M10-P with APO-Telyt R 3.4/180mm lens.

[eev776]

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I just got my first Leica M camera, M10-P Safari edition, very excited about it, I was using for few years Leica CL and love it to.

My question is about using R lenses on M body, one my most favorite APO-Telyt R 3.4/180mm lens with bit coding, I use it with Leica M-R adapter.

Is there is any way to see frame of APO-Telyt R 3.4/180mm in rangefinder to focus, even when I adjust lens focus rectangle in rangefinder is not moving. 

However I can see focus adjusting in LV, probably in Visioflex as well, but my question is only about rangefinder focusing.

Is it not working with rangefinder because of an R-M adapter?

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[a.noctilux]

In this setup, rangefinder focussing is not possible with R to M adapter.

In Leica M rangefinder focussing system, the two devices need to have "coupling" together.

Mechanical/optical "coupling" which is not present when not-coupling lens is mounted as here with R lens with adapter.

Here film M ( but same in digital M ) has the coupler/roller at 12 O'clock in M mount.

When we have a look at the R to M adapter, nothing to "couple" with the focus mechanism.

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" ...There are no electronic or mechanical functions between camera and lens that are bridged by the adapter, however, when the adapter is attached to the M camera...

"

Edited December 16, 2020 by a.noctilux

[eev776]

Interesting, thanks for your answer!

I'll be happy continuing using my APO-Telyt R 3.4/180mm on my Leica CL body then, it works pretty good with it and I like the fact that cropped sensor brings you closer to the subject.

[a.noctilux]

I use Visoflex 020 on my plain M10 when I need some exotic lenses + adapter which I use sometimes.

[adan]

To sum up: R lenses were made for the Leicaflex/Leica-R SLR cameras - they are designed for cameras with classic SLR "through the lens" viewing (mirror, ground-glass screen, and prism). They were never made for rangefinder focusing, and do not have the necessary focusing cam.

However, in the era of live-view and EVFs for "off the sensor" viewing and focusing, they can be used with Leica M cameras from the M (typ 240) on. Either by simply using live-view and the rear LCD. Or, a bit more comfortably, with the add-on eye-level hot-shoe EVF device, which makes the Ms similar to a Leica SL or CL, or Sony Alpha 7 or Fuji X "mirrorless."

They can also be used with the regular window viewfinder - IF the lens is simply set to infinity and used for very long distance subjects (1 km or more - cityscapes or landscapes). Or if one is willing and able to "guess" the subject distance accurately and set that on the lens focus ring (probably rather difficult to do accurately enough for a 180, except by trial-and-error).

Just point the focusing patch at the center of the subject, and assume the whole picture will about 3x as long and tall as the patch area (for a 180).

I went three years "guess-framing" with a 135mm lens on the M8 that way and got pretty good at it.

But the APO-Telyt is also sharp enough to survive the cropping of the CL sensor, and should make a very nice "APO-270mm" on that camera.

Edited December 17, 2020 by adan

[Stef63]

On 12/17/2020 at 12:14 AM, a.noctilux said:

I use Visoflex 020 on my plain M10 when I need some exotic lenses + adapter which I use sometimes.

+1