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SL with R 180mm


G. van Asch

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I have a Leica SL and want to buy a Canadian made Leica 180/3.4 APO-TELYT R Leitz Canada Sn: 2993418.

I will need an different adapter because Leica's adapter will be available end 2016.

Is there anybody who has experience with this lens? Does the adapter give a 1.5X focus?

Do I need just one adapter only?

I'm asking this because I have no experience with an adapter at all.

 

Thanks for an answer, Gerjan van Asch

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I have a Leica SL and want to buy a Canadian made Leica 180/3.4 APO-TELYT R Leitz Canada Sn: 2993418.

I will need an different adapter because Leica's adapter will be available end 2016.

Is there anybody who has experience with this lens? Does the adapter give a 1.5X focus?

Do I need just one adapter only?

I'm asking this because I have no experience with an adapter at all.

 

Thanks for an answer, Gerjan van Asch

 

 

You need two adapters. Fit the Leica M Adapter T and then the Leica R Adapter M, then fit your R lens to that. This gives you access to set the lens profile for that lens on the SL. I use the Elmar-R 180/4 and the Elmarit-R 180/2.8 exactly this way. 

 

I don't know what you mean by "Does the adapter give a 1.5x focus?" The adapters allow the lens to mount on the SL as if the body was a Leica R SLR. That's all. 

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The APO-Telyt -R 180mm f/3.4 works great on the SL, by the way, using the two adapters mentioned. The R-Adapter M portion even comes with a removable tripod foot which is very convenient. I had great luck taking scenically in Patagonia a few weeks ago with this combo--you can find some of my pictures in the Images thread about one or two pages from the current end of the thread. Handling is not wonderful on this lens and bokeh is a little busy, but resolution, contrast, and chromatic aberration control are absolutely first rate.

 

- Jared

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Currently you need two adapters:

1- the T-M Adapter

2- M-R Adapter

 

the two stacked are very compact, its a very effective solution until the direct adapter is available.

 

 

Currently I see no reason to call this a temporary solution. I have the impression the single adapter does not offer more, so why buy it additionally. For lenses up to 350 mm (maybe even 500mm) I see no difference. I rather buy batteries with the money saved.

 

Stephan

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Jared thanks but is the focal length 180mm or is it longer because of the two adapters?

 

The adapters mentioned just allow connection of the lens to the camera ....they are completely passive and are effectively just spacers to correct for the too short lens flange to sensor distance for DSLR (and M) lenses on the SL & T

 

You are thinking about the 1.4 and 2x R adapters which are completely different ....  and do increase the effective focal length of the lens. 

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Jared thanks but is the focal length 180mm or is it longer because of the two adapters?

 

Hello,

 

the R-lenses have on an SL exactly the same focal length as on a R-camera (e.g. R9). 

With the same adapters you can also add them to a T-camera. Then the equivalent focal length is 270 instead of 180 (factor 1.5).

 

Stephan

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Currently I see no reason to call this a temporary solution. I have the impression the single adapter does not offer more, so why buy it additionally. For lenses up to 350 mm (maybe even 500mm) I see no difference. I rather buy batteries with the money saved.

 

Stephan

The one potential benefit that the future adapter might bring is auto aperture stop down. That would make it easier to use the camera in some low light conditions and would allow the use of P and Tv modes instead of just M and A when using R lenses. Also, the adapter could include automatic lens selection at least for chipped lenses.

 

Leica hasn't yet provided info on the features for the adapter, but there is the potential for more than just a mechanical adapter. Heck, it could even include autofocus, though I would think that would be extremely unlikely. The point is we don't yet know, but we could see a real improvement vs the current adapters, though I agree they work just fine mechanically.

 

- Jared

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The nice thing about the stacked Leica adapters is you can then choose the 180 from the R lens list.  Expensive for sure, but with the Leica T to M adapter you can add alot of other lenses to your SL.  

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The one potential benefit that the future adapter might bring is auto aperture stop down. That would make it easier to use the camera in some low light conditions and would allow the use of P and Tv modes instead of just M and A when using R lenses. Also, the adapter could include automatic lens selection at least for chipped lenses.

 

Leica hasn't yet provided info on the features for the adapter, but there is the potential for more than just a mechanical adapter. Heck, it could even include autofocus, though I would think that would be extremely unlikely. The point is we don't yet know, but we could see a real improvement vs the current adapters, though I agree they work just fine mechanically.

