sillbeers15 Posted January 26, 2016 Share #1 Posted January 26, 2016 Advertisement (gone after registration) Techart, a third party vendor has produced a AF adapter for M lenses to gain AF capability when mounted on Sony A7. Technically, the adapter only needs to add a motor and linear movement mechanism for any manual focus lens to gain AF capability when mounted on a AF camera. Will Leica consider producing such an adapter for M & R lenses for SL application? Else another third party maker will surely produce and sell it. Just imagine a Noctilux (w. AF) + SL....... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted January 26, 2016 Posted January 26, 2016 Hi sillbeers15, Take a look here AF adapter for M & R lenses. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
AlanJW Posted January 26, 2016 Share #2 Posted January 26, 2016 I hope you are right but I think best to tamp down my expectations. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramarren Posted January 26, 2016 Share #3 Posted January 26, 2016 No interest for me. I prefer manual focus. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sillbeers15 Posted January 27, 2016 Author Share #4 Posted January 27, 2016 I'm in my early 50s and I sense my deteriorating eyesight, but In the forum many RF (OVF) diehard insist on it being the only preferred way and laughed about EVF on M240 as nothing more than a joke. But the fact being the next guy in the queue with his credit card eager to get the M240 just like me back in February 2013 told me he, too struggled to focus on the RF (OVF) of his M9. 24 months ago I stopped buying anymore M & R lenses as I've expected Leica to produce an AF camera + lens ( thought to be M replacement) and I wrote about it in the forum as I told myself that is the only way Leica can continue to sustain the business growth. If M lenses gain AF capability on Leica body (most likely to be the 'SL' at this point in time), it will help Leica to sell more new cameras. So if Leica uses the existing M & R lenses owned by many of us as marketing tool to sell the new SL ( currently Leica can only offer one lens), It should be in Leica's interest to produce an AF adapter or even private label a third party maker's produce like the SF40 flash (Nissin). Techart AF adapter for M lens on Sony A7 link: http://leicarumors.com/2016/01/07/new-techart-adapter-will-let-you-autofocus-leica-m-lenses-on-sony-a7-cameras.aspx/ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanJW Posted January 27, 2016 Share #5 Posted January 27, 2016 I prefer manual focus too, but at age (almost) 70 having AF sometimes makes a difference. However, the AF 24-90 for the SL is sitting in a drawer as I prefer the size of the M lenses, and have so far been able to focus quite accurately, especially if I am at an f/stop 2.8 or lower. Before my EVF conked out (I'm taking the SL to Leica NJ tomorrow) I did some portraits and found the peaking, to my surprise, lit up my subjects' irises like red-eye, making it a fairly easy (easier than I expected) process. As for an AF adapter, I am not sanguine that Leica will ever produce or disclose enough code to allow a third party to produce an autofocus adapter like that described here. Obviously the adapter would have to pick up signals from the body via contacts, and then move itself with the lens fixed (at infinity?). I doubt the Sony circuitry is the same as the Leica circuitry, and I wonder how precise such a gizmo would be. But I'd like to see someone try. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
digitalfx Posted January 27, 2016 Share #6 Posted January 27, 2016 Just imagine a Noctilux (w. AF) + SL....... This has no appeal to me. The Noctilux was meant to MF Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sillbeers15 Posted January 27, 2016 Author Share #7 Posted January 27, 2016 Advertisement (gone after registration) This has no appeal to me. The Noctilux was meant to MF Wow, you must be young and have great eyesight! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pop Posted January 27, 2016 Share #8 Posted January 27, 2016 There is a huge diffference between the RF of the M9 and the M (Typ 240). My hit rate has much improved with the M. While the EVF for the M is not spectacular, it will be very useful in some cases, in others not at all. I bought it, however, for the cases when it would be useful and not for the others. I'm sixty-four and I have worn glasses from age 15; there has always been some coma to my vision which the glasses don't quite compensate. I can't say that my vision has improved during the last decade or so. