Which are your most exciting R lenses?

[ryee3]

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I enjoyed a current post regarding most exciting M lenses. Which are your most exciting R lenses and why?

 

Mine include 1)105-280 zoom, very very sharp, not that heavy, 2)280 f2.8 because of the 2.8, and 3)28-90 zoom f 2.8 very sharp, covers a nice range.

 

I am very fond of the apo 100mm macro f2.8 for closeup work also very sharp and has a leica magical quality. I hope to include to my list the 280mm f4 when it gets back from Solms for repair.

[wildlightphoto]

#1 by a long shot is the 280mm f/4 APO for its optical brilliance, mechanical robustness, ergonomic genius, and versatility.

 

#2 is the 560mm f/6.8 for its light weight, excellent sharpness, quick handling and great bang/buck ratio.

 

and in no particular order the 180mm f/2.8 APO, 100mm APO and 60mm Macro for their versatility and optical excellence.

[stephan_w]

by far the Summilux 80 for the special rendering and the macro-Elmarit. I use R lenses on Nikon and all other Lenses I tested including the Apos are, IMHO, only worth if you look for very compact lenses.

[masjah]

As above, 280/4, 28-90/2.8-4.5 zoom and 100/2.8 macro for the resons given above. I would add the 21-35 zoom for its compactness and excellent image quality, and the 90/2 AA for its compactness and its very impressive image quality ot f/2. Also for me the 28/2.8 PC for its flexibility as an architectural lens. Also don't forget the 2X Apo Extender, for the marvellous way in which it holds up the image quality of the lens to which it is attached (especially when one looks at the degradation created by the equivalentinf other marques).

 

Having written this, it would appear to be easier for me to list the lenses which don't excite me. But there's nothing actually wrong with the 50/2 and 35/1.4, just that I use them less often.

[farnz]

I entirely agree with the educated opinions above and add the 19/2.8 v2.

 

Pete.

[stuny]

I agree with most of the above and add the 80-200, with and without the APO 2X is my choice.

[thomasl.se]

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My current and sold R's, of which I'm the most fond of top three:

80/1,4

60/2,8

35/2 v2

400/6,8 (sold)

180/2,8 v2

50/2 latest (sold)

50/1,4 v1

 

If I ever have an M I will primarily use it with 50 and 35, and keep a 1-1,5 crop camera just to be able to use the 80 and occasionally the 60 macro.

[Julian H]

My selection of R lenses comprises;

 

19mm v2

28PC

35 'cron

50 'cron

60 macro

90 'cron

100 apo macro

180 apo telyt

 

With the DMR the one's I can't do without are the 35, 60 and 90. It makes a beautifully versatile kit, not too much weight and covers pretty much any eventuality I seem to come across. Sometimes, to go lighter still I will only carry the 50 with Elpro and 90.

 

I don't often use the 19, 28PC or 180, although I will never sell them, unless I get a better version replacement for them which is unlikely in the short term. I must admit whilst I respect the Apo-Telyt I prefer the IQ of the later f2.8 APO. To me, its colour rendering seems better too. I also find the colour rendering of the 28PC to be a bit different from the other lenses too.

 

Sometimes I dream about having the 35 and 80 'luxes but thinking of my back, I realise they would mostly stay at home in a bag!

 

Julian

[adan]

My APO f/3.4 180 is pretty much welded to my Canon 5D2. I actually prefer its color rendering to the pinker Elmarit APO - but then I have a soft spot for all the Canadian lens designs, and in "look" it matches up with my M 21 and 75 of the same era.

 

Only drawback is the close-focus limit of 2.5 meters

 

In the center of the frame, my 400 f/6.8 beats all the Nikon and Canon 400s I've used - but is somewhat slow.

 

I used both for the two ice-racing car action pictures in my current magazine - click coloradoseen link in my signature....

[Julian H]

My APO f/3.4 180 is pretty much welded to my Canon 5D2. I actually prefer its color rendering to the pinker Elmarit APO - but then I have a soft spot for all the Canadian lens designs, and in "look" it matches up with my M 21 and 75 of the same era.

 

Only drawback is the close-focus limit of 2.5 meters

 

In the center of the frame, my 400 f/6.8 beats all the Nikon and Canon 400s I've used - but is somewhat slow.

