Sell R lenses to fund SL lenses purchase? - advice please

[thighslapper]

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Instead of buyers remorse, you will get sellers remorse.  You have a full set of the best lenses made and once you save for the SL you will regret not having those lenses.  

ah...... but there is a very big difference between having lenses and using them.

 

I have an SL and both zooms ....... plus about 30 M,T and R series lenses. 

 

If I have taken a few hundred images with non SL lenses out of 10,000 or so over the last year I would be surprised. Most of those were sub 24mm. 

 

Keeping those that do something the SL AF lenses can't do is sensible ...... or if they are going to be used on an M series camera........ otherwise they will gather dust. 

 

If it is matter of financial necessity then I would not let nostalgia stand in the way ..... 

[steppenw0lf]

There are different ways how to handle the equipment choice.

Some always buy/order the latest lenses/cameras even before they are officially available. And therefore they have to let go the older stuff or some of it from time to time.

Others are more reflective and think and test for a while before they buy new equipment. And typically they keep it longer. and replace only the crucial parts from time to time. (Maybe only every second generation in cameras and even less often with lenses.)

Which type are you ?

 

It is very similar to cars: Some lease a car for 3 years and then automatically get it replaced by the next generation. They always run on guarantee and typically never have to care about getting the car fixed - maybe not even serviced. For business this is a valid model. For a private user this is usually/often too expensive.

But this is the cleanest way of avoiding that you have old equipment collecting dust. (And also no need to worry about who will inherit the stuff at the end).

Edited September 16, 2016 by steppenw0lf

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[ramarren]

Given the range of new lenses rumored to be announced at Photokina, I suspect that if you want modern features (AF, all metering modes, etc), those R lenses might yet be best used to raise funds for the new generation SL lenses. Unless, of course, you still want to use the R bodies. Given that rumor, I'd hold off on making a decision (other than to "of course" buy the R Adapter L) until you know for sure what is being announced and about when it will be available.

[phongph]

Given the range of new lenses rumored to be announced at Photokina, I suspect that if you want modern features (AF, all metering modes, etc), those R lenses might yet be best used to raise funds for the new generation SL lenses. Unless, of course, you still want to use the R bodies. Given that rumor, I'd hold off on making a decision (other than to "of course" buy the R Adapter L) until you know for sure what is being announced and about when it will be available.

Hi!

It is very useful and valuable advice!

Have a good day.

Thanks!

[haydenc]

They aren't making anymore R lenses!

 

It depends what you want to take pictures of.

For me I have an SL and mainly use M lenses but also have a 80-200 F4, 100 APO macro and 2x APO converter.

I like to take pics of surfing where you are pretty far away from the subject. So I opted for a Fuji Xpro2 with a 1.4x converter and the 100-400mm lens. With the crop sensor it ends up being 840mm equivalent.

I hate having to have another camera however if I dropped the Fuji in the sea I wouldn't be crying in my corn flakes for a month like I would if it were the Leica.

 

If Leica released a 1.4 and 2x converter for the SL, then I probably would get the 90-280.

 

For close stuff I prefer manual focus. And the SL is great to focus compared to an M.

Something that helped me a lot: As I am approaching a subject I estimate how far away I am and select that distance before bring the camera up, and I am surprised how often I am right on or very close to focus. I started doing that on the M, but sometimes you hunt back and forth with the M. (Due to not recognising some detail in the focus patch)

So when in doubt I go for a distance that will be slightly more so you only have to adjust focus in 1 direction.

 

I did a Leica day with Leica Australia and Kristian Dowling introducing the SL.

I hate to say it after that day after I was switching lenses with my SL alongside others with the 24-90mm, I was seriously tempted to get the 24-90mm. Luckily I left it a bit of time since and I would rather the length of the 280mm.

Edit: on that day being alongside others using the SL, the battery life is noticeably better using manual focus lenses!!

