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Practicality of using R Lenses on CL?


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I have 35mm, 60mm Macro & 90mm Elmarit-R's plus the 21-35mm Vario Elmar for use with my R5 and occasionally via the R Adaptor M on my M240.  In considering the purchase of a CL, I wonder how practical in terms of focus, balance and handling using such lenses on the CL would be? The change in focal length in that they would become 52mm, 90mm, 135mm and 32-52mm respectively is also a factor.  Obviously I would have to stack the R Adaptor M onto a M Adaptor T/L, adding weight and length to the assembly.

 

Anyone with relevant experience?

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It works. I have used the R80 1.4. A bit unbalanced as you might expect but manageable if you are okay with the focal length changes. I would add that focus peaking on the CL is excellent.

 

Here are 2 photos taken with the CL w R80.

 

The first is wide-open; the second was stopped down (where the R80 gets very sharp).

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Edited by ropo54
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I have 35mm, 60mm Macro & 90mm Elmarit-R's plus the 21-35mm Vario Elmar for use with my R5 and occasionally via the R Adaptor M on my M240.  In considering the purchase of a CL, I wonder how practical in terms of focus, balance and handling using such lenses on the CL would be? The change in focal length in that they would become 52mm, 90mm, 135mm and 32-52mm respectively is also a factor.  Obviously I would have to stack the R Adaptor M onto a M Adaptor T/L, adding weight and length to the assembly.

 

Anyone with relevant experience?

I've used all of the above on my SL, but with the R to L single step adapter.  They will work even better on the CL, but I haven't tried them yet.  If you want to get started with zero cost for lenses, this is a fine beginning.  In time, you will probably find that the native CL lenses are lighter, sharper (certainly for the three zooms, and the 60 CL macro), and inexpensive by Leica standards.  

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No doubt, I should have written "change in perspective". Thank you.

I understood what you meant.  Don't let Doug  bust your chops.  But he is correct that the precise change from, say 80 mm on full frame to 120 mm-eff on an APS-C camera is simply cropping to a reduced angle of view.  Not "perspective."

Edited by scott kirkpatrick
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I understood what you meant.  Don't let Doug  bust your chops.  But he is correct that the precise change from, say 80 mm on full frame to 120 mm-eff on an APS-C camera is simply cropping to a reduced angle of view.  Not "perspective."

 

Hehe ;) there is a change in perspective in that we need to move to keep the same field of view.

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I cannot contribute to R lens usage, but I do use a Nikkor 55 2.8 micro from time to time with two adapters stacked (F->M and M->TL). That size looks and handles about right. Same for a Voigtlander 2/40, which is essentially a pancake lens. Larger / longer lenses look funny and I do not find the handling too convenient any more. It also depends how often you plan to use them. As I do not do Marco work often, I would get the 2.8/60 anytime soon and the 35 range is covered with M lenses on my end so far.

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Thanks for the comments/feedback - appreciated.  In all likelihood it would be the 60mm Macro Elmarit-R that would be used as my other R focal lengths are covered by my M lenses.

 

Anyway, firstly I have to actually get my hands on a CL - I want the CL + 18-56mm bundle and they are proving difficult to source.  :( 

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When I finally get up to San Francisco Leica Store to handle the CL, I'll have the M Adapter L, M Adapter R, and Macro-Elmarit-R 60mm lens assembly with me for testing, since this is one off my favorite and most-used lenses on the SL.

 

Perhaps later this week... I'll report on my impressions. :D

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The TL 60 is quite impressive.  Lighter, with autofocus, better corrections for use wide open than the APO Elmarit-R 100 with about the same working distances as a macro.  It goes down to 1:1 without needing an adapter, and it is still available from some suppliers well below list price.  Just sayin'.

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I am using the 80-200 Vario Elmar R-ROM with the R to L adapter on the CL. There are two issues. Firstly at the longer focal lengths, this is really a tripod/monopod/sandbag lens on the CL, just as it was on an R camera but maybe more so on the CL, due to the difficulty in holding a small camera steady with a big lens. The second point is a personal preference, I much prefer trombone zoom/twist focus lenses like Contax used to make, to the two ring Leica arrangement. The reason being you don't need to move your hand while holding these long manual focus lenses, when trying to frame and focus. The upside is that the 80-200 is a lot smaller and lighter than the 90-280SL, I used to have. I am hoping that Leica will bring out a long crop sensor TL mount zoom (maybe 75-300 or 50-250) with OIS, at some point in the future, so have held off from buying the 55-135. 

 

Wilson

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As the originator of this thread, I feel duty-bound to admit my sins...

 

I have to admit to a complete change of course - took delivery late today of a Sony A6500 + 16-70mm Sony/Zeiss T* lens.  Never owned a Sony before and initial impressions now the battery has finished charging are of excellent performance but clunky menus. The petit size/weight and 24-105mm equivalent (constant f4) plus IBIS were mainly the deciding factors.

 

Have ordered a Novoflex adaptor from Speed Graphics, which should be here by the weekend - I can then try out my M and R lenses. For my next trip to Spain the A6500, zoom lens + 50mm Summilux (for wide open / f1.4 type shots) and 135mm APO should meet my needs with minimum weight etc.  IBIS will certainly be a boon at 210mm!

 

Forgive me...  ;)

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As the originator of this thread, I feel duty-bound to admit my sins...

 

I have to admit to a complete change of course - took delivery late today of a Sony A6500 + 16-70mm Sony/Zeiss T* lens.  Never owned a Sony before and initial impressions now the battery has finished charging are of excellent performance but clunky menus. The petit size/weight and 24-105mm equivalent (constant f4) plus IBIS were mainly the deciding factors.

 

Have ordered a Novoflex adaptor from Speed Graphics, which should be here by the weekend - I can then try out my M and R lenses. For my next trip to Spain the A6500, zoom lens + 50mm Summilux (for wide open / f1.4 type shots) and 135mm APO should meet my needs with minimum weight etc.  IBIS will certainly be a boon at 210mm!

 

Forgive me...   ;)

I moved last week to A6500. Mainly to use R180APO3.4 (option 2XAPO) and R400mm Telyt 6.8. So far the experience is good. I had to reconfigure custom buttons to make it useable though. Now using c1/c2, I can change FL value for lowest SS and for steadyshot, using AEL lock for zooming in for MF and c3 for IBIS on/off (when you use tripod). Now I don't have to go into menu at all while changing lens. Still more cumbersome that what I would expect, but I can live with it.

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I have the 60mm Elmarit and the 80-200. The 55-135 TL lens is So. Much. Nicer. on the CL than the 80-200, and really, I think it's just a superior lens all the way around. I love the 80-200, and it does have more reach, but the size difference and sharpness difference... wow.

 

The 60mm, I haven't used much. No strong opinions yet.

 

The Novoflex R to L adapter is what I use, and it's great.

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Well, the Novoflex NEX/LEM adaptor has arrived. First M lens that came to hand was my 135mm APO Telyt and the adaptor feels very solid indeed, as does the whole assembly when fitted to the A6500 (see below - Leica Q photo). Just a couple of hand-held indoor test shots so far to how the focus and IBIS performs - looking good!  Now need to figure out how to best set-up the A6500 for this and my 50mm Summilux-M ASPH.

 

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