New article on G1 on LL....

[Diane B]

Has anyone else read the Michael Reichman's article on the G1 and M lenses today?
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/accessories/m-43.shtml

I'm not going to give any hints about what I got from the article LOL---I'm curious what others think? But I will say I got a different idea of his feelings from the beginning of the article to the end---or perhaps a mixed message (whoops, there I did give a hint *smile*).

Diane

 

[Terry]

I think he found that while it was not hard to manually focus on the G1 he's come to the realization that he just prefers AF. I agree with him that I wouldn't go out with the intent to get the body and buy Leica M lenses for the G1 but having them can be useful and fun.

You need to go back to the M8 review to get the big chuckle here because there he wrote you wouldn't get the camera away from him until you pried it out of his cold dead hands. Last I saw, he sold it earlier this year....not clear if he got an M8.2 but it doesn't sound like it.

 

[Diane B]

Yes, that's a good part of the message I got--and I totally agree that I wouldn't consider buying Leica lenses for the G1 but if you have them--fun. Lots of other MF lenses out there though--even M mounts.

I'll have to reread the review. He tends to get enamored with various cameras but has the wherewithall to change his mind and do something about it LOL--and he has a stable of current cameras/lenses to draw from.

Diane

 

[tmessenger]

Isn't the point of buying a high $ lens that is sharp wide open to use it wide open. Who would buy fast expensive glass and just compare it to another lenses @ f5.6 ? For the article to be meaningful he should have included the same shot at faster apertures with Leica.

tm

 

[monza]

I saw that article yesterday and got the same mixed message. I'm curious as to why M lenses are good on the G1, but not good enough to go out and buy? I can understand perhaps thinking this way about brand new Leica glass, but there are literally hundreds of options for M mount lenses that aren't expensive and that are great matches for the G1.

 

[monza]

Also, I guess Leica lenses are not too heavy when on an M8, but suddenly they are when on a G1. Interesting.

 

[Terry]

In my case, I was referring to new expensive Leica lenses like the 21 or 24 lux, the 28 cron. Lenses in the $3,000+ range. For these lenses you are paying a tremendous amount for fast wide. Yes, you keep the fast and lose the wide. I would however spend that much if Leica came out with a series of AF little primes meant for micro 4/3. I don't mind using MF on the G1 and like that I can be precise. However, I would like the AF option. This will be particularly true on an Oly type camera with no viewfinder and a lack of hands to hold the camera, focus and check the timage on the LCD.

 

[Ranger 9]

I agree with the conclusion that it wouldn't make sense to buy a megadollar Leica lens strictly to use on the G1 (moderate-priced Cosina/Voigtlander lenses might be a different story.)

But the article seems oddly disjointed and sloppily written (e.g. misspelling "Novoflex" -- twice -- and "ReidReviews" within a few lines of each other) -- sort of as if Patsy Stone had dashed it off after too much champagne for breakfast, in case there are any "AbFab" fans here.

It makes me wonder how seriously he thought about the whole proposition...

 

[pentacon6]

I think the question is the priority of having M lens or having G1 body first.
No doubt, the users of M lens prior to G1, they should have a G1 body to have fun on the digital side. For the user of G1 prior to M lens, they may think before act. The price of G1 is a good bargain and good concept in all aspect. It is worth while to have a try, especially comparing with the body of M8.

I have been considering to have a 15mm f4.5 Voitglander to be my prime fixed focus point and shoot lens (I don't have kit lens due to a mistake...). Before the 20mm f1.7 pancake lens launch, M lens seems to be the only option of quality prime compact lens that may give you a good reason to have at least one. But I am really afraid of starting to collect M lens after I got the adapter. It is tempting, especially when you are under the shadow of the compact lenses from 12mm to 25mm (when you have seen the adapter for the legacy lenses). The adapter is just like the ring in "Lord of the Rings" and I heard Smeagol saying "my precious" :ROTFL:

We always keep calculating the values of Cost / Performance. Frankly, we can't avoid it, whatever you are technical oriented or content oriented. Leica still gains its crown in the historical reason. Everyone needs vanity, you know.

By the way, I am happy with my Canon TV lens with the C mount adapter.

 

[wolverine]

A different view... I think the G1 is an excellent way to get into m lenses. The combination is very easy to focus and dead on. I love live view. You don't have to pay for an M8, get excellent quality, and as Terry says, get auto focus to boot. I would buy a couple of good m lenses for it. Although I am not a manual focus fan, I am warming up to it and the prints from my shots are stunning. The 28 elmarit and 90 cron asph are wonderful. The 50 lux asph is on the way. :clap:

 

[Photomorgana]

Well, if you have money to burn, Leica-M is wonderful addition to G1.
I personally think that Voigtlander is more sensible choice. (VC 90mm ApO lens is excellent)
Anything lighter that 300gr feels really good on G1, but I also use 900gr f0.95 lens and its doable.

I took around 3000 shots so far with G1 and 90% of them were with C-mount lenses. (less than 1% was taken with kit lens)
You can still find Switars, Ivotals, panchrotals, Angenieux for a half price or less than their Leica (or Screw mount, nikon etc) twins, and thats is the huge advantage of G1. Get them before its too late.

 

[wolverine]

no money to burn.. buying used.. you are right about lens choice...

 

[monza]

There are some jewels in cine lenses, the 25mm Xenoplan and the 75mm Angenieux to name two of my favorites. When the Olympus µ4/3 ships, the demand for these lenses is going to get even greater...not to mention demand created by the GH1.

Olympus Pen lenses are a great match for µ4/3 and when the commercial adapters finally ship, prices of those are going to climb too. The Epson RD1 and M8 drove prices of many of the vintage screw mount lenses into the stratosphere, and there really aren't all that many of those cameras in the market compared to what the user base of µ4/3 will be...

 

[Photomorgana]

Yes, absolutely. Lots of those lenses will go up.
You can use almost any lens with m4/3 system, but the best fit would be M, LTM, Oly pen and C-Mount lenses.
I loved using Contax and Leica-R on oly 4/3, but not so much on G1. They just way too heavy and large.