Novoflex Canon EF Lens to Leica SL Adapter: list of compatible/tested lenses

[AlexP]

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For all the Leica SL owner out there that thinking about using your Canon lens via adapter, i have good news for you. Here are list of lens that i'm current have and test with the adapter.

Canon Lenses:

16-35mm f/4 IS: Snappy/fast AF
24-70mm f/2.8 mkii: AF work. Ok speed
24-105L : AF work. Speed ok
35L mkii: AF work. Speed ok. Have to switch AF/MF once in awhile for the lens to communicate with the camera.
100L : AF work/ average. However, it hunts quite a bit sometime for no reason.
135L: Fast AF
70-200mm f/2.8 mkii: AF work. OK speed

Canon BIG WHITE LENS:
Canon 300mm f/2.8 IS II: AF work. OK speed.
Canon 400DO mkii : AF work but VERY VERY SLOW.
Canon 600mm f/4L IS II: AF work but Slow.

Sigma lenses:

8-16mm: Fast AF. Make sure to switch your SL to APS-C mode.
20mm ART: Super fast AF. almost the same as if you're using with DSLR. I'm surprised.
24mm ART: Super fast AF.
35mm ART: AF not working at all
50mm ART: AF not working at all
24-35mm ART: Ok AF
18-35mm ART: Fast AF
50-100mm ART: Fast AF. However, sometime the camera stop communicate with the lens. I have to turn off the camera, turn back on then AF works fast again.

 

 

I'll update this list frequently. If you happen to have the same adapter but different lens from this lens, please respond so we can have a better list. 

[blacksinner]

Thank you so much for listing this. but still no affordable tele lens above 300mm that works well. =(

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[JeffWright]

All these ZE lenses make a somewhat annoying short lived buzzing sound when the aperture steps down, and there is a subtle lag after exposure, but they work well otherwise. I have no reason to expect that other Zeiss lenses won't work just fine. There is an occasional failure to communicate (1 in 50?) with the Zeiss lenses when first mounted, solved swiching off and by remounting. I've since sold most of the Zeiss lenses to fund a MF system, but they work beautifully and their corrections can be applied in Lightroom.

 

Zeiss ZE 21/2.8

Zeiss ZE 35/1.4

Zeiss ZE 50/2 Makro

Zeiss ZE 100/2 Makro

Zeiss ZE 135/2

Zeiss Otus ZE 55/1.4

Zeiss Milvus ZE 85/1.4

 

and as has been reported previously these manual focus TS-E lenses work well:

Canon 17/4/ TS-E

Canon 24/3.5 TS-E II

 

Canon 50/1.2 AF is slow as molasses, AF goes to infinity when camera wakes up or is powered up. MF is fine

Canon 85/1.2 II AF is also slow as molasses, and always racks to infinity when camera wakes up. MF is fine

Edited February 25, 2017 by JeffWright

[steppenw0lf]

The Zeiss lenses work just as well or better with the Nikon mount and a simple Nikon adapter. The electronics only add cost but do not really add any valuable functionality.

Typically they are a bit smaller with Nikon mount, and sometimes also slightly less expensive.

While the electronics in the EOS mount version offers at the max 3 images per second on a SL, the Nikon-mount versions offer the same speed as other mechanical lenses (11 frames/s).

 

The only lenses really "requiring" the Novoflex AF EOS adapter are the Canon T/S and maybe the Canon 11-24.

Maybe also the EF 1.8/50 STM, but it is too cheap to justify on its own the expensive adapter.

Other Canon lenses are either not so extraordinary, or work rather slowly with the AF adapter. (like the high-class "long white" lenses) So in these cases the recommendation for the adapter can only be half-hearted.

Edited February 25, 2017 by steppenw0lf

[AlexP]

how do i edit the original thread?

[Ingo]

how do i edit the original thread?

Ask a moderator to edit the thread title.

[Ingo]

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Canon EF 8-15 Fisheye: AF okay but SL recognize the lens as EF-S 17-85 in metadata.

Canon EF 85 1:1.8: AF okay

[pop]

how do i edit the original thread?

I'm afraid the forum software allows editing your posts only during the first hour after posting. From time to time, moderators are asked to apply changes to posts which they gladly do. However, applying frequent updates to complex posts is not something we can keep up for any length of time. I can see no sensible solution at the moment.

[AlexP]

pop, thanks for the respond. It would be helpful if i can update the list myself. As time goes by, as more people respond with new lens being test, it will get lost since you will have to scroll to more pages..while if i can update to the first thread, it would be easier for everyone to see it right away. Just a though.

[pop]

.... It would be helpful if i can update the list myself. ....

This is not possible with the software the forum runs on, alas.

[JeffWright]

The Zeiss lenses work just as well or better with the Nikon mount and a simple Nikon adapter. The electronics only add cost but do not really add any valuable functionality.

Typically they are a bit smaller with Nikon mount, and sometimes also slightly less expensive.

While the electronics in the EOS mount version offers at the max 3 images per second on a SL, the Nikon-mount versions offer the same speed as other mechanical lenses (11 frames/s).

 

The only lenses really "requiring" the Novoflex AF EOS adapter are the Canon T/S and maybe the Canon 11-24.

Maybe also the EF 1.8/50 STM, but it is too cheap to justify on its own the expensive adapter.

Other Canon lenses are either not so extraordinary, or work rather slowly with the AF adapter. (like the high-class "long white" lenses) So in these cases the recommendation for the adapter can only be half-hearted.

 

 

True enough, and if I were buying these lenses de novo, I would perhaps recommend the Zeiss lens in Nikon mount. I already owned the ZE lenses. The auto aperture stepdown offered by the electronics of the more AF EOS adapter is rather nice for focusing wide open or in lower light levels (in the absence of significant focus shift).  

[James_183]

Thanks for your help!

[AlexP]

update on the 24-70mm f/2.8 mkii:

 

the lens act up today. It will focus then it won't AF at all. I have to turn off the camera, turn back on then it works again. Since i can't edit my list, here is the update for it then:

 

24-70mm f/2.8 mkii: AF work. Speed ok. Have to switch AF/MF once in awhile or turn camera off for the lens to communicate with the camera.

[YellowBelly]

I'm wondering if it works with the 11-24mm canon lens? Or 85mm Art Sigma I also believe there's going to be a 135mm Art lens coming soon!

 

 

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[Constable]

I'm wondering if it works with the 11-24mm canon lens? Or 85mm Art Sigma I also believe there's going to be a 135mm Art lens coming soon!

 

 

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Just tested with the 11-24 and it works perfectly

Ed

[YellowBelly]

I don't need much encouragement was always wanting 13mm nikkor but 11-24 canon will be better for wallet and optically wonderful :-)

 

 

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[James_183]

When I shoot with Canon 35L II & 85L,SL will be dead sometimes after clicking the shutter button.I have to reject the battery and reload it.

Is  anyone else having this problem with it ?

[AlexP]

i'm extremely happy to report that Sigma 85mm ART works. AF SUPER fast.

 

[Ivar B]

i'm extremely happy to report that Sigma 85mm ART works. AF SUPER fast.

 

 

I have exactly the same experience and I am very pleased. In addition, the optical performance of this lens is outstanding. Just had a note from a professional photographer who had replaced his Zeiss Otus 1.4/85 with the Sigma lens, and autofocus was not the only reason.

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Hallo,

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[Leicaiste]

How does the AF speed of the 85 Art on the SL compare with the SL 50/1,4 AF ?