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Seems that the A7rII plays better with Leica wide angles

fmueller

Active member
I'll believe it when I see it. I abandoned the A7r because of shutter clunk and poor performance with all of my Leica M mount lenses with the exception of a Voghtlander 35 1.2 v2.

I'm back in the water with the A7rii for different reasons (way better native lens line up and Batis and Loxia...) and am holding out little hope for acceptable M lens compatability. I still have the adaptor, so we will see...
 

fmueller

Active member
Which M mount lenses do you have in mind with your sweeping statement?
21 SEM, 28 Elmarit, 35 Summicron (non asph), 50 Lux. All are only a few years old except of course the 35 Summicron.

For reasons unknown to me, the voigtlander 35 works perfectly (spectacular is more like it) yet even the 50 lux had problems.
 

iiiNelson

Well-known member
21 SEM, 28 Elmarit, 35 Summicron (non asph), 50 Lux. All are only a few years old except of course the 35 Summicron.

For reasons unknown to me, the voigtlander 35 works perfectly (spectacular is more like it) yet even the 50 lux had problems.
Might have something to do with baked in software corrections that M cameras perform and a custom built sensor to work exclusively with M lenses. I had no issues with Zeiss ZM50/2, Voigtlander 21/1.8, 35/1.2, 50/1.1, 75/1.8, or Leica 90/2 Pre-AA. Others have no issues with the WATE.
 
That's why it shows the Mr. Huff doesn't know his stuff. He tested the CV 15 III on the new A7RII and declared that the A7RII works wonder with M-mount lenses. That CV 15III is one of the handful UWA/WA M-mount exceptions. Two more days and I know for sure if the A7RII works or not with my M-mount. Even the 50 APO doesn't work well with current A7 series.
 

iiiNelson

Well-known member
That's why it shows the Mr. Huff doesn't know his stuff. He tested the CV 15 III on the new A7RII and declared that the A7RII works wonder with M-mount lenses. That CV 15III is one of the handful UWA/WA M-mount exceptions. Two more days and I know for sure if the A7RII works or not with my M-mount. Even the 50 APO doesn't work well with current A7 series.
Yeah. You gotta take him with a grain of salt at times. He means well with his enthusiasm but sometimes it's over the top. End of the day I'd put the 25 Batis up against most M lenses.
 

k-hawinkler

Well-known member
21 SEM, 28 Elmarit, 35 Summicron (non asph), 50 Lux. All are only a few years old except of course the 35 Summicron.

For reasons unknown to me, the voigtlander 35 works perfectly (spectacular is more like it) yet even the 50 lux had problems.
Thanks, I agree. Except for the 21 SEM, I own and have tried your other Leica M lenses on my A7R.

My WATE 16-18-21/4 however works as well on my A7R as on my M9.
Longer than 50 mm M lenses don't seem to have a problem with my A7R though.
 

uhoh7

New member
Many reports contradict Dear Susan, which is presenting a huff-like "positive" review, very short on details.

This always happens, because people don't know how to shoot a nice test shoot at infinity with distant details everywhere, where the issue becomes very obvious.

The A7s was at first touted as a great M shooter. It is not. Brian Smith swore to me the A7r shot the ZM 18/4 sharp edge to edge. It did not.

I trust the members here who took their own lenses to test in the shop and saw "smearing" with Leica 35/2 asph, on the LCD of the R2.

At first I was pretty optimistic that the r2 would be better. But the latest appear to be: color shift is better with some RF wides. Edges remain soft, almost certainly because of the think cover glass.

But we do not know for sure. I've been wrong plenty of times, but no one should "count" on the r2 shooting Leica well, aside from things like the WATE and 50 cron.
 
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k-hawinkler

Well-known member
Yeah. You gotta take him with a grain of salt at times. He means well with his enthusiasm but sometimes it's over the top. End of the day I'd put the 25 Batis up against most M lenses.

I am interested in the 25 Batis as it has AF.
What would be a good place to order one now considering the meager supply situation? TIA.
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
My theory with BSI if you had a lens that was on the very edge of working it may just get corrected but it's going to be a very small amount of improvement. Problem is we have to many inexpeienced shooters out there blogging away at will, getting the attention they seek. Very few very experienced folks that know how to shoot test images correctly and more important not throw in there processing style to boot in it. I trust very little on what is written, why I do them myself.
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
I am interested in the 25 Batis as it has AF.
What would be a good place to order one now considering the meager supply situation? TIA.
I have the a7rII coming Wednesday and the Batis 25 on Thursday. I'm running a full test on the Batis 25.
 
Yeah. You gotta take him with a grain of salt at times. He means well with his enthusiasm but sometimes it's over the top. End of the day I'd put the 25 Batis up against most M lenses.
How good is the Batis against the Elmar 24? That Elmar is one super sharp lens for landscape stuff, probably the sharpest Leica wide. It just has a bit too much contrast for my liking and kinda slow for other uses. I'm waiting for a Loxia 28/2 (or even 28/1.4, but that might not ever happen). The Cron 28 is not on-par with other lenses I have.
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
Well I never had a Leica lens hit the nyquist level wide open like I just did with the Batis 85. I love Leica don't get me wrong but Zeiss has been a undeserving underdog for years and the fact is they make outstanding glass. Like I said don't get me wrong I was a Leica friend of management for a long time they make great lenses but your paying a ton of money for maybe a 1 or 2 percent increase in IQ which most times you can't see anyway. Most of this is perception

I'm expecting not hoping that the Batis 25 rocks the house
 

uhoh7

New member
M vs E platform 35 and wider is quite a contrast.