 

I used both for the two ice-racing car action pictures in my current magazine - click coloradoseen link in my signature....

 

Hmm, I don't see pinker on the f2.8, I just see a bit "cold" on the APO-Telyt. I always used to have trouble spotting subtle colour issues with my Cibachromes so maybe it's my eyesight that is not quite right..., never mind, they are both great products. The min. focus has never really been an issue for me.

 

Thanks, Julian

 

ps - I love the Canadian lenses too, so no issues there

[LeicaPassion]

Both the 280APO f4 and the 560 f6.8 are stunning. As one post mention, the 560 has a great performance/price ratio. Pick one up if you can.

[james.liam]

FWIW, my top four R's, in this order:

 

-28 Elmarit v.2

-90 Summicron APO tied with 180 Elmarit APO

-100 Elmarit Makro APO

 

No one made mention of the 28 v.2; just love that compact lens, particularly slose-up. The sumptuous, accurate colors with 3D rendering when shot wide open, not to mention resolving power, eclipses the Zeiss ZF 28 I once owned and Nikkor 28/2 I still have. Also improves on the formidable Nikkor 24-70 @ 28 particularly with color fidelity and subtle shading transitions.

 

The 180 Telyt impressed me with its resolving power but it shined at distance and not so much closer in. The Elmarit does that and more, closer in as well plus 1/2 stop faster. While the Telyt needed to be stopped down to 5.6 for optimal performance, the Elmarit hits it's stride at 2.8. Truly astounding.

[anabasis]

My favorite 3 R-lenses are

 

1) 180 APO Summicron

2) 100 APO Elmarit Macro

3) 400 f4 APO Telyt Modular

 

My 90mm Summicron (Canadian non-Asph) is a close 4th.

 

As far as the color of the 28 PC lens, remember, that isn't built by Leica, so I can see it having a different color rendering. You can get that lens in a number of mounts.

 

JCA

[Posto 6]

Apo 70-180mm

Apo 280mm F4

80mm Summilux

19mm F2.8 latest

35mm Summilux

 

Did not like:

24mm F2.8

16mm Fisheye

[ryee3]

Apo 70-180mm

Apo 280mm F4

80mm Summilux

19mm F2.8 latest

35mm Summilux

 

Did not like:

24mm F2.8

16mm Fisheye

can you tell us why you like and dislike your choices?

[Posto 6]

can you tell us why you like and dislike your choices?

 

Especially by comparison to the 19mm mk2, the 24mm is not as sharp and really shows it's 1970's Minolta provenance. Before finally getting rid of it, I shot side-by-side Kodachromes with my 24mm Asph-M, and there really was no comparison. The old R lens is OK for portraits, and quite cheap but not really comparable to other Leica glass.

 

My 16mm Fisheye suffered quite significantly from flare both at night and even during the day if the sun was anywhere near to being in the frame. Again, a bought-in Minolta 1970's stopgap design which cannot compare with the wonderful 15 f:3.5 and f:2.8 lenses.

 

I must say that these were the only two R lenses that I did not really like. The later Apochromatic lenses are spectacular value, and far above the competition.

[wilfredo]

I only have one which I use on my Canon 5D mark II, the 90mm Emarit. What a fantastic value that lens has been. I got it used on E-bay, and may only let it go if I replace it with the 100mm Emarit APO. It is relatively compact to boot.

[vickko]

Does no-one shoot with the 15mm f2.8 Super-Elmarit?

 

Vick

[janki]

Considering so much wonderful optical tradition, it is a little sad having to realize that Leica never going to produce lenses for a SLR / DSLR camera system ever again.

The S 2 system is a great system, but in every way so peculiar, that I feel it does not even get into consideration.

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[james.liam]

Considering so much wonderful optical tradition, it is a little sad having to realize that Leica never going to produce lenses for a SLR / DSLR camera system ever again.

The S 2 system is a great system, but in every way so peculiar, that I feel it does not even get into consideration.

 

"Never" is a long time and I can't imagine that all those R lenses now being sent in to Leica for CLA in preparation for a second life on Canon, Nikon, Sony, Pentax and cinematographer's video cameras has escaped their notice or the astronomical prices that the best of the R's are now fetching.