M43 or OM to T

[Keith1974]

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I am considering purchasing a Leica T but the lenses are a bit out of my range at present.

I have a collection of Micro Four Thirds lenses - is it possible to mount this to a T with an adapter?

I also have a 50mm M Zuiko Olympus OM 10 (film) lens - any chance this would fit either?

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[Photon42]

Any dump lens adapters should work in theory - Nikon F, OM, Canon EF, Leia M ... m43 require protocol translation and on top of that the image circle of most lenses may not be what is required for APS-C.

Honestly, if you buy into a Leica system, you should at least try to own one or two lenses from them. Check the used market for a 23mm. Together with an OM adapter and your 50, you already have a good combo.

 

[FrozenInTime]

The image circle of micro 4/3 lenses will be too small, so the image will be cut off without filling the full APS-C sensor.

There is also the problem of the micro 4/3 flange - sensor distance being too close to allow an adapter unless recessed, which would rule out almost all lenses. 19.25mm m43 , 19mm TL.

OM lenses will work with appropriate adapter.

 

[Dippy]

I made he move from M43 to the CL earlier this year and haven’t looked back. I ha the original T for a couple of years with two zooms and that helped when I bought the CL body. Nearly all my M43 kit has gone to eBay now to fund new lenses. Depending on whether or not you want to hang onto your m43 kit for some specific feature you will be wowed by the T and the quality of the files.

the Leica glass is expensive, no doubt but what about adapted lenses? I like the Voigtländers and as long as you can manage the manual focus they are very capable on this system and significantly cheaper, especially used. There’s a thread of examples on this forum called ‘Testing  Voigtländer Lenses’ with some nice images to check out. You will need an M adapter but you don’t Have to buy the Leica one at £300.

[Jake]

I've used my OM Zuiko intermediate zoom, and a long zoom (250mm) with the Novoflex LET OM adapter for the CL. I returned the adapter. 

First of all, it's way overpriced. I'm waiting for it to drop, but I'm not sure that's ever going to happen.  Zuiko doesn't seem to be as popular like Nikon or Canon. Results were average in my opinion for a $160 adapter, but I'm not a professional. It's all a matter of what you are willing to put up with. Focusing and exposure is an annoyance. Doable, but don't expect to use them in tight situations in regard to time. Look up various threads here about using adapters, focusing, and exposure. 

I'm currently contemplating the longer vario, but it's out of stock everywhere. I also want an 11mm but not the zoom. Not available without getting a $350+ M adapter. Both of which would be a big departure from my usual photographic expenditures. 

 

 

[jaapv]

M43 lenses a simple no. Any cheap OM adapter works. 

[ramarren]

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So you're wiling to spend $3000 for a camera body, but aren't willing to spend $350 for the mount adapter that allows it to work at its best, or buy the lenses that work best on it?

Doesn't make sense to me. I considered the cost of the Leica mount adapters for M and R lenses to be part of the cost of the CL body for my purposes. I buy the Leica adapters for the Leica lenses because they give me access to Leica's lens profiles for their lenses, and I use high quality third party adapters to adapt other brands of lenses through the M Adapter L. This has proven to be a very solid performing strategy, if not the cheapest way to do things. I feel that as long as I'm going to spend the money for Leica bodies (and lenses...), I might as well just focus on the quality of the bits I buy and ignore the otherwise trivial price premiums. 

If the price is such that it means I cannot afford the best quality bits, I'd buy other gear to begin with. I have a bunch of lovely Olympus FourThirds and Micro-FourThirds gear still that performs very very well indeed ... but it no longer gets used, since I saved up and now have the Leica gear that works better for my needs. 

[Jake]

I haven't found any "cheap" OM adapters. I stopped looking in May, 2018. Novoflex seems to be the only one available. If you know of another adapter, please, I repeat, please tell me where I can find one. 

Further, simply because I can spend $3,000 on a camera body doesn't mean $350 for an adapter is cost effective. I'm also extremely pissed off that B&H in NYC is was offering a "free" adapter with the purchase of a CL. I bought mine in February of 2018, so if I want to consider any other lens M series lenses - or others -  I have to pay an entrance fee of $350.  

Not everybody can, nor wants to spend that *extra* $350. Because like all Leica associated equipment, it's 30% overpriced. 

But I understand Leica is a lifestyle. . . 

Having said that, I love my CL. 

[jaapv]

Hard to call it overpriced. There is no other electronically active adapter to be compared to. I agree, however, that Leica is not the cheapest brand around.

