Leica R lenses on Nikon D700

[seismiccwave]

<p>I just received a Leica R lens mount conversion from Leitax in Portugal. Now I can mount my Leica R lens to my Nikon digital bodies. That means I can shoot Leica R lens in full frame. Ok, I have been shooting the Leica R lens in my Canon 5D. However I don't understand why I am so excited about using the Leica lens with my Nikon. I guess that is because I grew up with Leica and Nikon.<br>

Here is a picture of the camera and lens:</p><div></div>

[seismiccwave]

<p>Here is a shot taken with the D700 and Leica lens.</p><div></div>

[seismiccwave]

<p>Another shot with the combination.</p><div></div>

[durr3]

<p>Please add address or contact info for LEITAX. Thanks</p>

[sitemistic]

<p>I've never understood this thing with adapting lenses to different cameras. While I'm sure there is a huge market for Christmas Villages shot with Leica Lenses on Nikon Digital bodies, I'm certain a Nikon lens of similar focal length would have done just as good a job.</p>

[matt_m__toronto_]

<p>jim, just because you have a camera made by fuji doesn't mean you need to shoot with fuji film. </p>

[ken_ford1]

<p>Hansen, I know the converted lens requires stop down metering, but is the aperture totally manual after the conversion?</p>

[seismiccwave]

<p><a href="http://leitax.com/index.html"></a><a href="http://leitax.com/index.html"></a>David Llado at http://leitax.com/index.html<br>

Jim, there isn't a full frame Leica digital camera body yet on the market. That seems like a waste for all those great lenses from yester-years. <br>

I have a fairly substantial collection of Nikon lenses and most of them are better quality, easier to you etc. However none will make a photograph as beautiful as a good Leica lens.<br>

Ken, yes the aperture is now totally manual after the conversion. The view finder will go dark when you close the aperture. The light meter still works and the focus confirmation still works.</p>

[kelly_flanigan1]

<p><img src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y148/ektar/Speed%20Gr%2035mmPC/tripods-298.jpg?t=1230663235" alt="" width="398" height="424" /> <img src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y148/ektar/Speed%20Gr%2035mmPC/tripods-297.jpg?t=1230663263" alt="" width="499" height="452" /> <img src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y148/ektar/Speed%20Gr%2035mmPC/tripods-296.jpg?t=1230663288" alt="" width="487" height="381" /></p>

[kelly_flanigan1]

<p>Re I've never understood this thing with adapting lenses to different cameras.</p>

<p>Above is a 35mm F2.8 shift Nikkor on a 1941 Speed Graphic</p>

[leicaglow]

<p>Kelly: and how is the coverage with the 35mm TS? What are you using for a shutter? Does you Graphic have a shutter built in?</p>

[galileo42]

<p>Jim, I'm sure you've understood sheer fun, sarcasm notwithstanding. And how about using Leica R lenses that one doesn't have in Nikon F? Or having sold or traded a Leica R body while keeping a few lenses?</p>

<p>Tsang (or is it Hansen?), very interesting. I've had both Leica R and Nikon SLR at the same time years ago, but I had no idea there was a Leica R/Nikon F adaptor.</p>

[stuart_richardson]

<p>Michel -- there isn't an adapter per se. You need to take the R mount off of the R lens, and then put a special Leotax mount on it that is designed to make it fit on Nikon F. Unfortunately the distance between the lens-flange distance is too small to allow a Leica R to Nikon F adapter. </p>

[steve_mareno]

<p>So this means I could mount a Leica R lens on the Nikon film cameras as well? And you can shoot at infinity? That would be great. I'd love to shoot my 50 R Summicron on an N80 or N8008s camera.</p>

<p>I had tried shooting the R lenses on the Canon film cameras but the metering was impossible to get right w/ a split prism screen because as you stopped the lens down the prism would darken as well. Since the darkening wasn't linear you couldn't accurately adjust the metering for it. I'd think the way to go would be w/ the regular focus screen and just use the focus confirmation lights to lock focus. Of course w/ digital you can simply ck the LCD screen. Thanks for posting this Hansen.</p>

[seismiccwave]

<p>Yes Steve, you may now shoot your Leica R lens on your Nikon film camera! The 60 mm Elmarit macro is the most difficult to convert and it is really not an issue. The 90 mm summicron is super simple. I suspect the 50 mm to be no problem. Leitax as the instruction online as well.</p>

