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Leica R-Adapter L Now Available


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The Leica R-Adapter L is still at the Leica website still announced for fall 2016 but several dealers have announced availability for the next days.

 

Here is some more information about the Leica R-Adapter L. Hopefully Leica will add some details too...

 

List of compatible R-Lenses:

 

  • Super-Elmarit-R 15 mm f/2.8ASPH.
  • Super-Elmar-R 15 mm f/3.5
  • Fisheye-Elmarit-R 16 mm f/2.8
  • Elmarit-R 19 mm f/2.8
  • Super-Angulon-R 21mmf/4
  • Elmarit-R 24 mm f/2.8
  • Elmarit-R 28 mm f/2.8
  • Elmarit-R 35 mm f/2.8
  • Summicron-R 35 mm f/2
  • Summilux-R 35 mm f/1.4
  • Summicron-R 50 mm f/2
  • Summilux-R 50 mm f/1.4
  • Macro-Elmarit-R 60 mm f/2.8
  • Summilux-R 80 mm f/1.4
  • Elmarit-R 90 mm f/2.8
  • APO-Summicron-R 90 mm f/2ASPH.
  • Macro-Elmar-R 100 mm f/4
  • APO-Macro-Elmarit-R 100 mm f/2.8
  • Elmarit-R 135 mm f/2.8
  • Elmar-R 180 mm f/4
  • APO-Telyt-R 180 mm f/3.4
  • Elmarit-R 180 mm f/2.8
  • APO-Elmarit-R 180 mm f/2.8
  • APO-Summicron-R 180 mm f/2
  • Telyt-R 250 mm f/4
  • APO-Telyt-R 280 mm f/4
  • Telyt-R 350 mm f/4.8
  • APO-Telyt-R 280 mmf /2.8
  • APO-Telyt-R 400 mm f/2.8
  • APO-Telyt-R 280 mm f/2.8 (Module System)
  • APO-Telyt-R 400 mm f/2.8 (Module System)
  • APO-Telyt-R 400 mm f/4 (Module System)
  • APO-Telyt-R 560 mm f/4 (Module System)
  • APO-Telyt-R 560 mm f/5.6 (Module System)
  • APO-Telyt-R 800 mm f/5.6 (Module System)
  • Vario-Elmar-R 21–35 mm f/3.5–4 ASPH.
  • Vario-Elmar-R 28–70 mm f/3.5–4.5
  • Vario-Elmarit-R 28–90 mm f/2.8–4.5 ASPH.
  • Vario-Elmar-R 35–70 mm f/4
  • Vario-Elmarit-R 35–70 mm f/2.8ASPH.
  • Vario-APO-Elmarit-R 70–180 mm f/2.8
  • Vario-Elmar-R 80–200 mm f /4
  • Vario-Elmar-R 105–280 mm f/4.2

via RedDotForum - Thanks David!

 

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According to the red dot forum piece, The price is US$ 750 (680 € in Europe).

 

Does it provide auto diaphragm operation? ... That's my biggest question. If it does, it's a big plus. If not, it's limited value over my existing two-adapter stack.

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Andreas's link says aperture is not transmitted to the camera, so setting the aperture seems unlikely. OTOH, not transmitting aperture is so surprising, given the price, that I'd wait for confirmation of full details

Edited by LocalHero1953
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Operating the aperture auto stop down is actually a separate mechanism from following the the aperture setting and transmitting that to the body, even in the R system bodies. The R lenses, like Nikon lenses, use a simple mechanical lever actuator for the auto-diaphragm actuation that didn't change from 1963 until the end of the line. What changed was that when they added shutter priority AE, the body's lever action was calibrated to stop the lens down only so much, to the desired setting, where earlier models simply let it fall to wherever the aperture ring had set the stop.

 

I hope, but do not expect ... :-|

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The adapter does not contain any surprises. It is smart in that it transmits the data of the R lenses ROMs to the camera (or at least a part of it). As stated by product management several months ago.

And that is also the reason it is not compatible with the T, the T cannot use this data. Mechanically it does fit the T of course. But it offers not more functionality (on T) than the dumb Novoflex adapter or an adapter stack.

Leica never made an allusion to diaphragm operation, so no surprise it does not offer it. (As they never promised it, nobody has a reason to be disappointed.)

