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The R solution - more details


roydonian

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The adaptor definitely brings up a choice of 20 different R lenses, and the firmware is calibrated for those lenses. (Page 20 of brochure)

 

 

I sold off my "R" system early last year, much to my later regret. I missed the lenses so much that in May I had the chance to but a mint 28mm Elmarit ROM ( built-in hood ) at a good price and whilst not having a body I decided to get it and use it with my Olympus E5. Once bought I was smitten again, since May I have been lucky enough to rebuild my R collection which now also includes the 19mm ROM V2, 50 F2 ROM, 90 F2.8 last 3 cam, 180 F3.4 APO ROM ( very late s/n ) , 2x APO, and the stunning 280 F4 APO. All are mint and cost me a total of £4,800 which I considered to be a very good deal and now with the announcement of the "M" believe are an exceptionally good buy.

 

With the exception of the 90mm Elmarit and x2 APO it would appear that all the lenses I have recently bought are in the "M" firmware which is great news.

 

I for one am very interested in this option for "R" optics, with the exception of the 280 F APO all my lenses should balance pretty well with the "M" body and the 280 should ideally be used on a tripod anyway. Great to hear that the focus-peaking is impressive as to me this will make the solution very usable.

 

Whilst I enjoy using the lenses on my E5 the crop is not ideal, I was leaning towards a Nikon solution but something has been telling me to wait for Photokina. For me at least the "M" has answered "many a prayer", time to consider getting on the waiting list ? Yes quite possibly/probably.

 

 

BTW, although this is my first post I have been a user of this forum in the past, I forgot my password and whilst requesting a reminder the whole thing screwed-up, sent me links but they never worked, so I have decided to now re-register. My previous name was "simon baker" , had to change this as the forum would not let me use it again because I could not retrieve the password. Hope to contribute more frequently now that I can log-in again.

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My previous name was "simon baker" , had to change this as the forum would not let me use it again because I could not retrieve the password.

 

For an identity thief you have very good taste in cameras and are therefore welcome here. :)

 

My reaction to the M10 is the same as yours, being an M and R user. I'm keen to hear more on the video capabilities and use of long R lenses. I can't see why they wouldn't work. I made a music video for my kids' band last week - I would have enjoyed using an M10 and my Leica lenses for that - instead of a Sony Handycam.

 

 

When I had a look at the Leica website last night, at the M page, I saw that in the slide show of pictures there is an M fitted with a longish R lens. It also has an accessory fitted to the bottom of the camera. What's that? An R lens automatic diaphragm actuation mechanism?! Yay!

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That is an intriguing thought but would require some electronic contacts in the body. Perhaps installing the adapter just triggers the menu to come up so that you can select the lens?

 

Yes, it's the somewhat abiguously worded UK brochure that misled me. It looks as if the exif data is provided by you selecting one of the 20 lenses from the menu list. I suspect the adapter has a so far unused black and white pit code that signals to the body that an R adapter has been mounted which in turn enables the menu selection table.

 

Bob.

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Andy, I was wondering about older non-coded or non-ROM R glass. Are those lenses useable if they're not? As it would seem just a software ID code and not a physical limitation?

 

 

I have tweeted the page which shows which R lenses are included in firmware ( complete with firmware calibrations etc)

 

@m7leicauser

 

AFAIK, there are no restrictions on using other R lenses apart from the fact that their characteristics are not known to the "M" firmware.

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For anyone who is interested and in Cologne tomorrow, there are two 180/2.8 lenses in the window of a dealer next to the Dom, for less than €1,000. No idea what glass is like, but both lens bodies are tidy.

 

I bet they won't be there at end of the week.

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When the M8 was released, I didn't like it, then Leica released the M9, yes I liked it, but for me it wasn't

good value as after all, I only have two M lenses the 35mm f2 asph and the 50mm f1.4 asph.

 

Now Leica has released the new M body (the tenth in line) which has some new features which I like.

The best one of all, is now I can now use my 21-35mm, 28-90mm, 80-200mm, 50mm, 90mm and the 180mm, R lenses and of course not forgetting my M's.

 

One Body, two system.

 

......It's not perfect, but neither am I.

 

Will I get one, most likely yes.

 

THANK YOU LEICA.

 

Ken.

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For anyone who is interested and in Cologne tomorrow, there are two 180/2.8 lenses in the window of a dealer next to the Dom, for less than €1,000. No idea what glass is like, but both lens bodies are tidy.

 

I bet they won't be there at end of the week.

 

Maybe someone will read this and get a brick for "grab and go? ;)

 

Back in the early 70's someone (probably a drunk) broke the window in my cousin's camera store (on Pennsylvania Avenue a block from the White House!) and made off with some cameras. They were all dummy display versions of Kodak Instamatics of all things.

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......

 

Using an M body for large R lenses just seems odd to me. ...For me, it is either ergonomics and aesthetics combined (R bodies are the closest to that) or nothing. Maybe we can hope for a mini-S one day.

 

I tend to agree with those two points. Therefore I am leaning towards the Sony A99 with Leitax adapter. The M with adapter and EVF will likely come within an oz. or two of the A77 which, to me, is more balanced aesthetically and integrated as the R solution. Only downside is one can't use the 1.4 or 2x extender with the A99 and still use the lens without the extender.

 

Having said that I am on the wait list for the M for the improved ability to focus the Nocti's, the Lux 75, and the Cron 90.

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That is an interesting theory, but how does it work? — "Once one scans a film, it is all over. No real-life comparison can be made because it's been taken into the digital realm."

 

What does the scanning take away, or how does it diminish the image? How is digital less "real-life" than the wet darkroom?