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramarren Posted January 27, 2016 Share #9 Posted January 27, 2016 There is a huge diffference between the RF of the M9 and the M (Typ 240). My hit rate has much improved with the M. While the EVF for the M is not spectacular, it will be very useful in some cases, in others not at all. I bought it, however, for the cases when it would be useful and not for the others. I'm sixty-four and I have worn glasses from age 15; there has always been some coma to my vision which the glasses don't quite compensate. I can't say that my vision has improved during the last decade or so. I found the same: the M-P rangefinder is simply easier to work with than the M9's. The the EVF, while no match for the SL, is an advantage over the OVF when using 24, 90, and 135 lenses. For 35, 50, and 75 lenses, I use the OVF. (I'm sixty-two this Summer and have been wearing glasses since I was in third grade... I have no trouble focusing either RF, SLR, or EVF cameras sans autofocus.) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sillbeers15 Posted January 28, 2016 Author Share #10 Posted January 28, 2016 Guys, The hit rate of getting a sharply focused portrait on the eye @ f0.95 manually is completely different from getting a f8 street scene in focus. I also enjoy using the OVF on my M240 when I use my 35mm lux. When using the 90mm cron on my M9 at f2,...makes me doubt my focusing ability. The reason for my SL purchase is that I get a general purpose zoom for 'lazy to focus days' and I'm migrating my 21mm Lux and Noctilux over for better focusing aid over M240. Yet I can still enjoy my M240 (on OVF only) with my 35 lux. My thoughts are that gaining AF ability on M lenses on a AF body through an AF adapter provides an additional option for users who love the optical quality of M lenses and require AF aid whenever the situation / need arises. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramarren Posted January 28, 2016 Share #11 Posted January 28, 2016 Guys, The hit rate of getting a sharply focused portrait on the eye @ f0.95 manually is completely different from getting a f8 street scene in focus. I also enjoy using the OVF on my M240 when I use my 35mm lux. When using the 90mm cron on my M9 at f2,...makes me doubt my focusing ability. The reason for my SL purchase is that I get a general purpose zoom for 'lazy to focus days' and I'm migrating my 21mm Lux and Noctilux over for better focusing aid over M240. Yet I can still enjoy my M240 (on OVF only) with my 35 lux. My thoughts are that gaining AF ability on M lenses on a AF body through an AF adapter provides an additional option for users who love the optical quality of M lenses and require AF aid whenever the situation / need arises. The problem is that nearly anything/anyone can get an f/8 street scene into proper focus, but very very VERY few AF systems can focus with sufficient accuracy to focus an f/0.95 lens properly when the lens is wide open. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sillbeers15 Posted January 28, 2016 Author Share #12 Posted January 28, 2016 The problem is that nearly anything/anyone can get an f/8 street scene into proper focus, but very very VERY few AF systems can focus with sufficient accuracy to focus an f/0.95 lens properly when the lens is wide open. That I agree. But firstly, the AF capability must be made available before technological revolution can further improve the invention. I'm sure the executives at Leica have learnt the painful lesson of dismissing their autofocus invention as worthless earlier,..which eventually they're back in the mirror less technical leadership position. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dkCambridgeshire Posted January 28, 2016 Share #13 Posted January 28, 2016 I'm in my early 50s and I sense my deteriorating eyesight, but In the forum many RF (OVF) diehard insist on it being the only preferred way and laughed about EVF on M240 as nothing more than a joke. But the fact being the next guy in the queue with his credit card eager to get the M240 just like me back in February 2013 told me he, too struggled to focus on the RF (OVF) of his M9. 24 months ago I stopped buying anymore M & R lenses as I've expected Leica to produce an AF camera + lens ( thought to be M replacement) and I wrote about it in the forum as I told myself that is the only way Leica can continue to sustain the business growth. If M lenses gain AF capability on Leica body (most likely to be the 'SL' at this point in time), it will help Leica to sell more new cameras. So if Leica uses the existing M & R lenses owned by many of us as marketing tool to sell the new SL ( currently Leica can only offer one lens), It should be in Leica's interest to produce an AF adapter or even private label a third party maker's produce like the SF40 flash (Nissin). Techart AF adapter for M lens on Sony A7 link: http://leicarumors.com/2016/01/07/new-techart-adapter-will-let-you-autofocus-leica-m-lenses-on-sony-a7-cameras.aspx/ And the