How many Leica R users here?

[thinkvision]

if use zoom, pick up 35-70/3.5 E67, (not E60) and 70-180/2.8 E77

if use prime, pick up 28/2.8, 50/1.4, 80/1.4 and 180/3.4


180/2.8 too heavy

 

[FortyNine]

if use zoom, pick up 35-70/3.5 E67, (not E60) and 70-180/2.8 E77
if use prime, pick up 28/2.8, 50/1.4, 80/1.4 and 180/3.4
180/2.8 too heavy

the 2nd version looks alright to me at 700-800g, similar to my Nikon 180ED and Canon 200L2.8 MK1. But old design.

Just wondering how much of a pickup in performance from non apo to Apo, and the bokeh.

 

[weekh]

if use zoom, pick up 35-70/3.5 E67, (not E60) and 70-180/2.8 E77

The Contax Zeiss 35-70 f3.4 is a better and cheaper lens than the Leica.

 

[fWord]

the 2nd version looks alright to me at 700-800g, similar to my Nikon 180ED and Canon 200L2.8 MK1. But old design.

Just wondering how much of a pickup in performance from non apo to Apo, and the bokeh.

Don't know much about the 180/3.4 but just about every opinion I've read about the lens is a very good one. Apparently the performance is optimized for infinity focusing, so if you are constantly using it to shoot faraway objects then the lens is excellent indeed. Focus closer and the performance drops to the level of the other non-apo lenses like the 180/2.8 and 180/4. I own the latter and it is a very light, portable and easy to handle lens. It also supposedly focuses closer than any of the other 180mm lenses on its own. Like the 180/3.4 the 180/4 seems to do better when you focus on subjects that are further away. I've attempted closeups near the minimum focusing distance and the performance seems to be lower than from 8-10m and up.

 

[fWord]

if use zoom, pick up 35-70/3.5 E67, (not E60) and 70-180/2.8 E77

There's the newer 35-70/4 (E60) as well and I currently have this in my bag. It is an awesome lens that's hard to fault optically. As Weekh mentioned there is the Zeiss 35-70/3.4 too which is very good, although I have never had both lenses and hence cannot comment on which is better.

 

[FortyNine]

Thanks. That crystalises my thoughts on the lenses. I just realise on a G1, 90mm f2 Apo ( be it M-mount or R-mount ) would be 180mm f2 APO. Wow! That would be a tonne of savings off the 180mm f2.8 APO on a DSLR!

 

[lkkang]

hi all,

I just got my Leica 60mm MACRO from the evil bay :devil:

Need some advice from the gurus here... Which R-EOS adapter ( with AF confirmation ) is a good buy ?

I am currently in favor of the one from HaoDa. I have purchased an M42-EOS adapter from them before, and the quality is really good.

many thanks in advance,
Billy.

 

[thinkvision]

The Contax Zeiss 35-70 f3.4 is a better and cheaper lens than the Leica.

zeiss 35-70/3.4 better than leica 35-70/3.5 E60 made by Minolta Japan, but not match with 35-70/3.5 E67 by leica itself in late United Germany. only 35-70/2.8 ROM can beat leica 35-70/3.5 E67...

 

[thinkvision]

Thanks. That crystalises my thoughts on the lenses. I just realise on a G1, 90mm f2 Apo ( be it M-mount or R-mount ) would be 180mm f2 APO. Wow! That would be a tonne of savings off the 180mm f2.8 APO on a DSLR!

90/2 on G1 = 180/4 on FF, not 180/2:bsmilie:

 

[roger8]

zeiss 35-70/3.4 better than leica 35-70/3.5 E60 made by Minolta Japan, but not match with 35-70/3.5 E67 by leica itself in late United Germany. only 35-70/2.8 ROM can beat leica 35-70/3.5 E67...

With respect, I agree that the Leica R 35-70mm f3.5 (Germany) is a far better zoom, very sharp with rich colour and contrast.

The Leica R 180mm f3.4 APO is the civilian version of the Canadian developed and made ELCAN lens developed for naval surveillance. It is very good for outdoor portraiture especially for skin tones, shadow detail and bokeh but you have to watch the dof for the different crop factors of the cameras.

 

[roger8]

hi all,

I just got my Leica 60mm MACRO from the evil bay :devil:

Need some advice from the gurus here... Which R-EOS adapter ( with AF confirmation ) is a good buy ?

I am currently in favor of the one from HaoDa. I have purchased an M42-EOS adapter from them before, and the quality is really good.

many thanks in advance,
Billy.

Try the R-EOS adapter from the local online shop 'Tagotech' which is quite good and excellent value. Mind you, the final focus has to be done by eye for best results even for the focus confirmation chip adapters.

