Guest PhotoWebb.co.uk Posted April 18, 2009 Share #1 Posted April 18, 2009 Advertisement (gone after registration) I currently shoot with an M8 and R5 but am considering purchasing a Canon EOS 5D body to shoot digital with my 90 and 50 Summicron-Rs. I have been looking at the Novoflex adapter and a Brightscreen focussing screen as my solution. Is there anyone else out there who is shooting with this combo and would recommend it? I love shooting film but sometimes would enjoy the flexibility of shooting digital with my R lenses. I am keen to hear the pros and cons of this type of setup from people who actually use it- Also very keen to see some sample images. Thank you in advance for your help Daniel Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted April 18, 2009 Posted April 18, 2009 Hi Guest PhotoWebb.co.uk, Take a look here R lenses and Canon EOS 5D. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
farnz Posted April 18, 2009 Share #2 Posted April 18, 2009 Daniel, I don't use this set up (although I considered is at one stage) but I assume you're aware that there are some R lenses that foul the mirror path in the 5D? Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
carstenw Posted April 18, 2009 Share #3 Posted April 18, 2009 The 50 and 90 are fine. I used to have a 5D with some Leica lenses, including the latest 50 and 90 Crons (not the Apo), and they worked quite well. The 5D is a bear to focus though. I tried the Brightscreen, which was very pricy, but in the end I had the best results with the Ee-S. I sold the camera but I think the screen might still be lying around somewhere. Anyway, the very best screens are meant to be the Maxwell screens, but I haven't tried them yet. I will get one for my Contax 645 at some point. There are many many people doing this sort of thing on the fredmiranda.com Alternative forum (it appears to be down at this moment, but is normally there). I would recommend getting a focus confirmation adapter. You might also need to shim the focusing screen to get the best results. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pgk Posted April 18, 2009 Share #4 Posted April 18, 2009 I use a 5D with an 80/1.4 - I have no problem with the standard screen and focus. I've tried other lenses but not the 50 Summicron nor 90. I also use the expensive but well made Novoflex adapter which is great, but you really need one per lens as it is awkward to remove - I have to use a small screwdriver to depress the locator lug to remove it from the lens. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lct Posted April 18, 2009 Share #5 Posted April 18, 2009 ...am considering purchasing a Canon EOS 5D body to shoot digital with my 90 and 50 Summicron-Rs. I have been looking at the Novoflex adapter and a Brightscreen focussing screen as my solution. Is there anyone else out there who is shooting with this combo and would recommend it?... Viewing and metering are a problem with the 5D is you like shooting at slower apertures than f/4 - f/5.6 as metering is not accurate then and there is no full aperture metering of course. Also the microprisms of your Brightscreen screen will darken at those apertures not surprisingly. But if you like shooting at faster apertures, the 5D is a fine camera indeed thanks to its image quality, 100 iso setting and 1/8000s shutter. Also 400 iso stays fairly clean and 800 iso is still usable with little to no noise reduction IMHO. No problem for MF with Brightscreen screens at f/4 and faster apertures but AF assistance may be usefull really so i would recommend an AF assist adapter ring to replace or complement the Novoflex you refer to. Couple of pics with Summicron 50 and pre-apo 90 here: 50/2, f/2.8, 200 iso: http://tinyurl.com/c6ygqg 50/2, f/2.8, 100 iso: http://tinyurl.com/cfl6jc 90/2, f/4.0, 400 iso: http://tinyurl.com/d77e4x 90/2, f/4.0, 100 iso: http://tinyurl.com/cf55w8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stunsworth Posted April 18, 2009 Share #6 Posted April 18, 2009 The camera works ok with Leica lenses, though you'll probably find yourself focusing wide open and stopping down. I uses a 5D with a Brightscreen and Leica lenses as my main system until I bought an M8. One thing to bear in mind is that as you stop down the 5D tends to overexpose - this is caused by the lens not being electronically linked to the camera. I don't think you'll have any problems with either of the lenses you mention. I used 28, 35, 50, 180 and 250mm lenses. The wides and some of the zooms cause a problem. I used an adaptor from Cameraquest. Removing a lens from the adaptor was simple, so I used a single adaptor and left that permanently attached to the camera. You asked for a sample shot, so here's one from 2006. No sharpening involved. Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/82566-r-lenses-and-canon-eos-5d/?do=findComment&comment=875452'>More sharing options...
