wlaidlaw Posted February 12, 2016 Share #1 Posted February 12, 2016 Advertisement (gone after registration) I am a big fan of extenders, especially for cameras with a zoom on them like the SL. When you are travelling without a bag, as lightweight as the SL and 24-90 allows, an extender would enable you to carry a 48-180 lens in your pocket. Extenders have received a pretty poor press over the years but when made like Leica could with the APO 1.4 and 2X extenders and Zeiss did with the Mutar II/2X and III/1.4 (the Mutar I was not quite as good), they are not at all bad. Obviously they are not going to be as good as a dedicated tele zoom lens but the problem with all these is bulk and weight, so they often stay at home. Similarly for safari use, it would be a useful device on the 90-280 SL. The question is 1.4 or 2X? My personal view from how much I used the Mutars I and II/2X and how seldom the Mutar III/1.4X, would be a 2X extender. Obviously it goes without saying, that the extender should be AF enabled and transmit all data in both directions. What do others think? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted February 12, 2016 Posted February 12, 2016 Hi wlaidlaw, Take a look here Should we lobby for an AF enabled extender in the SL Lens program?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
jaapv Posted February 12, 2016 Share #2 Posted February 12, 2016 Actually the APO 1.4x is a standard fitment to my 105-280, and does not affect image quality visibly at all. As the light loss is only one stop instead of the two for a 2x extender, this appears to be the better option for the coming 90-280. I think that the longer the lens gets the more important full aperture becomes. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
farnz Posted February 12, 2016 Share #3 Posted February 12, 2016 I think it's an excellent idea because if it's an APO- in T-mount (and supports AF for T lenses) then it will also work for M-mount, R-mount, Contax-Yashica-mount, and any other mount lenses for which a T-mount adaptor can be found or made. I'd prefer 1.4x and 2x for flexibility and convenience. Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lik Posted February 12, 2016 Share #4 Posted February 12, 2016 Yessss! I would order an APO 1.4 for the 90-280 at once! Regards Lik Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Z. Goriup Posted February 12, 2016 Share #5 Posted February 12, 2016 Splendid suggestion……………YES, I fully and strongly support the creation of a x 2.0 AF extender. That, combined with the upcoming 90-280 would finally enable me once & for all to cut the cord to all the various Canikon DSLRs, and rely solely on all-Leica systems for sport and wildlife photography, for which the M is simply not suited. JZG Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AKW Posted February 12, 2016 Share #6 Posted February 12, 2016 Is it possible that T-lenses covers full-frame with an extender? If so, the 1.4x extender+T-zoom could be a very practical travel kit, a choice of 15-32mm, 25-80mm and 75-190mm. Arto Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wlaidlaw Posted February 12, 2016 Author Share #7 Posted February 12, 2016 Advertisement (gone after registration) Is it possible that T-lenses covers full-frame with an extender? If so, the 1.4x extender+T-zoom could be a very practical travel kit, a choice of 15-32mm, 25-80mm and 75-190mm. Arto Sadly, I don't think you could get a quart out of a pint pot. I am sure with the T lenses even with an extender/expander, you could still only use crop frame. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dkCambridgeshire Posted February 12, 2016 Share #8 Posted February 12, 2016 Given that Leica Camera AG designed the SL as a professional system camera it's surely inevitable that an extender(s) is already part of the SL/T road map … especially given that a 1.4x extender could convert the promised 50/1.4 into a potentially fine 70/2 portrait lens. Such a design might take at least 12 months to reach the prototype stage - and might it be under test now with current and future SL lenses by YKW Thus probably more a matter of 'when they' rather than 'would they'? Best wishes dunk Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted February 12, 2016 Share #9 Posted February 12, 2016 Well, basically the optical formula is already there in the form of the R APO extenders, which can hardly be bettered for optical quality. The main challenge would be in the mechanical parts. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dkCambridgeshire Posted February 12, 2016 Share #10 Posted February 12, 2016 Well, basically the optical formula is already there in the form of the R APO extenders, which can hardly be bettered for optical quality. The main challenge would be in the mechanical parts. The Apo-Extender 1.4x dates from 1986 and the Apo-Extender 2x from 1992 i.e. 30 years and 24 years respectively - and modern lens design/development and manufacture including 'outsourcing' is a whole new ball game compared to the 90s. Modifying an older extender might be more difficult that starting from scratch - and the glass types used in current SL lenses might require special matching glasses for dedicated extenders - rather than the same glass once used in R lenses. dunk Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wlaidlaw Posted February 12, 2016 Author Share #11 Posted February 12, 2016 The Apo-Extender 1.4x dates from 1986 and the Apo-Extender 2x from 1992 i.e. 30 years and 24 years respectively - and modern lens design/development and manufacture including 'outsourcing' is a whole new ball game compared to the 90s. Modifying an older extender might be more difficult that starting from scratch - and the glass types used in current SL lenses might require special matching glasses for dedicated extenders - rather than the same glass once used in R lenses. dunk Clearances for the rear elements of the range of SL lenses might also be a problem for the legacy extenders. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted February 12, 2016 Share #12 Posted February 12, 2016 The Apo-Extender 1.4x dates from 1986 and the Apo-Extender 2x from 1992 i.e. 30 years and 24 years respectively - and modern lens design/development and manufacture including 'outsourcing' is a whole new ball game compared to the 90s. Modifying an older extender might be more difficult that starting from scratch - and the glass types used in current SL lenses might require special matching glasses for dedicated extenders - rather than the same glass once used in R lenses. dunk Quite possible - we can leave that one safely to Mr. Karbe and his team. I just wanted to point out that, age notwithstanding, the optical quality of both APO extenders is impeccable. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sully Posted February 12, 2016 Share #13 Posted February 12, 2016 Bring on the extenders.... I would love to have a 2x for my 90 and 135 M lenses on the SL for just walking around. I have used my my old non-ROM APO 2x extender on a 70-180 R, 80-200 R, and 280 R Apo lenses on the SL with good results. I agree with jaapv that the old APO extenders are just fine. So, after thirty years, Leica should still be able to make a good extender. Thank you wlaidlaw for asking for this needed product. Ciao, Sully Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joshua Lowe Posted February 12, 2016 Share #14 Posted February 12, 2016 A 1.4 extender is a must for the system but I do wonder if Leica considers the extra 80mm of zoom vs. the 70-200 to be "enough" Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlashGordonPhotography Posted February 12, 2016 Share #15 Posted February 12, 2016 Personally, I'd much rather have an improved T series camera with an improved 24MP-36MP Sony sensor to use with my SL lenses. That'd be nice to use with the 90-280. Especially if I have to travel with it. If Leica made the next T camera with that and an inbuilt EVF (and make it look like the X-Vario). it'd sell like hotcakes. The T is so small it wouldn't actually take up much more space in a bag than a tele-converter and you get a redundant to boot. If in fact Leica are making the SL a "system for professionals" then anything longer than 300mm including extenders is a long way down the list. Long teles and extenders are very specialised gear, even in the professional world. If you look at all the sports and wildlife "professionals" combined they probably make up 1% of the current professional market. You'd almost be better off making T/S lenses first. I know of at least 50 local wedding photographers and a dozen shooting real estate full time and only one full time sports guy in our area. And he has to travel. Leica needs to address the domestic market (wedding shooters, portraits etc) and the light commercial market (corporate portraiture, events coverage) before they even consider extenders. We don't even have the 90-280 yet, let alone a single prime or a wide zoom. So before there's a tele-extender made it'll probably have to wait for the 90-280, 50mm, 85 or 100mm, wide zoom, 35mm, a macro and probably a 20-21mm. The way Leica is proceeding that's probably a 5 years wait. I'd like an extender too but if you have a trip planned before 2020 I'd probably be looking at other options. Gordon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wlaidlaw Posted February 12, 2016 Author Share #16 Posted February 12, 2016 Gordon, As Paulmac has said very loudly, very few full time professionals will be buying the SL, as they will already be too invested in Nikon, Canon, Phase, Hasselblad etc. So in reality the market Leica is selling to is either keen amateurs, Leica enthusiasts or dilettante, part time professionals like me. That market I think, would be interested in an extender for the flexibility it confers, not least to the 24-90 lens. Now whether it should take precedence over a TS lens I don't know but taking into account that an extender would probably come in at well less than 50% of the cost say a TS 24mm f2.8 lens, its sales potential would be considerably higher. I could easily see over 50% of SL owners buying an extender. I would doubt if more than 10% of SL owners would buy a TS lens, when at little cost, you can get quite a bit of its functionality on Photoshop. Wilson Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlashGordonPhotography Posted February 13, 2016 Share #17 Posted February 13, 2016 Gordon, As Paulmac has said very loudly, very few full time professionals will be buying the SL, as they will already be too invested in Nikon, Canon, Phase, Hasselblad etc. So in reality the market Leica is selling to is either keen amateurs, Leica enthusiasts or dilettante, part time professionals like me. That market I think, would be interested in an extender for the flexibility it confers, not least to the 24-90 lens. Now whether it should take precedence over a TS lens I don't know but taking into account that an extender would probably come in at well less than 50% of the cost say a TS 24mm f2.8 lens, its sales potential would be considerably higher. I could easily see over 50% of SL owners buying an extender. I would doubt if more than 10% of SL owners would buy a TS lens, when at little cost, you can get quite a bit of its functionality on Photoshop. Wilson Hi Wilson True. However, Leica is actively marketing it as a "professional mirrorless camera system". Who actually buys it is a bit irrelevant. More keen amateurs than pros will buy a 1Dx2's and D5's as well. You can market a system as a pro system without a tele extender. But you can't market it as a pro system without a 16-35 or an 85mm portrait lens. I really hope one comes. I think though, that Leica already has a lens roadmap for the next few years and I'll bet a pint of Guinness that we get an 85, a macro and a wide zoom before we get a tele converter. Gordon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wlaidlaw Posted February 13, 2016 Author Share #18 Posted February 13, 2016 Gordon, Would not disagree. We will just have to persuade Peter Karbe and his team to work overtime. Wilson Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
can-photo Posted February 13, 2016 Share #19 Posted February 13, 2016 Isn't "Leica 2 Adapter T" is what you are after? Or am I missing completely this? http://uk.leica-camera.com/Sport-Optics/Leica-Birding/Technical-Equipment/Sport-Optics-Technical-Equipment/T2-Adapter-T Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wlaidlaw Posted February 13, 2016 Author Share #20 Posted February 13, 2016 Isn't "Leica 2 Adapter T" is what you are after? Or am I missing completely this? http://uk.leica-camera.com/Sport-Optics/Leica-Birding/Technical-Equipment/Sport-Optics-Technical-Equipment/T2-Adapter-T That device is for attaching a T camera to one of Leica's spotter scopes such as the APO Televid. An extender is completely different and fits between a regular prime or zoom lens and the camera. It multiplies the focal length of the attached lens by 1.4 or 2 times, depending on its type. At the same time, it reduces the available light by either 1 or 2EV respectively. Wilson Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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