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Sony A7/A7r with old lenses

pegelli

Well-known member
De Schans van Schilde (The Redoubt of Schilde)


A7ii + Meyer Görlitz Trioplan 50/2.9, LR stitch of 3 handheld images
 

hakkalo

Well-known member
Som Berthiot 50mm F2.8 (A7R3)

[video]https://www.getdpi.com/forum/newattachment.php?do=assetmanager&values[t]=50279&contenttypeid=1&poststarttime=1576367470&posthash=4219f0d50ce8061ee849fb755da58e80&insertinline=1[/video]
 

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pegelli

Well-known member
I was able to score a very nice looking 1960 Leica M Elmar 135/4 from an auction site at a bargain price (fortunately nobody else was looking :clap:).

Here's the first three test shots in our garden (with a Hawk Helicoid adapter), all at f4.0 wide open

Concrete doggie



Rusty rooster



Funny birds


All on an A7ii
 

pegelli

Well-known member
^^^ That's quite impressive for wide open ^^^
Yes, the lens certainly didn't disappoint for a simple 4 elements in 4 groups 1960 lens. Just like with my 1956 Elmar 90/4 I can't see a meaningful difference between f4 and f5.6/8 so while these lenses are relatively slow by today's standards I see absolutely no problem with using them wide open.
 

JoelM

Well-known member
Yes, the lens certainly didn't disappoint for a simple 4 elements in 4 groups 1960 lens. Just like with my 1956 Elmar 90/4 I can't see a meaningful difference between f4 and f5.6/8 so while these lenses are relatively slow by today's standards I see absolutely no problem with using them wide open.
I have a 1964 90mm TE and it is stunning, even on a 42mp camera. I'm hunting for a good deal on a 135 TE as well. I am mostly using this glass on a film Leica M4-P (Silver), but I've pixel peeped on digital cameras.

Hope to see some more samples, Pieter.

Cheers,

Joel
 

pegelli

Well-known member
Thanks Joel, I should indeed try it on my A7Rii allthough today I went out with it on my A7ii. More samples will follow shortly, again all wide open, I see little need to stop down this lens unless you need more DOF.

I never had or tried any of the "Tele" versions, I only have non "Tele's", a 1956 Elmar 90/4 (stunning from wide open), and Elmarit 90/2.8 (glowing wide open, but from f4 very similar to the Elmar 90/4) and now the Elmar 135/4.

I once tested a Tele Elmar 135/4 on my camera, also great rendering but somehow it couldn't achieve infinity focus with my adapter so I didn't buy it. But I've seen plenty samples to show that the Tele Elmarit 90/2.8 and Tele Elmar 135/4 are also stellar.

I am also planning to use the 135/4 on my M2, framing will be a bit of guesswork but so be it. I hope some day I'll find a 135 external viewfinder, but until then guesstimating 2/3 of the 90 mm framelines will have to do.
 
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pegelli

Well-known member
I can't help myself but somehow I'm often attracted by "junk".
There is an open area in the next town where a local contractor "stores" the stuff he hardly uses anymore but isn't taken to the junk yard yet.
Obviously it's a popular place for me to go and test lenses, an ever changing inventory of rust, weathered concrete and other clutter provide ample opportunity to have a bit of fun :D


855



Recent graffiti



Wheels



Rusty


All A7ii + Leica M-Elmar 135/4 @ f4
 

jotloob

Subscriber Member
Pieter

Junk yards and lost places are so beautiful . So many forms and colors . There is so much life in all the stuff . These places do not show the "perfect world" but show landscapes made by mankind .
Thank you for showing your impressions . :thumbup:
 

B L

Well-known member
I have a 1964 90mm TE and it is stunning, even on a 42mp camera. I'm hunting for a good deal on a 135 TE as well. I am mostly using this glass on a film Leica M4-P (Silver), but I've pixel peeped on digital cameras.

Hope to see some more samples, Pieter.

Cheers,

Joel
Joel, I think I said this before but here is a repeat: Pieter is a name you can translate it as Lens Warehouse. Over the last few years and long before I joined GDPi, I saw his pictures shot with some lens names unheard-at least to me. Carry on, Pieter.
Looking forward to see more, and yes you can call me a greedy !
 

pegelli

Well-known member
Pieter is a name you can translate it as Lens Warehouse. Over the last few years and long before I joined GDPi, I saw his pictures shot with some lens names unheard-at least to me. Carry on, Pieter.
:LOL: Touché

I really see my mirrorless cameras as digital backs to old lenses, at least that's the main purpose for which I use them. I started with a small collection from my film days with Leica M and Olympus OM but these days with relatively cheap adapters any brand will do :toocool:
 

pegelli

Well-known member
Another lucky score, a 1958 Leica Telyt 200/4. incl. shipping and auction cost far below 100 €. It only needs an additional extension ring of 41,5 mm to make up for the fact that there is no visoflex "mirrorbox" inbetween the lens and the camera. Today was the first test in our garden.

1: Funny birds



2: Stone doggy



3: Cement roses


All wide open (f 4.0) on an A7ii
 

B L

Well-known member
Another lucky score, a 1958 Leica Telyt 200/4. incl. shipping and auction cost far below 100 €. It only needs an additional extension ring of 41,5 mm to make up for the fact that there is no visoflex "mirrorbox" inbetween the lens and the camera. Today was the first test in our garden.



All wide open (f 4.0) on an A7ii
You struck gold.
 

pegelli

Well-known member
You struck gold.
Thanks Bashir, you might be right :)
Serial # of the lens is 1612244 which according to this page as well as the Erwin Puts Leica equipment guide should have been a 200 mm F4.5 produced in 1958. However it's really the f4.0, since the F4.5 version looks totally different (smaller diameter, longer, no retractable hood etc.). So it's a very early production sample, or maybe even a test sample before the main production started. However I buy my lenses as a user and not as a collector, but it's still nice to have something "special". If anybody else knows something about this anomaly I'd be interested to find out.
 

B L

Well-known member
Thanks Bashir, you might be right :)
Serial # of the lens is 1612244 which according to this page as well as the Erwin Puts Leica equipment guide should have been a 200 mm F4.5 produced in 1958. However it's really the f4.0, since the F4.5 version looks totally different (smaller diameter, longer, no retractable hood etc.). So it's a very early production sample, or maybe even a test sample before the main production started. However I buy my lenses as a user and not as a collector, but it's still nice to have something "special". If anybody else knows something about this anomaly I'd be interested to find out.
Mr Gandy is our photo-google.
https://www.cameraquest.com/LMVisoflex.htm
I had a couple of Visoflex lenses in late 80s with my M3 which I enjoyed albeit slow you down,but enjoyable. I used the setup to photograph Harley Davidson meet up of hundreds of riders from UK and Europe in Baildon. I still have some slides but I no longer hac=ve my Minoltla Scan multi. I didnt like that scsi thing it it!But, one day,one day I am hoping to scan them.
Regards.
 

pegelli

Well-known member
Hi Bashir, my father had a Visoflex as well on his M2. He used it mainly with the head of his Elmarit 90/2.8 (for macro) and with the Telyt 200/4 head on a bellows. Especially the last combo was big/heavy/cumbersome. When he switched to Olympus (OM2) he sold the Visoflex, Telyt and bellows (I wasn't interested since I had a Leicaflex R3 at that time, which was easier to handle and focus than a visoflex on an M-body) but he gave me the Elmarit 90/2.8 which I use on my M2 for B&W film until today.
 
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