 

- Jared

 

Hi Jared,

we have seen the size of the adapter and it looks way too small to contain the features you mention - unfortunately. (e.g. catalog)

Stephan

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I agree that, based on the pictures Leica has posted online, autofocus is out.  Not certain what the size of the adapter has to do with reading a chipped lens or implementing automatic aperture stop down.  Plenty of room for a small motor to run the diaphragm, and reading a chipped lens doesn't even require that much.  Not saying they will do it, of course, but I don't see anything in the online catalog photographs to keep me from dreaming.  :)

 

- Jared

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If the comming adapter neither reads a chiped lens nor implements  automatic aperture stop down, I will be very disapointed. Those two would be the only reason to buy the adapter, replasing the L-M and M-R adapters. I think an adapter without  automatic aperture stop down would be a big diapointment for the ones holding R glass, and readin the ROM should be a no brainer....

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If the comming adapter neither reads a chiped lens nor implements  automatic aperture stop down, I will be very disapointed. Those two would be the only reason to buy the adapter, replasing the L-M and M-R adapters. I think an adapter without  automatic aperture stop down would be a big diapointment for the ones holding R glass, and readin the ROM should be a no brainer....

 

Hi Arne,

have you also been a R-lens user for the last decades ?

I am and can tell you that this adapter would be by far the smallest disappointment, not even worth mentioning.

The only glimpse of hope for the last ten years is the SL itself, and a really outstanding one. And a completely unexpected !!

So rather not worry about ridiculous details. The adapter stack works perfectly.

Most of the time I use the lenses at full aperture or close to it. So automatic aperture stop-down makes no difference.

And by the way we know already that this adapter will have the ability to send the chip data to the camera. This was told by a product manager in one of the interviews.

 

Stephan

 

In detail: For the wide-angles I like to  "preview" the depth of field. I have this automatically now, I do not even have to press a button.

For the long lenses: I have to use them at full or close to full aperture, so I really do not need this automatic stop-down.

For macro it is similar to the WAs. I need to control the depth of field and I can do it without problem.

So what would I gain with such a perfect adapter ? It would look perfect on paper, but I would need to pay a lot of money for it.

So in my eyes I would not gain anything important.

Of course I would not mind if such an adapter existed - I agree with you.

Edited by steppenw0lf
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I would be mighty surprised if Leica went to the bother of an SL-R adapter that stopped down the R lenses......

 

Frankly it is not needed ....... unlike and SLR ..... which the lenses were designed for, the sensor and EVF on the SL allow for focussing stopped down under most circumstances (unless you are using f16 in the dark) ... so what is the point ?

 

As above....... just recognising the lens would be more than enough. 

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Focusing a lens wide open is much more accurate than focusing at f/8. It gives you the ability to place the focus plane where you want it.

 

 

I would be mighty surprised if Leica went to the bother of an SL-R adapter that stopped down the R lenses......

 

Frankly it is not needed ....... unlike and SLR ..... which the lenses were designed for, the sensor and EVF on the SL allow for focussing stopped down under most circumstances (unless you are using f16 in the dark) ... so what is the point ?

 

As above....... just recognising the lens would be more than enough. 

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Focusing a lens wide open is much more accurate than focusing at f/8. It gives you the ability to place the focus plane where you want it.

 

 

That is true presuming that the lens a) has little to no focus shift and B) has sufficient contrast when wide open.

 

Some lenses are actually easier to focus accurately a stop or two down from wide open due to lack of contrast and, with little focus shift, can then be opened back up with excellent results... My Summilux 35 v2 (1972 vintage) is like that when I use it with the EVF on M-P or SL; in general, it's a lens that works best with the rangefinder focusing of the M-P when wide open. 

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The nice thing about the stacked Leica adapters is you can then choose the 180 from the R lens list.  Expensive for sure, but with the Leica T to M adapter you can add alot of other lenses to your SL.  

 

I wonder about the stress to the mount with multiple stacked adapters. Sounds too Rube Goldberg-ian.

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I wonder about the stress to the mount with multiple stacked adapters. Sounds too Rube Goldberg-ian.

 

 

I've been banging about with the SL using mostly R lenses on the stack of M Adapter T and R Adapter M since last November. My R lenses range from the rather large and heavy 15mm f/3.5 to the fairly petite 50mm f/2 and back up to the pretty lump-like 250mm f/4 (add the 2x teleconverter too). So far, I'm seen no slop or looseness anywhere. There's a total of a little less than .0005" (.013mm) rotational clearance at each flange interface (necessary for the flange locking mechanism to work) so a tiny bit of rotational motion is normal, but the bits are precisely made: unless they're very worn after years of use, you will hardly notice it. 

 

The TL lens mounting flange on the body is a 50mm diameter, very very robust piece of steel, bolted tightly to the body with six long bolts. If the much much smaller mounting flange on my Olympus is rated to carry 2kg lenses (that's in its spec) without an issue, this flange should handle double that. But that's just my guess, don't quote me on it..

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