Leica R lenses on 5d mk2. Possible? Good?

[ChrisJR]

I mentioned in another thread recently that I'm looking at replacing my 1d mk3 for something with higher resolution and also with better high ISO. Originally I was thinking about getting a D700 and replacing all my lenses but the 5d mk2 looks really impressive at the higher ISOs (better / as good as D700?) but I don't want to stick with the shorter focal length Canon lenses.

Specifically, I'm looking at maybe getting an adapter to use Leica R lenses on the 5d mk2. Is there an adapter available yet? Which one should I go for?

Also, about the lenses. The 35-70 f4 has some really good write ups, would you recommend it? What should I look for around 21/24mm as well?

Any advice will be appreciated.

Thanks
Chris

[DesW]

I mentioned in another thread recently that I'm looking at replacing my 1d mk3 for something with higher resolution and also with better high ISO. Originally I was thinking about getting a D700 and replacing all my lenses but the 5d mk2 looks really impressive at the higher ISOs (better / as good as D700?) but I don't want to stick with the shorter focal length Canon lenses.

Specifically, I'm looking at maybe getting an adapter to use Leica R lenses on the 5d mk2. Is there an adapter available yet? Which one should I go for?

Also, about the lenses. The 35-70 f4 has some really good write ups, would you recommend it? What should I look for around 21/24mm as well?

Any advice will be appreciated.

Thanks
Chris

Hi There,

First the bad news--NO the  Leica R series lenses will  NOT work on the 5DmkII with any current adaptors  the Mirror swipes the rear elements -particuarly the WA's

The WAs will work with the 1DS III without mirror shaving  BUT NOT on the orig' 5D--with this you must shave the mirror.

To use the R  Leicas-- especially the wonderful 19mm F2.8 you must get the mirror done--there are many whom partake of this -- I would recommend

 Pham Minh Son at  [email protected]  he is the best at this  procedure.

then choose your adaptor -- I use the Haoda focus recognition version

Believe me the Leicas on the Canons are a revelation especially the extreme WA's

Good Shooting ,

Des

[ChrisJR]

Hi There,

First the bad news--NO the  Leica R series lenses will  NOT work on the 5DmkII with any current adaptors  the Mirror swipes the rear elements -particuarly the WA's

The WAs will work with the 1DS III without mirror shaving  BUT NOT on the orig' 5D--with this you must shave the mirror.

To use the R  Leicas-- especially the wonderful 19mm F2.8 you must get the mirror done--there are many whom partake of this -- I would recommend

 Pham Minh Son at  [email protected]  he is the best at this  procedure.

then choose your adaptor -- I use the Haoda focus recognition version

Believe me the Leicas on the Canons are a revelation especially the extreme WA's

Good Shooting ,

Des

Thanks for the reply Des.

Where is Pham Minh Son located and where can I get the adaptor you mentioned from?

Thanks
Chris.

[DesW]

Thanks for the reply Des.

Where is Pham Minh Son located and where can I get the adaptor you mentioned from?

Thanks
Chris.

Hi-- Ok there are others--but I have had top service from these guys

Alt' plates from Zoerk and Novoflex are also very good

Des

Son M. Pham
20 Lincoln Lane
Broomall, PA 19008
1.818.274.6359

[email protected]


Haoda Fu
2140 Mustang Chase Drive
Westfield, IN 46074
USA

[email protected]

[mcbroomf]

Chris,

I would recommend looking at other ALT lenses than Leica, unless you already own the Leica glass.  I use a mix of Leica, Contax, Olympus and Voigtlander (as well as a couple of actual Canon  ) on my Canon bodies.

I'd suggest checking out the ALT lens forum on www.fredmiranda.com a real wealth of info there.

Regards,

[ChrisJR]

Hi-- Ok there are others--but I have had top service from these guys

Alt' plates from Zoerk and Novoflex are also very good

Des

Son M. Pham
20 Lincoln Lane
Broomall, PA 19008
1.818.274.6359

[email protected]


Haoda Fu
2140 Mustang Chase Drive
Westfield, IN 46074
USA

[email protected]

Chris,

I would recommend looking at other ALT lenses than Leica, unless you already own the Leica glass.  I use a mix of Leica, Contax, Olympus and Voigtlander (as well as a couple of actual Canon  ) on my Canon bodies.

I'd suggest checking out the ALT lens forum on www.fredmiranda.com a real wealth of info there.

Regards,

Thanks for the feedback Des and Mike.

Mike, which lenses would you suggest? I'll have a look at the forum on fredmiranda this evening. I'm ideally looking for something around 14-24 f4 (if that's possible) and 24-70 / 35-70 f4.

Regards
Chris

[mcbroomf]

Hi Chris,

These are the lenses I use all the time (ie out of of all the others in my cupboard) for large landscape prints;

21mm Contax Distagon
28mm Elmarit (latest version with built in hood)
35-70 Contax Vario Sonnar
35mm Tilt/shift FD Canon, converted (permanently) to EF
90mm F2 Olympus Macro
58mm/1.4 SLII Voigtlander

The Canon lenses I use are the 135L with 1.4xII and the 90mm TS

I also carry around an 18mm Olympus which is very good, but not as good as the 21mm Distagon.  I don't tend to shoot super wide so it doesn't see much action.  Nice to have though and it's very small.  

Lastly I use a 16mm Distagon fisheye (Rollei not Contax) for spherical panoramas.

