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R lenses underrated


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They're not, it's just the price of used R lenses has gone through the floor.

 

Maybe if Leica decide what they are going to do about the R system, things will improve, but these are being picked up by Canon users looking for serious bargains...

 

If I were to buy another R lens, this is the one I would buy.

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I use an 80/1.4R on my Canons! Its so good that my 85/1.2 Canon sits on the shelf - Clock Tower Camersa had a less than mint one going for around £400ish - silly money IMHO. I've used a 180/3.4R today on a shoot too - kindly lent to me by a friend who isn't using it at the moment - the results are stunning. I'm in the market for one myself now! And its light too.

 

I also have an early (and cheap) 19 which despite all the comments it gets about performance not being too hot, turns out some very creditable images indeed - it does flare though if you are not careful!

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The 80 is a must have lens. The 90 APO-R also is excellent, but it's bokeh is harsh when there is significant distance between the subject and the background. The 80 is much more pleasing in that circumstance. Here is an 80 shot with a 400 speed film, at f1.7, of two women at the piano. I love the Christmas tree lights on the right.

 

The prices for them are very low when compared to their image quality and utility. Would also recommend the 35 summicron, 100 APO-macro + ELPRO adapter, and the 70-180. None of them are exactly cheap by the standards of Canikon, but they are cheap for what they provide.

 

Regards.

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The early 19 absolutely must be used with the hood, in my experience.

 

Agreed! I shot some interiors a couple of weeks ago and used the 19mm Elmarit and a Canon 24L - well stopped down both behaved admirably and produced excellent results. Shooting into a light source with the 19 is a no, no though.

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One of my first shots with my first edition 19, taken about 18 months ago.

 

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Perhaps I should re-black inside the hood then?!!!

 

Mine flares and I doubt it would have worked as well as yours on that image. I'll give it a go though - next North Walian sunset we get.

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Here's a softly lit shot from the 80/1.4R on a 1DS.

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>> The 80 is a must have lens.

I bought it on e-bay for less than 900 Euros.

This is its status.

I will soon buy a 19.

Fernando.

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Yes it might be a good time to stock up with a few previously not affordable R lenses in the hope that Leica have a new digital SLR up their sleeve ... I managed to buy a 21mm Super Angulon R for less than £200 on Ebay recently. At Photographica I saw a 280/2.8 Apo Telyt R for sale at approx £800 and was unsold at the end of the day.

 

Cheers

 

dunk

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Oddly enough I'm working on a commission at the moment and did some shooting yesterday towards it. Its only with the hindsight of thinking about this thread that I checked the exif data to confirm that although I shot on both M8 and Canon 1DS, ALL the images I took were using Leica glass! I didn't really think about it at the time, simply selecting the most appropriate lens for each shot. So much for AF, etc., perhaps I'm regressing into a photographer who works from first principles - something that I know is becoming rarer these days from speaking to and corresponding with many other photographers I know or deal with.

 

On another (completely different) forum I responded to a query with a recommendation to read Langford's Basic and Advanced photo books. I was sent a PM saying how useful the poster had found these and how it had made him think about what he was doing far more. I feel very much the same when using MF, manual aperture lenses (rf or slr) as it forces a much more considered approach to many subjects - a reason I like the M8 so much too.

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On another (completely different) forum I responded to a query with a recommendation to read Langford's Basic and Advanced photo books. I was sent a PM saying how useful the poster had found these and how it had made him think about what he was doing far more. I feel very much the same when using MF, manual aperture lenses (rf or slr) as it forces a much more considered approach to many subjects - a reason I like the M8 so much too.

 

Excellent informative reads ... as are some of Andreas Feininger's books even though written years ago ... Bibliography here Andreas Feininger - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Cheers

 

dunk

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  • 14 years later...

Selling mostly to cinematographers. Many are rehoused into new focus tracking friendly barrels or at least de-clicked. The "lesser" 'cron models are more reasonably priced.

8 hours ago, Artin said:

Lol just came  across this thread from 14 years ago. How Ironic. Leica R lenses are through the roof now 

a 35 Summilux is 10k now and the 80Summilux over 3k.  19mm is selling for 6K. And the 50 Summilux near 3 

 

Edited by nitroplait
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