Leica lenses on Nikon

[Chairman Bill]

I've been offered a Leica 35-70 f4 & a Leica 70-210 f4. I know that I can get a bayonet conversion done, but I'm not sure what the usability is like, nor the quality of these lenses against equivalent Nikkors. I'd be using them on a Nikon D700.

Any help/info appreciated.

[nightfire]

I used a 35-70/4 for a short time on a Leica R, and I was not impressed. First, my copy had a hideous "moustache distortion" pattern. Second (and most disturbing for me), the front element with the filter thread recedes inside the outer barrel when zooming, making it a real pain to use with a polarizing filter, and impossible to attach any filter via a step-up ring.

[Chairman Bill]

Thanks for that. Maybe I should pass on the offer in that case.

[Brian Hirschfeld]

Thanks for that. Maybe I should pass on the offer in that case.

I agree, there is large sample variation, especially since they are "older" lenses...so it might be better to pass and get some newer glass. If you had had the lenses forever and knew they were solid, that would be a different story.

[fotometria gr]

I agree, there is large sample variation, especially since they are "older" lenses...so it might be better to pass and get some newer glass. If you had had the lenses forever and knew they were solid, that would be a different story.

I have to disagree with you on this Brian, quality control used to be much better "in the good old days" where the manufacturers (even the Japs) cared to shine among competition and were trying to sell on "real" photographers. I will remind you the reason that Contax stopped production: "Kyocera" demanded from Zeiss to "loosen" quality control on the lenses so that they could be ...profitable. ...They refused! In my view, there are some Leitz lenses (well) worth considering and some that have been lesser designs, all the 80-90mm portraits, the std primes and the 28 f2.8 Elmarit are classics well worth considering. Never heard of quality control issue with any of them and I just sold my R system. Regards, Theodoros. www.fotometria.gr
 P.S. In fact I think that the well known phrase "they don't make them like that anymore" is now more applicable than ever.