The 35-70 Leica has mixed reviews, I know some think it's stellar and others average.  I don't know if that's due to different version.  The Contax by comparison is universally acclaimed and very well priced.  I dropped one on the concrete outside Hampton Ct several years ago, and even though the filter ring was crushed, optically it's as good as it ever was (although it's now been relegated to an emergency backup).

A lot of people like the Canon 14mm II, and others the 14-24 Nikon, but the Nikon needs an adapter that is only available from Mark Welsh (www.16-9.net) and they are in short supply.  You can see many strings discussing it's performance on these fora and the Alt forum on FM.

Regards

[Conner999]

MOST Leica R lenses work just fine on the 5D, 1 series, etc with an adapter form any number of sources Since the 5DII uses the same mirror, etc as on the 5D, the 5DII should behave no differently. I've used most R, CZ as well as Nikon, Hassy, Mamiya and CV lenses on my 5D, 1Ds and now 1Ds2.

The exceptions are wide angle lenses  where the rear element extends to far into the mirror box when focused at or close to infinity. In such cases the mirror will hang. Some WAs require modification. The 5D is infamous for having WIDE tolerances in mirror size/placement. What happens is that a lens that works fine on your 5D, say the exceptional 28mm/2.8 Ver 2 will hang the mirror on your buddy's 5D.

What most folks do, since DSLRs depreciate faster than a rock tossed over a cliff, is shave the mirror on the camera (new mirror is $300) or have it done by Pham Min Son. Once done, ANY R lens (and others) slap right on with the right adapter. 1 series bodies have much fewer mirror clearance issue.

Check out the Alternate forum on Fred Miranda. The 35-70/4 Leica is an excellent lens - but the front element was rotate making using a polarizer an issue.

[ChrisJR]

Hi Chris,

These are the lenses I use all the time (ie out of of all the others in my cupboard) for large landscape prints;

21mm Contax Distagon
28mm Elmarit (latest version with built in hood)
35-70 Contax Vario Sonnar
35mm Tilt/shift FD Canon, converted (permanently) to EF
90mm F2 Olympus Macro
58mm/1.4 SLII Voigtlander

The Canon lenses I use are the 135L with 1.4xII and the 90mm TS

I also carry around an 18mm Olympus which is very good, but not as good as the 21mm Distagon.  I don't tend to shoot super wide so it doesn't see much action.  Nice to have though and it's very small.  

Lastly I use a 16mm Distagon fisheye (Rollei not Contax) for spherical panoramas.

The 35-70 Leica has mixed reviews, I know some think it's stellar and others average.  I don't know if that's due to different version.  The Contax by comparison is universally acclaimed and very well priced.  I dropped one on the concrete outside Hampton Ct several years ago, and even though the filter ring was crushed, optically it's as good as it ever was (although it's now been relegated to an emergency backup).

A lot of people like the Canon 14mm II, and others the 14-24 Nikon, but the Nikon needs an adapter that is only available from Mark Welsh (www.16-9.net) and they are in short supply.  You can see many strings discussing it's performance on these fora and the Alt forum on FM.

Regards

The Canon 14mm II is far too expensive as I need multiple focal lengths. The Nikon 14-24 is really nice but I'm not willing to wait 6 months or more as others have.

You were kind enough to reply to my threads over at fredmiranda just now and I have to say the Contax and Olympus lenses (looking at the examples in Alternative Thread 3) are looking very nice. Much nicer in fact than what I'm getting from  my current WA and standard zoom Canon lenses.

The price of the lenses is also really shocking. The Olympus lenses are insanely cheap 2nd hand here in the UK. Then the Contax 35-70 is half the price of a 2nd hand 24-105 but much higher quality (to my eyes anyway).

Thanks for all of the suggestions provided here. As mentioned in fredmiranda my Canon WA lenses will be going up for sale on ebay very soon.

[Yoram from Berlin]

Here's a link to a comprehensive R-Lens on EOS-Body database.

I use the 80mm Sumilux on a 5D.

I have to assume the 5D Mk II is not that different from the other EOS EF cameras.

I have a Novoflex adapter which several sources describe as the best, but I prefer the focus-confiming adapter from Enjoy Your Camera. It's easier to get off the camera body.

[ChrisJR]

Here's a link to a comprehensive R-Lens on EOS-Body database.

I use the 80mm Sumilux on a 5D.

I have to assume the 5D Mk II is not that different from the other EOS EF cameras.

I have a Novoflex adapter which several sources describe as the best, but I prefer the focus-confiming adapter from Enjoy Your Camera. It's easier to get off the camera body.

Thanks for the link. Someone gave me that link yesterday and it definitely has a lot of useful information. How do the adapters confirm focus? Is it possible to get EXIF data from the adapters?

[Yoram from Berlin]

No EXIF, and I don't know how it confirms focus... but it does. As you pull focus on the lens ring, the little red square in the middle (and that little digital blip sound) get triggered when it's focused.

[EricWHiss]

I've shaved the mirror on my 5D myself and its not that difficult - if you do a search you can find all kinds of people posting about how they did it, probably including mine.  The thing about the original 5D is that the mirror clearance seemed to vary from sample to sample and I suspect this is because the focus calibration required movement of the whole mirror box.  But even without cutting the mirror plenty of glass did work find such as many of the very fine old Olympus OM zuiko lenses, Contax and Leica as has been reported.   I see no reason to think the 5D mk2 will be different - some will probably work fine without mods.