Leica M Lenses on Other Cameras-Experiences?

[ktmrider2]

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I own seven Leica M mount lens from 21 to 135 with a couple duplicate focal lengths in 35 and 50.  I am thinking about selling my Fuji X kit and picking up a Nikon Zf and using my Leica M lenses.  I know there are people here who have done this or something similar as I am stunned at the number of adopters at B&H for putting lenses on mirrorless cameras.  Thanks.

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[frame-it]

i use M and R lenses on SL2S, GFX50R, XH1, EOS-RP, A5100

[roelandinho]

I think the performance of M lenses is worse on non-M cameras because of thicker filters over the sensors and lack of microlenses. Especially problematic on full frame cameras as the quality problems are at their worst in the edges and corners. 

[BernardC]

M lenses can be problematic on full-frame sensors, especially film-era wide angles. The corners get extremely soft, and you will see striped colour bands. The issue doesn't appear with longer lenses (50mm and above).

The only way to completely avoid this is by using a Leica full-frame camera, unfortunately. Their sensors are specially designed for M lenses.

In your case, you could look for an SL or SL2-s (or an SL3 if your budget stretches that far).

That's not to say that you can't use a Nikon at all. Anything 50mm and longer should be OK, and sometimes the edge blur with shorter lenses can enhance a composition.

[RexGig0]

The Fred Miranda forum has members who use M lenses on Zf camera. There is at least one active topic, on this subject.

[Warton]

22 minutes ago, RexGig0 said:

The Fred Miranda forum has members who use M lenses on Zf camera. There is at least one active topic, on this subject.

 

 

1 hour ago, BernardC said:

M lenses can be problematic on full-frame sensors, especially film-era wide angles. The corners get extremely soft, and you will see striped colour bands. The issue doesn't appear with longer lenses (50mm and above).

The only way to completely avoid this is by using a Leica full-frame camera, unfortunately. Their sensors are specially designed for M lenses.

In your case, you could look for an SL or SL2-s (or an SL3 if your budget stretches that far).

That's not to say that you can't use a Nikon at all. Anything 50mm and longer should be OK, and sometimes the edge blur with shorter lenses can enhance a composition.

I have been using 28mm summicron on Zf with a dummy adapter. I am completely satisfied.

I have not observed any of these as you said. I see very sharp images from f/2.8 and above corner to corner.

Besides, the manual focus peak with highlighted face/eyes detection works like a breeze. 

 

[pegelli]

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I use my M-lenses on my Sony A7ii and A7Rii.

My Summaron 35/2.8 doesn't have the best corners/edges but at web size it's more than OK. 50 mm and up all give excellent results, no worse than on an M body (50/3.5, 50/2.8, 50/2 (v1), 90/2.8 (ELRIM) and 135/4). I don't have any Leica M-lenses shorter than my Summaron.

[wpo]

I use all my M-lenses on my Z9 with different adaptors and they work well except the 3,4/21mm Super Angulon. This lens is soft in the corners indeed. But on the other hand the Tele Elmar 4/135mm or the Apo Telyt 3,4/135mm work quite wonderful and they both are small and handsome in opposite to the native AF-lenses

Give the Techart MTZ AF adaptor a trial, if possible. It is surprisingly useful to work with AF-M-lenses. 

[Warton]

1 hour ago, wpo said:

I use all my M-lenses on my Z9 with different adaptors and they work well except the 3,4/21mm Super Angulon. This lens is soft in the corners indeed. But on the other hand the Tele Elmar 4/135mm or the Apo Telyt 3,4/135mm work quite wonderful and they both are small and handsome in opposite to the native AF-lenses

Give the Techart MTZ AF adaptor a trial, if possible. It is surprisingly useful to work with AF-M-lenses. 

I tried techart autofocus adapter, and don’t like it. Too noisy makes me feel it will break soon 

[lct]

No problem on Kolari mod Sony A7r2, including with S-A 21/3.4 . The mod works fine with Nikon bodies too i've been told.

[BernardC]

2 hours ago, Warton said:

I have been using 28mm summicron on Zf with a dummy adapter. I am completely satisfied.

I have not observed any of these as you said. I see very sharp images from f/2.8 and above corner to corner.

Besides, the manual focus peak with highlighted face/eyes detection works like a breeze. 

