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Leica R adapter -- just a tube?


dritz

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The Leica R-to-SL adapter (named Leica R-adapter L) transfers aperture and lens info and is _very_ precise and solidly made. The corresponding Novoflex adapter is a tube only, no transfer of info, also well made. I would certainly go for either the Leica or the Novoflex adapters as the precision is high (I have both adapters, plus others as well, but I prefer the Leica and Novoflex adapters). The choice boils down to how much/often you use R-lenses on the SL, I guess.

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The Leica R-to-SL adapter (named Leica R-adapter L) transfers aperture and lens info and is _very_ precise and solidly made. The corresponding Novoflex adapter is a tube only, no transfer of info, also well made. I would certainly go for either the Leica or the Novoflex adapters as the precision is high (I have both adapters, plus others as well, but I prefer the Leica and Novoflex adapters). The choice boils down to how much/often you use R-lenses on the SL, I guess.

As long as the R lenses are ROM lenses in which case same info can be transferred from the lens to the file, otherwise there is no difference whatsoever.

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The Leica R-to-SL adapter (named Leica R-adapter L) transfers aperture and lens info and is _very_ precise and solidly made. The corresponding Novoflex adapter is a tube only, no transfer of info, also well made. I would certainly go for either the Leica or the Novoflex adapters as the precision is high (I have both adapters, plus others as well, but I prefer the Leica and Novoflex adapters). The choice boils down to how much/often you use R-lenses on the SL, I guess.

 

The original Leica Adapter allows for ROM-R-lenses only the automatic detection of the lens. You save to select the lens manually from the list, which pops up when no ROM lens is detected. Then it wokrs like a tube without any function...... nearly without any function:

 

if you use an Novoflex adapter (which is mechanically great), you can select the lens from the list..... but the information is not written into the EXIF file. A Leica representativ told me, this is on purpose! Leica forces thereby all users who want to have EXIF data and proper digital lens correction to buy the leica adapter. What a sales policy..... for people spending five-digit EUR amounts for a camera with a lens.

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(---)

 

if you use an Novoflex adapter (which is mechanically great), you can select the lens from the list..... but the information is not written into the EXIF file. A Leica representativ told me, this is on purpose! Leica forces thereby all users who want to have EXIF data and proper digital lens correction to buy the leica adapter. What a sales policy..... for people spending five-digit EUR amounts for a camera with a lens.

When I use my Novoflex adapter together with my Summilux R 50 and other R-lenses the lens info is written to the file as metadata and can be seen in Lightroom.

 

Cheers

 

//Johan

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When I use my Novoflex adapter together with my Summilux R 50 and other R-lenses the lens info is written to the file as metadata and can be seen in Lightroom.

 

Cheers

 

//Johan

 

This is not the case with my R-Macro Elmarit 60, R-Macro Elmarit Apo 100 and R-Apo 180.

 

My SL firmware: 2.2

 

This was also tested and confirmed by the leica representative with his brought along SL at my prefered Leica boutique.

 

What is your firmware?

 

Do you realy use the novoflex LET/LER Adapter or do you use the combination of leica licensed novoflex R to M Adapter together with the original leica M to SL adapter?

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When using the Novoflex adapter you have to set the lens manually - there is no way around this; a dumb adapter is a dumb adapter...

Just to clarify, using dumb Novoflex R-SL or I assume "any dumb SLR- SL" Novoflex adapter will allow your to select one of R lenses in the camera menu?

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As far as I'm aware, the Novoflex LET/LER is just a tube with the mount flanges on it that allow an R lens to be used on the SL (or T/TL) body but does not provide any lens profile access. The Novoflex SL/NIK and SL/CAN are dedicated adapters with electronics allowing you to mount Nikon (a specific range of E series lenses) and Canon EF lenses on the SL with aperture and focus control (to varying degrees of effectiveness). 

 

Is this not correct? 

 

You can also stack the Novoflex LEM/LER on the Leica M Adapter L to fit R lenses. The M Adapter L will give you access to Leica lens profiles for the M lenses; I don't know whether the LEM/LER will enable the R lens profiles. All it would need to do that is to have the correct six-bit code on it for the M Adapter L to sense. 

 

Is this what you are referring to when you say you see R lens profiles with the Novoflex adapter?

 

Leica makes the M Adapter L and R Adapter M which can be stacked to allow R lens use on the SL; the M Adapter L has the appropriate electronics and six bit code reader to enable this. When this is used, you have manual selection of R lens profiles and the chosen profile's lens information is written to EXIF data. Leica also makes the R Adapter SL, which has the electronics to read the R ROM lens information automatically, otherwise you have to select the R lens profile manually. 

