Digital Camera to Mount 50/2.8 Elmar

<p>I have a Leica M4 and Leica MP, both outfitted with the 50/2.8 Elmar. Sadly, I rarely shoot film anymore. So, I am looking for the best NON-LEICA digital platform for my Leica M mount lenses. I am thinking of getting a Panasonic GF2 with the requesite adapter. What are the recommendations of those who have used this combination or other combinations of M lenses with non-Leica digital cameras?</p>

<p>As a caveat, I'm sure the M9, M8.2 and M8 are all quite wonderful, but I don't feel confident spending Leica money on any camera with an electronic sensor. Also, I plan on keeping both film Leicas for the rare and joyous occasion that I have time to shoot film.</p>

<p>Michael J Hoffman </p>

<p>Make sure you are aware and can prevent collapsing the lens once on the m4/3 or Sony Nex mirrorless cameras as this will cause serious damage to the innards, ie sensor.</p>

<p>http://sonyalphanex.blogspot.com/2011/03/sony-nex-5-with-leica-50mm-elmar-m.html<br>

Sony NEX-5 with a Leica 50 Elmar</p>

<p>Paul's comment is important. I would place a few windings of electrician tape or similar on the extending barrel and just behind the aperture ring, to insure that the lens canot be collapsed back into the camera.</p>

<p><br /><br />I've had good results putting M-mount lenses on an Olympus E-P1. (Here's yet another <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/41790885@N08/5645204340/in/photostream">yellow rose</a> with the Elmar 135/4.) Not as good as an M8, but your point in that regard is certainly valid.<br /><br />I use cheap adapters (about US$20-25). The distance markings on the lens are usually off, and different for each lens, but with live view focusing that is not a great problem.<br /><br />Michael Reichmann at Luminous Landscape recently gave a very favorable review to the Panasonic GH2 with special emphasis on image quality.<br /><br /></p>

<p>The Elmar will have an equivalent focal length of 100mm on a GF2, which already can be had with a range of lenses which work with the camera's automation.</p>

<p>I've "been around that block" with my M lenses and an Olympus EP-2 I had bought with that in mind. At that point I had the 90/2.8 Elmarit, 50/2 Cron , and 21/4 and 35/2.5 CV's.</p>

<p>While an attractive concept - and even image stabilization in the body - I found myself preferring shooting rangefinder lenses on my M and dedicated m4/3'rd lenses on the Oly. There was just a lot of button pressing (assisted manual focus), many shots were off, and open had to go into the menu's to change the focal length forthe IS mechanism..... while the Olympus lenses worked really well. Also, I found "doubling" the focal length realy limiting.</p>

<p>Just one guys opinion. There are many here I think that use such a combo with success.<br />I got some great shots, too, but ended up selling the Oly</p>

<p>FWIW, I have this lens, I love it on my M3 and I bought an E-P1 plus adaptor to continue the affair. The E-P1 takes fantastic images with the Lumix 20mm 1.7. A year later, I have just spent the horrific amount of money it took to get an M9. The files I have already from the M9 and the elmar 50 justify the expense. I have photographs which exceed anything I achieved with my M3. The poor man always buys twice...<br>

Use the M43 system to do what it was designed for, or bite the bullet and buy M-digital. Both produce fantastic images, but I suspect you will ultimately be unsatisfied with a work-around.</p><div></div>

<p>I appreciate everyone's opinions.</p>

<p>I simply won't spend the $7000 USD for an M9. The way I figure, If I buy non-Leica digital cameras, I may well be able, for the same money, to buy 10 or more prosumer digital cameras as sensor technology (i.e. better dynamic range, low light capability, etc.) advances. If I bought a new non-Leica camera every other year, that's nearly 20 years of worry-free shooting. I am simply not convinced that any single electronic sensor will last for 20 years. And, conservatively, at least the last 5 of those 10 replacement cameras will probably have a sensor that out performs the M9's current sensor. Will I have to make some compromises? Absolutely! But, in return for my compromise, I will have, at the start, $6400, and, after a dozen or so years, still have a few thousand left of the current price of an M9 to continue to upgrade. I suspect that in a dozen years, most M9's purchased today will be a $7000 paperweight.</p>

<p>I have narrowed my current choices to the Panasonic GF2 and the Sony NEX-5. I only wish the Sony had a useful EVF instead of just the LCD. I currently have an EVF that will work on the Panasonic GF2. Between these two cameras, which, do you think, is the best choice for mounting my Leica M lens?</p>

<p>Michael J Hoffman </p>

<p>Would not the best choice be the one which has a useful EVF?</p>

<p>If you're gonna need an external EVF anyway, why not go with Olympus with in-body stabilization?</p>

<p>If having an EVF is important, why not at least consider the Panasonic G2 or GH-2. I have a G2 and find it much easier to use, especially outdoors in bright sunlight, than the more "point-and-shoot-like" cameras. (without EVFs)<br>

The G2/GH2 cameras not not significantly larger than the EP-x, or GF cameras, especially I you add the stick-on EVFs to those cameras. </p>

<p>I've been shooting a variety of old (prewar) Leica glass on a Sony NEX-3 with good effect. Using the LCD screen drives me a bit crazy, though, although the focus assist (it zooms in 7x or 14x as an aid) makes it easier to get focus right than with a dslr with a modern autofocus screen. It's just a slowish process. </p>

<p>The market is just starting on these types of cameras - hopefully the new Fuji X100 is a harbinger of things to come (and rumors of an upcoming - autumn - NEX-7 with a built-in evf look promising). </p><div></div>

I've used the GF1 with a variety of Leica lenses and it performs very well.

<p>

I'm not sure I've got a GF1/Leica photo online, but his photo was taken with the GF1 and Olympus PEN-F lens; the manual focusing procedure is of course the same though the Leica lenses are a little sharper:

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<a href=" title="_1010300 by blakley, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4018/4500608056_3aafbe63dd.jpg" width="500" height="500" alt="_1010300"></a>

<p>I would get the Panasonic GH2 camera. It's the latest version and has a higher resolution sensor. It's featured on Luminous Landscape. But I'd use it with the kit camera it comes with--optimized I think for video--and the very high quality 20mm lens, which becomes a 40mm "normal" lens on the GH2. Problem is that this camera does not seem to be available yet in the US. I have a M9 and a G1. There's no comparison in terms of image quality. The better sensor of the M9 is just much better. Having said that, the images from the G1 and now GH2 are perfectly fine. You just cannot expect to crop them and maintain high image quality like you can with the M9. But come back in 4-6 years, as you've suggested, and let's see what the newer generation sensors look like on the G5 or G7. Okay, nice, but I don't think the sensor on the M9 has to get any better than it is now. So, it's only a matter of how long it lasts and if it can be replace in the future if necessary. </p>