Guest guy_mancuso Posted April 23, 2007 Share #1 Posted April 23, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) Thought i would pass this on to all and after some e-mails to Christian Erhardt to find out if i can take my newly acquired leica 135mm 3.4 Apo and switch the lens mount to a 90mm lens mount so those frame lines of a 90mm are visable instead of the standard 24/35 framelines which really don't give you any guide to go by for the 135mm. Now it will have a 90mm frame line and it looks like a very tight crop will get the 135mm image size. This will be very nice and not use a external finder if you don't want one. Okay here are the details. I would suggest contacting Robert Fisk at leica USA just to make sure what you want done. Robert is in charge of the service and repair dept. This info is from Christian and I will copy and paste it here. read carefully please My question first Hi Everyone Have a little technical question. I just got a leica 135mm 3.4 APO . Really nice lens indeed but I was wandering if leica can take the mount off and replace with a different mount to bring up the 28-90 mm frame lines instead. So when I mount it I can get the 90mm frame lines to come up. This would get me a lot closer to the 135mm frame lines. Is there a way the repair shop could do this kind of modification or would I need to find a 3rd party. I would rather have leica do it so it can be calibrated Thanks Guy Reply Hi Guy, Great news. We can put a 90mm bayonet on your 135mm APO. Luckily enough the holes to mount the bayonet are in the same spot. The $1.000.000 question is which coding you would like to have put on…? We can code it for any lens. There is also a coding available for the old 135mm with goggles. Maybe that is the one you want…. More info: The cost is the regular conversion cost of $125 per lens. Obviously they have to specify how they want to have it converted and what kind of coding they want. – Once the order is given, it is final. We can not reuse the bayonets if the customer doesn’t like it because of the special coding combination! --- Best regards Christian Erhardt So there is some info on this that maybe of interest to some. i can tell you though the 135mm apo is one hell of a lens and if you can use this focal length it really is nice. Plus for the 30 percent off folks it is on the list. i am shipping mine today and will certainly report when it returns. It really is a nice portrait lens. here is a quick sample i shot last week of some executives. it has really nice falloff in the OOF area's Another case of getting the M8 to work as you do. Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/22288-official-news-converting-a-135mm-apo-framelines/?do=findComment&comment=236364'>More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted April 23, 2007 Posted April 23, 2007 Hi Guest guy_mancuso, Take a look here Official News: Converting a 135mm apo framelines. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
Guest Posted April 23, 2007 Share #2 Posted April 23, 2007 So Guy, Do you code it for the 90 or the 135 with Goggles? I do like my 135 apo, never thought I would want that focal length on the RF but what a sweet lens. Thanks Bob Moore Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guy_mancuso Posted April 23, 2007 Share #3 Posted April 23, 2007 I'm going to code it for the 135mm googles. It may serve no real purpose except for the EXIF data and that's all I really want anyway is know what i shot something with. Heck I'm throwing in the 75 lux and 90 apo in the box too and have them coded too for the same reasons. For me i have a lot of lenses now and knowing what i shot with down the road is helpful when I need that info. Also if you code it for the 90mm and have a real 90mm than that will just confuse things. What i found shooting the portraits is not having a idea on the cropping which i do very little of if any so this will at least help me frame better and take some guess work out and concentrate more on focusing and such. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlm Posted April 23, 2007 Share #4 Posted April 23, 2007 I'm confused...the present 90mm frame shows the field of view of a 90mm lens, though conservatively larger; so if you are using a 135mm lens, wouldn't you want a narrower field of view than the 90 frame? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guy_mancuso Posted April 23, 2007 Share #5 Posted April 23, 2007 The issue is John there is nothing there now except the focusing patch as it is today and yes you will get a 90mm framline and will be bigger than actually using the 135mm but at least you can think in your head of the approximate framing, really helps with off center stuff. really i would consider this more reference when using the 135mm. It probably in reality be between the 90mm frameline and the focusing patch, so if your using the 135mm like this than be a inside the lines of the marks. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
miboss Posted April 23, 2007 Share #6 Posted April 23, 2007 Great Guy ! Congratulations for the good idea. Up to now, I was using my 135 APO with an old Zeiss 18 cm finder but, since it did not fit exactly in the hot shoe ( 1 mm loose at both sides ), it was always a struggle to get it perfectly in line it with the lens/camera ( an error of 1 degree and you are out of target at long distance...). And I agree with you, that lens is a marvel and not difficult at all to focus with the 1.35 magnifyer. So, I'll send mine back to Solms asap. Michel Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shootist Posted April 23, 2007 Share #7 Posted April 23, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) I was told by Lieca NJ that there was NO code for the eyed 135 because they can NOT change the bayonet mount on that model. The mount has the mounting points for the eyes and Leica is not producing it just for some that might want it coded. Now if they do have a code for it, even though they are not going to do in-house coding, it would be nice for them to publish this info. At least then we could try hand coding it. As it is now none of the other 135 codes work on this lens. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