 

So, as pertains the original question: no the R Adapter SL is not just a simple tube. It has electronics to enable the SL to identify R lens profiles, either automatically with ROM lenses or manually with other R lenses. It also come with a nicely designed tripod mount that helps balance the adapter and lens assembly when used with a tripod on the SL. The Novoflex adapters for the dedicated Nikon and Canon lenses are not simple tubes either. Each of these products works differently and allows different use options. 

 

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This is not the case with my R-Macro Elmarit 60, R-Macro Elmarit Apo 100 and R-Apo 180.

 

My SL firmware: 2.2

 

This was also tested and confirmed by the leica representative with his brought along SL at my prefered Leica boutique.

 

What is your firmware?

 

Do you realy use the novoflex LET/LER Adapter or do you use the combination of leica licensed novoflex R to M Adapter together with the original leica M to SL adapter?

Hi Saxo,

 

I looked in my Lightroom catalogue on photos taken the past summer. AFAIK I used the dumb adapter...Hmm maybe my memory failed me :).

 

I have the same firmware as you, so I stand corrected.

 

//Johan

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Just to clarify, using dumb Novoflex R-SL or I assume "any dumb SLR- SL" Novoflex adapter will allow your to select one of R lenses in the camera menu?

Yes, any dumb adapter will allow you to select R-lenses in the camera menu, no problem.

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Yes, any dumb adapter will allow you to select R-lenses in the camera menu, no problem.

 

Yes, but the selection has no impact on EXIF data, this is true at least for RAW files and firmware 2.2

Edited by saxo
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Hi Saxo,

 

I looked in my Lightroom catalogue on photos taken the past summer. AFAIK I used the dumb adapter...Hmm maybe my memory failed me :).

 

I have the same firmware as you, so I stand corrected.

 

//Johan

 

Please, could you try it again?

 

Perhaps my SL has a failure. I tried it with two different SLs. The novoflex LET/LER adapter has no electronic contact whatsoever, just dumb.

 

Thanks!

 

Martin

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Just to clarify, using dumb Novoflex R-SL or I assume "any dumb SLR- SL" Novoflex adapter will allow your to select one of R lenses in the camera menu?

 

Yes, you can select the R-lens manually in the camera menu. But as I said, this has no impact on EXIF data. The RAW files importet in Lightroom show no data about the lens.

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Yes, you can select the R-lens manually in the camera menu. But as I said, this has no impact on EXIF data. The RAW files importet in Lightroom show no data about the lens.

 

 

Do you have any way of verifying whether what you selected as a lens profile is actually being used to optimize the raw file or JPEG file that the SL produces? 

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Please, could you try it again?

 

Perhaps my SL has a failure. I tried it with two different SLs. The novoflex LET/LER adapter has no electronic contact whatsoever, just dumb.

 

Thanks!

 

Martin

I know it hasnt contacts, but as I remember I did choose my lens from the menu. Strangely enough there is exif data in the file!?!

 

I did use the stacked adapter before the dumb, so maybe I just don't remember...I don't have access to the dumb one in a couple of days but I'll test when I get back home.

 

//Johan

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Do you have any way of verifying whether what you selected as a lens profile is actually being used to optimize the raw file or JPEG file that the SL produces? 

 

No, I can only verify the exif data in lightroom. But the SL shows no lens data either, when pictures are cheked on the camera display. Therefore I believe there is no lens correction whatsoever if you use the novoflex adapter or any other dumb tube.

Edited by saxo
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No, I can only verify the exif data in lightroom. But the SL shows no lens data either, when pictures are cheked on the camera display. Therefore I believe there is no lens correction whatsoever if you use the novoflex adapter or any other dumb tube.

 

 

Thank you, that's what I thought. 

 

It implies the way to obtain the advantage of Leica's lens profiles requires using one of the Leica branded adapter solutions. 

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Helged,

Thank you on your reply.

 

Reading rest of his thread I am getting more and more confused.

Following from your earlier reply that dumb adaptor will allow selection of R lens in the menu can you comment whether Exif data contain lens information.

 

I am using Photo Shop and ACR. When stacking original M-L with either original R-M or any dumb SLR-M, R lenses can be selected or in case of dumb adaptor I have an option to select M lens manually. In both cases lens data is displayed in Exif.

Edited by mmradman
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