R 50 Summicron & 60 Macro Elmarit

[Wayne]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Years ago, I purchased an R 2.8 90mm with the intention of converting it to Pentax mount; as it works out, I never did....Thank goodness. Yesterday I ran into a deal on a nice R5 and could not pass it up. I am impressed with the camera. The 90 works well on it. I cannot remember ever liking the view through an SLR viewfinder as much as I like the one on the R5.

 

All of the above to ask this question:

 

Focal length and speed differences aside, does the 60 Elmarit (3 cam) Macro stand in well as good standard prime surrogate for the 50mm Summicron?

 

Thanks

[Advertisement]

The Leica Q3 is available for pre-order at B&H Photo Video and Adorama

[jip]

Yes the 60 is a very good lens also for NON macro work... The 50 however goes a bit wider of course and also focuses down to 50cm giving okay results in the close up range. (Not as good as the 60 of course.) and is also a stop faster, which is nice for low light, or shallow depth of field photography.

 

As you like the viewfinder of the R6, don't try the R8/9 or the Medium Format Leica S or you'll want one just for this reason!

[farnz]

Yes the 60/2.8 Macro-Elmarit-R performs very well for non-macro work as well imo.  Perhaps the only irritation might be that it has a very long focus throw, which is very useful for macro work of course, but less useful for tracking moving subject in the street for example.

 

Pete.

[Hugh 38]

I  bought a 60 Elmarit   3 or 4  years ago  and it is  wonderful.  A  great  all  rounder . It  has  certainly  opened  my  eyes  to  macro work , mostly  flowers  and  spiders in the  garden .  It is also  good  for  a  day out  and  will  cope  with almost  anything . The  60  with a  28 in your  bag is  a  good  kit. 

 

The  Sumicron  does  give  you  the extra  stop ,  do  you  need  it  ?   The  Sumicron  50 I have is  a little  smaller , an early  one  wit the   clip on lens  hood which can get lost . 

[sfage]

The 60 is a "no sell" lens.

[Hugh 38]

Something  else  :  The   60 Elmarit  makes  a  very  good  magnifier ,  even  better if  you  add the e extension  tube .

Just   used  mine  to  check  and clean  the   stylus   on my  record  player . I  can not   see  the  thing otherwise ! 

[tobey bilek]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Stunning lens.   

 

Early ones have ser VIII filters that fit inside the shade, same shade as 35 Curtain shift lens.  Pola filters are rotated by a rubber wheel in the shade and it must be a Leitz ser 8 as they are fractionally larger to make proper contact with the wheel.

 

Better news is is it takes screw in 60 mm filters, still hard to find,but better.

 

Later ones have 55 mm filter threads

[mark_pw]

The Macro Elmarit 60mm is really good for macro and closeups. It's nothing the Summicron 50mm can do even with extension tube. Some macro samples of Leica Macro-Elmarit R 60mm f2.8 can be found at BigBigLens - Leica.

[ramarren]

Good to hear all this praise of the Macro-Elmarit-R 60mm... I ordered one a couple of days ago and am looking forward to using it. :-)

 

And yes ... If you love the viewfinder of an R5, DON'T look through an R8. The R8 has, to my eye, the very finest 35mm SLR viewfinder ever made. When I consider the pittance that this R8 body cost me (and the similar ridiculously small amount I've paid for the R lenses I've acquired!) I can only shake my head that people would sell this quality of gear for these prices. 

 

They're all going to get good use in my hands. 

[ramarren]

My Macro-Elmarit-R 60mm f/2.8 arrived a few moments ago.

 

What a BEAUTIFUL lens! Darn thing looks as if it was never used at all; there are hardly any scuffs or scratches on the lens mount. 

 

I am so jazzed! 

[mark_pw]

I recently found my Leica Elmarit-R 35mm f2.8 could have quite a short focusing distance. I did some close up shots on tiny flowers. You can want to check them out at BigBigLens.com.