[howard_cummer1]

<p>It is worth mentioning that David hasn't a bayonet for ROM lenses yet. The present conversion is for 3 cam and earlier lenses.<br>

Happy New Year from Hong Kong<br>

Howard</p>

[georg_s1]

<p>

 

<p>Hansen: <br>

I'm planning to try this conversion with at least two of my Leica-R-lenses (Summicron-R90 and Apo-Telyt-R180 - both bought well-used some years ago for a fraction of their retail-price).<br>

Did you use the cheaper or the „special-edition“-bayonet-ring with ten holes? Did you alter other lenses too?<br>

Many thanks in advance for your help, georg.</p>

 

</p>

[leess]

<p>Does anyone know whether the Leica Summilux 50mm f/1.4 can be converted?</p>

[howard_cummer1]

<p>

I am beginning to get the hang of Leica R lenses on my Nikon D700.

<br />

Here is a three panel pano of Pui O beach this morning taken with the 19mm Elmarit

processed in CS4. This is one of the reasons I changed the bayonet on the 19 - I wanted

to be able to take w-i-d-e panos with it on a digital SLR body and I am pleased with the result

and excited about the possibilities:

<br />

<a href="http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/R+lenses+on+Nikon+D700/3panelPuiO19ElmaritW.jpg.html">http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/R+lenses+on+Nikon+D700/3panelPuiO19ElmaritW.jpg.html</a>

<br />

<a href="http://tinyurl.com/d3k7sh">http://tinyurl.com/d3k7sh</a>

<br />

And here a picture with the 180 Telyt Apo on the D700 at Shui Hau beach where the kite surfers were out in

force today with a good wind. The picture is cropped to the middle third of the image.

<br />

<a href="http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/R+lenses+on+Nikon+D700/KiteSurfX2Telyt180AP0W.jpg.html">http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/R+lenses+on+Nikon+D700/KiteSurfX2Telyt180AP0W.jpg.html</a>

<br />

<a href="http://tinyurl.com/bklgd7">http://tinyurl.com/bklgd7</a>

<br />

Please enjoy - all C&C welcome

Cheers

Howard

Lantau island, Hong Kong

</p>

[jose_merino]

<p>great information.<br>

can you shoot Leica R lenses wide open? sorry about my ignorance but what does it mean you say "stopped down"? And finally, was the mount permanently changed or is it an adapter that was used. Very good news that the autofocus confirmation works, I assume aperture priority also does?</p>

<p>thanks</p>

[danielkennedy]

<p>The mount gets changed, but nothing is damaged and as long as the original parts are preserved converting back to R is simple enough.</p>

<p>You can shoot Leica R lenses at any aperture, they use stop down metering on R bodies, and thus the same on Nikon/Canon/Oly digital bodies. Only Canon/Oly bodies can take Leica R lenses with simply an adapter and then (like with Nikon) there are some issues with Canon bodies primarily with R wide angles.</p>

[doug herr]

<p>"they use stop down metering on R bodies"</p>

<p>Huh??? My R lenses meter at full aperture on my Leicaflex and R bodies.</p>

[eric_pelve]

<p>I also converted a Leica lens Elmarit APO-R 180mm f/2.8 using a Leitax adapter from David in Spain. Since I was his first customer doing this I took the pictures of the conversion and sent them to him for his web site. The process and result is now posted at:<br>

http://www.leitax.com/conversion/leica/APO-Elmarit_180-2.8/index.html<br>

The results are absolutely fantastic and better than a Nikon 70-200 AF-S VR f/2.8 or a AF 180mm ED I had. The biggest difference is resolution / sharpness. I can zoom 1:1 and still see a sharp picture with the Leica.</p>

<p>Some samples of these photos are listed here:<br>

<p>Two downsides however you need to be aware of:<br>

1) aperture is controlled manually with the lens aperture ring and measurement is done stopped down meaning that you have less and less light through the viewfinder as you close the aperture<br>

2) Focusing manually with a large focal lens is delicate with D300 and much easier with D700. I have same problem with Zeiss ZF lenses. People with a DX format body feel the need of a Katz eye. Those with a D700 finds no need for it.</p>