'll do.

Thanks for the kind words - I'm not certain about the 21-35, but the 28-90 and the 180 APO really are lovely lenses . hopefully one day I can try them on a Leica sensor!

 

[Stuart Richardson]

When I had the R9 and later the DMR, I started with the 19mm, 50mm and 100mm and 180mm lenses. They are all spectacular. Then I bought Guy's 28-90mm to round things out in the wide range, I was shocked how much I wound up using it. It is the best zoom I have ever used -- very sharp, little distortion, useful focal length, great ergonomics, and even very nice bokeh. I used it more at 70mm than 90mm, but it really does a great job, as you are demonstrating! The 180mm APO was the best lens I had ever used from a performance standard (until I got the S2 and the 120mm), but I found it a bit less useful due to the very long focal length. In my opinion, the best lens in the whole Leica R range was the 100mm f/2.8 APO -- it is nearly as good a performer as the 180mm, yet it is of a much more useful focal length, it's smaller, and it doubles as a brilliant macro lens. It is a true beauty. The 50mm f/1.4 Summilux E60 has the nicest character of any 50mm I have used as well...not as sharp as the 50 lux ASPH, but sort of a mix between it and the 50mm pre-asph -- blending the best aspects of both. Also a bit of a dream lens! There was a reason that people shot Leica R, and it wasn't the bodies!

 

[Godfrey]

The two backlit photos of the trees are stunning, Jono! Very nice indeed.

 

[Godfrey]

Ah well. The "BGN" grade Elmarit-R 180/2.8 2-cam arrived today. I think it was mis-classified ... It's way beyond BGN, it's UGLY at best to my eyes. The glass looks good and the aperture works smoothly, but the focusing mount is stiff, the hood is dented up, and the paint is worn off every edge to the silver.

I made a few test exposures with it and it images nicely, but it's a bit more beat up than I care to mess with I think. I have 14 days to return it ... I will call tomorrow and get an RMA number, ship it out on Monday for a refund.

Hmm. Well, now I have adapters for Leica R->Leica M (for the GXR) and Leica R->FourThirds SLR (for the E-5 and E-1). They're not too expensive. I'll keep 'em, never know when another of these fine lenses might come up that will be a nice addition to the kit.

 

[PeterA]

These were some of the R lens collection I had put together to use on R8/R9 DMR system - I think at one stage I had obsessively collected every lens they had ever made for the R - up to and including the 280 in focal length. Not really a long tele shooter. Optically - no one has ever come close to the 35-70 zoom - or the 70-180 zooms. These would be my first choice R lenses to try - if you can find one.

I must admit - whenever I see reference to R lenses I wince in pain and bad memories - Leica relaly let the R users down when they decided not to upgrade the R9 to a higher megapixel version - even after promising one way or another that they would....Sad days.