Where have all the R lenses gone?

[a.noctilux]

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Hello Peter,

@Peter Zapp this is custom made grip from my R /... Telyt period (decades ago ! ) inspiring from 2.8/280 14282 .

First thing was finding a 3/8' screw long enough to thread through a piece of carving wood adapted to my anatomy.

No added pin in this handgrip.

I use shoulder/pistol stock(s) of your link (better made!) also on long lenses, or maybe close-up/macro dynamic use sometimes.

[a.noctilux]

This grip is great, I'm happy making it longer than 14282,

as here with (for fun) Summilux 80mm plus Apo-Extender-R x2  ( well as Leica recommendation from f/2 up, interesting to have about 160mm  f/2.8 not 'usable' wide open ).

Two fingers fall at good place for manual focussing, with good grip.

 

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[a.noctilux]

Thanks @Alon

I discovered #11 description by Jim Lager, here Elcan 5.6/450

So you have one of those !

[Alon]

5 hours ago, a.noctilux said:

Thanks @Alon

I discovered #11 description by Jim Lager, here Elcan 5.6/450

So you have one of those !

You're welcome.

It is part of my collection, unfortunately I am not able to post any pictures as the lenses are under lock and key in another house.

I am sure that Jim Lager was well intentioned writing his piece but I beg to differ as neither the image of the lens is correct nor"all" the information provided.

To my modest knowledge the Elcan 75/2 was produced commercially but did not make it to market and the optic formula was adapted years later to the 90AA.

I am not familiar with other Leica lenses and cameras but only the R lenses in my possession.

 

P.S. I only have one old digital Leica camera, the  S1.

 

Edited July 22, 2021 by Alon

[edstock]

I just sold an R 6.2 and two lenses, 70-280 f4 and a 135 f4 to KEH.

[xjr]

Not surprising . The advent of the Ms with Visoflex changed the game !

Especially 180mm, 280 etc [but with APO designation]. Recently purchased an APO 280mm f2.8 ,used it on the M10-R and the results were simply amazing !

Managed to source the 1.4x and 2x [both APO] versions but with some difficulty , as well.

Try KAMERA STORE in FINLAND, MEISTER CAMERA in Germany but not that cheap especially in A condition

[Ornello]

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long time passing...

 

 

[AZN]

The asking prices for some Leica R lenses have become amazing, especially the following:

• 19mm Elmarit-R (V2) ROM
• 28mm Elmarit-R (V2) ROM
• 35mm Summilux-R ROM
• 50mm Summilux-R (E60) ROM
• 80mm Summilux-R ROM

It would be easy to blame videographers – but watching a few YouTube videos last night, most DP's seem to prefer the earlier 1980s version R lenses because of their "character".

BTW aside:  It's a wise idea to create a written list of your lenses with info on when you bought them, how much you paid and current market value estimate (I used eBay for rule-of-thumb).  

Having gone through probate last year, a lot of my deceased mother's porcelain figurines turned out to be quite valuable. Was amazed, thought they were $-store stuff (!)

We can assume the average inheritor of your lenses will likewise have little idea how much some of these things are worth!

[dkCambridgeshire]

Leica Shop Vienna (part owned by Leica Camera AG) has a good selection of Leica R lenses ... the 'in demand' R optics command premium prices 

https://www.leicashop.com/classic/at/en/lcc/Leica-Elmarit-R-11329-2-8-19mm-ROM/33496-1   ... outstanding MTF graph at f5.6 ... almost straight lines ... not a Schneider design but can suffer from 'Schneideritis' edge paint flaking whereby lens elements' centres have tiny specks of edge paint deposits .. check carefully before purchase. 

https://www.leicashop.com/classic/at/en/lcc/Leica/R-System/Lenses/?order=release-date&p=1

Many R lenses have been remounted for videography use e.g. https://www.vintagelensesforvideo.com/introduction-to-leica-r-lenses/

Edited April 30, 2022 by dkCambridgeshire

[Beauregard]

It's not really the mirrorless crowd.

You could adapt R glass already too early Canon's like the 1D MKII
that has a lot of "vintage focussing screens."

On the 5D MKII adapting became quite common.
Because of the video, and they focus smooth.

R glass is not super ergonomic on an Alpha.
I mainly quit using R lenses after my 5D MKII died.
And got much deeper into mirrorless.
The Zuiko's are more ergnomic ...

