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What's the heaviest lens you'd put on your M?


Winedemonium

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The M of course allows for adaptors through the EVF or Liveview. That allows for lenses heavier than Leica's big-weight M lenses such as the 580g 21mm Summilux, 560g 75mm Summilux, etc.

 

As has been discussed on other threads, including recently, Lloyd Chambers points to using a special lens support when your M is on a tripod with a heavy lens (his example, the 920g Zeiss 2/135 APO-Sonnar ZF.2. 

 

I'm curious to know, amongst M users who use their Leica R, Zeiss, Nikkor, and other lenses on their M, how do you set this up? 

 

Have you suffered any problems with your M mount as a result?

 

Thanks.

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+1 and the Leica R-Adapter M comes with a tripod mount as well.

 

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how about heaviest lens without a tripod mount then?

 

The Apo-Elmarit-R 180/2.8 perhaps (970 g). I have no experience with it but i use the Apo-Telyt-R 180/3.4 (750 g) with no problem at all on the M240.

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IMO the Noctilux f/0.95 (700gms) is as heavy as I would ever want to go hand held and even then I wouldn't want to walk around with it for more than a couple of hours at most.

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I tried using the 280/4 APO on the M but didn't like it. I have not been using it so I sold it. It was the heaviest lens I have used on the M. The 100/2.8 APO, 180/2.8 APO and 80/1.4 are ok to use. For digital bodies, I prefer using the R lenses on the A7R. Among the M lenses, 50/0.95 is the heaviest "I have used".

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The Elmarit-M 135/2.8 is slightly heavier (735 vs 700 g)

 

Thanks. I have never used an Elmarit 135/2.8 M. Sorry, I should have stated "heaviest M lenses I have used on the M"

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I have the Novoflex LEM-LER mounted exclusively to my 400/6.8 Telyt-V, as the adapter vignettes FAR less than the current-issue Leica adapter, and although the LEM-LER has no tripod foot, the lens itself does. 

 

I also have the Leica adapter with the tripod foot, and the heaviest lenses I've used it with are 70-210/4-R and 180/2.8 Nikkor from the F-era. 

 

In all cases though I MUCH prefer to adapt those lenses to my Canon 5D.  Not due to weight, it's that EVF's in general quash my creative sight, and the between-shot lag in the M240 makes it suitable mostly for stationary or slow-moving subjects. 

 

Without the adapter, the heaviest lens I own and have used is a 105/2.5 Nikkor in LTM with M-bayonet adapter.  Second heaviest I own is the 90/2 pre-ASPH.  To me large, heavy lenses are antithetical to my reason behind using an M, not necessarily inimical.

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Vario-Elmar R 105-280 with Novoflex adapter and 1.4x extender, well over 2 Kg, always handheld./beanbag/shoulder stock. Without lens tripod mount(which is used to mount a Sunstrap) No problems whatever with the mount after thousands of shots over nearly three years. A combination I love to use, but I admit it takes some experience and training to use such a rig successfully, however, within the muscular limits of the photographer, the heavier the camera/lens, the more stable the combination.
You can find dozens of shots by me in the photography section. (no, no motion blur)
I carry the gear in tropical heat on long hikes.

Why there should be any objection with light stuff like Noctiluxes I cannot see.
The mount and bodyshell have been strengthened by Leica on the 240 specifically for this type of use, but I would advise using the lens strap lugs or some other means of carrying strap, though. I don’t really trust the camera ones.
To add, I have been using lenses in this weight class on earlier M cameras with Visoflex often and even then the mount was stable. I did bend the Mount on my R cameras out of true several times though. It appears to be less sturdy than the M mount.
Lloyd Chambers is vastly overcautious without rational reason.

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I have used the ZE APO 135/2 on tripod without a special lens support, but just for a few exposures in fear of damaging the mount.

 

Without a tripod, correctly balancing the combo, it is a different story. Heaviest lens I have mounted handheld is the EF 70-200/2.8 (about 1.5 Kg == 3.3 lb).

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Vario-Elmar R 105-280 with Novoflex adapter and 1.4x extender, well over 2 Kg, always handheld./beanbag/shoulder stock. Without lens tripod mount.No problems whatever with the mount after thousands of shots over nearly three years. A combination I love to use, but I admit it takes some experience and training to use such a rig successfully, however, within the muscular limits of the photographer, the heavier the camera/lens, the more stable the combination.

You can find dozens of shots by me in the photography section. (no, no motion blur)

I carry the gear in tropical heat on long hikes.

 

Why there should be any objection with light stuff like Noctiluxes I cannot see.

The mount and bodyshell have been strengthened by Leica on the 240 specifically for this type of use, but I would advise using the lens strap lugs, though. I don’t really trust the camera ones.

To add, I have been using lenses in this weight class on earlier M cameras with Visoflex often and even then the mount was stable. I did bend the Mount on my R cameras out of true several times though. It appears to be less sturdy than the M mount.

Lloyd Chambers is vastly overcautious without rational reason.

 

Interesting. Thanks for that. Yes, they must have factored the torque to some extent when they launched the M 240 with the R adaptor.

 

But the idea of 1kg+ has left me feeling cautious, especially after Lloyd Chambers' post on the subject. Good to hear of your positive experience then (except the R cameras!)

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Actually way back then it was standard practice for Leica's repair departments  to check the mount  alignment of every R camera that came in using a little lens-and-mirror device. The specification was that they were able to bend it back into true three times, after that the bodyshell needed renewal.

The M mount did not need such a check.

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I bought a (Canon knock-off) tripod ring for heavy lenses which don't have a built-in tripod mount. It has worked fine for a number of years. If the lens barrel is too small, I merely temporarily line the ring with a thin strip of closed cell foam,

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