3rd party lens performance on SL

[Big John]

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SL + Zeiss Otus 28 mm at f1.4, 5 images stacked (ISO1600, 12 sec exposure time). The sky partly cleared up for a few hours with a rising moon above the horizon; sufficiently to take a few shots before the clouds moved in. The haze in the air and the halos around the stars are caused by moist, not-so-winterly air.

Pls can you tell me how to attach Otus lenses to SL, which adapter? Does the camera read aperture etc, autofocus work ok? Thanks

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[helged]

I use the Otus with Nikon mount, and the (manual) Novoflex LET/NIK adapter. Manual focus and manual aperture setting, and no lens info to the exif. Easy, but fully manual.

[AlexP]

Pls can you tell me how to attach Otus lenses to SL, which adapter? Does the camera read aperture etc, autofocus work ok? Thanks

ALL zeiss otus lenses are MF. No auto focus.

[FlashGordonPhotography]

Pls can you tell me how to attach Otus lenses to SL, which adapter? Does the camera read aperture etc, autofocus work ok? Thanks

 

Manual focus but with the Novoflex EF adaptor and the Canon version of the Otus you get aperture info and all the modes (P, A, S , M) ass the aperture is electronic. Same as using a Canon TS lens on the SL.

 

Gordon

[wilfredo]

What if TechArt designed an AF adaptor for the SL as they did for the Sony A7RII? What are the blocks that would keep them from doing this?

[antigallican]

a simple portrait of Daria S. shot with SL mounted with modified Apochromat Kinoptik F2 Focale 50mm

That's terrific

[antigallican]

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As an inexperienced SL user (less than a week) I'm impressed by the camera - I've used my Summicron 50, ZM 25 2.8 and a tele-Elmarit 90 on it - all with good results. I've plenty of experience of those on an M6 and an M9. I've now bought an adapter so my Zeiss ZF 21 can be used on the SL. Who knows if I'll like the results. I liked it on a Nikon, but it's a big lens to go on a Leica. Could anyone tell me please... are there any non SL lenses that will autofocus? I know, it seems a naieve question and I'm fine with manual focussing. But I'd like to know the answer if I could.

[caissa]

Only native SL lenses do have the full AF functionality on the SL. (24-90, 90-280 and 50mm, four more soon to follow)

But with the Novoflex AF adapters for EOS lenses and for Nikon E lenses, other AF lenses with these mounts can be attached. Look into the dedicated threads to see which lenses are working well, which not at all and which are still untried. Novoflex has also a list of compatible lenses (though it is not complete and a bit ambiguous when there are several versions of lenses with the same data).

With manual focus you can adapt hundreds of lenses. More than 100 from Leica alone.

Edited April 2, 2017 by caissa

[antigallican]

Thanks very much for that response Caissa.

[helged]

Not exotic by any means - but playing with the Nikkor 400mm f2.8E with the 1.4x converter - and the manual Novoflex LET/NIK adapter (yielding 11 fps; the electronic Novoflex SL/NIK gives only about 3 fps). No problem to nail the focus with the brilliant SL EVF... 

 

ISO800, 1/80 sec, on tripod; the lens was stopped down 1.5 steps by removing the lens from a Nikon body while simultaneously pressing the depth of field preview button. A hack - possibly not the thing to do in the field too often...

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[Jayesh Mehta]

After much reflection, I decided that the best place for the SL on a wildlife photography trip was at home! As a result of that decision, the rest of this post is OT (for which I apologize).

 

Taking:

 

Canon 1Dx x 2, 5DSR x 1, 1DMkIV x 1 (IR-converted)

16-35/2.8L III, 24-70/2.8L II, 70-200/2.8L II, 200/2L, 200-400/4L, ZO 85/1.4

 

(I dropped the ZD 15/2.8 because I bought the 16-35/2.8L III)

 

Hasselblad X1D + 45/3.5 and 90/3.2

 

Renting the X1D. I had toyed with the idea of buying but it wasn't available (good with the benefit of hindsight). When the Fujifilm GFX 50S was announced, I felt that despite its somewhat unattractive and chunky appearance, it seemed superior to the X1D. That's when good sense prevailed and I decided to rent - choosing the X1D because the GFX was not available.

 

Fantastic trip!

 

Top regret: Wasting time with the Hasselblad X1D. Unresponsive. Tendency to hang. Unbelievably slow startup time. Indifferent-to-poor, cheap, plasticky feel - especially compared to the SL. Poor viewfinder. Took away from time I could have spent concentrating on my usual Canon gear. A lesson well-learnt!

 

Top used combination for me: Canon 1Dx + 200/2

 

Top used combination for my son: Canon 1Dx + 70-200/2.8

 

What I missed: Another 70-200/2.8 or equivalent!

 

Thoughts for the next trip - likely Serengeti and/or Mara in August 2017:

 

- Will take the SL with the 90-280/2.8-4 (did not want to buy this lens but will do so now - rather than get a second Canon 70-200/2.8)

 

- May take the Noctilux-M/0.95

 

- Will dump the IR-converted 1DMkIV (using live view to focus is too much of a hassle)

 

- Will take a 1Dx MkII with 400/4 DO II (have neither at the moment)

 

- Will likely not take the ZO 85/1.4

 

- Will definitely not take the unreliable Novoflex Canon-SL adapter

 

- All else as above

[AlexP]

@ Jayesh Mehta,

 

1Dx MkII with 400/4 DO II: the best combo. I have this combo and the weight on the lens is super light. Bring the 1.4x/2x TC and you're all set.  And if you really want super super light, try the Olympus EM1 mkii with the 300mm f/4 Pro. I own all the big boy from nikon/canon and once i got the EM1 mkii...it is like "damn..i can't feel a thing"..you can basically put on your message bag and hike up miles away without feeling tired.