But It is all the vintage glass.
There are all the youtubers now that have to push out content all the time.
Some have to present some "cheap" vintage lenses.

Leica also has It's own thing going on. The R glass is the more affordable.
Leica is promoting there own vintage lenses. Also when a Zuiko 100 f2   is 800 euro.
And the hole market for vintge glass rises. Leica lenses will rise too.
And they automatically go up in price. The next one is always more expensive, or the next year It is more expensive.
And a big "cult following". If you watch those Leica 2 dudes, that turn every lens problem into a good thing,
"but those lens flares a lot, my wive shoots ballet and uses those flare for very artistic purposes,
but a flare, if you over use a "gimmic", It becomes boring. You can also say, that the lomo, how I use It,
really suits me, so for me I think It's a bargain ...

And with the M lenses, or SL lenses becomming not 4300 for a lens, but 12.000, then an 5000 Summilux 80mm 1.4.
Seems like a bargain. And a M6 was 2000 and M7 3000. Not 5000.
M8 or M9 were not 12.000. It can't really be the SL. Because very expensive,
you can shoot R glass on a ton of camera's. The Panasonic, 5D MKII ( at least It had somekind of focus screen,
is balanced a little better, then say an A7. An A7 is small for larger glass, lot of slr glass, even with a grip,
I prefer rangefinder glass, or mirrorless glass.
I don't enjoy shooting a Macro Planar 100mm f2, on those small camera's.

A lot of people seem to go into photography. The programs are much easier, like CS6.
Now there are 5 more options, that do It less perfct but easy and more AI based.
And even more people go into video, by influencers saying you need 6K 8K video ...
And why everyone should have a Yashica T4. Ok cool, I think everyone should get one,
make film less dead. And I have a lot of backups, I won't ever use ... their mint,
never needed the spare one.

But the weirdest part is, all those video's, how to make pictures like Ansel Adems.
And It just shows how to put pictures in lichtroom into black and white with the color sliders.
And the pictures are shot with UWA, he doesn't shoot UWA's.
At 12o clock, in full sun, he shoots at more interesting timings.
Etc ...

All those lenses you just got for free, 15 years ago "because you are kid and like photography, people gave you boxes,
full of old gear "hope you can do something usefull with It ... 2 OM's, Zuiko's from 24 - 135, lot's of Takumar, an old Leica III with Elmar,
the Olympus Pen system. Ultramatics with those lenses, also Scneiders for a Kodak for the Kodak but the camera is missing,
Zeiss Ikon folding cams, from 35mm rangefinders with Tessars to MF where you can change the plate, a wet plate LF camera, Trip 35,
a Jena 75mm 1.5 m42, nice because that one got pretty expensive. A lot of the rest got too. You could not sell those lenses 15 - 20 years ago,
now I see 100mm 2.8 OM's going for 300, same with other glass. As a lot is mint condition, I see some going over 300.

Oh and Puting is bombing all the Jupiters and Jena's and Zeiss desings.
Lot of those are in Ukraine.

And a lot of people buying RED camera's etc ... cine lenses are expensive.
You can mod a vintage set, same filter size, declick the aparture and get them to do autofocus.
Think It ruins the lens for photography, I think.

And people buy kits, wanting consistance.
They buy MF Canon, because Canon is known and has some cine cam's.
They buy R glass, because It's Leica, mainly the ROM's, bit sad because a personal set of 5 lenses,
so they don't have to rent Cine lenses every time. I don't find R lenses very cinematic, a lot of them can be very special,
but they don't pop and glow or do much lots of magic then those Canon's. Some can, but It mostly works in a specific set,
distance, subject, lightning, aparture, background. And they say stuff like all 50 Summicrons are the same.

There is V1, V2 they are different, and an early V2, is not as sharp as an M that's a little older, It's close to some Zuiko's,
not the super Zuiko's, not as sharp as the last V2's.
If I look at my R glass, I get the impression Leica hasn't been lazy,
and made there glass sharper even If It's the same design between the first batch and the last not just adding contacts,
to tell R9's I'm a 50, and R, always wanted to be an M and be sharp but you're fat, good luck with the TTL, hope you don't
carry any low iso or fine immulsion so no one sees I get outresolved by radiactive Takumars, they have harsher contrast,
and at least I draw more gracefull, more balanced, refined, a red dot, my herritage, importance, seriously engineered, 
a summisommething stands for doing lots of iconic, shots like a century full of them, a photographers dream.

