Macro adaptor ring for M11

[AndrewPiper]

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Hi guys..

 

Advice here is appreciated.

I have a 50mm Summilux for my M11 and was wanting to try some macro stuff..namely tiny fungus. I had seen a review on the Tube that had a macro adaptor bring used with a 50mm. The results looked good but I have zero experience with this so any and all feedback welcomed.

Thanking you.

Andrew.

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[Carlos cruz]

I’d start with bellows, gives you more flexibility over macro rings

[jaapv]

But take care which bellows. Some older M (V mount) ones can only be removed by dismantling. And use a ring light. 

[LocalHero1953]

Leica's macro ring is the OUFRO. There are cheap equivalents to be found on eBay that aren't as well made - watch out for sharp edges and release buttons that are fragile - but work. You will need liveview on the rear screen or an EVF.

[jakontil]

I srill have the leica macro adapter and the cheap alternatives like pixco, the latter get the job done, but as mentioned, beware of sharp edges on the mount

[LocalHero1953]

Having played with the OUFRO, I found 50mm lenses and shorter to be too short for practicality: the subject had to be very close to the front of the lens. A longer lens - I think a 75mm was OK if I remember right. The OUFRO adds 10mm to the lens-sensor distance, which brings the focal distance proportionally much closer with shorter focal lengths. A few Newtonian calculations (1/u + 1/v = 1/f) demonstrates the effect.

[lct]

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Depends in RF or LV mode. In LV mode, the Leica Macro-Adapter M # 14652 was made for the Macro-Elmar 90/4 but can work with 50mm lenses too. Below on M11, Skopar 50/2.2, f/11 at about 20cm.

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[jaapv]

4 hours ago, LocalHero1953 said:

Having played with the OUFRO, I found 50mm lenses and shorter to be too short for practicality: the subject had to be very close to the front of the lens. A longer lens - I think a 75mm was OK if I remember right. The OUFRO adds 10mm to the lens-sensor distance, which brings the focal distance proportionally much closer with shorter focal lengths. A few Newtonian calculations (1/u + 1/v = 1/f) demonstrates the effect.

That is a general thing. In my experience, a 90 or 135 works best

[lct]

M11, Macro-Adapter 14652, Summilux 50/1.4 asph v1, f/11:

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[pedaes]

The Novoflex set works well.https://novoflex.co.uk/visoflex-ii-iii-leica-m-extension-tube-set-for-m-lens/?searchid=1162&search_query=

Used today with M11 and 50mm Summitar at f2

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Edited May 6 by pedaes

[UliWer]

In the description for the Leica Macro-Adapter 14652 they say:

The lens-to-subject distance decreases with decreasing focal lengths. The use of the adapter with 28, 35 or 50 mm lenses creates fascinating effects. The short distance from the subject creates extremely distorted perspectives and highly selective sharpness. Because, in contrast to a macro lens design, the imaging performance of these lenses is not optimised for such close focusing distances, it is advisable to stop them down by one or two aperture values.

 So if you don't just want to achieve some "fascinating effects" with "extremely distorted perspectives and highly selected sharpness" and limit yourself to a very small distance between the lens and the object you should not look for something with 50mm. It is no incident that most lenses which are designed for Macro (not only from Leica) start at 60mm and have not only an optical design optimized for short distances but also the mechanical capability to use them in the close range.

The 1:2.8/60mm Macro-Elmarit-R - perhaps together with a Macro-Adapter designed for it - will be the much more practical solution. For superb results the Apo-Macro-Elmarit-R 1:2.8/100mm together with the Elpro-1:2-1:1 will be unbeatable. Of course you need the R-to-M-Adapter, though it is not more expensive than the Macro-Adapter-M. The 60mm lens is quite "cheap" on the second hand market, the Apo 100 not more expensive than an old  50mm Summicron-M. 

[lct]

Leica suggested to stop down by one or two stops if i remember well. I don't know if the same remains true with modern 50mm lenses designed to shoot down to 0.5m. I don't use wide apertures for macro shots anyway, due to DoF considerations. YMMV.

[UliWer]

If modern designs allow close focussing they should be optimized for these distances - otherwise the close focussing "capability" would be just cheating.

There is a big difference between lens designs. The simple triplet with four lenses in three groups (Tessar, Elmar) was always very good for close focussing. More complex designs which are better on longer distance may be (much) worse for close focussing: the resolution of an otherwise excellent 90mm Apo-Summicron collapses if you use it for close distances, the simple Macro-Elmar is much better (no incidence that it is the only Leica lens which still uses the triplet design).  

Though of course these difference loose their importance if you stop down the lens - as you probably will do to achieve some DoF. When I compare the 100mm Apo-Macro-Elmarit-R with the lens head of a 60 years old 90mm Elmarit at f/2.8 it will be like night and day, at f/11 there is almost no difference. 

 

[tappan]

ELPRO works great, as well.
Mark

[jaapv]

And of course for any M camera with 50 mm lens and classic 39 filter size there is the Zeiss Ikon Contameter macro set. Three diopters, distance meter and three little ocular diopters. Works perfectly. 
 

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[kiwidad]

On 5/6/2025 at 5:24 AM, AndrewPiper said:

Hi guys..

 

Advice here is appreciated.

I have a 50mm Summilux for my M11 and was wanting to try some macro stuff..namely tiny fungus. I had seen a review on the Tube that had a macro adaptor bring used with a 50mm. The results looked good but I have zero experience with this so any and all feedback welcomed.

Thanking you.

Andrew.

One with a helical work well. The later one made for v2 of the 90 macro works well. O focus slide is super handy if you use a tripod too.

[Sharpdressed]

I can suggest the Olympus MCON-P02.

It’s a 46mm threaded lens that works perfectly with the Summilux 50 asph, the 35mm asph and 90 elmarit.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1026130-REG/olympus_v321200bw000_mcon_p02_macro_converter_black.html

It’s an achromatic double lens design so it’s better than single lens macro filters.

The equivalent from Leica it’s the ELPRO 52 but the Olympus has the advantage of being 46mm (don’t requires step up adapters), less extreme in elargement ratio and lot less money.

Check it out!

[chris7273]

An old micro Nikkor 105mm, an adapter ring from Amazon or aliexpress, and the world is yours. 🙂

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[sandro]

I agree with Uliwer about the Macro-Elmarit-R 2.8/60mm. Two examples wide open, one with and the other without led light.Both at the closest distance without the macro adapter that was made for it. I use a Novoflex LEM/LER adapter to mount the lens on the M11. Focusing on the lcd screen is not ideal for me, I may try the Visoflex 2 sometime.

Lex

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[maikellermann]

M11 with Novoflex-Extension-Set and Voigtländer 2.8/90, f11

 

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