hjsesq Posted April 5, 2007 Share #1 Posted April 5, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) New to Leica and would like to get a 35 mm lens with macro capability for a M8. Appreciate any suggestions. Harris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted April 5, 2007 Posted April 5, 2007 Hi hjsesq, Take a look here Macro Lens. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
blakley Posted April 5, 2007 Share #2 Posted April 5, 2007 Your only option is the 90/4 Macro Elmar and the Macro Adapter M. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guy_mancuso Posted April 5, 2007 Share #3 Posted April 5, 2007 I just recieved the 90 macro and adapter today. Extremely nice setup and small also. Looks like a keeper, may even sell my Viso now Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ho_co Posted April 5, 2007 Share #4 Posted April 5, 2007 The Visoflex Guy mentions is your other choice. Long discontinued. You need a Visoflex III plus specific adapters plus any of a number of lenses or lens heads plus either focusing tubes or bellows. Not an easy route to take simply because there are so many variables, and because you have to find each piece used. 90/4 Macro is the only choice currently manufactured, but because you're not viewing thru the lens, it may not be what you consider to be a "macro." Generally speaking, macro photography is the realm of reflex cameras, not rangefinders. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guy_mancuso Posted April 5, 2007 Share #5 Posted April 5, 2007 Thanks Howard the 90 mm with adapter is limited in mag. so it is really not a true macro . What it really does is get you close with quality which is all i am looking for . If you want to shoot bugs on a leave than the Visoflex is more the answer. There are several threads on the Viso and it really is a fascinating tool Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lars_bergquist Posted April 5, 2007 Share #6 Posted April 5, 2007 I did quite a bit of non-SLR close-up work in the old days. In my experience, the big problem is that you cannot see the depth of field directly. On the other hand, the M8 gives you lots of scope for inexpensive and instant experimentation. The best results come if you do your experimentation in a controlled way, with a standard and permanent (or possible-to-reconstruct) target, so that you can know how much leeway you have at different ratios of reproduction and apertures. It will nearly always be less than you think! The old man from the Age of the Contameter Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
luigi bertolotti Posted April 5, 2007 Share #7 Posted April 5, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) New to Leica and would like to get a 35 mm lens with macro capability for a M8. Appreciate any suggestions. Harris 90 f4 currently available, have to order lens + extension ring, excellent outfit for not-strong-macros; if you want real macro (say, about to 3:1 enlargment) and, as You say, "new to Leica", catch the opportunity to join the club of REAL LEICA LOVERS/ADDICTED ! Visoflex III, Bellows II, adapters, Black 65 Elmar with reverse-mounting ring...go go go ! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveEP Posted April 5, 2007 Share #8 Posted April 5, 2007 Been reading a lot about the Visoflex etc, but note that every one is recommending the Visoflex III with M8. From what I can tell, the Visoflex II should also work, but has manual mirror return. Is this correct? Visoflex III seems to be hard to come by, and you have to get lucky on e-bay.... Other than a Visoflex, when other adapters are really needed for use with (say) a 90 cron? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
luigi bertolotti Posted April 5, 2007 Share #9 Posted April 5, 2007 The instant mirror return is not so important in practical terms; the real plus of VisoIII vs. VisoII is the mounting bayonet : in VisoIII it has a rotating flange, so You can mount - dismount the Viso WITHOUT removing the prism finder; with VisoII you MUST remove the prism : mounting-dismounting requires 30° or so rotation of the Viso body, as with a lens, and of course you cannot rotate it with the prism mounted on...it is almost adherent to the body top. This solution makes the VisoIII really a lot faster and simpler to manage when you want to use it, and also that, unless you have reason to use sometimes the vertical Viso finder (that indeed is useful in macro postures bellows + tripod), with a VisoIII you can keep always the prism attached : a lot better for cleaness, risk of scratches etc... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted April 5, 2007 Share #10 Posted April 5, 2007 The Visoflex Guy mentions is your other choice. Long discontinued. You need a Visoflex III plus specific adapters plus any of a number of lenses or lens heads plus either focusing tubes or bellows. Not an easy route to take simply because there are so many variables, and because you have to find each piece used. 90/4 Macro is the only choice currently manufactured, but because you're not viewing thru the lens, it may not be what you consider to be a "macro." Generally speaking, macro photography is the realm of reflex cameras, not rangefinders. For basic macro you can use the Visoflex without adapters. I use the 50 mm Elmar M and Tele-Elmar 4.0-135 with more than excellent results. Just click them on... http://rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38725 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveEP Posted April 5, 2007 Share #11 Posted April 5, 2007 So any one know where I can pick up a Visofelx III ? