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A7r, A7r2 - and why I'm keeping both ...

V

Vivek

Guest
You could have bought this one all the same. You see the red dot :rolleyes:
Yes, Michiel but I bought it 17 years ago to use on Leica R bodies. :)

Are you saying that you can buy a medium format camera for less than the price of some of the 24x36 sized digital cameras? :bugeyes:
 

Michiel Schierbeek

Well-known member
Yes, Michiel but I bought it 17 years ago to use on Leica R bodies. :)

Are you saying that you can buy a medium format camera for less than the price of some of the 24x36 sized digital cameras? :bugeyes:
No I didn't but I did buy a PentaxZ for about the same price as one Otus lens :)
 

k-hawinkler

Well-known member
Sorry K H . I could not resist

I do like Leica lenses though, I have 7 myself. :)

Thanks Michiel, no problem at all. There seem to be a number of urls out there that attribute different optical designs to the various versions of the 35-70/3.5 and 35-70/4 from Minolta and from Leica, actually made by Kryocera (I probably misspelled the name). As you seem very knowledgable about the origins of these lenses, could you please explain the various designs and differences for me? I would appreciate that very much as I can't tell which of the web sites is correct. TIA.
 
V

Vivek

Guest
Thanks Michiel, no problem at all. There seem to be a number of urls out there that attribute different optical designs to the various versions of the 35-70/3.5 and 35-70/4 from Minolta and from Leica, actually made by Kryocera (I probably misspelled the name). As you seem very knowledgable about the origins of these lenses, could you please explain the various designs and differences for me? I would appreciate that very much as I can't tell which of the web sites is correct. TIA.
K-H, I am also sorry for the distraction.

Kryocera or rather Kyocera is a Japanese company with lots of expertise in ceramics. Even today they are a cutting edge tech company when it comes to ceramics. They also make ceramic knifes that are very very sharp.

No idea about their optical designs though. :eek:
 

k-hawinkler

Well-known member
K-H, I am also sorry for the distraction.

Kryocera or rather Kyocera is a Japanese company with lots of expertise in ceramics. Even today they are a cutting edge tech company when it comes to ceramics. They also make ceramic knifes that are very very sharp.

No idea about their optical designs though. :eek:

Thanks Vivek, I believe the lens I bought was designed by Leica but made by Kyocera, but of course, I can be wrong. So what do you know about that? TIA.
 

Annna T

Active member
Thanks Vivek, I believe the lens I bought was designed by Leica but made by Kyocera, but of course, I can be wrong. So what do you know about that? TIA.
I think that Kyocera was the owner of Contax Yashica at some point (?)
At least, I remember the name was in the users' manual and warranty of my Contax G body.

Here an interesting short history of Zeiss Contax Yashica and Kyocera :

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contax

(From Wikipedia, who else ? )
 

nsng

Member
Thanks Vivek, I believe the lens I bought was designed by Leica but made by Kyocera, but of course, I can be wrong. So what do you know about that? TIA.
The 35-70 VE was designed by Leica and manufactured by Kyocera. Yashica who manufactured the Contax slrs and Zeiss CY lenses and was acquired by Kyocera. This lens has no relationship to the Minolta sourced 35-70 zoom. This lens has an aspherical element, but for some reasons, Leica never indicate this on the lens. I purchased this lens shortly after I bought my R8. This is an excellent lens and works great with the A7r and now with my A7r 2. BTW, the 80-200 Vario-Elmar was also designed by Leica and manufactured by Kyocera.
 
V

Vivek

Guest
I think that Kyocera was the owner of Contax Yashica at some point (?)
At least, I remember the name was in the users' manual and warranty of my Contax G body.

Here an interesting short history of Zeiss Contax Yashica and Kyocera :

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contax

(From Wikipedia, who else ? )
Correct.

Contax by Vivek Iyer, on Flickr

That is a synthetic ruby (identical to natural) which comes from Kyocera's expertise in ceramics. The most expensive red dot made for a camera. ;)
 

k-hawinkler

Well-known member
The 35-70 VE was designed by Leica and manufactured by Kyocera. Yashica who manufactured the Contax slrs and Zeiss CY lenses and was acquired by Kyocera. This lens has no relationship to the Minolta sourced 35-70 zoom. This lens has an aspherical element, but for some reasons, Leica never indicate this on the lens. I purchased this lens shortly after I bought my R8. This is an excellent lens and works great with the A7r and now with my A7r 2. BTW, the 80-200 Vario-Elmar was also designed by Leica and manufactured by Kyocera.

Thank you so much for the information, indeed! Much appreciated!

I also like the Vario-Elmar-R 80-200/4 that I bought several years ago.
It's easy to handhold, in particular with an IBIS camera like the OM-D E-M5/1/5II or A7r2, and makes high IQ images for me.
It's the largest Leica lens I can still handhold.

