Digital camera body for Leica M lenses

<p>I'm a traditionalist who has been shooting with a Leica M6 for many years. I have four Leica M lenses that are still in excellent condition. I'm finally ready to make the transition to digital (don't laugh), and I would like to continue making use of my excellent Leica lenses. My question is ... Are there any digital camera bodies other than the Leica M8 or M9 which would accept my Leica M lenses? Something a bit more affordable that still produces high quality images? </p>

<p>Any bodies in the following camera lines: Fuji X-Pro, Sony NEX, Olympus or Panasonic Micro 4/3, Ricoh GXR M module, even Nikon 1.</p>

<p>There is also the Epson RD-1x but avoid it as repairs are hard to get. The above will work with Leica M lenses and take good pictures. None of the above are full frame. This is going to frustrate you in the end if "going digital" means selling off your M film bodies.</p>

<p>You'll save money in the long run by getting an M9. it is full frame and it is a very good camera. It costs a bundle. But you'll spend a bundle jumping from one digital camera to another to get the most Leica out of your Leica lenses.</p>

<p>I strongly suggest keeping your film bodies and investing in a dedicated film scanner, unless you are happy doing darkroom and don't want the added expense.</p>

<p>The various micro camera are fun. I am having a blast with my m 4/3, but it is no substitute for my M8 and M9. </p>

<p>The M8 has its foibles. The M9 is simply put a brilliant camera. </p>

<p>Take a look at the NEX-5N with the optional VF or the NEX-7. Both are excellent cameras and very versatile (and they won't cost you an arm and a leg)</p>

<p>As Walt, Alex and Juergen say, there are alternatives to the M8 and M9. They won't give you the same shooting experience, but some may, albeit with 1.5X crop factors, give you what you are looking for. The NEX-7 has apparently a RAW image quality that rivals that of the M9 and can be used with Leica lenses and an adapter. At about half the price of a used yet mint Leica M8, it or one of the others may be a good way to use your Leica lenses on a digital body. If some of your Leica lenses are wide angle (e.g., 21, 28, 35mm), you may not be happy seeing them transformed to effectively longer focal length and thereby lose their wide angle of view. It depends upon what trade-offs you are willing to make. Personally, although I don't have one, the NEX-7 and its alterable angle of view LCD monitor, might make that an important argument. It will be interesting to see how Leica eventually responds to the mirrorless system camera competition.</p>

<p>Unless I am mistaken, all the alternatives named other than the Ricoh can accept zoom lenses. Lenses of variable focal lengths are now quite good, and they give much flexibility. I decided against getting a 50/1.4 manual focus lens (whose angle of view would become that of a 100mm) for my Olympus digital SLRs because, for those times when I want little depth of field, I have two film Leicas. An argument against lens changes on digital cameras is the possible ingress of dust.</p>

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<p>Unless I am mistaken, all the alternatives named other than the Ricoh can accept zoom lenses.</p>

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<p>I'm confused as to what you mean here. There are no Leica M zoom lenses, so you couldn't have been referring to that. And there are three zoom lens modules for the GXR, including a APS-C sized sensor zoom that was just announced earlier this month.</p>

<p>Now, if you mean that the other cameras have adapters that would allow you to use non-Leica zooms on the cameras, then yes. The GXR only has the Leica M adapter and there are multiple adapters out there for other lenses to go on m4/3 etc.</p>

<p>The GXR <em>with the M module</em> cannot take zoom lenses. Zoom lenses are made for all the others by their manufacturers.</p>

<p>The Fuji X-Pro looks like it just came on the market. Would it require a lens adapter for Leica M lenses? Would this result in the inevitable "cropping" of the image?</p>

<p>I assume that an adapter will be needed. As its sensor is APS-C, its "crop factor" will be 1.5.</p>

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<p>The GXR <em>with the M module</em> cannot take zoom lenses. Zoom lenses are made for all the others by their manufacturers.</p>

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<p>Right, but the original question had nothing to do with zoom lenses and everything to do with the 4 M-mount lenses that the OP already owns. Also, no camera with an M-mount can take any zoom lenses ever as there are no m-mount zoom lenses.</p>