It's hit and miss. The current ASPH Summicron 28 is a retrofocus-type design, so it will be better on digital. Older 28mm M lenses don't fare as well. You need to test/research every M lens in your bag to see if it works with a Z (or Sony, Canon, Panasonic, Sigma, etc.).

My point was that they all work seamlessly with SL-series bodies, except for a few exceptions like Super Angulons. It's a worry-free solution for M shooters. I meant no disrespect to the Zf, Nikon makes fine cameras.

[spydrxx]

I've been using Leica and other mfr's lenses on Sony's A7rii for some time, and on the much older crop/frame Olympus E-Pl2. Few issues, but then I'm not a fastidious pixel peeper and can correct most issues in post processing when where and as they occur.

[Xavier]

4 hours ago, Warton said:

I have been using 28mm summicron on Zf with a dummy adapter. I am completely satisfied.

I have not observed any of these as you said. I see very sharp images from f/2.8 and above corner to corner.

I think that nobody said wider lenses will not work. It is just that long lenses should always work, but not necessarily all wider lenses, combined with any sensor... In fact some wide angle M lenses are even reported to have problems on some M digital cameras. I had a 21 ZM f/2.8 Biogon and the corners definitely turned red / green on my M9. I imagine it could only get worse if I tried it on a camera with a thicker sensor. 

The advice I would give is to search on a per lens basis whether someone has tried it on the camera one intends to get. As mentioned above the FM board is a great source of information.

[Big John]

6 hours ago, BernardC said:

M lenses can be problematic on full-frame sensors, especially film-era wide angles. The corners get extremely soft, and you will see striped colour bands. The issue doesn't appear with longer lenses (50mm and above).

The only way to completely avoid this is by using a Leica full-frame camera, unfortunately. Their sensors are specially designed for M lenses.

In your case, you could look for an SL or SL2-s (or an SL3 if your budget stretches that far).

That's not to say that you can't use a Nikon at all. Anything 50mm and longer should be OK, and sometimes the edge blur with shorter lenses can enhance a composition.

Does that refer to Leica M lenses or all M mount lenses?  Would eg. Zeiss ZM be ok?  And I gather that Voigtlander Z mount lenses go well with the Zf?  The green box on the eye for manual focus is a fantastic feature. 

[lct]

4 hours ago, Big John said:

Does that refer to Leica M lenses or all M mount lenses?

UWA and WA lenses are more critical than others, especially if they are symmetrical. Be they Leica (S-A 21/3.4 eg), VM (21/4 eg) or ZM lenses (21/4.5 eg). It is a matter of lens design and also thickness of sensor stacks. Some sensors are also less prone to smearing/vignetting/color shifts than others, like BSI sensors for instance.

[wpo]

vor 16 Stunden schrieb Warton:

I tried techart autofocus adapter, and don’t like it. Too noisy makes me feel it will break soon 

Did you try the teacart TZM-01 or 02? I got the model TZM-02 and I don't have noticed that it works too noisy. But attention should be payed for the weight of the mounted lens. It must not be heavier than 500gr with the model 02 and not heavier than 350gr with the model 01. But I didn't get the TZM-01 in my hand neither the FOTODIOX Pro Pronto Autofokus Adaptor

[BernardC]

15 hours ago, Big John said:

Does that refer to Leica M lenses or all M mount lenses?  Would eg. Zeiss ZM be ok?  And I gather that Voigtlander Z mount lenses go well with the Zf?

You need to do your research with all M mount lenses, not just Leica. For ZM, the two 50s and the two 85s are OK, everything else can cause issues. For Voigtlander it's easier to tell: any lens that is also available in Sony mount or Z mount should be fine. There's probably a thread about each VM lens in this forum, so you don't need to look far for answers.

[ktmrider2]

To sum up, my M mount lenses above 35mm should be usable on the Nikon Zf.  The 21f2.8 Biogon will need to be checked for color fringing.  Thanks!

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Hallo,

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[Mr.Prime]

And colour fringing is less of an issue in B&W mode too 🙂

[TomSchmitt]

I used Leica and Zeiss ZM glass on a Fuji XT-4 and it was a shitshow. Muddy, smeared corners, particularly with wide angle lenses. Center sharpness was good though.