Macro Adapter M

[Perspectics]

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I have played with the (new) macro adapter and my old 90/4 Macro Elmar and the situation is less than ideal:

1. Because my (5 years old) Elmar cannot be locked in collapsed position one cannot change the aperture with one hand.

2. Focus at infinity seems to depend on personal luck and the Leica gods. Some of my pictures are in focus, others are slightly off. I believe this is related to not being able to lock the lens in collapsed position.

3. This bothers me a lot: Using the macro adapter, the "focus-aid" does not trigger. I am using the electronic viewfinder. The automatic magnification when focussing triggers only when I remove the adapter.

[lct]

Auto image magnification cannot work with the macro adapter because the latter has no focus cam but manual image magnification works fine on both my M240 and Sony A7s mod bodies. Just make sure that the "head" of the lens is fully collapsed after changing aperture if any. The lock wattsy was referring to would certainly help though. But the current lens does not allow the hood to be reversed for transportation so i prefer keeping the earlier lens personally. YMMV.

[Ecar]

Hi Ecar

If its no hassle to you, that would be great!

 

No prob. Just tried this again: as confirmed by others, the Elmar 50 doesn't reach infinity with the new, extensible Macro Adapter, even with the lens fully collapsed. In any event, when the lens is fully collapsed you can't reach the aperture ring.

The OUFRO being thinner than the Macro Adapter does indeed allow to hit infinity, but it involves fiddling with the lens barrel to get it to the required (slightly extended) position. Once there, it stays in that position (at least with my copy of the lens), but it's by no means a firm lock and you only have a couple of mm to access and operate the aperture ring.

Bottom line: better carry two lenses - or mount/unmount from whatever extension adapter you are using - if you are planning to combine macro and "normal" shots with a 50.

[lct]

[...] Bottom line: better carry two lenses - or mount/unmount from whatever extension adapter you are using - if you are planning to combine macro and "normal" shots with a 50.

 

+1

[Perspectics]

I was searching for "focus cam" but couldn't find anything. Would you mind to explain, please? What is it?

 

 

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[lct]

You can see two focus cams and one roller cam below. Those are mechanical links between the focus ring of the lens and the rangefinder of the camera. All M lenses with RF coupling have a focus cam but not the macro adapter so that when the latter is used, the camera cannot know how the focus ring is turned and it cannot trigger auto image magnification accordingly. 

 

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[luigi bertolotti]

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...

The OUFRO being thinner than the Macro Adapter does indeed allow to hit infinity, but it involves fiddling with the lens barrel to get it to the required (slightly extended) position...

In this sense, the Summicron 50 collapsible has a slight advantage : fully collapsed on the OUFRO, it does focus to infinity... (not setting at ITS infinity... at an intermediate distance) ... anyway, as you say, just a funny exercise...

[jmahto]

Auto image magnification cannot work with the macro adapter because the latter has no focus cam but manual image magnification works fine on both my M240 and Sony A7s mod bodies. Just make sure that the "head" of the lens is fully collapsed after changing aperture if any. The lock wattsy was referring to would certainly help though. But the current lens does not allow the hood to be reversed for transportation so i prefer keeping the earlier lens personally. YMMV.

I have the older one (that doesn't lock when collapsed) and I am very happy with it. I also like the hood to be fitted in reverse when collapsed (in-camera) for storage in bag.

 

I don't have the macro adapter M but I think it makes sense to use the adapter only with new lens (lockable collapsed position). With older one (like mine) I prefer to use the R2M adapter+14127 as shown in picture below. This gives me bigger extension than the macro adapter M (and bigger is better in macro. )

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[jmahto]

You can see two focus cams and one roller cam below. Those are mechanical links between the focus ring of the lens and the rangefinder of the camera. All M lenses with RF coupling have a focus cam but not the macro adapter so that when the latter is used, the camera cannot know how the focus ring is turned and it cannot trigger auto image magnification accordingly. 

 

focus_cam.jpg

focus_roller_cams.jpg

I liked the picture taken from inside the camera!