 

Another consideration is that the size of the SL lenses compared to M and some R lenses.

The SL with a 50mm M lense is quite small and not intimidating.

An SL with an SL lense screams this is a proper camera and is not as discrete for say street shooting or with timid portrait subjects.

 

As my first comment, they aren't making anymore R lenses. As a result they will always go up in value over time...

Edited September 17, 2016 by haydenc

[JeffWright]

Hello,

 

I'm seriously contemplating the purchase of an SL!.

 

With regard to lenses I have options and I'd welcome advice from users of the 24-90 and the 90-280 please on funding the purchase of  the 24-90 or both.

 

I have the following R lenses, all mint with boxes, cases and caps presently being used with a R9+DMR whose sensor is showing its age (green line and hot pixels):

 

21-35 ROM asph

28-90 ROM asph

100 f2.8 apo ROM

180 f2.8 apo ROM

280 f4 apoROM

Macro 1:1 adapter for 100mm

2x apo ROM converter.

 

Do I keep all the R lenses and just invest in a R-L converter?

Do I sell the two zoom lenses to fund the purchase of a 24-90, and buy an R-L adapter for the others?

Do I sell the 180, 280 and 2x converter to buy a 90-280 and R-L converter for the 100 macro...

...or do I sell the 100 macro and macro converter as well and just buy the 90-280?

 

I have a Sony A7R that is also showing its age and that I find awkward to use because I have big thumbs and fingers which often make multiple presses on the little control buttons on the back because I cover several at once !!

 

I mainly do natural history and landscape photography with a little "street" photography as well.  Not portraits or weddings!

 

What would you do???

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Graeme

 

 

Like yourself, I do mainly landscape photography with my SL. I previously owned the R 15/3.5, 19/2.8 (II), 28/2.8(II), 21-35, 28-90, 35/1.4, 50/2, 80/1.4, 180/2, 100/2.8 macro, 280/2.8 and used them enthusiastically on my R9/DMR. I abandoned the DMR and most of the R lenses with the discontinuation of R development, although I did use them with Canon bodies for a few more years. Although these were beautiful lenses both in terms of optical and mechanical build quality, at the end of the day, they are 20 to 30 year old designs, and it shows even on the previous generation of digital sensors. Although I violated the fundamental rule of "never sell Leica glass", I don't look back on my decision to part with most of these R lenses. Now this is in part due to the fact that I'm a dedicated M user as well, so most of the prime focal lengths I would use on the SL have M lenses which perform as well, or better, than the R equivalent.

 

I was on the bleeding edge of putting R lenses on full frame digital bodies starting with a Canon 1Ds. Despite using R lenses on digital cameras for almost 15 years and many tens of thousand of images doing so, I still find it a bit counterintuitive and occasionally error prone compared to the ability to electronically adjust aperture on the camera body.  I still find it ineffecient to manually stop down my R lenses (on any body) after focusing wide open (focus shift errors aside). Although the EVF of the SL allows you to focus with the manual aperture stopped down, it's often not ideal. 

 

The 24-90 is certainly comparable in optical performance to the 28-90, but I do miss the beautiful size and built in hood of the 28-90. 

 

The 180/2.8 APO and 280/4 APO lenses are gems, and I think you'd regret selling them. Both hold their current value remarkably well. If you decide to sell the 180/2.8 apo, email me, and we can talk .

 

I think if I were in your shoes, I'd sell the 21-35, 28-90, and possibly the 100 macro. With both the 24-90 and 90-280 occasionally showing up on the used market, If you're patient, you can probably generate enough cash to fund the purchase of both the 24-90 and 90-280.

 

My current kit for landscape is:

Leica SL, Canon 17 TSE with Novoflex SL/EOS adapter, Leica 21 Super-Elmar-M, 24-90, and the 90-280. For macro purposes, I'll probably wind up using the Zeiss 100/2 Makro with the Novoflex SL adapter, looking closely at that combo this weekend.