And de Contax Zeiss glass. A 50mm 1.7 was 130 - 150 euro.
Those are based for a part on Zeiss cine glass.

And now R is the shit for a cinekit when you a RED Komodo, vlog and tell the world, they paid more than a car
for the summisommithings, because cine lenses cost way to much, but the R glass is, like nice also.
If you can't buy, can't rent, don't get because a youtube channel is not Netflix, Hollywood, filmschool, 
It's talk about resolve and a new Apple screen, filmed a skater,
while the next Spielberg just shot a film on a Motorola G4,
he likes Android as It feels, closer, more intense, connected to the audience, the raw thriller suspence grit,
like pre smartphone, very direct. For a gorgeus cinematic impressive visual thing, I shoot with more serious gear,
It's about a mother and her vive year old child. In Detroit, It seems empty, and freezes, It's to cold,
mother is borderline, dissosiates a lot but tries very hard, is away a lot of the time,
physically, but sometimes, she's their but she is not. We talk to a bear, that also records video,
we don't know It. We talk to It, when alone, or feeling alone, and It films us. It's a spybear to catch
your man or wife, when you know, she has secrets, or he is not ... really the person he presents to the world.
she loves her kid, and It's the dialoge, there are confessions, they find a safer place, have hope, but It's Detroit,
winter is hard, laso the kid has something cold, sometimes in the monolues, like she blames here mother for
the opiod epidemic, her mental illness, being alone even when not alone, always a bit disconnected.
Something sinister. A cop finds the kid.
Who had made a pyama out of her mother. Because she's cold, but warm, she could only save me by dying,
and be my costume to, she's nice when quite. Alwyas saying she would find a way, and she did, It's bloody sir.
But she could keep me warm, I could go back in her. I came out of an egg. I was a catterpiller, I needed a cocoon,
so made her in a cocoon suit, because not moving wasn't working. To became a butterfly, I had to be a cocoon on the move,
as the catterpiller, I never moved, and they eat, don't hang still. I ate the parts, slowing me down, wrapped myself in her
when It was perfect. I will be a beautifull butterfly.

Takumars are pretty smooth. Some feel better build than some R glass.
OM Zuiko's, they feel a bit wiggly and flimsy.
Think Nikkors, Minolta, a lot a lenses are also good for a kit.

But a lot of stuff get's expensive, youtube, instagram, internet is like a people just selling stuff.
Check vintage synth's. Other vintage things. Hifi.
Some records, concert tickets, PS5's ...

And If you want riddiculsly expensive, Leica is a very good place.
And while a Jupiter 8 synthesizer, will be 100k, not so far away.
A Summilux Aspherical 50mm 1.4 M. 
Don't think that lens will be like 75.000k in 7 years.
Leica S will be all broken, M9's ...

Bessa's are also getting expensive, as only Leica is making film body's.

And camera prices are going up. A lot of the 2000 euro camera's are now,
3000 - 4000.
Same goes for the lenses. An EF 24-70 2.8, an equal lens I paid a 1000 euro's.
A high end 24-70 2.8 is very expensive now ...

There are a lot more "organised" sellers, shops, they don't put the prices down.

I whished I had bought a little more R lenses.
Now It's just to late.

But I wonder why people suddenly need all that gear.
And software also ... constantly updating OS-X.
Once I'm settled, all my apps, and stuff I use and do is totally ok.
I need another one, just for a firmware update of some peace of hardware. And those OS'ses never feel ready ...
And always watching out, if you upgrade to a later version, older plugins might not work.
Pushing you also to subsciption models a lot. But I don't wat to pay a 150 subscriptions a month.

Now going to buy the most expensive R lens I can find.
Or just buy the latest SL and the 50mm 1.4 It's autofocus, so It will have problems over 7 years.
And Leica will have the new version. You should buy. It will be 15.000 have a leaf shutter,
and be twice as fat.




 

[a.noctilux]

Another side move,

I needed for my Leica R a wider field than 35mm PC lens,

this was so long ago, Leica R6 equipped with adapted PC Nikkor 28mm

 

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