M & R Lenses on the SL

[zeleny]

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Looking for feedback on using M and R lenses on the Leica SL.

[ramarren]

They work great. R lenses fit the  body beautifully, M lenses are often a little fussier ergonomically but still perform very nicely. Most R and M lenses have lens profiles included in the SL which optimize their performance. 

 

• If you choose to buy the M Adapter L and R Adapter M, you have an adapter for M lenses and stack the R adapter on top of it. This setup means you can use any/all R lenses. You must manually select the R lens profile for any lens you fit with this setup; with coded M lenses, the lens profile will be selected automatically. 
• If you choose to buy the R Adapter L, R lenses fit directly and there will be less vignetting with longer R lenses. But you can only use this adapter with three-cam, R-only, or ROM-equipped R lenses. (One and two cam R lenses can damage the ROM contacts.) With ROM R lenses, the lens profile will be selected automatically. 
• When using adapted lenses, the SL allows only Aperture Priority and Manual metering modes. 

[LD_50]

Jono Slack's site has info on the subject.

 

http://www.slack.co.uk/2015/The_Leica_SL.html

 

Sean Reid (Reid Reviews behind paywall) has some very detailed reviews as well.

 

I shoot several M lenses on the SL, currently 35 and 50 Summilux and I've been happy with the results. I still prefer the M overall with the 35 but the SL allows for critical focus using magnification, especially helpful for longer lenses and shallow DOF. The EVF is great for wide lenses as well.

[vanhulsenbeek]

Critical focus with magnification works better with R-lenses on the SL than the original focusing on the R.

Certainly with longer lenses. See here for an example: http://sanderva.zenfolio.com/p14188536/h3c50708b#h3c50708b

Elmar-R 180mm.

[Vieri]

Critical focus with magnification works better with R-lenses on the SL than the original focusing on the R.

Certainly with longer lenses. See here for an example: http://sanderva.zenfolio.com/p14188536/h3c50708b#h3c50708b

Elmar-R 180mm.

 

True, using the 100mm macro with the SL is fantastic. This is even more true using M lenses, the SL is a great platform for these, much more precise in framing and focussing than using rangefinder with any M.

 

Best,

 

Vieri

[IkarusJohn]

You will read the comment in the forum that M lenses work best on M cameras, like a mantra. Subjectively, some may prefer the ergonomics and philosophically the rangefinder mechanism; for myself, I find the larger M lenses handle better on the SL. Focussing is quite different. I like both methods - the rangefinder is probably faster, but the SL more accurate, particularly with "difficult" lenses to focus.

 

In terms of image quality, the SL generally gives better results than the M (for example purple fringing when shooting lenses like the Noctilux is a pain on the M, but pretty much unknown on the SL), particularly with modern lenses made for the digital era. Older lenses can be problematic (eg, the previous 28 Summicron), particularly those where the rear element gets close to the sensor at infinity.

 

Hope this helps. Jono Slack and Sean Reid did quite a lot of research into this when the SL was released.

[ramarren]

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You will read the comment in the forum that M lenses work best on M cameras, like a mantra. Subjectively, some may prefer the ergonomics and philosophically the rangefinder mechanism; for myself, I find the larger M lenses handle better on the SL. Focussing is quite different. I like both methods - the rangefinder is probably faster, but the SL more accurate, particularly with "difficult" lenses to focus.

 

In terms of image quality, the SL generally gives better results than the M (for example purple fringing when shooting lenses like the Noctilux is a pain on the M, but pretty much unknown on the SL), particularly with modern lenses made for the digital era. Older lenses can be problematic (eg, the previous 28 Summicron), particularly those where the rear element gets close to the sensor at infinity.

 

Hope this helps. Jono Slack and Sean Reid did quite a lot of research into this when the SL was released.

 

 

(bold 1) Yes: for the lenses I use most (the 35mm Summilux v2, WATE, Color Skopar 28/3.5, Color Skopar 50/2.5), the very thin focusing ring situated at the back of the lens with a tab on it are perfectly arranged for the M rangefinder cameras and somewhat fussy/awkward to use on the SL body. For some of my larger M lenses (Nokton 50/1.5 ASPH, Summarit-M 75, M-Rokkor 90, Hektor 135/2.5) which body they're used on is inconsequential since the focus and aperture controls are easy to grasp and use on any body. 

 

(bold 2) I haven't seen much if any imaging difference in using most of my lenses between the SL and either the M-P or M-D. I'm sure there's more differences with certain lenses, due to the specific sensor-lens match, but it doesn't seem to be in evidence with what I've got. 

 

Regards focusing: One of the reasons I prefer R lenses on the SL, beyond the control layout ergonomics, is that R lenses, being from an SLR, generally focus closer than M lenses. I never really thought about it much, probably because of how I use a rangefinder camera vs an SLR or TTL camera, but whenever I fit an M lens onto the SL I find myself banging into the close focus limit regularly. Speed and accuracy of focusing is a complete tossup for me; it depends on the specific lens and the scene/situation I'm shooting in. Framing with the SL is more accurate, always, without any question at all—it has to be, since you're seeing precisely and exclusively what the sensor is recording. But critically accurate framing is often a very low priority. 

[ModernMan]

If you find the issues related to the rangefinder are an actual hindrance for you in terms of making pictures (well discussed elsewhere, but things like framing tolerance, aperture-related focus shift, calibration issues, focal length range limitations, etc.), then I would suggest that you will find the SL very liberating as a vehicle for using your M lenses.

 

As for R lenses, the SL is pretty well wonderful, IMHO (ok, one could argue that the absence of auto diaphragm support on the R-adapter-M dilutes the wonderfulness a touch).

[IkarusJohn]

I forgot to mention that the m-macro adapter works well on the SL.

[ImmerDraussen]

To my experience M + R lenses perform better on the SL than I remember from film days, but they keep their character. Even lenses like the Mirortar 500mm make decent shoots on the SL (because you can increase the contrast in LR).

The wide angle R-lenses seem to work better than some of the M-types (maybe because they are retro-focus designs).

Here are examples with the Summicron R 2.0/35mm and the M 2.0/90mm/APO

 

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