Guest PhotoWebb.co.uk Posted April 19, 2009 Share #7 Posted April 19, 2009 Advertisement (gone after registration) Thanks everyone for your help so far. lct recommeded an AF Assist adapter instead of the Novoflex - could someone point me in the direction of a good quality one? The brightscreen focussing screen I was considering was the one with the split image with microprism collar. I shoot mainly portrait shots these days and rarely stop down beyond f/4 and shoot wide open probably 80% of the time so issues with dark viewfinder or metering perhaps will not badly affect me. I will however plan to get a wide angle lens for shooting landscape shots when the notion takes me. Thanks for help so far Daniel Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stunsworth Posted April 19, 2009 Share #8 Posted April 19, 2009 Daniel, that's the screen I used. The microprisms in particular are a great help - though you have to focus wide open for them to work. Don't know about AF adaptors, I think they've improved these days. The one I had was a cheap Chinese one that fell apart. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ihw Posted April 19, 2009 Share #9 Posted April 19, 2009 I have a 5D with a cheap (£15) Chinese adapter with focus confirmation. I have used 35mm, 50mm, 90mm Sumicrons and the 35-70 f4 and 70-200 zooms with no problems. Images are very good but not up to DMR standards. Sadly the 21-35 zoom fouls the mirror path and cannot be used. I have heard of people removing the rear element cowl of this lens but understand that at it widest setting it can still foul the mirror. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lct Posted April 19, 2009 Share #10 Posted April 19, 2009 ...lct recommeded an AF Assist adapter instead of the Novoflex - could someone point me in the direction of a good quality one? The brightscreen focussing screen I was considering was the one with the split image with microprism collar... I will however plan to get a wide angle lens for shooting landscape shots when the notion takes me... Some AF confirm chips may be glued on simple adapters like the Novoflex but i have never tried one so far. See this one for instance. I'm using the AF confirm adapter from Enjoyyourcamera.com because it is tested before sale. I've bought 3 copies of it for my main lenses but i could live well with one copy only as it is not difficult to bolt and remove lenses onto it. Would wear faster this way though i guess. The Brightscreen focus screen i use is the 'p232' with 13 mm microprism spot center. I chose it because i don't like having a big black dot or half dot in the center of my VF when the split image is darkening. Matter of tastes though. About WAs i have a Summicron 35 that i don't use much and two Elmarits 28/2.8, an early one code # 11204 and a later # 11259. The 11204 is cheap, small and sharp in the center but it vignettes a bit on the Canon. Gives interesting results though (pic below). The 11259 is sharp as well and not much larger than the 11204 but it vignettes less and it is dearer than the latter by a significant margin. It is very close to the latest # 11333 version but it does not hit the mirror of my (late) 5D contrary to the latter. Not all 5Ds are exactly the same though so better have a try before buying if you can. Happy Leicanon snaps! 28/2.8 # 11204, f/2.8, 100 iso: http://tinyurl.com/cmmjke Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ldm92 Posted April 21, 2009 Share #11 Posted April 21, 2009 I used to use a summicron 50/2 and an elmarit apo 100/2.8 with focus-confirm adapters on a 5D. Finding good adapters is the key to achieving good focus. I found good adapters from an ebay seller called happypagehk. The elmarit was superb, the summicron (a late version) was good but wasn't as outstanding as I was hoping for (I had too many good 50s). I tried a brightscreen a few years ago but it wasn't centered properly (badly engineered) so i settled for an ees screen. In bright light it is possible to focus stopped-down to f/5.6 +- for near objects. Now, I have converted the same lenses to Nikon-mount (mounts from leitax) and use them on a Nikon D700. The conversion is reversible and takes all of 5 minutes. No more messing with adapters and focus-confirm chips as Nikons (at least high-end ones to my knowledge) have full-time focus confirm. Of course with mount-conversion, moving lenses back-and-forth between Nikon and Leica is not so easy. Manual focusing on a D700 is way easier than on a 5D. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lct Posted April 21, 2009 Share #12 Posted April 21, 2009 ....Manual focusing on a D700 is way easier than on a 5D. With which focus screen? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ldm92 Posted April 21, 2009 Share #13 Posted April 21, 2009 With which focus screen? Standard D700 screen, ees for 5D. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lct Posted April 21, 2009 Share #14 Posted April 21, 2009 Standard D700 screen, ees for 5D. Thank you Idm92. The EeS focus screen, that i own as well, is quite good for the price but it cannot compete with the Brightscreen at f/4.5 and faster apertures in any way. FWIW. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnwolf Posted April 21, 2009 Share #15 Posted April 21, 2009 Daniel, I tried a 50 Summicron on my 5D. I used a Haoda focus confirmation adapter. which confirmed focus well enough. Unfortunately what it confirmed was not at all accurate. I never could figure out why. Between that issue and stop-down metering, it didn't seem worth it to me. But I know others love the combination and don't have problems. I also used Canon's Ee-S focusing screen, which is for manual focusing with fast lenses. I'm sure it's not as good as a Brightscreen or treated screens, but it was adequate and inexpensive. I still use it with my Canon lenses. You might try it before spending more. It might be worth renting a 5D to see how you like it. But I guess there's such a strong used market for the body that it isn't much of a risk. John Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
adan Posted April 21, 2009 Share #16 Posted April 21, 2009 Daniel, just a couple of notes. I haven't actually pursued a 5D/Leica lens combo yet, but it has always been in the back of my mind, so I've researched it. 1. If you like the split/microprism screen, you should look at the Haoda screen, as well as the BrightScreen. IMHO the Brightscreen focus aids are larger and more distracting, whereas the Haoda 5D screens are actual Canon 1Ds screens machined to fit the 5D tray, and thus the gizmos are more to scale in a "35mm" viewfinder. 2. The general rule of thumb seems to be that lenses that will work on the original Leicaflex SL will clear the 5D mirror - and that lenses incompatible with the SL due to the rear clearance also have 5D problems. For example the original huge 19mm f/2.8 of the 70's and the 21 f/4 retrofocus SL lens seem to work fine, but not the more modern 15, 16, 19, 24, or 35 f/1.4 lenses designed for the SL2 or R(x) cameras. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ldm92 Posted April 21, 2009 Share #17 Posted April 21, 2009 The EeS focus screen, that i own as well, is quite good for the price but it cannot compete with the Brightscreen at f/4.5 and faster apertures in any way. FWIW. I can well believe that. It was my first choice at the time (several years ago), but at that time production had some quality issues plus it affected metering more than the ees screen, so decided to go with the ees. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
carstenw Posted April 21, 2009 Share #18 Posted April 21, 2009 Thank you Idm92. The EeS focus screen, that i own as well, is quite good for the price but it cannot compete with the Brightscreen at f/4.5 and faster apertures in any way. FWIW. I have the opposite experience. I paid €45 for the Ee-S and almost $200 (IIRC) for the Brightscreen, but in the end I was much more accurate with the admittedly darker Ee-S. If I were in the market for such a screen today, I would buy the Maxwell. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lct Posted April 21, 2009 Share #19 Posted April 21, 2009 Curious indeed. In fact the 5D + Brightscreen combo gives me the same feeling of accuracy as my R4s with microprism focus screen despite the higher magnification of the latter. Now i don't use faster lenses than f/2 so perhaps i would not feel so confident with a 80/1.4 for instance i don't know. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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