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"Cheap" Leica R lenses
  • andresandres
    Here is a Leica Lens post, first of all I am no expert here just had to do my research when I joined the Leica rout.
    I'll make this mainly about Leica R lenses that are discontinued because Leica doesn't make Reflex cameras any more. One good thing about this lenses is their focal flange distance of 47 mm, therefore it can be adapted to Nikon, pentax, canon, or any other mount. So if lenses are the real investment because they last longer than cameras then it makes some sense to buy lenses that can fit any camera system. (Maybe Nikon makes a dslr that shoots raw). This is no 30 euro lens thread but if you know what and where to look then you could find a lot of sub 200 euro lenses.
    What I find good about this lenses: excellent color reproduction long focus barrel rotation and they practically don't breath when focusing.

    So lets start with the Leica nomenclature for f stops
    (There are plenty more but this are the most common)
    f/stop Name
    f/0.95, f/1 and f/1.2 NOCTILUX
    f/1.4 SUMMILUX
    f/2 SUMMICRON
    f/2.5 SUMMARIT
    f/2.8 ELMARIT
    f/3.5, f/3.8 and f/4 ELMAR, SUPER-ELMAR

    So when you see a Leica lens you must see the name and the serial number.
    Serial numbers are very important because they tell you the production year and the model of the lens.

    This French site tells you in which year a lens was made
    http://summilux.net/numeros/

    Then here you can see which model the lens is
    http://www.overgaard.dk/leica_lens_compendium.html
    (scroll down to: “R-lenses for R3, R4, R6, R6.2, R7, R8, R9”)

    Here you can see which lenses work with canon 5D without hitting the mirror
    http://www.pebbleplace.com/Personal/Leica_db.html

    This is good to know because then you can see when a lens is over priced or not.
    For example a 3900000 Summicron 90 costs 2900 euros while a 2800000 costs 500 and a 90 Elmarit 2100000 is 250 euros. Of course prices vary depending on the condition of the lens. I bought a 90 Elmarit with dust inside for 170 euros.

    So the idea is to find a good leicas really cheap, there are old leica lenses that don't work on new leica R cameras. Those sometimes are labeled as SL/SL2 or Leicaflex (those are the first slr cameras leica made.) With patience you can find a 1st model Summicron 50 for 125-200 euros; the Elmarit 135 for 170-250 euros.

    Now an intresting story is the leica 24mm. Leica didn't have good wide angle lenses in the 70 and no zooms. They really liked minolta's stuff so the 24mm is actually a minolta lens, the same happens with the 16mm fisheye and the 35-70 f3,5 zoom. 70-210mmf4, 75-200 f4.5 and 80-200 f4.5 all minolta made.
    With the m43 those minolta lenses are a huge deal I think way better than the fd's. The 58mm f1.2 is one of the best f1,2 ever made, and the zooms can be found dirt cheap and has the same optics as the leica.(the good versions)
  • 37 Replies sorted by
  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    Leica 180mm Elmarit

    image

    https://phillipreeve.net/blog/review-leica-apo-elmarit-r-2-8-180/

    sa2374.jpg
    611 x 489 - 75K
  • nomadnomad

    You can find that Rokkor for around 50 U$…

  • maxrmaxr
    why should I run around with such weight? It's so rare you need that length on MFT.

    @nomad yeah it almost seems foolish... truth is, as soon as I wake up I like to exercise trying to handheld focus my neighbours shower soap with heaviest possible 500mm :P
    Now seriously, someone wants to sell a Telyt-R (never heard of it before) for 250€, so I got curious and curiosity it's mostly an irrational thing. Luckily you guys rock!! I'll check that Minolta, big thanks for feedback ,-)

  • nomadnomad

    Never used that one, why should I run around with such weight? It's so rare you need that length on MFT.

    There is an excellent Minolta 200mm 4.0 – much cheaper, lighter and very good. There's a test here, commentary is in German, but you can still see the pics and names: http://artaphot.ch/sony-nex/altglas/328-nex-5n-und-200mm-teleobjektive

    Scroll down a lot, the modern version is the only one you'll want. The last prime before the zooms is the one I recommend.

  • maxrmaxr

    Out of curiosity, I'd like to ask you guys if Leica R Leitz Telyt-R 250mm f4 mounted on µFT, other than very very heavy, is still good by today standards?

    I've read somewhere that was manufactured for the navy use and thus optimised for working at faraway (4,5m min focus distance?)... with almost 1 and 1/2Kg it's a torpedo all right. Also what is difference between the first and second gen, other than the non rotating tripod collar and weight? Any thoughts comrades?

  • nomadnomad

    Yes. Contax C/Y version.

  • gamebgameb

    @nomad are you meaning the 50mm 1.4 and 85mm 1.4 Zeiss Planar?