Yes, promotional actions can be annoying if you miss them

[ramarren]

It was Leica that offered the promotional, free M Adapter L, not B&H. You see it as a minus because you missed the promotion. The point of a promotion is to encourage you to buy at a specific time.

Once you have the M Adapter L, you can get an Olympus OM to Leica M adapter for $15 from Ebay. So the combined cost would be far less than if you purchased the dedicated Novoflex OM adapter AND the Leica M Adapter L. (All of my adapters for other mount lenses mount to Leica M-mount. I leave L-mount to native lenses designed for the mount.)

There are many people who can't afford a Leica body, a Leica lens, or an adapter ring. That's not my concern ... No camera is one of life's essentials. If you can't afford Leica gear, don't buy it.  If you can afford to buy Leica gear, that means you accept the price premium. Complaining about it is just a lot of wasted time. 

[Jake]

On 11/16/2018 at 12:58 PM, ramarren said:

There are many people who can't afford a Leica body, a Leica lens, or an adapter ring. That's not my concern ... 

That pretty much sums it up. When you have lots of money, complaining is a waste of time because you just buy what you want when you want it. The obvious economic disparity isn't of concern for those that aren't affected by it. Also, of course a camera isn't a life necessity. Tell me something I don't know. Thanks for the condescension because I was simply venting. 

@jaapv The novoflex LET OM is not an electronically active adapter. There are many adapters that are the same as the novoflex (just machined metal) that are under $30 for other lens manufacturers. I exchanged emails with one fabricator and they said they haven't made them for Zuiko because the demand is low. The results I got with the novovlex didn't warrant the $$. It's mostly an ideological thing, but I'll remember not to express that here anymore. . . 

[jaapv]

That is exactly the reason to use the M adapter L by Leica and supplement it by the appropriate passive adapter, this will activate the electronics, specifically image magnification by the wheel.

[ramarren]

I guess, Jake, that you want to vent and you want others to agree with you. I do not. Jaapv and I have offered rationales and solutions. I'm sorry if those do not meet with your ideological notions, but such it is.

I hope you come to enjoy your equipment. I will not follow this thread any further.

 

On 11/19/2018 at 11:19 AM, Jake said:

That pretty much sums it up. When you have lots of money, complaining is a waste of time because you just buy what you want when you want it. The obvious economic disparity isn't of concern for those that aren't affected by it. Also, of course a camera isn't a life necessity. Tell me something I don't know. Thanks for the condescension because I was simply venting. 

@jaapv The novoflex LET OM is not an electronically active adapter. There are many adapters that are the same as the novoflex (just machined metal) that are under $30 for other lens manufacturers. I exchanged emails with one fabricator and they said they haven't made them for Zuiko because the demand is low. The results I got with the novovlex didn't warrant the $$. It's mostly an ideological thing, but I'll remember not to express that here anymore. . . 

 

[jaapv]

On 11/19/2018 at 8:19 PM, Jake said:

That pretty much sums it up. When you have lots of money, complaining is a waste of time because you just buy what you want when you want it. The obvious economic disparity isn't of concern for those that aren't affected by it. Also, of course a camera isn't a life necessity. Tell me something I don't know. Thanks for the condescension because I was simply venting. 

@jaapv The novoflex LET OM is not an electronically active adapter. There are many adapters that are the same as the novoflex (just machined metal) that are under $30 for other lens manufacturers. I exchanged emails with one fabricator and they said they haven't made them for Zuiko because the demand is low. The results I got with the novovlex didn't warrant the $$. It's mostly an ideological thing, but I'll remember not to express that here anymore. . . 

You miss the point completely. The way to go is to use the Leica L-M adapter which will maintain functionality on the CL and then stack an adapter, which will be passive to whatever lens you want to mount.  The all-at-once third-party adapters will limit the functionality of the CL.

[Brian C in Az]

On 11/4/2018 at 3:16 AM, Keith1974 said:

I am considering purchasing a Leica T but the lenses are a bit out of my range at present.

I have a collection of Micro Four Thirds lenses - is it possible to mount this to a T with an adapter?

I also have a 50mm M Zuiko Olympus OM 10 (film) lens - any chance this would fit either?

There are a lot of low cost USED options on eBay. With eBay's written guarantee, you can't get ripped off due to unscrupulous sellers anymore.

Ignore the comments/insults about being able to afford blah blah blah. 

You can buy a good used TL body for under $800usd, new for $999usd, TL2 bodies for slightly more, 2 recently sold for $1300usd. Be patient and wait, the deals come and go. If buying used, ask how many pictures have been taken, the two that I just mentioned had under 400 clicks, that is a brand new camera to me for almost half price.

Welcome aboard and ignore the rudeness and lack of manners of others.