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Anyone using SL with the Nik or Can Novoflex adapter

VINCET

Member
Just wondering if anyone is using their SL with the Nikon or Canon Novoflex adapter. How do you like it?

Also wondering if anyone using the older SF-58 with the SL?

Thanks
Vince
 

Godfrey

Well-known member
Just wondering if anyone is using their SL with the Nikon or Canon Novoflex adapter. How do you like it?

Also wondering if anyone using the older SF-58 with the SL?

There's been a good bit of discussion about the electronic Novoflex adapters that work with the SL and Nikon or Canon lenses on l-camera-forum ... a couple of representative threads:

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/253460-3rd-party-lens-performance-on-sl/
http://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/264481-novoflex-nikon-e-to-leica-sl-adapter/
http://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/264942-do-not-buy-the-novoflex-ef-sl-adapter/

SF-58 ...? What lens is this? or is it a lens?

I have used mostly Leica R primes on the Leica adapters aside from the SL24-90 so can't offer any evaluation of the Novoflex adapters.

G
 

VINCET

Member
There's been a good bit of discussion about the electronic Novoflex adapters that work with the SL and Nikon or Canon lenses on l-camera-forum ... a couple of representative threads:

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/253460-3rd-party-lens-performance-on-sl/
http://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/264481-novoflex-nikon-e-to-leica-sl-adapter/
http://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/264942-do-not-buy-the-novoflex-ef-sl-adapter/

SF-58 ...? What lens is this? or is it a lens?

I have used mostly Leica R primes on the Leica adapters aside from the SL24-90 so can't offer any evaluation of the Novoflex adapters.

G
Should have been a little more clear Godfrey, the SF-58 is the Leica flash before the new SF-40 and SF-64.

Thanks
Vince
 

Godfrey

Well-known member
Should have been a little more clear Godfrey, the SF-58 is the Leica flash before the new SF-40 and SF-64.
Ah, okay. On the other forum, there are a bunch of threads about the SL and flash usage too. I don't use flash very often, and generally only externally metered, generic flash units, so I don't know much about the SF-58.

G
 

DaveS

Active member
Hi,

I have the Novoflex EOS adapter with focus, and also the really cheap Canon FD and Nikon Fotasy adapters.

The EOS one is nice in that it records the EXIF and allows use of my EOS lenses, but I find the auto focus isn't very fast or accurate. So I end up using manual focus override, (ie get close and manually adjust) or just use manual focus on EOS. It is disappointing how hit and miss it is, nothing that I would rely on. So I take it as a mount, with EXIF that allows a lot of lenses to be adapted.

What I really like is the cheap (ie: $35 buck on ebay) Fotasy versions for Canon FD and Nikon.

I use lots of canon FD zooms and fixed focal length lenses, and also specifically the Close Focus correction ie floating element Nikon 28mm F2.8.

I found the canon FD primes and many FD zooms to be very good on the SL. ie the 100-300mm F5.6L is really good, small and light. The 20mm F2.8 at F4 and above is great, the 17mm F4 FD, and the 50mm 1.4, 55mm F1.2 ASPH, 85 1,8 and the 100 F2.8, and 200mm F4 IF, are all small and really good at about 1 to 3 stops down from wide open.

Also on FD zooms, the 35-105 F3.5-4.5 aspherical, 70-150mm F4.5, and 20-35mm F3.5L work well. Typically stopped down a bit. So I use them out doors on bright days or with higher ISO which all work well with the SL

The Nikon F2.8 is great wide open, and you only stop down to help with vignetting, not with sharpness.

Most of these lenses I got cheap or free or inherited. So it makes the SL really enjoyable to use all these options from the past.

The 5 older killer lenses on the SL are in my opinion the Canon FDn 3.5 50mm MACRO, the Olympus 50mm F2.0 MACRO and the Nikon 28mm CRC (close range correction? aka floating element) F2.8, the Canon FDn 100 F2.8, and the Canon FDn 100-300mm F5.6L. All are excellent wide open and down to F11. actually exceptional in my opinion especially considering the price. They all offer an alternative and supplement to the 24-90 'kit' lens.

Lastly I just picked up the Leica T 23mm F2.0 asph used for the SL. it is really sharp and nice and quite quick focussing although 10 megapixels only. So I am having fun with my SL, TL, and vintage lenses.

Regards,
Dave S
 

VINCET

Member
Thanks for the replies. I figure that the downside of buying a 3rd party adapter will be firmware and their inability to test all the different version of the lens. Therefore, limited compatibility. Worse probably if you are planning to use newly released lens. Anyway, I think I will just stick with using the R and M lens for now.
 

John Black

Active member
Hi Vince - the Novoflex SL / EOS "works", but... it's a long list of "but's". I've used with a Zeiss 35/2 ZE, 100/2 ZE and 55 Otus. There is a slight shutter delay, sometimes more pronounced than other times. EXIF is reported, but the lens name is wrong - all show as a Voigtlander 40mm. Yet the same lenses on the A7rII a-la the Metabones IV T report the correct Zeiss name. So the Novoflex (or Leica's firmware) is picking up the wrong EXIF meta data field. I haven't tried an AF lens, so I'll leave that topic to others. If you're okay with manual focus, then I think it's a good option. Relative to using M lenses, there are couple advantages going the Canon route -


  • Auto aperture - makes things a bit easier
  • The focus magnification is navigated a-la the focus points
a) the camera remembers the last AF point selected​
b) thus, no constant re-centering (which is annoying with the M lenses IMO)​
 

VINCET

Member
Hi John

Thanks for the info. Yeah, I guess there are some advantages but I will give the native R and M lens a go first. Maybe let Leica/Novoflex iron out some more of the kinks first.

Regards
Vince

Hi Vince - the Novoflex SL / EOS "works", but... it's a long list of "but's". I've used with a Zeiss 35/2 ZE, 100/2 ZE and 55 Otus. There is a slight shutter delay, sometimes more pronounced than other times. EXIF is reported, but the lens name is wrong - all show as a Voigtlander 40mm. Yet the same lenses on the A7rII a-la the Metabones IV T report the correct Zeiss name. So the Novoflex (or Leica's firmware) is picking up the wrong EXIF meta data field. I haven't tried an AF lens, so I'll leave that topic to others. If you're okay with manual focus, then I think it's a good option. Relative to using M lenses, there are couple advantages going the Canon route -


  • Auto aperture - makes things a bit easier
  • The focus magnification is navigated a-la the focus points
a) the camera remembers the last AF point selected​
b) thus, no constant re-centering (which is annoying with the M lenses IMO)​
 

PeterA

Well-known member
I use the Novoflex adaptor for Nikon mount with Zeiss Milvus and Otus lenses - very happy.
 

VINCET

Member
I use the Novoflex adaptor for Nikon mount with Zeiss Milvus and Otus lenses - very happy.
Thanks Peter. Since you are using manual lens, are you using the Novoflex with the electronic contact or the one without? I am intrigue with the AF version and its performance with the Nikon 105mm f1.4e
 
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