  • nomadnomad

    What's wrong with those?

    I switched from older Leica (M) lenses to Contax Zeiss and love them, currently I own the 28mm 2.8, the 50mm 1.4 and the 85mm 1.4. Wonderful glass! Still trying to chase down a 35mm 1.4, but they are difficult.

    I got rid of the Leicas because M (rangefinder) lenses are too small for cine accessories and the widest ones have difficulties with electronic sensors (short flange distance). Leica-R is the cure for this, but I could never afford a similar set of Leica-R instead of the Contax glass. Well, maybe prices are different over here, but the same set of Leica-R would have cost me about twice as much, people started to hunt them down when RED One became popular. C/Y Zeiss lenses are still considerably cheaper.

    The Zeiss' offer great micro-contrast (aka 3D pop) and most nevertheless have a pleasing bokeh. Plus, I think they breathe a bit less than their Leica counterparts. Build quality is perfect with both brands, for sure. If there is anything to differentiate them image wise, I'd say Zeiss images are a bit more "into your face" while Leica (and the Minolta counterparts) are a tad creamier. But you'd be hard pressed to see such minor differences in cinematography with 1920 x 1080…

  • sicovdplassicovdplas

    which "set" of leica's do you preffer? i might switch to leica.

    at the moment i own a contax zeiss set 28, 50, 85, 135 all 2.8 except the 50mm

  • nomadnomad

    Well, I have both.

    The 24 is tack sharp, one of the sharpest lenses from the whole Minolta line. It's a design shared with Leica.

    The 28 is a tad softer, but sometimes I need the extra stop.

  • gamebgameb

    @nomad no, sorry, I meant 24/2.8 or 28/2.0, because these two are the good ones, aren't they? I want one of them to be my "Normal F" length...

  • nomadnomad

    Minolta? The 2.0, that's why I sold my 2.8.

  • gamebgameb

    which one do you prefer, 24/2.8 or 28/2.0?

  • nomadnomad

    No, it was not sold in Leica version AFAIK. But it's a great lens. At 2.8 it's better than the 28mm 2.8 wide open.

    When I got a 2.0 for a decent price, I sold my 2.8.

    Another fantastic lens in that class is the Zeiss Contax 28mm 1:2.8, you can still find it for less than 300 €, maybe 250 if you are lucky. The Zeiss 2.0 OTOH is massively overpriced.

  • gamebgameb

    was the Minolta 28mm F2 also cloned by Leica? Anybody has experience with this lens?

  • muddmanrichmuddmanrich

    @andres do you think this is a good buy? The lens has a very small nick in the front element. I have the chance to get it at a lower price than the one listed.

    http://www.ricardo.ch/kaufen/foto-und-optik/foto-zubehoer/objektive-manueller-fokus/leitz/leica-summicron-r-50mm-f2-e55/v/an683672648/

  • nomadnomad

    Yes, the 28mm 1:2.5 is known, but it's an older design with radioactive glass and prone to yellowing. Rather get the newer 28mm 1:2.8, it's better.

  • FaudelFaudel

    this might help

    http://www.rokkorfiles.com/Lens%20Reviews.html

    http://cgi.ebay.fr/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=281004668631

  • gamebgameb

    @nomad you are totally right, sorry, that was a mistake. But the one in the shop was a Minolta 28mm 2.5 and here is the link to a review: http://www.d2gallery.com/cameras/minolta_w-rokkor-si_28f25.html

  • nomadnomad

    It's not by Minolta, it's stated clearly: "Minolta MD Mount 24mm F2.5 Wide Angle Lens by Quantaray".

    Never heard of that brand…

  • gamebgameb

    @nomad sorry, here is the right link to the 2.5 by Minolta, I also had it in my hand at my local dealer, its bigger than the 2.8, don't know if this has anything to do with Leica...: http://www.ebay.de/itm/Minolta-MD-Mount-24mm-F2-5-Wide-Angle-Lens-by-Quantaray-Very-Clean-Condition-/271077928514?pt=Camera_Lenses&hash=item3f1d80ee42#ht_3899wt_1107

  • nomadnomad

    There is one made by Tamron, not by Minolta.

  • gamebgameb

    @nomad thanks, here is a minolta 24mm 2.5: http://www.ebay.de/sch/i.html?_nkw=minolta+24+2.8+md&_sacat=0&_odkw=minolta+24+2.8&_osacat=0&_from=R40

  • nomadnomad

    @gameb That is a 24mm 2.8 and it's good. There never was a 24mm 2.5 to my knowledge.

    Another one is at about 22 € right now, but four days to go…

  • jokieonejokieone

    I have the LEICA ELMAR 50mm f/2.8. Still have not tested it on a digital camera but on 35mm it's an excellent lens. Portability is a plus. I think you can get it quite cheap.

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