The Batis, I'm assuming, is pretty good, although the jury is still out. The next stop for a high end prime is 35MM!, with only the FE 28 in between! TYG there is the 1635 as an option, and it's very good.

M from 15 to 35 is a feast of incredible lenses old and new. The photographer has many choices and many ways to learn and improve.

That's just image quailty, but Leica was invented with a single ethos: small form (and good results). In this world of Bentleys and Bling, they have lost their way with the bloated M240, but one hopes they will come their senses, and the Q portends.

Sony seemed to have all this in mind with Nex series. Great images from very small devices. But now the A7 bodies get bigger, heavier, near DSLR. Still manageable if you have a small lens.

That's another reason the M performance of A7 really matters to many long time still shooters. What's frustrating is how easy accommodation could be made in this direction with the release of an A7 with a thin sensor cover: what many thought the R was going to be at first.

Of course in addition I would like a smaller tougher body, Q quality EVF, etc, but the real show stopper is the quirky sensor glass.

In a camera where the ability to shoot legacy glass is actually touted by the maker, I don't think it's an unreasonable request: A7M.

BTW my 28 cron seems to be OK:

Lunch HIke by unoh7, on Flickr
In fact, while sometimes I forget to clean it, generally it's phenomenal. Great wide open and outstanding at f/11 compared to my other lenses, except the ZM18 and SEM 21 can keep up :) If you don't get sharp stuff from your 28 cron, either you are on some other body, or the lens needs a trip to DAG. Could be somebody dropped it. Get a good one, and you have the best 28 ever made......except on the A7 series LOL However, with Kolari mod it's very good on the Sonys too. Which again shows how easy is the fix :(

I know, I'm a broken record on the subject, but after all, this thread is about Sony and M. :)

Nevertheless, I look forward with batis breath to the great shots you guys will make with the new r2!
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
Folks I started a database thread for Leica M . Please post all lenses with what adapters that work and do not work to create a user database.

Thanks
 
M vs E platform 35 and wider is quite a contrast.

The Batis, I'm assuming, is pretty good, although the jury is still out. The next stop for a high end prime is 35MM!, with only the FE 28 in between! TYG there is the 1635 as an option, and it's very good.

M from 15 to 35 is a feast of incredible lenses old and new. The photographer has many choices and many ways to learn and improve.

That's just image quailty, but Leica was invented with a single ethos: small form (and good results). In this world of Bentleys and Bling, they have lost their way with the bloated M240, but one hopes they will come their senses, and the Q portends.

Sony seemed to have all this in mind with Nex series. Great images from very small devices. But now the A7 bodies get bigger, heavier, near DSLR. Still manageable if you have a small lens.

That's another reason the M performance of A7 really matters to many long time still shooters. What's frustrating is how easy accommodation could be made in this direction with the release of an A7 with a thin sensor cover: what many thought the R was going to be at first.

Of course in addition I would like a smaller tougher body, Q quality EVF, etc, but the real show stopper is the quirky sensor glass.

In a camera where the ability to shoot legacy glass is actually touted by the maker, I don't think it's an unreasonable request: A7M.

BTW my 28 cron seems to be OK:

Lunch HIke by unoh7, on Flickr
In fact, while sometimes I forget to clean it, generally it's phenomenal. Great wide open and outstanding at f/11 compared to my other lenses, except the ZM18 and SEM 21 can keep up :) If you don't get sharp stuff from your 28 cron, either you are on some other body, or the lens needs a trip to DAG. Could be somebody dropped it. Get a good one, and you have the best 28 ever made......except on the A7 series LOL However, with Kolari mod it's very good on the Sonys too. Which again shows how easy is the fix :(

I know, I'm a broken record on the subject, but after all, this thread is about Sony and M. :)

Nevertheless, I look forward with batis breath to the great shots you guys will make with the new r2!
I admit I'm looking for an excuse to buy more lens :D. And though the Cron 28 is good, after using the Elmar 24, the Cron 50 APO and the ZM 15, I would have to say it's not in the league of these. But just like you said, I think it's the best 28 currently, especially for its size and weight.
 

iiiNelson

Well-known member
I am interested in the 25 Batis as it has AF.
What would be a good place to order one now considering the meager supply situation? TIA.
My 25 and 85 Batis were bought and paid for back in April at Southeastern Camera in Raleigh, NC. They usually don't get stuff before the big box dealers but they sell a lot of Zeiss products to the level they rarely have full stock of anything at any given time. The day I picked up my Batis was the first time I've seen them actually have the 35 Loxia's in stock although they were out of the 50 Loxia's.
 
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