<p>In addition, as I pointed out, zoom lenses are made by Ricoh for the GXR just like other companies make zoom lenses for their bodies.</p>

<p>Very well. I withdraw my implied opinion that the cameras named -- including the GXR when not equipped with the M module -- are at least sometimes perhaps better used with zoom lenses. I cannot be compelled to change it, however.</p>

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<p>The Fuji X-Pro looks like it just came on the market. Would it require a lens adapter for Leica M lenses? Would this result in the inevitable "cropping" of the image?</p>

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<p>Every camera listed requires an adapter to convert their native lens mount to an M mount except for the M8/M9 and Ricoh GXR M module. They all have native autofocus lenses but with the right adapter you can mount M lenses on them. The adapter has nothing to do with cropping the image, it's just a metal ring that connects your lens to the camera. There are no glass lenses in the adapter. All of the cameras listed except the M9 have a sensor smaller than 35mm film so they will all crop the image to some degree. The following diagram shows all the popular sensor sizes.<br>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sensor_sizes_overlaid_inside_-_updated.svg</p>

<p>There are pictures of the Fuji w/ adapter and Leica lenses here.<br>

http://www.stevehuffphoto.com/2012/02/09/pics-of-the-fuji-x-pro-1-with-leica-m-adapter-and-lens/</p>

<p>Do you want the minimal crop factor? Then it's Fuji/Sony/Ricoh at 1.5X. Micro 4/3 has the best native lens selection but has a 2X crop factor. Do you want an electronic viewfinder or do you want to compose on the rear LCD? None of these cameras except the Epson RD-1 have a traditional rangefinder. Some cameras like the Sony have "focus peaking" to help you manually focus where the infocus areas change color.</p>

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<p>Also, no camera with an M-mount can take any zoom lenses ever as there are no m-mount zoom lenses.</p>

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<p>There are some Tri-Elmars like the 28-35-50 and 16-18-21 but you're right that they are technically not zoom lenses.</p>

<p>Myself, I have been eying a digital solution for a while, but since I am a definite wide angle shooter, I am not too happy about the 1.5 and 2.0 crop factors. You might think differently than I, of course :-)<br /><br />You should also be aware that the optical quality of these sensors with wide angles designed for film is not always stellar, especially in the corners - try a Google search on the subject. The Ricoh GXR should (from what I hear) be much better, since it was designed specifically for M lenses using offset microlenses.<br /><br />Finally, be aware that many of the lens adapters will focus past infinity, i.e., they are a tiny bit too short - likely to be on the safe side of tolerances. Not a problem at infinity, but it will completely mess up the distance scales of wide angle lenses - again, a dealbreaker for me, since I scale focus a lot for street shooting. I have heard positive things about the GXR - which is native M-mount - in this respect from a well-respected Ricoh shooter.<br /><br />Hope this helps,<br /><br />Soeren<br /><br /><br />P.S.: If you really want to be picking nits, the 16-18-21 actually <strong>is</strong> a zoom lens, but with "click stops" on the zoom ring. The 28-35-50 has the 50mm position in the middle and is not a zoom.<br /><br /></p><div></div>

<p>Soeren said that "the optical quality of these sensors with wide angles designed for film is not always stellar...". I shall modify that to: <em>The performance of M lenses on bodies other than the M8 and M9, and possibly the R-D1 and GXR, probably will not be as good as it is on film.</em> A strong reason to use the lenses that come with the body one chooses: and, of course, to not part with one's film Leicas.</p>

A friend just bought the Ricoh GXR with the Leica M mount, and loves it. For $1,200 U.S., you get the body, the M mount

and a shoe-mount 100% electronic viewfinder.

