First used lens: 135mm elmarit. Goggles out of alingment, no aparature exif, what else to look out for.

[mca]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

All Leica M lenses are mechanical, thus none of them will provide you with correct aperture values in the EXIF since there is no communication from the lens to the body. This is valid for all digital M cameras. The way it works then is the camera body measures the light and guesses what aperture you would need for the given shutter speed and that's what's recorded in the EXIF, just a guess, which most of the time is incorrect.

 

In the case of this 135mm lens, as mentioned before, it seems that the goggles are blocking the window through which the body will meausure the light and if this is so, you will always have maximum aperture recorded in the EXIF. 

 

The 6 bit coding is just paint on the lens mount that is read by a sensor in the body in order to identify what lens you're using and record it in the EXIF, as well as applying distortion and vigneting corrections if I am not mistaken. 

[Adam]

All Leica M lenses are mechanical, thus none of them will provide you with correct aperture values in the EXIF since there is no communication from the lens to the body. This is valid for all digital M cameras. The way it works then is the camera body measures the light and guesses what aperture you would need for the given shutter speed and that's what's recorded in the EXIF, just a guess, which most of the time is incorrect.

 

In the case of this 135mm lens, as mentioned before, it seems that the goggles are blocking the window through which the body will meausure the light and if this is so, you will always have maximum aperture recorded in the EXIF. 

 

The 6 bit coding is just paint on the lens mount that is read by a sensor in the body in order to identify what lens you're using and record it in the EXIF, as well as applying distortion and vigneting corrections if I am not mistaken. 

 

You are probably right. But the newer lenses I have: 35 Summicron ASPH and 75 Summicron APO record different apertures in EXIF. I assumed more or less correctly. But I would have to test.

The 135 Elmarit is always f.2.8. Hence my initial question.

 

The Exif data is useful since I sometimes apply LCC proficles in Capture1, these are customized for each lens and each aperture.  

[tobey bilek]

There is an updated optics model that is slightly better.   It has the E55 from factory.

 

Camera external meter can not read because meter cell is blocked by goggles.  So even if coded,  EXIF will be wrong.

 

Focus is horizontal matching of RF patch.    Vertical match makes it easier to use only.   It is done by rotating the prism in the round end.    I have read it is not as easy to do as it seems to get it right.

 

You will need the Ser 7 Leica retain ring to hold series filters.

 

If all this bothers you, trade for a 135 4.0 tele elmarit

[jaapv]

There is an updated optics model that is slightly better.   It has the E55 from factory.

 

Camera external meter can not read because meter cell is blocked by goggles.  So even if coded,  EXIF will be wrong.

 

Focus is horizontal matching of RF patch.    Vertical match makes it easier to use only.   It is done by rotating the prism in the round end.    I have read it is not as easy to do as it seems to get it right.

 

You will need the Ser 7 Leica retain ring to hold series filters.

 

If all this bothers you, trade for a 135 4.0 tele elmarit

-which is the better lens anyway... On the M240 you could get an R-Elmarit of course, the same lens, cheaper and easier in use.

[Adam]

-which is the better lens anyway... On the M240 you could get an R-Elmarit of course, the same lens, cheaper and easier in use.

 

 

Why better? I know it is considered sharper wide open, but then again it is f4, whereas Elmarit is f2.8. From what I read around 5.6 they are more or less the same.

 

http://www.apotelyt.com/photo-lens/leica-m-135mm

 

I thought that the elmarit is comparable, or just minimally less good at f4, 5.6,  but as a trade off  stops down to 2.8.

 

But maybe I am wrong, I don't have an elmar to compare.

[jaapv]

I've had both, kept the Tele-Elmar, sold the  Elmarit. The Elmarit is nice, but low contrast.  The advantage is of course speed. The Tele-Elmar  is a masterpiece, and rivals the Apo-Telyt except @ 4.0.

[Adam]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

I've had both, kept the Tele-Elmar, sold the  Elmarit. The Elmarit is nice, but low contrast.  The advantage is of course speed. The Tele-Elmar  is a masterpiece, and rivals the Apo-Telyt except @ 4.0.

 

Well I have no comparison. I can see that at f2.8 the contrast is low. But At f4, 5.6 seems fine. Maybe my standards are just low. But with the Elmarit I don't think I could shoot such low depth as here shot at a f.2.8 in cloudy low contrast evening skies (not an exciting test pic, but proves my point).

 

I was thinking of having both, but seems overkill. And I I don't mind the googles, they help to focus without dragging the EVF.

 

 

Would you know where I can find images that can compare both? Searched this forum but did not find any.

 

Thank you!

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!

[lct]

The Tele-Elmar-M 135/4 is indeed a great lens but the Elmarit-M 135/2.8 is no slouch eiher. I did not keep the former in the past because i had the Elmar 135/4 already and i could not tell a difference with the Elmarit at f/4 and on. But i have kept the latter for its wider aperture and its better focus accuracy than both Elmar and Tele-Elmar. The Elmarit-R 135/2.8 was also my favorite 135 on the Canon 5D and has the same optics as the Elmarit-M. All very good lenses outperformed only by the Apo-Telyt-M 135/3.4 which is optically superior but needs an EVF or a magnifier to get good hit rates at full aperture. FWIW.

[hepcat]

 

Focus is horizontal matching of RF patch.    Vertical match makes it easier to use only.   It is done by rotating the prism in the round end.    I have read it is not as easy to do as it seems to get it right.

 

 

Tobey is right.  I have the 135 Elmarit with goggles, and the RF patch was hugely out of alignment when it arrived.   It's easy to align  though, and you can do it with tools you likely already have.  It just takes a while to get it right.  You need a tripod, a window with a view to infinity, an hour of time, and some patience.  You'll get it aligned easily enough. 

[tobey bilek]

I use my 135 4.0 with a 135 external viewfinder, in fact I have the whole set.   The 2.8 elmarit brings up the 90 mm frame line and the rectangle end of the goggles allows the 90 line to be correct for angle of view.   That said the image is sort of like looking through a tube to me.  

 

The 135 finder is 1:1 and more pleasant to use much like the 135 view on an M3 which has a .91 viewfinder instead of the .68 on digital cameras.  Everything appears bigger.