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M8 lenses


janelle

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If you wished to use SLR lenses, you would need an adapter and would have to estimate the focus, manually.

 

Lenses in an M-mount are available from Leica, Zeiss, and Cosina-Voigtlander (also known to us as CV).

 

Screw-mount lenses, for which you would also need an adapter, are available from a larger number of camera makers. These lenses are older.

 

If you're buying an M8, you're buying it BECAUSE it's a rangefinder camera. Therefore, you can buy less expensive lenses (like the CV) to get in the game. If you are serious about -- Range Finder -- photography, you'll be buying some Leica lenses in the future.

 

The M8 body, somewhat expensive at just under $5k, is a professional body. M-lenses are not only professional in quality, they are superb at capturing images.

 

Once you have this gear, you'll dump your crummy BMW's and Porche's.

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Janelle, there's a yes and no aspect to the question of defeating the purpose in having a Leica. Yes, you lose the wonderful lenses if you go with another brand (but to be fair, the CV lenses and Zeiss lenses are very good), and no, because you still get to practice the art of rangefinder photography, and at a lower entry cost than you would pay if you bought all Leica lenses too. I have a mixture, with the most used lenses (28, 50 and 90) being Leicas, and gaps filled with CV lenses (15 and 35). I am expecting to use my 28 Summicron most of the time on the M8, where it behave much like the 35 does on my M7.

 

Chris

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I've heard of people taking Leica lenses and strapping them onto Canon digital bodies, but it's rare to hear someone speak about putting an SLR lens on a Leica rangefinder.

 

I'm not sure there's any advantage, and there are lots of disadvantages (like loss of AF, AE, framelines in the viewfinder, etc.).

 

With so many Leica lenses out there, going back fifty years now, you'd probably want to pursue those purchases rather than going the SLR route.

 

Just my two cents.

 

BTW, Welcome! to the Forum!

 

Thanks.

 

Allan

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well ok!! I just asked because I thought it defeated the purpose of having a Leica in the first place if you're gonna change the lens brand. No need to get so upset!

 

As I discussed recently in a review, it most certainly does not defeat the purpose of owning an M8 to use that body with very good lenses from other makers. This is a Leica forum so there's naturally some bias towards Leica lenses but the reality is that there are also first-rate M lenses from other companies. I've shown that in several lens reviews.

 

Cheers,

 

Sean

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I've heard of people taking Leica lenses and strapping them onto Canon digital bodies, but it's rare to hear someone speak about putting an SLR lens on a Leica rangefinder.

 

....

 

Allan

 

That does it! I'm gonna attach a 70-200/2.8L to the M8, hook up external power for the IS and to trigger the aperture, and have the funniest looking rig on my block!

 

:D

 

Matt

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... I'm not sure there's any advantage, and there are lots of disadvantages (like loss of AF, AE, framelines in the viewfinder, etc.) ...

 

I have a small entry about this in my M8 FAQ topic:

 

Leica FAQ - Leica M8 Digital

 

Being able to mount any SLR lens onto an M8 is an incredibly useful feature. Also don't forget Leica make SLR lenses, and some of them are pretty good :?)

 

FWIW I've been using a Leica 16mm R fisheye lens with my Ms for years. The 2nd version 19mm Elmarit-R would also work very well, and has built-in filters as an extra benefit.

 

Can't do any of this with Nikon DSLRs, and while you can mount off-brand SLR lenses onto Canon EOS bodies, you can't mount Leica M optics (ahem - and maintain infinity focus).

 

The M8 lets you do all this and use Visoflex if you absolutely need SLR viewing :?)

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Guest guy_mancuso

I plan on doing just this. I have a Olympus 24mm shift lens that has been converted to a Leica R mount, completely redone and on the DMR it really works great and you can bet i will use it on the M also. Folks forget you have a great 2.5 LCD there that can help you frame after a shot and also check focus with the zoom feature which works very well. So you can take a few shots and figure everything out. On a leica 19mm it will be a little wider than the full viewfinder and again you can guess at the focus but also check it with the LCD. So the LCD can be a huge benefit here on taking some of you R lenses for sure and using them on the M . i just bought the Novoflex adapter from R to M and look forward to trying it.

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I plan on doing just this. I have a Olympus 24mm shift lens that has been converted to a Leica R mount, completely redone and on the DMR it really works great and you can bet i will use it on the M also. Folks forget you have a great 2.5 LCD there that can help you frame after a shot and also check focus with the zoom feature which works very well. So you can take a few shots and figure everything out. On a leica 19mm it will be a little wider than the full viewfinder and again you can guess at the focus but also check it with the LCD. So the LCD can be a huge benefit here on taking some of you R lenses for sure and using them on the M . i just bought the Novoflex adapter from R to M and look forward to trying it.

 

Ok, this is just sinking into my sleep deprived brain (I got locked out of my house tonight!!) but... there's an R to M adaptor?!? Hey--I just checked the Novoflex site and they seem to have an OM to M adapter (yesss!!! I can use my Oly 21 f2!!).

 

This rocks. I'm going to see if I can be bumped on the M8 list up here!

 

Guy, please let us know how the Novoflex works for you!

 

Phew. I have nearly a second mortgage in R lenses right now; I'd love to use them, especially some of the longer ones. Will they work too (like the 80 and above up to the 180--ok that's overkill, but it's nice to know)...I can totally see using the 19 as well, which is a great lens and easy to hyperfocal focus, and with the 21 Oly and the new 28, 35 1.4 and 50 1.0--well it's exciting. It also means I don't have to cart around quite so many duplicate lenses. As lovely as the M 90 ASPh is, I love the 80 R Lux for portraits (and with the crop is about 105--a nice portrait length, too).

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Thanks Andrew for pointing me toward your page.

 

I learned something!

 

:)

 

Thanks.

 

Allan

 

 

 

I have a small entry about this in my M8 FAQ topic:

 

Leica FAQ - Leica M8 Digital

 

Being able to mount any SLR lens onto an M8 is an incredibly useful feature. Also don't forget Leica make SLR lenses, and some of them are pretty good :?)

 

FWIW I've been using a Leica 16mm R fisheye lens with my Ms for years. The 2nd version 19mm Elmarit-R would also work very well, and has built-in filters as an extra benefit.

 

Can't do any of this with Nikon DSLRs, and while you can mount off-brand SLR lenses onto Canon EOS bodies, you can't mount Leica M optics (ahem - and maintain infinity focus).

 

The M8 lets you do all this and use Visoflex if you absolutely need SLR viewing :?)

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I noted the listed items, Leica-M, Cosina-Voigtlander, Zeiss-Ikon, Visoflex.

 

Also add Konica Hexar (4 lovely lenses), Rollei RF (3 lenses), and if you get screwmount adapters, contless varieties from Leica, Nikon, Canon, Russia, etc.

 

Oh, and don't forget some of the pinhole converted body caps. Lots of fun!

 

Eric

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I'll answer this in a bit but, for now, what would your guess be? I have many test lenses here at the moment.

 

Hi Sean - My money is on the same CV 35/2.5 you used out at the Pumpkin Festival, but it could have been any of them - Leica, Zeiss, CV, old, current fast, slow. There's a big variety available.

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Hi Sean - My money is on the same CV 35/2.5 you used out at the Pumpkin Festival, but it could have been any of them - Leica, Zeiss, CV, old, current fast, slow. There's a big variety available.

 

Hi Mark,

 

It was the Zeiss 35/2.0. The Leica 35 I needed hadn't arrived yet and that Zeiss certainly did the M8 proud.

 

Cheers,

 

Sean

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