 

So well made Leica that you offer the adapter three months early. But at the same time how foolish to offer this as the last/latest of all adapters.   ;)  :)  :p  :D  :lol:  :unsure:  :wacko:

 

One remark to diaphragm operation. Users of M or R lenses know that it really does not matter After a few photos you do not notice the difference anymore because the EVF automatically adjusts brightness. Users of Leica R lenses on Sony cameras will readily agree (never heard complaints from them). And there are more of them than SL users and SL non-buyers combined.

It is only/mainly people without an SL that complain about this "missing" feature. The so called experts - but the experts found the SL not worthy to be a Leica anyway ...   (remember september, no sorry, october last year)   ;)

Edited by steppenw0lf
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I don't understand this "Leica single-lens reflex lenses manufactured before 1976 should not be mounted to the R-Adapter L, as this can cause damage to the mount."

 

If it is an R mount lens, shouldn't it be compatible?

 

 

​Also, where is the Vario Elmrit 75-200 f4.5 in the list? (I know it's really a Minolta lens with Leica QC, but I use this on my stacked R-M/M-L adapters).

 

What KIND OF DAMAGE???

Edited by bilbrown
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No 28 PC ?

Yes, I was wandering about this myself.

This is the only lens with a stop down control on the lens, as does the bellows.

The other one that is missing on the list is the Telyt-R MR 500/8 which doesn't have aperture control.at all, but is later than 1976.

 

Has this something to do with a possible aperture control in the adapter for all the other lenses on the list, which are all possible 3-cam (later than 1976?!).

 

Interesting, let's wait and see.

Not that it matters much in daily use, if the adapter is equipped with this control.

Edited by AndreasAM
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The adapter does not contain any surprises. It is smart in that it transmits the data of the R lenses ROMs to the camera (or at least a part of it). As stated by product management several months ago.

And that is also the reason it is not compatible with the T, the T cannot use this data. Mechanically it does fit the T of course. But it offers not more functionality (on T) than the dumb Novoflex adapter or an adapter stack.

Leica never made an allusion to diaphragm operation, so no surprise it does not offer it. (As they never promised it, nobody has a reason to be disappointed.)

 

So well made Leica that you offer the adapter three months early. But at the same time how foolish to offer this as the last/latest of all adapters.   ;)  :)  :p  :D  :lol:  :unsure:  :wacko:

 

One remark to diaphragm operation. Users of M or R lenses know that it really does not matter After a few photos you do not notice the difference anymore because the EVF automatically adjusts brightness. Users of Leica R lenses on Sony cameras will readily agree (never heard complaints from them). And there are more of them than SL users and SL non-buyers combined.

It is only/mainly people without an SL that complain about this "missing" feature. The so called experts - but the experts found the SL not worthy to be a Leica anyway ...   (remember september, no sorry, october last year)   ;)

 

 

Stephan, I realize that English is not your native language ... You might not realize that the manner in which you express your thoughts seems persistently negative in tone. 

 

My interest in auto-diaphragm operation has nothing to do with the ability of the EVF to automatically compensate for brightness. Auto-diaphragm operation has a meaningful (positive) impact on effective metering range, that is why it is desirable. I hope for it, but I don't expect it. Unfortunately. 

 

Since I own no ROM-equipped R lenses, the other reason why a dedicated adapter like this would be a plus would be to minimize the vignetting that occurs with the M->T/R->M adapter stack with very long focal length lenses or with extreme macro extension using my bellows setup. However, for me these are edge cases and generally speaking not worth an $800 expenditure for a dedicated mount adapter, considering that I've already spent nearly that amount of money on the two-adapter stack setup. 

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I don't understand this "Leica single-lens reflex lenses manufactured before 1976 should not be mounted to the R-Adapter L, as this can cause damage to the mount."

 

If it is an R mount lens, shouldn't it be compatible?

 

 

​Also, where is the Vario Elmrit 75-200 f4.5 in the list? (I know it's really a Minolta lens with Leica QC, but I use this on my stacked R-M/M-L adapters).

 

What KIND OF DAMAGE???

 

Darn; I have a 50mm Summicron made in 1975! So I have the same question as Bilbrown.

 

Yes, I was wandering about this myself.