 

I made no mention of 'real-life', whatever that means. To answer, I was referring to prints and once film is scanned it is destined to the digital domain which is entirely undemanding.

 

As for what one can tell from a computer screen, the images in the article speak for themselves. You only have to look at them to see what can be seen. [...]

 

Thank you for making my point.

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I made no mention of 'real-life', whatever that means. To answer, I was referring to prints and once film is scanned it is destined to the digital domain which is entirely undemanding.

 

I'm not sure what you mean by undemanding, but in my experience a good scan of film to print digitally gets much more from the original (slide or negative) than an enlarger print does. The digital domain is where film images are at their best.

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Yes, it's the somewhat abiguously worded UK brochure that misled me. It looks as if the exif data is provided by you selecting one of the 20 lenses from the menu list. I suspect the adapter has a so far unused black and white pit code that signals to the body that an R adapter has been mounted which in turn enables the menu selection table.

 

Bob.

 

Bob, that's exactly what happens. I didn't see the code on the back of the R adapter for long enough to register the code - might have been BBWWBB but I may be wrong.

 

I envy those with R glass. You are sitting on a gold mine. Leica say they will not re- introduce R glass so it's a but like paintings by Renoir or Blower Bentkeys, there's only so many of them out there. In time, we will see new M glass to fill the void but for now, the limited supply of R glass is going to be all there is.

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I know there are some grumbling that this is no real solution and still talking about a full frame SLR. IMHO, it simply is not going to happen because the barriers to entry with a full frame SLR with an accessory and lens range are simply too high. Keep in mind how much a new R SLR would have cost...

 

This is Leica's R solution and if it doesn't please, I think you have to look elsewhere. In the meantime, the new M has much going for it.

 

I'm looking forward to using R glass on it to go places where the M currently doesn't. To that end, I've put my money where my mouth is by buying 4 R lenses this morning - 60 and 100 macros, 80mm Summilux and 180 APO Elmarit. I'm sure some R experts would have recommended otherwise but I have to learn by my mistakes, don't I? No discounts available, all prices I searched for are firm - I tried! - everyone is expecting the lenses to rise in value, especially those in good condition.

 

By the way, can the 180mm lens be used with the APO Extender R?

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In the past some Forum members have commented quite negatively on new products before ever seeing and touching one (for example, think of the iPads and iPhones when they were first announced). Now we have a similar situation, condemming the M for all manner of things.

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I know there are some grumbling that this is no real solution and still talking about a full frame SLR. IMHO, it simply is not going to happen because the barriers to entry with a full frame SLR with an accessory and lens range are simply too high. Keep in mind how much a new R SLR would have cost...

 

This is Leica's R solution and if it doesn't please, I think you have to look elsewhere. In the meantime, the new M has much going for it.

 

I'm looking forward to using R glass on it to go places where the M currently doesn't. To that end, I've put my money where my mouth is by buying 4 R lenses this morning - 60 and 100 macros, 80mm Summilux and 180 APO Elmarit. I'm sure some R experts would have recommended otherwise but I have to learn by my mistakes, don't I? No discounts available, all prices I searched for are firm - I tried! - everyone is expecting the lenses to rise in value, especially those in good condition.

 

By the way, can the 180mm lens be used with the APO Extender R?

 

Hello Mark.

 

The 180/2.8 APO Elmarit can certainly be used with the 2x APO Extender. So far as the 1.4x Extender is concerned the position is more complicated. Most of the lenses can not, because the front of the Extender protrudes too far forward. However, the very last incarnation of the lens (later ROM lenses) had a re-design to bring the rear element of the lens forward specifically in order to facilitate use of the 1.4 Extender. Mine is one of these. I'll see if I can find the model code for it.

 

Edit: It's 11357

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In the past some Forum members have commented quite negatively on new products before ever seeing and touching one (for example, think of the iPads and iPhones when they were first announced). Now we have a similar situation, condemming the M for all manner of things.

The general feeling sounds quite positive though. M, M-E, M9-P & MM, how many of us did believe that we would have such a wide choice a couple of month ago? Not me at least.

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In the past some Forum members have commented quite negatively on new products before ever seeing and touching one (for example, think of the iPads and iPhones when they were first announced). Now we have a similar situation, condemming the M for all manner of things.

 

Stuart, you probably have me in mind as one who was not bowled over by the iPhone 5 - very much an incremental development - larger screen, thinner phone, faster processor but that's about it. Nothing that moves the game forwards.

 

The new M is completely different. I may be still giddy from my trip to Photokina but this new camera pushes the boundaries and shows Leica - providing they can deliver - are really delivering innovation.

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I know there are some grumbling that this is no real solution and still talking about a full frame SLR. IMHO, it simply is not going to happen because the barriers to entry with a full frame SLR with an accessory and lens range are simply too high. Keep in mind how much a new R SLR would have cost...

 

This is Leica's R solution and if it doesn't please, I think you have to look elsewhere. In the meantime, the new M has much going for it.

 

I'm looking forward to using R glass on it to go places where the M currently doesn't. To that end, I've put my money where my mouth is by buying 4 R lenses this morning - 60 and 100 macros, 80mm Summilux and 180 APO Elmarit. I'm sure some R experts would have recommended otherwise but I have to learn by my mistakes, don't I? No discounts available, all prices I searched for are firm - I tried! - everyone is expecting the lenses to rise in value, especially those in good condition.

 

By the way, can the 180mm lens be used with the APO Extender R?

 

Good lens choices ... even the old 100mm Macro Elmar R is a superb lens ... I think James Lager used it for many off the illustrations in his books.

 

dunk

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