The even heavier APO-Telyt-R 280/4 and Vario-Elmar-R 105-280/4.2 I only use on a tripod.
That way I can focus them with great precision, as they respond to the gentlest touch. :D
 

Michiel Schierbeek

Well-known member
Thanks Michiel, no problem at all. There seem to be a number of urls out there that attribute different optical designs to the various versions of the 35-70/3.5 and 35-70/4 from Minolta and from Leica, actually made by Kryocera (I probably misspelled the name). As you seem very knowledgable about the origins of these lenses, could you please explain the various designs and differences for me? I would appreciate that very much as I can't tell which of the web sites is correct. TIA.
I got my information from this website and other storys from years around the web. This seems, as other lenses, to be a shared design between Leica and Minolta.
It is known both companys worked together extensivly in the past for example the lenses they shared for the Leica CL and Leica CLE.
It is a pitty that the links on that site don't point in the right direction anymore.
 

nsng

Member
Thank you so much for the information, indeed! Much appreciated!

I also like the Vario-Elmar-R 80-200/4 that I bought several years ago.
It's easy to handhold, in particular with an IBIS camera like the OM-D E-M5/1/5II or A7r2, and makes high IQ images for me.
It's the largest Leica lens I can still handhold.

The even heavier APO-Telyt-R 280/4 and Vario-Elmar-R 105-280/4.2 I only use on a tripod.
That way I can focus them with great precision, as they respond to the gentlest touch. :D
Hi K H,

You are welcome. You have some great R lenses. I remembered Leica saying in the 90's that some of the R lenses were the best they could manufacture during that time. The Holy Grail of the R lenses is the 35-70 Vario-Elmarit f2.8. Apparently, Leica lost money for every 35-70 VE f2.8 lens they sold! Unfortunately, collectors have pushed the price to beyond belief. I nearly bought the 70-180 mm Apo-Elmarit. But at just over 4 lbs, it was a beast to carry. The performance of this lens from 70-110mm is equal to the 90m AA or the 100 Apo-Macro Elmarit. The 3 R lenses that I used when travelling are the 19mm Elmarit R v2, 35-70 VE f4.0 and 180mm Apo-Elmarit. Since my DMR days, I have used the A850, M240, A7R and now the A7R M2 with my R lenses. For my travel photography, the A7R M2 is my R solution!
 

k-hawinkler

Well-known member
Hi K H,

You are welcome. You have some great R lenses. I remembered Leica saying in the 90's that some of the R lenses were the best they could manufacture during that time. The Holy Grail of the R lenses is the 35-70 Vario-Elmarit f2.8. Apparently, Leica lost money for every 35-70 VE f2.8 lens they sold! Unfortunately, collectors have pushed the price to beyond belief. I nearly bought the 70-180 mm Apo-Elmarit. But at just over 4 lbs, it was a beast to carry. The performance of this lens from 70-110mm is equal to the 90m AA or the 100 Apo-Macro Elmarit. The 3 R lenses that I used when travelling are the 19mm Elmarit R v2, 35-70 VE f4.0 and 180mm Apo-Elmarit. Since my DMR days, I have used the A850, M240, A7R and now the A7R M2 with my R lenses. For my travel photography, the A7R M2 is my R solution!
Many thanks again nsng. I like the R lenses I have.
My seventh is on the way, a Summilux-R 80/1.4.

Indeed on eBay the 35-70 VE f2.8 lens seems to be going for around $13K, last time I checked. :loco:
That's a bit much for my skill level!

You have a nice travel set indeed.
My widest R lens is the 28-90/2.8-4.5.
But then I have the WATE 16-18-21/4 that I use a lot.

I finally got an image in which the geometric distortion is painfully obvious in C1.
Of course, I could correct that in CS6 automatically, but I like the C1 image a lot better. Here it is, taken with A7r2.



What to do? :facesmack:
 
V

Vivek

Guest
Is there any proof about Leica designs and Kyocera executions?

If true, I find it amazing that farmed out lenses from an orphaned system command this high prices. :bugeyes:
 

Annna T

Active member
Is there any proof about Leica designs and Kyocera executions?

If true, I find it amazing that farmed out lenses from an orphaned system command this high prices. :bugeyes:
Must be from Breguet Camera eBay store : they seem to target Leica collectors mainly and they have somewhat unrealistic prices on rare items. Once I was looking for a ultra wide angle and legacy Nikon lens (12 or 14 mm rectilinear lens) which was rather small and light and seemed perfect to mount on a shift adapter for MFT, the price was also over 10000$ because it is a very rare lens, not easy to find.
 
V

Vivek

Guest
So, if one posts a story and that gets repeated several times, enough to activate google, it must be true then.
 

pegelli

Well-known member
So, if one posts a story and that gets repeated several times, enough to activate google, it must be true then.
I see it slightly different: "if one posts a story and that gets repeated several times, enough to activate google, people will start believing it is true and claim very boldly it is" :facesmack:

On important items you better check multiple reliable and independent sources before drawing any firm conclusions.
 

Rudiger

New member
Hi, I appreciate your experience and opinions concerning the A7R2.

But now I would like to ask the forum, if anyone of you has experience,
using the Hasselblad / Zeiss CF-Lenses attached to the A7R2.

I would use my Novoflex E-Lens adapter.

Thank you for your reply.

Rudiger
 
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