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Best non-Leica digital camera for Leica m lenses


Einst_Stein

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There aren't much to choose so far, only Fujifilm X series, Canon EOS-M, Sony Nex 5,6,7, and M43.

 

A recent thread in this forum mentioned the color and resolution problem of Nex 6 and 7 when using wide angle lenses, including Leica M and Zeiss ZM 21mm, etc. Nex 5 seems better.

 

I don't see much discussion on Fujifilm X in this forum, but some other review sites mentioned that Leica M or Zeiss ZM lenses perform so so, the Fujifilm Zoom performs performs just as good.

 

I've Lumix G5, I also found my Leica M or Zeiss ZM lenses not that impressive on it. Yes, the 14-42mm looks not bad at all. I've given up to carry M lenses with G5, I use G5 only for movie or for tele, (135mm Elmar is 270mm equivalent.). But after comparing same lenses on M9, it's not surprising that both camera and the lens matters. Either one matters a lot.

 

So now, just out of curious, anyone has compared the existing non-Leica mirror-less camera for using M or ZM lenses? particularly with wide angle? Any observation or conclusion?

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Clearly the most mature and non-problematic design is present in the Ricoh GXR M-Module, esp. in the widerange working very well up to 16mm in my case. (m-heliar) Not the newest sensor, but who cares. It has a special abbility to save the character of all lenses, esp. the older ones. Great with a summitar...

best regards

Boris

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GXR with Super Heliar 5.6/12mm, giving 18mm. Exposure 1/18 sec, f/5.6

Sharpened only, no corner correction, not cropped.

Jan

 

 

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/images/attach/jpg.gif

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I think the Ricoh GXR is excellent and still holding its own with Leica M lenses, particularly wide angle lenses. My CV 15 mm f4.5 and Elmar 24 mm f3.8 lenses have produced very sharp corner to corner images with the Ricoh. Now that I have acquired a full frame Leica M240, I am not using these lenses as much now. The Ricoh GXR will still be used as a back up camera.

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There aren't much to choose so far, only Fujifilm X series, Canon EOS-M, Sony Nex 5,6,7, and M43.

 

A recent thread in this forum mentioned the color and resolution problem of Nex 6 and 7 when using wide angle lenses, including Leica M and Zeiss ZM 21mm, etc. Nex 5 seems better.

 

I don't see much discussion on Fujifilm X in this forum, but some other review sites mentioned that Leica M or Zeiss ZM lenses perform so so, the Fujifilm Zoom performs performs just as good.

 

I've Lumix G5, I also found my Leica M or Zeiss ZM lenses not that impressive on it. Yes, the 14-42mm looks not bad at all. I've given up to carry M lenses with G5, I use G5 only for movie or for tele, (135mm Elmar is 270mm equivalent.). But after comparing same lenses on M9, it's not surprising that both camera and the lens matters. Either one matters a lot.

 

So now, just out of curious, anyone has compared the existing non-Leica mirror-less camera for using M or ZM lenses? particularly with wide angle? Any observation or conclusion?

 

The Ricoh GXR is your best option, probably followed by the NEX-C3/5N/6 (it's the NEX-3, NEX-5 and that NEX-7 aren't as good with M wide angles.)

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NEX-5N + Wide Angle Tri-Elmar-M ASPH (WATE) 16-18-21/4 seems to work well for me.

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Actually, the WATE works also pretty well on the NEX-7 and the OM-D E-M5.

However, any of my 21, (I don't have a 24), 28, and 35 mm M lenses can produce a red cast on the NEXs. :eek:

 

So, NEX-5N + WATE in a way is my 24, 27, and 32 mm set up. :)

Similarly, a Tele-Elmar 135/4 lens head is one of my favorite lenses on a D800E.

 

All my M lenses get used predominantly on an M9 though.

 

In anticipation I got a number of R lenses for use on an M240 as well.

However noticing the less than ideal implementation of the EVF on the M I am getting less interested in that option.

 

On tripod the R lenses seem to work very well on the NEXs and E-M5.

So I just pre-ordered the new E-M1. :cool: Will see how that goes.:D

 

I like a lot the image quality my M9 produces and I have no problem with its rangefinder focusing. In a way the functionality of a great EVF implementation on the M240 was the main attraction for me - unfortunately not any longer. I still might get the M for my M lenses in addition to keeping M9. However for that to happen Leica really needs to get on top of the many problems reported in this forum for the non-optics part of their M camera, including quality control. Having gone through that learning process with the M9 and finally arrived at a robust and dependable system I rather take pictures than participate in yet another beta testing debugging exercise.

 

It will be interesting to see which cameras Sony actually will release in the near future for the E format.

