Using Olympus OM-D with Leica M Lenses...

[derick_miller]

<p>I am interested in using an Olympus OM-D with Leica M lenses.<br />If you have experience with this combination, can you give me some insight into how you use the two together?<br>

I understand that manual focus and setting of f stops would be required :).<br />I would like to understand how you focus using the viewfinder, is there a magnification mode, focus confirmation, etc? I am also curious how you manage exposure: can you set it in A mode, etc.?<br>

Feedback based on experience would be greatly appreciated. </p>

[laur1]

<p>All adapted lenses (except FT ones, via adapters with contacts) work the same. You'll see exposure effect in real time as well as the effects of changing the aperture. For manual focusing, see <a href="http://laurphoto.blogspot.com/2010/05/manual-focusing.html">the second part of this post</a> for a lengthier description (and see <a href="http://laurphoto.blogspot.com/2012/10/olympus-om-d-e-m5.html">this post</a> for how I configured the buttons on my E-M5). Short version is that you can zoom in the image for focus confirmation and you can select the area in advance, as well as the zoom magnification; this enables very precise focusing. Many people talk about focus peaking as being necessary - I did not find it so and in fact I did not even find it very useful. So, there is magnification mode, but no focus confirmation mode. I use Av mode most of the time, so the camera can adjust exposure when I change the aperture manually, but sometimes I use M mode too.</p>

[derick_miller]

Thank you for such a helpful response and for the great links! This was very helpful.

 

If I use a FT lens with an appropriate adaptor, will I retain AF capability? Will a Panasonic lense still be capable of AF on

an OM-D? Does this apply to mFT and FT both?

[harold_gough]

<p>Not quite what you asked for, but I use Leica R manual focus lenses with my EP2 all the time. The considerations are the same. I use an Elmarit 60mm macro, which has taken over from my previous favorites. Such lenses are rather heavy.</p>

[liu_kwok_wah1]

<p>For motion shots, I do not recommend for using manual lens including Lecia M or R lens.<br>

In practice, I agree with L. Cristor said the magnification mode is not quite useful.<br>

Under mode A,S,P & M mode, the aperture and shutter speed will shown on the viewfinder and adjust according to that your prefer.</p>

 

[ariel_s1]

<p>I have used Leica lenses, I have used the E-M5 (OM-D is the name of the system, not the camera), and I have adapted lenses onto micro 4/3. None of these happened at the same time, but I don't see how adapting Leica lenses would work any differently than adapting any other mount lenses, and I don't see how the E-M5 would be any different in working with adapted lenses.</p>

<p>I don't shoot in manual mode, I shoot in aperture priority mode, A. This way, the camera will use its meter and automatically adjust the shutter speed. I am always aware of the shutter speed, and boost ISO when necessary. Shooting in P mode is functionally identical to this mode, since the camera can't control the aperture on the adapted lens. I could of course shoot in manual mode, M (or shutter speed priority mode, S which is functionally identical to manual mode, again because the camera can't control the aperture), but I would just be listening to the camera's meter anyway, so why not cut out a step? In aperture priority mode, I can always dial in some exposure compensation if needed.</p>

<p>For focusing, I start at the closest focus that the lens can do, and then focus away, towards the subject. I do this because the depth of field extends further behind the plane of focus than it does in front of it, so this ensures that I don't get blurry subjects. If necessary, and the subject will be still for long enough, I use the quick zoom feature to zoom in and ensure critical focus. There obviously is NO focus confirmation, because the lens and the camera are not communicating in any way. The camera does not know to what distance the lens is focused, or to what aperture the lens is set. All it knows is how much light is hitting the sensor. Therefore, you have to set the aperture on the lens before you take the photo. I try to do my focusing wide open, and then stop down the lens manually before taking the photo. It's quite a hassle, and lends itself best when used on a tripod or for non-moving subjects.</p>

<p>What I've learned from adapting manual focus lenses on micro 4/3 cameras:<br>

-The crop sensor is a bitch. It's nice to turn your 50mm into a portrait lens, and to turn your 135mm and 200mm lenses into super compact telephotos with largish apertures, but when even your 24mm f/2.8 becomes a normal lens, you're better off just buying a micro 4/3 lens for any focal length smaller than 50mm. Especially Leica, which are beaucoup money. For macro work, since much of the work is done in manual focus anyway, and my best results are with a slider rail, so physically moving the camera closer and further from the subject rather than turning the focus ring, it actually works incredibly well.<br>

-I have used a Sony NEX camera for adapting lenses, and it is a much better story. Besides the nicer higher resolution viewfinders, it has focus peaking which lets you focus much more quickly and accurately. The smaller crop factor is another nice bonus. The E-M5 has a workaround where you can set certain creative modes to certain function buttons and get a faux peaking mode, but it isn't anything as useful as Sony's direct implementation.</p>

<p>So, if you already have the Leica lenses, I recommend a Sony NEX camera. If you already have the OM-D, then I suggest micro 4/3 lenses, or if you don't mind the slow autofocus, then some legacy 4/3 DSLR lenses, which are optically impressive, and are more reasonable in value today than when the 4/3 system was still alive. The 4/3 lenses will still autofocus, but it is a slow process; I would definitely not call it full functionality. It's somewhere halfway between manual focus and full performance, although while the focus speed is very slow, often on the order of seconds, the focus itself is pinpoint precise. If you already have both an E-M5 and Leica lenses, then you might as well pick up an adapter and try it out.</p>

[laur1]

<blockquote>

<p>If I use a FT lens with an appropriate adaptor, will I retain AF capability?</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Yes, that is the idea, although they may not focus as fast as they did on FT SLRs.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>Will a Panasonic lense still be capable of AF on an OM-D? Does this apply to mFT and FT both?</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I am not aware of any Panasonic FT lenses. The Panasonic MFT lenses will work fine on Olympus MFT cameras. But that is the theory - I never used a Panasonic MFT camera and I don't use AF.</p>

 

<blockquote>

<p>In practice, I agree with L. Cristor said the magnification mode is not quite useful.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Then you are disagreeing with me, because my point was that the magnification mode was *extremely* useful. It is the focus peaking that I did not find useful, not the magnification mode.</p>

[ariel_s1]

<p>Laurentiu, there is the relatively impressive 14-50mm Panasonic lens that came with higher-end Panasonic and the Leica-branded 4/3 cameras. Although, again, I would only purchase the lens for deliberate, maybe even only tripod mounted work with no moving subjects, as autofocus is so slow. Both Olympus and Panasonic really went overboard with the optical quality of the lenses, and then had horrible yesteryear image quality from the sensors. If I were using my micro 4/3 for a lot of landscapes, I might consider picking up that Panasonic 14-50mm, or the Olympus 12-60mm, plus the Olympus 50-200mm all to do landscapes and architecture with. For about $1,000 combined you'd be getting some of the better optics to put in front of your class-leading micro 4/3 sensor.</p>

<p>All 4/3 and micro 4/3 is interchangeable, regardless of brand. An Olympus 4/3 lens will perform identically on both Panasonic and Olympus micro 4/3 cameras with the adapter, and a Panasonic lens will perform identically on both Panasonic and Olympus micro 4/3 cameras with the adapter. Similarly, you can even use either companies' flash on the other brand camera.</p>

[seanbreadsell]

<p>Hi, I use a Voightlander manual lens on my OM-D, it is on the camera 90% of the time. I have customised FN2 to use zoom mode for focusing, it is quite fast once you get used to it and very precise. Focusing peaking, yeah nah not for me, don't need it. I am purchasing Leica M mount lens in the near future, so will see how they go when the time comes. </p>