Leica Lenses on Full Frame Canon Digital?

[rob_h5]

<p>Anyone here adapt ANY Leica R mount lenses on Canon full frame digital? I would like to hear reviews/results from photographers who have actually used Leica lenses on Canon full frame digital or non full-frame digital cameras. I have shot with the Canon 5D/5DMKII using Olympus OM Zuiko lenses but now I am interested in trying Leica-R lenses (with adapter of course). I have plenty of experience using manual lenses on the Canon full frame digital so I am aware of all the limitations using manual lens on Canon digital. I would especially interested in the result of the Leica Leitz 90mm f/2 APO Summicron-R, I shot with the OM Zuiko 100/2 ED lens (the finest portrait lens from Olympus OM) on Canon full frame digital with outstanding results...superb bokeh, color rendition, sharpness, IQ...ect. Since Olympus was inspired by Leica, I would expect the Leica 90/2 APO on Canon digital to be just as good as the Olympus OM 100/2 ED or even better in comparison. </p>

[mike_hitchen]

<p>I have used Leica lenses on Canon 30D body and although I have not done much serious testing yet, the results are very good. I don't have the lens details with me at the moment so can't say further than that at this time.<br>

You need to be careful with 5D because in some Leica lenses the mirror may hit the rear lens element. This is one of several sites that lists lenses by compatibility(just goole leica EOS compatability). <a href="http://www.pebbleplace.com/Personal/Leica_db.html">http://www.pebbleplace.com/Personal/Leica_db.html</a><br>

Some devotees of this combination have the reflex mirror shaved so it clears that rear element.</p>

<p>Also: <a href="http://photonotes.org/articles/eos-manual-lenses/">http://photonotes.org/articles/eos-manual-lenses/</a></p>

<p> </p>

[Robin Smith]

<p>Yes, I used 21/28/35/50/80/90/180 on the 5D MkII. They worked quite well, although fast shooting is difficult as focusing is not so easy (you need the Eg-S) screen. Personally I hate having the manual aperture - makes any kind of fast shooting at anything other than full aperture a pain, but the results can be excellent - I think the 21mm and 28 stand out as lenses better than their Canon counterparts. The 80mm is special too, but the Canon 85mm 1.8 and 1.2 are excellent and the 135mm f2 matches any Leica lens.</p>

<p>Having said this the 90/2 APO is one of Leica's best and should be better than the Canon 85's in terms of resolution, but you have to be prepared to put up with manual aperture - I have not the patience - I think I am more interested in getting the shot than fiddling with the lens, but for, say, landscape work or anything that is slow and measured then the R lenses will work well. You can use live view if you need really accurate focusing. In the end I sold my R lenses to get EOS lenses. I regret selling the 21 and 28mm in retrospect and Canon has nothing to match them (although the 21mm Zeiss ZE does), but otherwise I enjoy the Canon lenses.</p>

[Robert DeCandido PhD]

<p>Some Contax lenses are superb as well - the 35-70 F3.4 CY comes to mind...</p>

[doug_landrum]

<p>Hi Rob, </p>

<p>Yes, I use the 19mm f/2.8 latest, 50mm f/2, 100mm f/2.8 APO, 180mm f3/4 APO and 400mm f/6.8 on my EOS 20D and EOS 7D. The ability to mount my Leica R lenses on a digital body was one of the myriad reasons that I chose Canon EOS over any other system to go digital.</p>

<p>The 19mm f/2.8 latest will not work on a full frame Canon EOS because the mirror hits the metal surrounding the back focusing rear element. I have heard of people grinding the metal to mount the 19mm f/2.8 on a full frame Canon EOS camera. I am not fond of that kind of alteration. I chose the 7D as my upgrade of my 20D to continue using the 19mm. I don't have much experience yet with using the Leica lenses on the 7D so I will defer that discussion other than the focusing in live view seems to be very accurate.</p>

<p>On the 20D, the Leica lenses worked stopped down AV with accurate exposure and accurate (if difficult) focusing. I use the Novoflex adapter. There is no focus confirmation.</p>

<p>My Canon lenses are all L zooms except the 50mm f/1.8 II. I find the Canon lenses to be excellent for my taste. But it's fun for me to slow down and use the Leica lenses from time to time. The Leica R's are special to me.</p>

<p>Here is an old shot using the 20D - a still excellent digital camera:</p>

<p><a title="_MG_0094 by breaker.leftbeach, on Flickr" href=" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/167/404298932_ce0f1195c0_z.jpg" alt="_MG_0094" width="640" height="427" /></a></p>

[Robert DeCandido PhD]

<p>Lenses from Leica/Contax and others that are problems on the 5D/5DII are not a problem on the 1Ds3 because the latter is a larger camera with mirror set further back...it is usally the wide angle lenses that can sometimes pose a problem for the 5dII. The "Alternative Gear" section over at Fred Miranda Forums (FM) is a very good resource for determining which might be a problem lens - and which are the superb lenses (some Minolta lenses come to mind as well).</p>

<p>rdc/nyc</p>