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Non Leica lens suggestion for Leica T

late9sound
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late9sound

late9sound

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I just bought a used Leica T and now need to get a lens to use with it.  On a budget, I am seeking help for an inexpensive lens (Older used Leica or non-Leica for around $600 or less + adapter) so I can try out with my coming T.  I shoot mostly portrait so sharp IQ and pleasant bokeh is more to my liking.  There are so many choices out there and being new to Leica, I am overwhelmed.  Please give me some suggestion if you have experience with old Leica or non-leica lens on the T.  As to focal length, 50mm, 85mm, 90mm, 105mm, I can use either FV as long as it produces that pop color/images rendering that Leica is famous for.

Thank you in advance.

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ropo54

ropo54

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The Zeiss 50mm planar is extremely sharp with lots of pop.  You should be able to find one on ebay for around $500-600 in excellent condition. There is also a Zeiss 50 1.5, which is well regarded for portraits and has a softer, dreamier look than the 50mm planar. Price will be a bit higher than the 50 planar, though not much.

 

Zeiss also has a 35 f2, and a 35 f2.8. I have not used the 2.8, but it is supposed to have terrific IQ. My guess on pricing is around $700-900.  

 

Another bargain lens is the 135 f4 elmar. I have one from 1961 and it is wonderful.  But, you are effectively shooting at 200m equivalence. (There is one for sale now on Fred Miranda Buy/Sell for $265).

 

Many people enjoy the voigtlander offerings, as well. Very reasonably priced and very capable.  I know they have a 75 1.8 and a 2.5, which many love for portraits.

 

So many good choices and reasonable prices abound.

 

Good luck. Rob 

Edited by ropo54
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late9sound

late9sound

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Thank you Rob for your suggestion.  A quick check on ebay and it seems price for the Zeiss 50mm is very mimilar to a real Leica Summicron-M50.  Would this be a good lens to get and which adapter do I need should I win this Lens.  Thanks

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Leica-SUMMICRON-M-50mm-f-2-Aspherical-Lens-Black/223002606155?epid=99655784&hash=item33ebfdba4b:g:oUAAAOSw7kVbEurc

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ropo54

ropo54

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Thank you Rob for your suggestion.  A quick check on ebay and it seems price for the Zeiss 50mm is very mimilar to a real Leica Summicron-M50.  Would this be a good lens to get and which adapter do I need should I win this Lens.  Thanks

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Leica-SUMMICRON-M-50mm-f-2-Aspherical-Lens-Black/223002606155?epid=99655784&hash=item33ebfdba4b:g:oUAAAOSw7kVbEurc

 

I would select the Leica 50mm if the prices are similar. From the seller's description it would seem to be in excellent condition, even though it may have external wear.  Leica lenses are built quite sturdy.

 

One must add a Leica M to L adapter, which is necessary and should get plenty of use with any M sized lenses. 

 

Rob

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ropo54

ropo54

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I would also recommend Contax Zeiss lenses, the 50mm f1.4 can be bought for around $200

 

 And, Louis on the T and CL forum has a Nikkor 50 1.4 which is terrific, and very affordable. You might reach out to Louis for his thoughts, but I am pretty sure it is his favorite lens.

Rob

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late9sound

late9sound

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 And, Louis on the T and CL forum has a Nikkor 50 1.4 which is terrific, and very affordable. You might reach out to Louis for his thoughts, but I am pretty sure it is his favorite lens.

Rob

Thank you for the tip but I think I like longer focal length for the ease of candid shots.

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Marac

Marac

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I see a nice Contax G Zeiss 90mm F/2.8 Sonnar T* on Ebay and doing some looking around, the images look great.  Can I use this with my Leica T and if so please give me some link to correct adapter for it.  Thank you

 

The G system was different, it was the Contax answer to the rangefinder ... The lenses I am referring to are the DSLR style Contax Zeiss lenses

