Tele lens for Leica M 240, M-P, M 60

[Vip]

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Now that we have visoflex could be wishable to have lens with longer focal lenght than the historical 135 as no focusing limit any more?

Why we have to move to Leica R adapter and an R old lenses when we can obtain new design lens, with recordered data on exif file and more light and advanced lens?

Leica has to do this that is more able to expand the range of the M. Many , many short focal lenght no one tele longer than 135. This an traditional limit not more a technical limit

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[lct]

Leica has a long experience with R tele lenses. They were very expensive and difficult to sell. Today we can use dozens of R and non Leica lenses via adapters so there is too little a market for what you're after i'm afraid.

[algrove]

I owned just about every high quality R tele and zoom lens. Sold many, but kept the APO 180/2.8, 28-90 and 80/200 zoom. Each lens performs superbly on the M240. Have decided to sell the APO 180/2.0 which is a dynamite lens.

[Vip]

Of corse you can ADAPT any lens. But the wish is to have the best link when you buy. It is different if you already own something and you want miss.

I had sadly sold my R lenses:180Apo 3.4 Apo and the 280 Apo 2.8

[lct]

How many people would buy for 5,000 euro a new telephoto without AF and usable only on digital Ms? Too little a market i'm afraid. I've kept my R180/3.4 and 280/4 but use them on a 5D preferably. The adapter-R works fine but for lenses like that, the M240 is nothing but an M body with an electronic Visoflex. Handy but too slow to compete with DSLRs or modern mirrorless cameras.

[bocaburger]

^ +1 ^ I have both R and Nikon adapters for my M240. I have a slew of older manual focus Nikkors, a 400/6.8 Telyt-V, and a recently-purchased 70-210/4 R lens (couldn't resist, it was only $200). I used all but the latter on my 5D for a long time and vastly prefer it to the EVF on the M. It's not the EVF so much as the lag time between shots that aggravates me. And except for the 400 which is my longest lens period, I vastly prefer my EF lenses to any of those others due to image stabilization. Unless I'm using a tripod or very fast shutter speeds, even minute camera shake is more the deciding factor in ultimate IQ than the optics themselves.

[Vip]

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The price is not an issue for many Leica enthusiast: take a look at list price of S system, Noctilux and the waiting time to get them. I had waited from September 9 my M and my lenses almost 6 mos.

I agree that the lag of the visoflex is boring in comparison to the instant view of a mirror but you can see what the sensor see, that mean a better manual exposition and been able to adjusting the focusing depth.

Of course is not for sport or action, but there are many field where speed is not a priority.

In addition If many are BUYING not reusing their R lenses ( not at japanese price) with the additional cost of the adapter and the uncomfortable way that needs this shows better than everything that the space is existing

[luigi bertolotti]

Me too speculated time ago that Leica could offer something like a compact Apo Telyt 180 f4,5 or 4,8 : but thinking well , and having used M240 with and without EVF for some months, I tend to agree that on the current product line is an uneven chance :

- OVF/RF is out of question : the M240 RF is so good that focusing in itself could be possible (with the above apertures) : but framing would need goggles... they had them re-born on the Macro Elmar 90...but just as a special macro accessory... they would add cost and desrupt the compactness of such a lens, which could be its major appeal...

- Current EVF tech (resolution/frame rate) is objectively nothing expecial... users would hardly spend significant money on a lens that would command the usage of an accessory that won't definitely be up to the quality of the lens.

- Hardcore Leicaphiles (me included) who WANT to use their M240 with "over 135" have lot of choices in the market... from the superfine R Teles to old Viso Lenses and ending with cheap M42 universal SLR lenses with chinese adapters... (some days ago, in my town, I saw for sale an apparently perfect Prakticar 200 3,5 with its case and caps... 45 Euro)

[lct]

[...] If many are BUYING not reusing their R lenses ( not at japanese price) with the additional cost of the adapter and the uncomfortable way that needs this shows better than everything that the space is existing

Existing yes but too small IMO. Leica did it already and lost a lot of money so it's not tomorrow that they will do it again if you ask me. BTW in 2006, the R 280/4 apo was 2.1x as expensive as the M 90/2 apo (€ 5200 vs 2465) so today its M version could sell for € 3150 (price of the 90/2) x 2.1 = € 6600 roughly. Would we pay this for a 280 without AF an usable only on the M240 or mirrorless cameras? Thanks no thanks but YMMV .

[ayewing]

I have had fun using my old visoflex Telyt 280mm on the M240 but it really works better on my Olympus E-M1 which effectively doubles its focal length and provides image stabilisation. I certainly would not wish to pay Leica prices for a new long telephoto lens designed for the M240.

[thighslapper]

You will have to wait for the next M........

 

I predict it will have AF capability and a range of AF zooms and telephotos....... probably with VR either in lens or camera .....

 

Making M range manual telephoto lenses for the M that can only be used with peaking and the EVF is daft.

[lct]

I would not bet much on that.

[Jeff S]

I think it would be more interesting to see some type of multi-focal length lens, perhaps a longer mix beyond WATE and MATE, e.g., 35-50-90 or 50-90-135. Or maybe just 2-in-1 version to minimize internal complexity.

 

Jeff

[CheshireCat]

You will have to wait for the next M........

I predict it will have AF capability and a range of AF zooms and telephotos....... probably with VR either in lens or camera .....

 

Hopefully, but it will be the Leica T full-frame.

 

Leica should merge the two product lines and make the T-M camera.

With a full phase-detect sensor, I think it is even possible to simulate the rangefinder digitally, for those die-hard RF fans.

[Vip]

I do not think that a 135 mm is so different to focus than a 180 but it is much more logically spaced from a 90.

In addition the 135 has been choosed of this aperture to avoid the old "google". Now a 180 with a wider aperture not only helps focusing but enlarge the range of use.

Focusing a 135 in the optical viewfinder, even with enlarging lens, not only is more difficult than in the visoflex where you can zoom 10 times, but also helps in seeing what you shot.

The weight in this kind of use and setting is not an issue. Do not tell me than a reflex with a tele F 2 is a lighter combination.

It is much better than finding strange unions with lens of different brand or adapters that takes time any time you change lens

[lct]

Just as i reminder, the Apo-Elmarit-R 180/2.8 was sold for € 3,750 in 2006, which would make about € 4,500 in 2014.

[MarkP]

Just as i reminder, the Apo-Elmarit-R 180/2.8 was sold for € 3,750 in 2006, which would make about € 4,500 in 2014.

 

...and second hand the 2.8/180mm APO-Elmarit-R is now asking about € 4,300 on eBay for older production units.

[lct]

The Apo-Telyt 180/3.4 is more affordable fortunately and my Nikkor 180/2.8 is so good that i don't need anything else besides the Summicron perhaps but it is too heavy for my back.

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[Vip]

If the price is still so high where those lenses goes? Of corse part of them on Leica M. Did you notice that after the market entry of the R to M adapter the R lenses rise?

[lct]

Well with, say, five sellers and ten buyers, the market price tends to rise as well but the market is very small per se. Is the market large enough for Leica to make some profit? I don't think so but i may be wrong.