 

BTW, when I started my RF journey with M9, I didn't know about focus cam either. In fact I tried to use my old konica glass and I discovered that I could not focus using RF. I laugh at my initial enthusiasm now. Although It didn't stop me from taking some nice pictures just by guessing the subject distance. It was not until M240, I could fully use my older SLR lenses.

Edited July 10, 2017 by jmahto

[lct]

Of inside from outside... Good old times when we could open the door behind the sensor err. film

[Guest]

I own both, the old macro adapter with "glasses" and the new extensible macro adapter. Both work with any Leica lenses. For both the electronic viewfinder is indispensable in my humble opinion.

Could you explain a little more why please? I've just ordered the macro adapter but don't have an EVF; I was planning to use the LV rear screen to focus (I'll be mostly using a tripod for macro), will this not work for some reason?

[Perspectics]

Could you explain a little more why please? I've just ordered the macro adapter but don't have an EVF; I was planning to use the LV rear screen to focus (I'll be mostly using a tripod for macro), will this not work for some reason?

It will work, it doesn't matter whether you use the screen or EVF. Rangefinder is of very limited use - practically useless. Problem is the super shallow depth of field. Focus needs to be spot on, tripod is important!

 

 

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[wattsy]

Rangefinder is of very limited use - practically useless. 

 

I disagree. I find the combination of rangefinder, goggled adaptor and this lens remarkably useful.

 

 

 

 

[Perspectics]

I disagree. I find the combination of rangefinder, goggled adaptor and this lens remarkably useful.

Well... you get a different picture detail (=crop) looking through the rangefinder. At close distances this effect is too difficult to handle for me.

 

Beautiful pictures! Obviously it is possible to manage.

 

 

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[wattsy]

Well... you get a different picture detail (=crop) looking through the rangefinder. At close distances this effect is too difficult to handle for me.

 

 

Yes, that is true and the RF at this kind of range (and with the short DOF) makes it difficult to focus reliably off centre but I still find the googled adaptor and this lens an ingenious and useful extension of the capabilities of a Leica rangefinder.

[Perspectics]

Yes, that is true and the RF at this kind of range (and with the short DOF) makes it difficult to focus reliably off centre but I still find the googled adaptor and this lens an ingenious and useful extension of the capabilities of a Leica rangefinder.

I agree. I usually use evf and the new non-goggled adapter. Thus i can shoot from macro to infinity with the same kit.

 

 

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[alex7075]

Hello,

I am reading many threads about the macro elmar 90 but I can't find out if the new version of the lens (11670, that I would like to buy) works with the old macro adapter, the one with the goggles (14409, that I own).

I read that on the new lens the second distance scale is missing, and I suppose the lens can't be mounted upside down; I don't understand if this is a problem, other than the fact that one can't see the focusing distance on the lens body.

Your help is very appreciated!

Edited March 17, 2018 by alex7075

[Jean-Michel]

Hello,

I am reading many threads about the macro elmar 90 but I can't find out if the new version of the lens (11670, that I would like to buy) works with the old macro adapter, the one with the goggles (14409, that I own).

I read that on the new lens the second distance scale is missing, and I suppose the lens can't be mounted upside down; I don't understand if this is a problem, other than the fact that one can't see the focusing distance on the lens body.

Your help is very appreciated!

If you have the older lens, why do you need/want the new one? Both optics are identical. The mechanics differ mainly with the locking feature. The new lens will mount on the older adapter, as would any other M lens. And the old lens will mount on the new adapter, with the small issues mentioned in the earlier messages.

 

Re the question about the lack of auto focus zoom: just press the front button to activate it.

[alex7075]

Thanks for your answer, but I never said I own the older lens: I only own the older macro adapter, and I found a second-hand new lens for sale. That's why I asked the question.

And I know that the lens can be mounted on the adapter of course. 

I just wanted to know if the fact that the new lens cannot be mounted upside down is a problem for focusing in the macro scale.

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[wattsy]

All lenses can be mounted upside down on the goggled Macro adaptor (its the only to attach a lens) but the significance here is that the additional depth of field scale of the older 90 Macro Elmar will be missing. If the lack of a close range depth of field scale is unimportant then the newer version of the lens will be fine on the goggled adaptor.