resultant battery drain?? dunk Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramarren Posted January 28, 2016 Share #14 Posted January 28, 2016 That I agree. But firstly, the AF capability must be made available before technological revolution can further improve the invention. I'm sure the executives at Leica have learnt the painful lesson of dismissing their autofocus invention as worthless earlier,..which eventually they're back in the mirror less technical leadership position. All well and fine. At the risk of sounding like a Luddite, I really prefer manual focusing and only use AF as an occasionally handy convenience. Even with the SL's excellent AF system using the 24-90mm lens, I have it set in MF mode and the jog lever set to AF when pressed. That works best for me. I doubt that an accessory made by a third party provider to jury-rig AF capabilities onto a manual focus lens is going to give Leica any leg up on AF technology. They seem to have it well in hand with the SL lenses being designed and optimized for fast and accurate focusing. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Bailer Posted January 28, 2016 Share #15 Posted January 28, 2016 Hello AF Friends, I startet with Pentax with a number of manual focus lenses. But than they developed an autofocus system, and I startet also with Pentax analog and digital autofocus cameras. Pentax has managed to build an autofocus Adapter including tranfer of lens data and lever to close the diaphragm. The draw back or advantage is that it includes a teleconverter of 1.7. This might be needed, otherwise you could not focus to infinity. This Adapter works very well and could be a solution for the Leica SL to adapt M and R lenses with an autofocus ability. Maybe Leica is working on such an adapter, otherwise I do not understand why it takes 10 months for such a developement???!!! see Pictures regards Peter 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! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/256074-af-adapter-for-m-r-lenses/?do=findComment&comment=2978259'>More sharing options...
LocalHero1953 Posted January 28, 2016 Share #16 Posted January 28, 2016 Applying Newton's Third Law to an A7 and a heavy Leica lens leads to some interesting conclusions. If this adapter focuses quickly you could find yourself with a black eye. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sillbeers15 Posted January 29, 2016 Author Share #17 Posted January 29, 2016 Action = Reaction? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramarren Posted January 29, 2016 Share #18 Posted January 29, 2016 Applying Newton's Third Law to an A7 and a heavy Leica lens leads to some interesting conclusions. If this adapter focuses quickly you could find yourself with a black eye. It's so amusing to read that, considering that most people want Leica RF lenses because they're so light and small ... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sillbeers15 Posted January 29, 2016 Author Share #19 Posted January 29, 2016 It's so amusing to read that, considering that most people want Leica RF lenses because they're so light and small ... I'm still a big fan of leica RF MF, the non-replaceable Leica glass quality, compact lenses & M body and the romance of MF (I've started with this hobby for more than 35yrs coming from the 'flim' days), however I find RF MF limited to shooting slow / static and non-tele subjects. The SL is like a bionic extension arm fitted to handle beyond the RF MF comfort zone, I really like the SL as a complement and not a replacement for my M240. Therefore I do not find the SL + AF lens pkg to be bulky as I think about it as having a DSLR comparable mirrorless that gives me the best option to still use my M & R lenses whenever I wish to ( better than on M240 & Sony A7 as the SL was designed with intention to take on Leica M, R & S lenses from the start). Therefore I welcome the idea of an AF adaptor for M & R lenses as an option and not as a need to have. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlashGordonPhotography Posted January 29, 2016 Share #20 Posted January 29, 2016 I'd like to see how well the AF is actually implemented and how it integrates with the camera focus system. It's not a lot of space (M to Sony or M to SL) in those skinny little adaptors. I would imagine that it'll either need a helicoid (probably slower than manual focus) or an optical group (optical issues/ exposure effects) to provide the AF. Neither sounds like a particularly appealing solution. It's interesting and I wish them well but I can see the dozens of threads about how some poor buggers new SL and Noctilux won't AF fast enough to photograph the grandkids at the football. Gordon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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