<p>Mark - I just went through this process and was thinking Fuji or Sony NEX 7. In the end I bought a used M8 (it came from the UK). I paid about $1000 more than the Fuji and $1400 more than the Sony. It just arrived today so my experience with it is limited. It is in new condition - all the original boxes and accessories and less than 1000 shots on it! <br>

I know it has compromises that the CSCs do not (no live view, weak rear LCD, IR issues etc...) but I think I love it. I decided to go with the M8 after considering all the options. While the Sony and Fuji have lots of great technology I shoot my M6 to get away from that and connect with the scene. The M8 feels and handles just like my M6 and is a beautiful thing to hold and work with. I decided that for technology my array of Canon DSLRs was hard to beat so why try.<br>

I plan to buy a 39mm IR filter and see what it is like for IR shots - a key M8 advantage for me</p>

M8 would be a wise choice, 1.33 crop factor only, not bad at all and your leica lenses will truly shine on that sensor.

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<p>Very well. I withdraw my implied opinion that the cameras named -- including the GXR when not equipped with the M module -- are at least sometimes perhaps better used with zoom lenses. I cannot be compelled to change it, however.</p>

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<p>The opinion isn't the issue. It's a valid point of view to have. The problem was that your statement, or perhaps just your phrasing, confused the issue as far as the OP's original question.</p>

<p>I've gone on and on about how great the NEX-7 is, because it does everything I could reasonably expect a camera to do, and it does it all well. However, it does so many things that I wouldn't say it really shines in any one regard, except maybe making huge prints at low ISOs.</p>

<p>The M8, however, is an amazing camera, engineered to do one thing and to do it well: to be a Leica that records in ones and zeros. While I've never owned a Leica film camera, I do have several friends that own M8s, and I can honestly say that I've never used another digital camera that made me feel more like I was taking the picture, and that I was directly responsible for the outcome.</p>

<p>If you love everything about your Leica system, and all you want is a digital file, I'd pony up the extra money for the M8, or the M9 if you can afford it. It may cost a lot more than 'similar' cameras, but nothing else is designed with the same singular focus in mind.</p>

Zack, I completely agree with you.

<p>The choice of the M9 at a banker's cost or the M8.M8.2 still at an excessive price compared to any other DSLR. The Canon Kiss or TR2,3 all with superior results.You can upgrade the usual zoom lens. The lens lists for under $200.That gets you a filter in Leica! i see all the others offered are not rangefinder except the Epson. The model 2 is only available in Japan.<br>

If you use Leica M then surely it is the range and viewfinder that is wanted, or simply the Red dot? Cobbling lenses from different makes and systems, which i tried in the 1960's esp. with the "T" mount. It is silly losing all the features of RFDR or in case of modern SLR, the auto-focus, auto-exposure for using good lenses in a bad way! It's bad enough squinting at the back screen of the monitor on my point and shoot, in bright sunlight. Why on earth do it on a more expensive box that is now crippled.<br>

The Fuji answer has it's own lens system.Fuji much like Kodak, drops products that no longer bring large revenues.I own a beautiful Fuji 35mmSLR with many modern features, from the early 70's. You kidding about lenses here! This another "Orphan Annie" !<br>

i decided on another way for myself. I went with a digital point and shoot. The present one has done well over 80,000 images. There is no flash due to numerous gravity tests.Digital prices have a serious drop in a few models.Luckily the M8, M9 seem better at keeping value! i do not want a DSLR that is almost impossible to MF on the focus-screen or ground-glass.<br>

I use film that is scanned for printing. My M models and SLR systems, Nikon, Pentax are not worth much, but i could never afford all the new lenses.<br>

My Leica M cameras are great. The lenses are special. I bought used Leitz 35mm rather than a superior Cosina, wanting the same lens look in my images.</p>

<p>Rangefinders are called "Rangefinders" because they have Rangefinders in them. If you're used to the M6, you won't be very happy with live view focusing, I'm afraid. You should be patient and try to find an M8 for $2000 or less. It has problems, of course, but it's a real rangefinder. jamie</p>

<p>On the NEX you can use a helicoid adapter to get closer focusing.<br>

<a href="http://sonyalphanex.blogspot.com/2011/07/helicoid-leica-m-to-nex-e-mount-lens.html">http://sonyalphanex.blogspot.com/2011/07/helicoid-leica-m-to-nex-e-mount-lens.html</a><br>

The NEX-7 outresolved a Leica M9 on luminous landscapes' test.<br>

If you plan on spending more than $1500, I would get a used M8.</p>