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ho_co Posted April 6, 2007 Share #12 Posted April 6, 2007 From what I can tell, the Visoflex II should also work, but has manual mirror return. Is this correct? Visoflex III seems to be hard to come by, and you have to get lucky on e-bay.... Dave-- I don't believe the Viso II will fit the M8. The Viso III was introduced just before the M5, because the M5 was taller than previous M bodies. I may be wrong, but I believe that the M8 is tall enough that the Viso II won't work unless you use the 'stovepipe' finder that sticks up from the Viso itself instead of the eye-level finder that rides back over the camera. @Harris--You can also consider the Viso I. It's quite clunky and has a 45° finder. It dates from the screw-mount days. But the Viso III is far and away the best choice, and they are indeed difficult to find. Good luck! @Jaap--No argument that one doesn't need all the plumbing! But since Harris says he's not that familiar with the system, I didn't want to leave the impression that the Viso will fill his needs. Reason: I don't know his needs. Yes, it's fun to turn the M into a reflex, but at that point you have something that is still harder and slower to work with than a basic SLR with macro lens. --HC Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
spydrxx Posted April 6, 2007 Share #13 Posted April 6, 2007 Almost every week there are several Visoflexes for sale on eBay...both at auction as well as Buy it Now. KEH usually has one or two in stock, and occasionally I've seen one at DAG's site. For the reasons mentioned above, I'd suggest the III. I found that I couldn't use the 90 degree finder on the Visoflex II on my M6 due to the additional camera height although it was perfect on my M4, so my only choice was to either use the chimney finder all the time or get a III. I opted for the III and haven't looked back (although I really liked the variable diopter eyepiece on the 90 degree finder for the Viso II). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hjsesq Posted April 6, 2007 Author Share #14 Posted April 6, 2007 Thanks for all your suggestions. Since I am a new Leica user, I think it may be best for me to become more familiar with the camera and lenses I have and use to my Canon 5D for macro work at this time. Once I get a little more comfortable with it I'll look into all your thoughts. The last rangefinder camera I had was a Kodak 35 f3.5- so maybe I am giving away my age - wonder how many of you remember that camera. I am thrilled with the results I am getting with the M8 - shots seem more sharp and definitive. Thanks again - Harris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lars_bergquist Posted April 6, 2007 Share #15 Posted April 6, 2007 The instant mirror return is not so important in practical terms; the real plus of VisoIII vs. VisoII is the mounting bayonet : in VisoIII it has a rotating flange, so You can mount - dismount the Viso WITHOUT removing the prism finder; with VisoII you MUST remove the prism : mounting-dismounting requires 30° or so rotation of the Viso body, as with a lens, and of course you cannot rotate it with the prism mounted on...it is almost adherent to the body top. This solution makes the VisoIII really a lot faster and simpler to manage when you want to use it, and also that, unless you have reason to use sometimes the vertical Viso finder (that indeed is useful in macro postures bellows + tripod), with a VisoIII you can keep always the prism attached : a lot better for cleaness, risk of scratches etc... Correct, but Luigi forgot to mention that the low-slung prism for the Visoflex II can't be used with high-body cameras (M5, M6TTL, M7 and M8). Apart from that, all the finder styles for Viso II and III are cross-compatible. – Also, the mirror return of the VIII is very convenient when you use a tele, and you have a motor-drive camera! The old man from the Age of Shutter Blackout Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
luigi bertolotti Posted April 10, 2007 Share #16 Posted April 10, 2007 Right observation Lars... as a not-yet-owner of M8, In my mind did not take in account that it HAS a motor... in my mind, when thinking of my (yet to arrive....) M8 I do not take account on this feature...having no more than M4 until now, I have never experienced by myself what really means having a motor in operative terms. ---------- One of us, in this thread, wrote that Visoflex is anyway less quick than a DSLR with a good macro lens... OK, no doubt, no questioning about: the fact that in this forum the world "Visoflex" is really abundant in my opinion simply means that a) Lot of M8 users are HAPPY with their camera A growing number of them discovers that an old accessory opens anyway new fields for a camera they LIKE to use. c) When they start to USE this old accessory they also discover that it REALLY WORKS with GOOD RESULTS: for me, in our times of hard consuming, technology obsolescence and similar, touching with your hands that the assembly of a 2006/7 digital camera, with a something strange device about 40 years old and some lens that can be older again, FITS WELL AND PERFORM WELL, is a sort of magic feeling... it projects your mind on larger horizons that the day-by-day... or, at least, this is my feel. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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