marknorton Posted April 23, 2007 Share #8 Posted April 23, 2007 Great piece of thinking Guy, the 90 give you rather more than the frame lines indicate so if you frame without going right to the inside edge, that will pretty much do it. Put a viewfinder magnifier (or 2!) on, and you're all set. Interesting thought. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ho_co Posted April 23, 2007 Share #9 Posted April 23, 2007 Ed-- Allendale must not have understood the question you were asking. The 135/2.8 has always been codable; it's in the list Leica published of codable lenses. What's happening here is that Leica is putting the zebra stripes befitting the 135/2.8 on a 90mm flange ring. They are not using a 135/2.8 bayonet ring. --HC Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
nryn Posted April 23, 2007 Share #10 Posted April 23, 2007 Wow. Who knew the M8 would open a-la-carte options for lenses? I'd like my APO 135 mount with ebony inlays, please. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guy_mancuso Posted April 23, 2007 Share #11 Posted April 23, 2007 Ed--Allendale must not have understood the question you were asking. The 135/2.8 has always been codable; it's in the list Leica published of codable lenses. What's happening here is that Leica is putting the zebra stripes befitting the 135/2.8 on a 90mm flange ring. They are not using a 135/2.8 bayonet ring. --HC Exactly they will use a 90mm mount and than inlay the 135mm code. This is a nice option to use a 135mm apo since they did not orginal support the 135mm framelines on the M8 but there are some stubborn folks out there that want to use a 135mm and this is a option for them. Like me. LOL Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
albertknappmd Posted April 23, 2007 Share #12 Posted April 23, 2007 I'll take mine with Pearl inlays, a la George Patton.... :D Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hankg Posted April 23, 2007 Share #13 Posted April 23, 2007 It's great that Leica is flexible enough to put a code from a different lens on one that it was not intended for because it will provide a practical benefit for a customer. Kudo's to Leica. I like this company more and more. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
marknorton Posted April 23, 2007 Share #14 Posted April 23, 2007 Perhaps they should bring the 135 in from the cold and give it its very own code... Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shootist Posted April 23, 2007 Share #15 Posted April 23, 2007 Ed--Allendale must not have understood the question you were asking. The 135/2.8 has always been codable; it's in the list Leica published of codable lenses. What's happening here is that Leica is putting the zebra stripes befitting the 135/2.8 on a 90mm flange ring. They are not using a 135/2.8 bayonet ring. --HC But by using the 90mm ring you lose the eye mounting points so the eyes can not be used. Without the eyes that lens will not focus correctly ( I know I've tried it). Now there may of been a 135mm f/2.8 that did not have the eyes (for use on the original M3) and that is the one that can be coded with the 90mm ring. The 135 with eyes was for use with the M4 and up ( I don't think any of the M's from 4 up had the 135 frame lines or was a special order or came as standard on the .85 viewfinder). Guy said Leica NJ said they had a code for the 135 with eyes. I'll check the sheet. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guy_mancuso Posted April 23, 2007 Share #16 Posted April 23, 2007 Ed you maybe confused . they are just using the code from the 135 2.8 googles for the 135mm Apo on a 90mm mount. This is just for the 135m apo. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Olof Posted April 23, 2007 Share #17 Posted April 23, 2007 Now i am wondering if the M8 already can recognise a coded 135mm lens, but there is no frame for such a lens, could it be that Leica will introduce in a few months a new coded 135mm APO Asph with Googles Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sps Posted April 23, 2007 Share #18 Posted April 23, 2007 Wouldn't this change prevent the lens from bringing up the proper lines on film M's? I second Guy's conclusion about the lens. I use it at f8 mostly to photograph my kid's sports games. Almost every shot at f8 is nicely focused. Plus it is just great to drag out my tiny 180mm (135*1.33) package and sit next to my friends with their massive slr's! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guy_mancuso Posted April 23, 2007 Share #19 Posted April 23, 2007 YES it will on film bring up a 90mm frameline instead of the 135mm because the lug is longer to move the lever to 90mm Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gravastar Posted April 23, 2007 Share #20 Posted April 23, 2007 I was told by Lieca NJ that there was NO code for the eyed 135 because they can NOT change the bayonet mount on that model. The mount has the mounting points for the eyes and Leica is not producing it just for some that might want it coded.Now if they do have a code for it, even though they are not going to do in-house coding, it would be nice for them to publish this info. At least then we could try hand coding it. As it is now none of the other 135 codes work on this lens. I was told the same thing by Leica Milton Keynes in the UK who were adamant that the lens cannot be coded. Bob. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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