 

 

and here are the EM1 mkii + 300 f/4 Pro inside a bag

 

Edited April 11, 2017 by AlexP

[meerec]

@ Jayesh Mehta,

 

1Dx MkII with 400/4 DO II: the best combo. I have this combo and the weight on the lens is super light. Bring the 1.4x/2x TC and you're all set. And if you really want super super light, try the Olympus EM1 mkii with the 300mm f/4 Pro. I own all the big boy from nikon/canon and once i got the EM1 mkii...it is like "damn..i can't feel a thing"..you can basically put on your message bag and hike up miles away without feeling tired.

 

 

 

and here are the EM1 mkii + 300 f/4 Pro inside a bag

 

 

You forgot to put the hood on the 400 DO. That would make it stand really tall ;-)

Edited April 11, 2017 by meerec

[Jayesh Mehta]

@ Jayesh Mehta,

 

1Dx MkII with 400/4 DO II: the best combo. I have this combo and the weight on the lens is super light. Bring the 1.4x/2x TC and you're all set.  And if you really want super super light, try the Olympus EM1 mkii with the 300mm f/4 Pro. I own all the big boy from nikon/canon and once i got the EM1 mkii...it is like "damn..i can't feel a thing"..you can basically put on your message bag and hike up miles away without feeling tired.

 

 

 

MTF charts aside, I have been very happy with the original 400 DO. It's been great other than when shooting directly or nearly-directly into the light. I did not take it on the last trip but did miss the 400 mm reach on occasion (and wrestled with my son for his 200-400!). I like the Canon 200/2 for wildlife - a very unusual choice - because it lets me photograph in light when other lenses have to be put aside. It's a pound heavier than the 400 DO II though!

 

Canon for wildlife and Leica for everything urban and day-to-day works for me. Getting yet another system would be too complex, although I would certainly make an exception for a good medium format for selected wildlife work. I thought the Hasselblad X1D may fit the bill; it did not. I must acknowledge my harsh view of the X1D was based on a few days of use and may reflect my limitations as much as the camera's. Here's a picture taken in Kenya with the X1D:

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[IkarusJohn]

So, to recap - the two SL zooms and the 50 Summilux are excellent from 28-280, and the M primes work well (especially the Noct), but that is also in the 16 (WATE) to 135 range.  We're waiting for the wide zoom (16-35) and the three additional Summicron primes (35-75-90).

 

That rather leaves us waiting at the wide end (a lens like the Nikkor 14-24?), mid range tele prime with macro and the long end (Canon telephotos).  I don't mind using adapters, provided they work.  What are the benchmark lenses in these focal lengths?

[FlashGordonPhotography]

So, to recap - the two SL zooms and the 50 Summilux are excellent from 28-280, and the M primes work well (especially the Noct), but that is also in the 16 (WATE) to 135 range.  We're waiting for the wide zoom (16-35) and the three additional Summicron primes (35-75-90).

 

That rather leaves us waiting at the wide end (a lens like the Nikkor 14-24?), mid range tele prime with macro and the long end (Canon telephotos).  I don't mind using adapters, provided they work.  What are the benchmark lenses in these focal lengths?

 

Currently the Canon 11-24 is the benchmark in ultra wide zooms. Not only the widest but optically the best and it works on the adaptor. The Sigma 12-24 is great optically but I'm having reliability issues with mine.

 

Mid range teles. Outus and Sigma Art. With macro. Zeiss 100MP or Canikon 100/105mm.

 

I just got the 300mm Olympus and the PannaLeica 100-400mm. I now have little interest in a longer lens for the SL. The Olympus is stunning. And the zoom is also decent. And they're so portable on the sensational EM1.2.

 

Gordon

 

Gordon

[helged]

Lots of reports with the Sigma Art in Canon mount on the SL here and elswhere.

 

Any experience with Sigma Art lenses - in Nikon mount - on the SL?

[caissa]

AFAIK Sigma is not delivering lenses of the Nikon E type, so there is no way to use their AF on the SL.

So it is a simple mechanical connection - not a lot that could go wrong.

But also not very attractive ...   because the price of the lens is the same (but no AF).

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[antigallican]

I have the Novoflex to M adapter and use it stacked with the Leica M to SL adapter. As Caissa says there is no electronic connection. I use the Sigma art 35 on it and the focussing is pretty good - all by hand of course. I also have a Zeiss distagon 21 zf and that works beautifully on the SL through the same converters. I don't think I'd bother to even try Nikon G lenses on it, as manually focussing them is not much fun.

 

I've read here and elsewhere the sigma 35 art canon mount works well as autofocus with the appropriate mount. it's a great lens, but with the electronic adapter for canon mount I think would turn back into a bit of a hooter. I'm horribly tempted if it would give fast af as that lens and the SL would be great for documentary style shooting. Maybe we have to accept af=big and ugly.

Edited April 18, 2017 by antigallican

[antigallican]

I have the Novoflex to M adapter.

for Nikon mount, I meant to say here.