 

[fWord]

zeiss 35-70/3.4 better than leica 35-70/3.5 E60 made by Minolta Japan, but not match with 35-70/3.5 E67 by leica itself in late United Germany. only 35-70/2.8 ROM can beat leica 35-70/3.5 E67...

With respect, I agree that the Leica R 35-70mm f3.5 (Germany) is a far better zoom, very sharp with rich colour and contrast.

The Leica R 180mm f3.4 APO is the civilian version of the Canadian developed and made ELCAN lens developed for naval surveillance. It is very good for outdoor portraiture especially for skin tones, shadow detail and bokeh but you have to watch the dof for the different crop factors of the cameras.

Maybe I'm confused, but I've always been under the assumption that the E60 and E67 versions of the 35-70/3.5 have the same optical cell but the E67 was simply reconstructed to match the specs as demanded by Leica's factory in Solms. Both lenses used the same Minolta-designed optical cell.

However with the arrival of the 35-70/4 in 1997 the optical design changed. The lens was designed by Leica at Solms (ie. a true German design) and produced by Kyocerca in Japan.

Again I haven't tried all varieties of the 35-70mm Vario-Elmar lenses so I can't comment on which is better. Erwin Puts however seems to get plenty excited about the current 35-70/4 and gives it a great review.

 

[lkkang]

Try the R-EOS adapter from the local online shop 'Tagotech' which is quite good and excellent value. Mind you, the final focus has to be done by eye for best results even for the focus confirmation chip adapters.

thanks for the info... but , sometimes, when stop down to F4 or 5.6, difficult to focus..

 

[weekh]

zeiss 35-70/3.4 better than leica 35-70/3.5 E60 made by Minolta Japan, but not match with 35-70/3.5 E67 by leica itself in late United Germany. only 35-70/2.8 ROM can beat leica 35-70/3.5 E67...

Not aware of this 35-70 E67. From the pictures, it does not seem to be able to do macro like the latest Leica f4 lens or the Contaxt zoom....

 

[fWord]

thanks for the info... but , sometimes, when stop down to F4 or 5.6, difficult to focus..

For the most part, I guess people will focus first before stopping down, or otherwise rely on zone focusing. In particular, wide angle lenses can be difficult to focus if the maximum aperture is modest.

 

[weekh]

I'm will never get another adapter with AF chip.
They are not precise. U can't even trust EF lens either.

For precision focusing, use live view!

 

[lkkang]

For the most part, I guess people will focus first before stopping down, or otherwise rely on zone focusing. In particular, wide angle lenses can be difficult to focus if the maximum aperture is modest.

thanks, you are right. I also focus before stop down. for most landscapes ...

The problem is when you are trying to shoot your kids using a Leica manual focus lens. The kids are moving all the time and using a F2.8 , the chance of OOF is very high ( or I my skills are really bad )... :cry:

 

[fWord]

thanks, you are right. I also focus before stop down. for most landscapes ...

The problem is when you are trying to shoot your kids using a Leica manual focus lens. The kids are moving all the time and using a F2.8 , the chance of OOF is very high ( or I my skills are really bad )... :cry:

Well that's fair enough. Most of us have issues with tracking faster subjects with an MF lens. Leica lenses have a lovely image quality but I occasionally have issues focusing as well...moving subjects, backlit subjects or dark subjects pose potential problems. For these I have resolved to using an AF setup and you could probably do the same. Use a good AF lens and or camera as a 'working' setup and the Leica lenses as a more methodical approach.

 

[roger8]

thanks, you are right. I also focus before stop down. for most landscapes ...

The problem is when you are trying to shoot your kids using a Leica manual focus lens. The kids are moving all the time and using a F2.8 , the chance of OOF is very high ( or I my skills are really bad )... :cry:

Leica lenses are at their best wide open, so most of the time I just focus and shoot. However, if you shoot landscape I suppose you just put it to infinity and set the aperture down to say f11 for dof and also to minimise diffraction (maybe a problem at f16).

For 1.3 and 1.6 crop cameras, the aperture can be set to max. f3.5 (fully open for this zoom) and at max 70mm focal length and your shots of people should have sufficient sharpness if you focus on the face.

 

[FortyNine]

i find 2.8 the sweet compromise between DOF and viewfinder brightness. At least the % keeper rate is good. A children photographer gave me this advice. Anticipate, anticipate, anticipate! Focus where u think they will be - not where they are. And fire away! Here's to old style focus tracking and prediction.

And sad to say, this is where I think Leica loses out. Its helicoid is tighter and slower than Nikon F or Canon FD.

But nothing that can't be overcome with our brain's fuzzy logic focus prediction.