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dkCambridgeshire

dkCambridgeshire

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If you acquire a Leica M adapter T it would enable using many Leica M and non-Leica, M fit lenses on your T.  There are some remarkably good and $$reasonably priced Russian LTM screw lenses available which adapt very easily to M bayonet. And a Leica R to M adapter would enable use of Leica R lenses on your T. If you plan to acquire Leica R, Leica screw mount (LTM) and Leica M lenses, the Leica Pocket Book 8th edition documents nearly all Leica lenses manufactured since 1925 up until the early 2000s together with performance data.  For portraiture a 50mm lens on your T would be equivalent to 75mm focal length on a full frame camera. Older 50mm lenses used at full aperture can produce 'glowing' and flattering portraits. The sky's the limit . Have a look at  'Post your T shots here' to see the various lenses used by forum members https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/226003-post-your-t-shots-here/

 

dunk 

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late9sound

late9sound

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Alright can I use either one of these for my T with m mount adapter:

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Leica-2-Cam-Leitz-Summicron-R-50mm-F-2-Lens/222999021480?epid=99733080&hash=item33ebc707a8:g:RuUAAOSwbLZa5qOv

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Leica-Tele-Elmarit-90mm-f-2-8-RARE-Red-Focus-Scale/163074753397?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

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dkCambridgeshire

dkCambridgeshire

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First lens description is inaccurate and somewhat 'embroidered' … please ignore most it  - and if you cross reference to Leica Pocket Book 8th edition you'll read that the Mk I Leica R lens (note it's not an M lens) has a Series VI filter thread … which is not 55mm. Unfortunately we're not allowed to comment on values … suffice to say, 'Look elsewhere and compare'

 

You might consider acquiring a good quality Canon FD to Leica L adapter e.g. https://c7adapters.com/en/product/canon_fd_-_leica_l/112 … and then consider buying e.g. a s/h Canon FD 50/1.4 for less than $125 … and experiment with the magnified live view when manually focusing.  At a later date when 'manual focus proficient' with your T, buy the Leica M to T adapter. 

 

dunk 

Edited by dkCambridgeshire
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gbealnz

gbealnz

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I found a good system adapter wise was to get EOS to T, (similarly with the Fuji or Sony, EOS to Fuji, EOS to Sony).

 

Why? Well most lens fittings are simply and cheaply adapted to EOS. With a EOS to T for example, you can then get the R to EOS adapter, or the Contax/Yashica to EOS adapter, or the Olympus to EOS adapter etc, and then the (lens) world is your oyster.

 

I'd certainly look at the Olympus OM lenses, small, light, discrete, cheap, and decent quality.

 

Gary

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blueskyoveraquatic

blueskyoveraquatic

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I just bought a used Leica T and now need to get a lens to use with it.  On a budget, I am seeking help for an inexpensive lens (Older used Leica or non-Leica for around $600 or less + adapter) so I can try out with my coming T.  I shoot mostly portrait so sharp IQ and pleasant bokeh is more to my liking.  There are so many choices out there and being new to Leica, I am overwhelmed.  Please give me some suggestion if you have experience with old Leica or non-leica lens on the T.  As to focal length, 50mm, 85mm, 90mm, 105mm, I can use either FV as long as it produces that pop color/images rendering that Leica is famous for.

Thank you in advance.

Hello,

Below is a photo of some of my 50mm lenses that I use on my M240.  If I need to use them on T, then I just need to add a LM-LT adapter to them.

 

I cannot rate my lenses because I love them all :-)!  However, if I must rate them, I would say that Leica, Carl Zeiss, and Nikon are wonderful.  You can visit my flickr account and search Album of the names of these lenses to see how they performed.

 

From left to right:
7Artisians 50mm f/1.1 - a modern lens
Asahi Super-Takumar 55mm f/1.8 - a vintage lens for SLR
Carl Zeiss Jena Biotar 58mm f/2 - a vintage lens for SLR
Nikon 50mm f/2 AI - a vintage lens for SLR
Canon 50mm f/1.8 LTM - a vintage lens for range-finder camera (rangefinder-coupled)
Leica Elmar-M 50mm f/2.8 Collapsible - a vintage lens for range-finder camera
Konica 50mm f/1.7 AR - a vintage lens for SLR
Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar 50mm f/2.8 - a vintage lens for SLR
 

 

Here is a list of lenses that I use on my M240:

28484037498_6eba14cae1_b.jpgVintage lenses that I have collected... by Bluesky Overaquatic, on Flickr

Edited by blueskyoveraquatic
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dkCambridgeshire

dkCambridgeshire

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^^^^^^^^

…  late9sound needs to know that above lenses need the relevant 'M' adapters, plus, in addition, the Leica M to T adapter - unless a 'straight' 'L/T' adapter can be sourced.   Reason I mentioned C7 adapters and in particular their 'straight' FD to L (T) adapter, is that they manufacture a great variety of adapters to high quality/accuracy specification (for video use) … all better quality than e.g. Chinese Ebay offerings. Their Canon FD to Leica L/T adapter is reasonably priced and there are many $$reasonably priced s/h Canon FD lenses available.  However, there is a multitude of legacy lenses which can be successfully adapted to the T/CL/SL camera series and, if on a budget, at considerably less cost than buying Leitz/Leica M lenses.

 

OP also needs to know that the Leica T Visoflex 020 enables the most efficient / easy use of manual focus legacy lenses on the Leica T/TL/TL2.  Personally, I would not contemplate using manual focus lenses on the T without the Visoflex EVF. 

 

OP should also be aware that the Leica 'pop color/images rendering that Leica is famous for'  can be a subjective topic. Much depends on the person using the camera and how he/she 'sees' potential subjects and makes use of lighting situations. A Leica lens, or any other lens, is only as good, or as bad, as the photographer using it. Many other manufacturers lenses have their own particular imaging idiosyncrasies … which appeal to some photographers … but which might not appeal to, or be recognised by, others. 

 

dunk 

Edited by dkCambridgeshire
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late9sound

late9sound

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I can not thank you all enough for helping me with picking lens for my T.  As suggested by dkCambridgeshire, I have bought a Visoflex 020 yesterday when ebay had the 20% tech sale (up to $100.)  Now I will study and pick a lens.  

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blueskyoveraquatic

blueskyoveraquatic

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I can not thank you all enough for helping me with picking lens for my T.  As suggested by dkCambridgeshire, I have bought a Visoflex 020 yesterday when ebay had the 20% tech sale (up to $100.)  Now I will study and pick a lens.  

As a T and M240 user who is crazy about vintage lenses, I would like to share with you my own experiences.  If I only need one or two lenses, I would spend on Leica M lenses for the following reasons:

1. rangefinder-couple for your future Leica M purchase

2. superb and precision build

3. small

4. amazing optic designs

5. last a lifetime

 

For Leica selections, Summicron-M (f/2) lenses are the best for your money.  Summilux-M lenses are heavier and cost more.  For flawless quality and modern look, you can go with ASPH lenses.  For a vintage look, you can go with pre-ASPH lenses.  You may want to pass Summarit-M (f/2.5) series.  For vintage Leica lenses, you can select Dr. Mandler's lenses.  Leica R mount lenses are also excellent, but they were designed for SLR camera.  As a result, Leica R lenses will require a thicker adapter on your T than Leica M lenses.  Furthermore, Leica R lenses cannot be used on your future Leica M body natively (rangefinder-coupled).

 

The above thoughts have been based on my limited experiences.

 

If you do not want to manually focus your lens, you can purchase Leica T auto-focus lenses.  Leica T lenses can also produce high IQ images.  Personally, I prefer lenses with no electronic component in them :-)!

 

Good luck on your ebay's bidding of that Summicon-M ASPH!

Dennis

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blueskyoveraquatic

blueskyoveraquatic

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To illustrate dunk's point: "Posted Today, 01:38

^^^^^^^^

…  late9sound needs to know that above lenses need the relevant 'M' adapters, plus, in addition, the Leica M to T adapter - unless a 'straight' 'L/T' adapter can be sourced"

 

Here are three examples:  1) do not do, 2) try not to do, 3) acceptable solution to adapt non-T lenses on T

 

Case #1: three adapters *****  Do not do  ******

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

Case #2: two adapters *****  Try not to do  ******

Case #3: one adapter  *****  Acceptable  ******

Edited by blueskyoveraquatic
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