WATE on a Leica SL

[gvaliquette]

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Hello all,

 

I have a simple question.  Can the WATE (Leica Tri-Elmar-M 16 18 21) be used as a continuous zoom on the Leica SL?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Guy

[gpwhite]

WATE can be used as a continuous zoom on any camera with an M mount (or adapted to an M mount).

 

Do you see the change in FOV in the SL viewfinder as you zoom the WATE? Yep.

 

With my equipment, corners were quite good with the WATE by f/5.6.

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[sdw]

Good news, I am planning to use mine on the SL. Can't see why it wouldn't work - the zoom ring is continuous. 

[FlashGordonPhotography]

The WATE works as a zoom but the MATE doesn't. The WATE is a simpler design because it doesn't need to change the tramlines like the MATE does.

 

You'll also be able to focus down to 0.5M using the EVF, which can be handy.

 

Gordon

[pico]

Can the WATE (Leica Tri-Elmar-M 16 18 21) be used as a continuous zoom on the Leica SL?

 

My bet is, NO, it is not a contiguous zoom lens. Let us see how this question works out with owners of it, providing they can test it between the given focal lengths.

.

OH, I forgot. The answer is NO. Must search ...

Edited January 25, 2016 by pico

[Cliff S]

It is continuous

[jdlaing]

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It is continuous.

[Rick]

Pico - It is the only M lens which is a zoom... unlike the MATE.  I own it and that is one of the advantages of the WATE.

 

Rick

[Jeff S]

It's the reason I've had some hope that Leica would redesign the MATE and/or offer other trifocal, or bifocal (actually multi-focal given continuous zoom) options for the M that incorporate the supposedly less complicated construction of the WATE compared to the MATE.  35-50-90 (35 to 90) would suit me fine.  

 

Jeff

Edited January 26, 2016 by Jeff S

[FlashGordonPhotography]

My bet is, NO, it is not a contiguous zoom lens. Let us see how this question works out with owners of it, providing they can test it between the given focal lengths.

.

OH, I forgot. The answer is NO. Must search ...

 

 

I do own it. I have tested it between click stops. It is a zoom lens.

 

Gordon

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It's a zoom lens. Leica has this to say on that topic:

 

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[scott kirkpatrick]

Rather than wait for the MATE to reemerge as an M mount zoom lens, may I suggest trying the 35-70/4 R zoom lens?  It works quite nicely on the SL (with the required adapter or adapters).

 

scott

[marknorton]

Though let's not get too excited about the WATE as a zoom. Its zoom ratio is a paltry 1.31:1 so I find it mostly useful for a bit of cropping after first framing and focussing at 16mm (on an M240 of course).

 

I would of course like to see a replacement for the MATE, or even a pair 21-28-35 and 50-75-90. You would then have all bases covered with just 3 lenses for travelling.

[gvaliquette]

Thank you all, that's what I was hoping.

 

Guy

[ramarren]

Though let's not get too excited about the WATE as a zoom. Its zoom ratio is a paltry 1.31:1 so I find it mostly useful for a bit of cropping after first framing and focussing at 16mm (on an M240 of course).

 

I would of course like to see a replacement for the MATE, or even a pair 21-28-35 and 50-75-90. You would then have all bases covered with just 3 lenses for travelling.

 

 

Umm, you already have the range from 24 to 90 mm supplied all in one lens with the Vario-Elmarit-SL 24-90/2.8-4 ASPH ... AND it's 100% integrated with the SL, has AF, OIS, and focuses very close. What was the point? 

 

I considered for a while the WATE as having the 16 to 21 mm range in addition to the 24-90 gives you the whole ultra-wide range. But then I realized I had the Elmarit-R 19mm, and later bought the Super-Elmar-R 15mm, so I can have that full range with just the 24 to 90 and one of the wides in the bag. Add the Elmar-R 180mm f/4 and one potential "do it all" travel kit is complete. 

[Jeff S]

Umm, you already have the range from 24 to 90 mm supplied all in one lens with the Vario-Elmarit-SL 24-90/2.8-4 ASPH ... AND it's 100% integrated with the SL, has AF, OIS, and focuses very close. What was the point? 

 

I considered for a while the WATE as having the 16 to 21 mm range in addition to the 24-90 gives you the whole ultra-wide range. But then I realized I had the Elmarit-R 19mm, and later bought the Super-Elmar-R 15mm, so I can have that full range with just the 24 to 90 and one of the wides in the bag. Add the Elmar-R 180mm f/4 and one potential "do it all" travel kit is complete. 

 

I realize this thread relates to the SL, but my comment above referred to lenses designed for the M (that could secondarily be used on the SL)....it's for use on the M to which I was referring.  Perhaps Mark might have also had this in mind.

 

Jeff

[ramarren]

I realize this thread relates to the SL, but my comment above referred to lenses designed for the M (that could secondarily be used on the SL)....it's for use on the M to which I was referring.  Perhaps Mark might have also had this in mind.

 

 

Perhaps. All I'm intimating is that if I were buying lenses for the SL, I would prefer to buy zoom lenses designed for it so as to get the most benefit from the SL's feature set. I wouldn't be considering a MATE or MATE+ because the SL lens does that job best. 

[Jeff S]

Perhaps. All I'm intimating is that if I were buying lenses for the SL, I would prefer to buy zoom lenses designed for it so as to get the most benefit from the SL's feature set. I wouldn't be considering a MATE or MATE+ because the SL lens does that job best. 

 

Sure, but then to be consistent, your observation regarding R lens use is similarly problematic (no AF, etc).  

 

The biggest issue for me with the SL, cost aside, is that the dedicated lens line will take a long time to develop.  I suspect many stayed away from the S (and likely fewer pros considered switching systems) for similar reasons, even though other lenses could be substituted.  Others of course are more than satisfied with options available.

 

Jeff

[ramarren]

Sure, but then to be consistent, your observation regarding R lens use is similarly problematic (no AF, etc).  

 

The biggest issue for me with the SL, cost aside, is that the dedicated lens line will take a long time to develop.  I suspect many stayed away from the S (and likely fewer pros considered switching systems) for similar reasons, even though other lenses could be substituted.  Others of course are more than satisfied with options available.

 

 

Ah, but I bought the SL to be able to put my R lenses to use. I almost bought it body-only for that purpose, it was a last minute decision to buy the 24-90mm lens (which I still haven't used very much). I'm not much of a zoom lens user, you see, but I thought it would be useful to have it if I wanted to take advantage of the AF and OIS. I have little to no real interest in buying further SL lenses, although the 50mm might be tempting and a 180mm doubly so. 

 

I had most of the R lenses already, a kit of a dozen lenses and other lens attachments. I didn't go out to buy these lenses specifically for the SL until the very last two (the 15mm, and the 100mm bellows macro lens). I prefer manual focus most of the time, too: when I do use the 24-90, I have it set to MF with the toggle button set to on-demand AF. 

 

So my intent in buying the SL was perhaps different from the newcomers to the system who have no R lenses. For me it is the R system body replacement that I was wishing for, and it does a fine job of it. I haven't mounted any of my M lenses onto it other than to test one thing or another—I use them on the M-P where they work best. My hope is that the dedicated R Adapter SL, when it comes out, will give the SL aperture control of the lenses so that the other exposure modes and auto-diaphragm operation will be restored as well. But it works well enough as is to prove a pleasure for me already.

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[Jeff S]

Yep, you fall into the category of 'others who are more than satisfied with the options available'.   I might have been in that same boat, but sold my R lenses when I sold my R6.2.

 

Jeff