This is the only lens with a stop down control on the lens, as does the bellows.

The other one that is missing on the list is the Telyt-R MR 500/8 which doesn't have aperture control.at all, but is later than 1976.

 

Has this something to do with a possible aperture control in the adapter for all the other lenses on the list, which are all possible 3-cam (later than 1976?!).

 

Interesting, let's wait and see.

Not that it matters much in daily use, if the adapter is equipped with this control.

 

There are five different series of R system lenses: one-cam, two-cam, three-cam, R-only, and ROM-equipped. Not all Leica R lenses are compatible with all Leica R bodies ... The best and most succinct description of these compatibilities I've found is on this website: 

http://www.photoethnography.com/ClassicCameras/Lens-R.html

 

The issue is the same issue with one- and two-cam lenses on bodies equipped with ROM reading contacts: with the two-cam and earlier lenses, the cams can damage the ROM contacts in the R8 and R9 bodies. Lenses made after 1976 are all three-cam models which have a different cam construction, ensuring that they are compatible; three-cam R lenses are the most compatible R lenses, and even a few of them are not compatible with all cameras having R mount (for example, the Elmarit-R 24mm is incompatible with Leicaflex and Leicaflex SL bodies; Leicaflex SL2 and later bodies changed the mirror mechanism affording a couple more mm clearance and there is a tiny notch on the later lens mount flanges that prevent the R24mm from being fitted to the bodies that it is not compatible with). Earlier model lenses that have been upgraded to three-cam specifications are also compatible with the R8/R9 ... and I'm pretty sure would also be compatible with the R Adapter L. 

 

It is a complicated task to provide full function and compatibility with a lens line that spans nearly five decades of camera development. Leica has done a pretty good job of it, but there are some edge cases and exceptions that users must simply accept. Note that Leica USA in New Jersey can still update at least some R lenses to three-cam compatibility ... I am pretty sure they can do my 1964 Summicron-R 50mm f/2, if I'm willing to pay the price. 

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Godfrey,

 

It is true that we should't read to much into this list. They could, as you stated, just try to prevent potential physical damage to the adapter.

But for instance the telyt-R MR 500 mm. is officially a 3-cam, introduced in 1980, with no moving cam in reality at all. Just checked.

So it could be an omission on the list or it indeed has something to do with the functioning of the adapter, in relation to aperture control or not.

 

I have ROM- lenses (35, 50 Crons and the macro 60) and R- Lux lenses (35 and 80), so your stated advantages of an auto-diaphragm function in the adapter are interesting in some occasions for me.

 

All my lenses, including the 28 PC, but beside the 2 Mirror lenses, are 3-cam, so I will be buying the adapter, with or without auto-diaphragm function.

Edited by AndreasAM
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The L mount has a set of electrical contacts.  I can imagine how ROM data from an R lens can be passed to the SL so that the R lens identity is passed to the EXIF data and the correct vignetting and color correction profiles are automatically employed.  But how does this adapter determine the identity of a 3-cam lens?  I would expect that it would then just act as the present R-M adapter does when stacked onto the M-L adapter, by presenting the command to the SL to offer a list which one will then choose from.  So I can't see why a 3-cam lens owner would bother, especially if they have already bought the two-adapter stack.   My R lenses are all ROM-equipped, and I do often forget to reset the lens profile (which uses up one of my four back buttons), so maybe I will spend up to $750 for it to get automatic profiling.

 

I have heard nothing to make me think that there are new profiles, since issues with those seem to have been settled in the 2.0 firmware.  There have always been mumblings about individual lens-specific information contained in the R ROM data -- can anyone clarify that?  If that is real, is it used in the SL?   I hope the vignetting with certain very long lenses is solved, but don't own any of those.  And comments from my supplier suggest that there are no mechanical functions in the adapter. 

 

scott

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Wow, US$ 750 is a very high price for a widget! More than an R6.2 would cost me! 

If you need it, you need it I'm sure. At least now it's available you have the choice.

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Wow, US$ 750 is a very high price for a widget! More than an R6.2 would cost me! 

If you need it, you need it I'm sure. At least now it's available you have the choice.

 

 

My thoughts exactly. I'm now glad I took in the last of my R lenses for sale. That's 1/8 of the cost of the 90-280!!

 

Gordon

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