Finally, got hold of a Tri-Elmar MATE....

[DadDadDaddyo]

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I've been curious for years, and scouting for one for months. 

The one that finally crossed my threshold is an E55 in gorgeous shape, and 6 bit converted, to boot.

The devilish machinery all works smoothly, the frame lines on my M11 and M11M, etc...

And shooting with it for several days now, I'm pleased with the images, and confident it'll work out well for specific use cases, as hoped. 

Those include a certain kind of medium range Street, where I've often found myself shooting with either a 35 or a 50, and also often found myself wishing I had the other one on the camera at the moment. Yeah, yeah, I know I can just use the 35 and crop, but hey, those megapixels were hard-won, y'know?

But there's another thing I'm noticing.

When I treat a variable focal length lens not so much as a zoom but rather as a convenient set of primes, it feels different. Might even be changing the way I shoot. And it's way faster. 

When I'm using a zoom, my inclination seems to be to frame the shot *with the zoom*, going back and forth and back and forth to fine-tune the focal length. It's as if I'm using the zoom to try and achieve the final crop. 

Upon reflection, this seems silly. 

With the Tri-Elmar, I've found myself picking the focal length that's closest to what I think will be right for the shot I want, and that's it. Shoot. It's fast!

So now this has me thinking about trying to re-work the way I use zooms on my other cameras, for example, my GFX system. They've thoughtfully put focal length makings on the barrel.

I'm going to try to break myself of the pattern of spending time trying to achieve the final crop in the camera. Instead, I'll try picking the focal length that feels close, just as if using primes (except it's far faster to change to that focal length), and then get the shot. 

It might sound simply like a mental game, except that shooting with the Tri-Elmar has felt noticeably different from using a zoom. It has felt much more like shooting with a prime, just without the lens swap.

It's a frame of mind I haven't noticed while using a zoom the way I normally do, and a difference I think I like. 

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[Sandokan]

I have just spent a week shooting M11 with 35mm lens. It was liberating but after a week, I have started to learn where I have to be for the framing I want. 

At the start of the week, I was always 2 steps too far away. With the Tri Elmar, I would have just switched to the 50mm and lost the closeness.

[wda]

A zoom lens can encourage lazy framing. Whereas the MATE encourages you to rethink your viewpoint and relative perspectives. 

I bought my MATE in pre-digital days and was thrilled to find it worked so well on my M8. Now, it performs even better on higher resolution full-frame  sensors.  It does encourage more considered photography. 

Edited June 2, 2024 by wda

[DadDadDaddyo]

Yes - I think this is it.

With a zoom I've probably got a tendency to see a shot, stop, and fiddle with the zoom to frame it.

With primes I'm more likely to move around and find the framing, and then only if the selected prime won't let me get the shot I'm wanting, switch to a lens that will. 

It's a tendency not of the lenses, zoom or prime, but of the use pattern I fell into. 

This is a good catch, worth noticing for me, and useful to consider...

[lct]

On mirrorless and Visoflex 2, i use my MATE v1 like a zoom focusing at 28, 35, 50 & about 40mm for close-ups. Here on Sigma FPL at 28mm and about 40mm.

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[Jeff S]

17 hours ago, DadDadDaddyo said:

It's a frame of mind…

So to speak…

Jeff

[Jeff S]

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Note that the WATE (16-18-21), which has a different design, can be used at any intermediate focal length, more like a zoom.

Jeff

[Jeff S]

I’ve owned a MATE twice over the years, selling both times.  It requires attention due to its mechanical complexity and, in my experience, to avoid flaring at 50mm with some samples. 
 

I don’t generally wish for new lenses - my modest set of primes suffice - but I could be interested if Leica were to produce a simpler MATE, or even a Bi-Elmar design, say 35-50, which are my most used FLs.

Jeff

[DadDadDaddyo]

For sure. Me, I'd leap at a dual-focal-length 35mm and 70mm, or 50mm and 90mm.....

[farnz]

5 hours ago, DadDadDaddyo said:

For sure. Me, I'd leap at a dual-focal-length 35mm and 70mm, or 50mm and 90mm.....

Not exactly what you're looking for perhaps but a Konica Dual-Hexanon-M 21 to 35 mm on a (APS-C) CL produces a 32 to 53 mm dual focal length lens in case that's of interest.  And since you're using a M11 that might offer other (longer) alternatives.

Pete.

[Almizilero]

It's a brilliant lens, aint it? I got the newer iteration (E49) and it is my constant companion for travel with other people where I don't have the luxury or time to switch lenses. It also was very interesting to look at the results of two such trips. While I was pretty happy with a 28/50 combo, the MATE showed me that given the choice, I shot 35 most of the time.

[TomSchmitt]

I agree with the focal length pre-selection and then kinda use it like a prime. That's how I do it, too. I have both the V1 (55mm) and V2 (49mm) filter thread and though alledgedly optically the same my newer V2 seems sharper. Also the re-worked mechanics seem to be more fluid and smooth than the older (and CLA'd) 55mm. I mostly shoot at 28 or 50, and yes, I use the 'secret' close focus setting quite a bit. Love that lens. 

[a.noctilux]

I would like to pay homage to this lens on film

and to the anonymous builders of this track crossing lava field

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MP, MATE, Plus X

[RMF]

On 6/7/2024 at 1:00 PM, TomSchmitt said:

I agree with the focal length pre-selection and then kinda use it like a prime. That's how I do it, too. I have both the V1 (55mm) and V2 (49mm) filter thread and though alledgedly optically the same my newer V2 seems sharper. Also the re-worked mechanics seem to be more fluid and smooth than the older (and CLA'd) 55mm. I mostly shoot at 28 or 50, and yes, I use the 'secret' close focus setting quite a bit. Love that lens. 

Yup, I use it just like a prime as well. It’s such a wonderful lens that allows you really pre-visualize on the go with three focal ready at pretty much all times. 

[jdlaing]

2 hours ago, RMF said:

Yup, I use it just like a prime as well. It’s such a wonderful lens that allows you really pre-visualize on the go with three focal ready at pretty much all times. 

Good. That’s the way it was designed. It was never a zoom lens.

[Rick in CO]

I like mine, V2, 2nd iteration?

Here's at 50mm, f11, 1/12 sec holding my breath: 

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[BrettWayne]

On 6/2/2024 at 6:28 AM, DadDadDaddyo said:

So now this has me thinking about trying to re-work the way I use zooms on my other cameras, for example, my GFX system. They've thoughtfully put focal length makings on the barrel.

After I spent  last week shooting the GFX/45-100 I’d developed the habit of simply rolling the camera stand around to get the framing I desired. Now I’m selling that gargantuan lens, will opt for rentals the next time. 🤣.