Which 50mm for an R7?

[GregNski]

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I am considering  buying an R7, and I want  to know what 50mm f/2 Summicron would take best advantage of the camera's functionality. Would it be an E55, a Leitz Canada 3-cam, or a ROM lens? To clarify, I want a lens that will take advantage of what the R7 can do, but not one that has features the camera will NOT support, so e.g. if a ROM lens will do this or that but the camera will not then I don't want to pay extra for a ROM lens when a plain old 3-cam would do the trick.

[Charles Morgan]

ROM lenses only add functionality when used with the R8 and R9. I have a Canada R that I've converted to 3 cam so I can use it with my Leicaflex SL2. I use it on my R4s, my R7, my R8 and my SL2. I am very happy with the results in all. None of the lenses you mention will add any additional functionality at all to the R7. Don't neglect the boring old Canada R too - same lens, but only works with R3 to R9.

Edited June 4, 2020 by Charles Morgan

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[TomB_tx]

The R7 can use any 3-cam or R cam only lens. Usually the R cam only sells for less than the 3-cam versions, and perform the same.

The first 50 Summicron R lens used series 6 filters held by a retaining ring, and had a separate clip-on hood. These lenses were either 2-cam or 2-cam when new, but some were converted to 3-cam by Leitz after the R3 body came out. These are still fine lenses, but I think more flare-prone than the E55 with built in hood. I'd go for an E55 Summicron R.

Of course, there are also the 50mm Summilux R lenses, also in the early (separate hood) and 2 later series with built-in hood. The early and the E55 have the same optics. The last E60 lenses were a complete redesign, about as good as the current Summilux M Asph - but also quite expensive on the used market.

I notice I can focus the Summicron 50s easier than the Summilux on my R7.

[andrew01]

Your options are:

- a 3 cam lens (1976-1986) - a good choice if you decide to try a Leicaflex in the future.

- an R-cam only lens (1986-1996), which is the exactly same optical and mechanical design as the 3-cam, but can be up to ten years younger so easier to find in mint condition.  Some reports suggest that the coatings could be incrementally improved.

- A ROM lens (1996-2009) for 200 Euro premium.  Not worth the extra money in my opinion.  You will get no benefit on the R7, and indeed very negligible benefit on the R8/9 unless using the obsolete DMR digital back.

I have an R8 and decided to go for the middle option.  In hindsight I wish I had gone with option 1, because I then picked up a Leicaflex and had to buy another lens for that!  

Edited June 7, 2020 by andrew01

[Charles Morgan]

You can convert an R cam only lens to a 3 cam. It involves the use of a macro adapter for the 60mm Elmarit - in essence you fit the cams from that to the R lens (which is machined to take them). I was staggered to find that even a ham-fisted destroyer of all things mechanical like me was able to do so, but you do need to be very cautious when filing the cam from f2.8 to f2.

The reason for finding this out was the purchase of my Leicaflex SL2, when I found the 50mm R cam lens that came with my R4S did not work. Some very kindly and friendly souls on the Rangefinder forum pointed me in the right direction. 

It saved me from having to sell and re-buy. 

 

[masjah]

10 hours ago, andrew01 said:

 

- A ROM lens (1996-2009) for 200 Euro premium.  Not worth the extra money in my opinion.  You will get no benefit on the R7, and indeed very negligible benefit on the R8/9 unless using the obsolete DMR digital back.

 

Andrew, personally, I wouldn't describe the additional benefits of a ROM lens on an R8/9 as "very negligible", but I guess that's a question of any particular user's particular needs; for example, personally I find the relaying of correct aperture values with the ROM 2x Apo extender very useful, as is the flash zoom facility. But what are the additional benefits of a ROM lens on an R8/9+DMR compared with an R8/9 alone, that might swing the decision?

 

[andrew01]

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On 6/8/2020 at 9:12 AM, masjah said:

Andrew, personally, I wouldn't describe the additional benefits of a ROM lens on an R8/9 as "very negligible", but I guess that's a question of any particular user's particular needs; for example, personally I find the relaying of correct aperture values with the ROM 2x Apo extender very useful, as is the flash zoom facility. But what are the additional benefits of a ROM lens on an R8/9+DMR compared with an R8/9 alone, that might swing the decision?

Fair enough if you are using the extender and flash.  With the DMR I understand that the ROM chip communicates info about the lens and aperture so it can apply digital correction for vignetting.

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[masjah]

1 hour ago, andrew01 said:

Fair enough if you are using the extender and flash.  With the DMR I understand that the ROM chip communicates info about the lens and aperture so it can apply digital correction for vignetting.

 

Andrew that is absolutely correct, and the ROM chip tells the camera information about the aperture stop down dynamics of the individual lens sample so, even without a DMR, it can find tune how the shutter fires, which is remarkable really.

 

Edited June 9, 2020 by masjah