A well thought out and implemented FF camera would be ideal for my R lenses ... I hope.

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Fuji X-E1 with Elmarit-M 24/2.8 ASPH:

 

 

I don't know if it is "best" but it certainly works for me...

 

That certainly looks good, was there any use of Cornerfix etc? I thought the Fujis didn't do wide M lenses very well

Would the 21/2.8 asph be any different?

 

Gerry

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X-E1 with Elmarit-M 1:2.8/21mm ASPH., no cornerfix used, slight vignette added:

 

9678137612West Entrance, Wimborne Minster | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

set-72157635283683784

Thanks for that, have ypou tried any other M mount lenses on the Fuji? Such as 35/2 asph, and the 15 and 29/1.9 Voigtlanders? Anything I can find on the 'net seems contradictory!

 

Best Wishes, Gerry

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Thanks for that, have ypou tried any other M mount lenses on the Fuji? Such as 35/2 asph, and the 15 and 29/1.9 Voigtlanders? Anything I can find on the 'net seems contradictory!

 

Best Wishes, Gerry

 

Go here and look at each images exif.

I've used the 21 Elmarit, 35 asph, 50 apo-asph, 75 'cron asph, 90 'cron asph, & the CV Nokton 50 1.5 with my Fuji.

 

https://secure.flickr.com/photos/93600820@N04/sets/72157633673512824/

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Sorry, now modify a little bit on my question.

 

What about Zeiss ZM lens? particularly wide angle (25mm, 21mm, 18mm)?

How does Fuji XE work with it? I've given up on Sony Nex-x. Lumix G5 works with Zeiss ZM 25mm, but it's no longer wide angle. It's 50mm equivalent.

 

It would be a good news if XE can work with ZM 21mm and 18mm.That'll be wide enough for me.

 

By the way, I'm looking for a M9 backup and a M9 complement for movie.

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Go here and look at each images exif.

I've used the 21 Elmarit, 35 asph, 50 apo-asph, 75 'cron asph, 90 'cron asph, & the CV Nokton 50 1.5 with my Fuji.

 

https://secure.flickr.com/photos/93600820@N04/sets/72157633673512824/

 

Thanks, I'll have a look when I have the 'proper' computer on tomorrow, on a decent monitor!

 

Gerry

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recently bought the Fuji XE-1 and so far it appears to be fantastic and works really well with leica lenses/ I have the fuji M mount adaptor which lets you quickly select your lens and you programme different vignetting, barrel distortion and peripheral colouring for each lens. I have evened managed to set it up to use the CV12 f5.6 with no peripheral colouring or vignetting which is pretty amazing. I am even thinking of selling my M9 and using it alongside mY M(240) until I can maybe afford another M.

It is also a lot easier to use than the GXR (had one for about 6 months) especially as it has no shutter black out after taking a shot which is a real deal breaker for me

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I've just been holidaying in Canada for a couple of weeks. I took my film M cameras as I don't like the chore of digital processing on my return. However, for a few months I've owned 2 GXR bodies and 4 M mount units and, as they've seen little action since their purchase, I thought I'd give them a run over the 3 days we managed to obtain in the area of Lake O'Hara. Managing to book a campsite in this limited access area is not easily done. We had long treks in mind and I thought I'd appreciate the compact nature of the GXRs.

I set the cameras up to use in manual mode. I didn't use my EVFs (although I did take them). Whilst photographing I could see the very useful virtual horizon, and the histogram and the exposure meter. Perfect. I took two M mount sensors, a Voigt 15/4.5 and a voigt 25/4 color skopar, as well as a 50 summicron and a 90/4 Collapsible Elmar. I found the experience surprisingly enjoyable. I'm usually really frustrated with digital cameras but things weren't too bad at all. Infact, on leaving O'Hara, I continued using the setup on the Iceline trail with views to Takakkaw Falls.

I mainly used the 15 and 25 which surprised me.

For me, one of the most attractive attributes of the system is not having to expose the sensor when swapping lenses. The lens remains attached to the sensor, and the whole lens-sensor unit is swapped between bodies.

I've uploaded 6 photos to my flickr account.

Pete

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I've uploaded 6 photos to my flickr account.

Pete

 

Beautiful, thanks for sharing.

 

While is very valuable to have the sensor protected while swapping lens. I find cleaning the sensor is not as horrible as I thought, as long as it's only dry dust, not wet, no oil.

 

I use the the biggest rubber blower off the camera store, open the camera, face down, turn on the sensor cleaning, keep the blower tip away from the sensor and blow the sensor with some angle, not perpendicular.

 

So far so good, no need to touch the sensor surface yet. If I have to, I'll leave it to the camera repair expert.

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