From a newish member - Leicaflex SL aftermarket lenses

[john_h_osterholm]

Blasphemy I know, but I am reentering the Leica film cameras with a nice Leicaflex SL and a Tamron 35-70 f3.5 BBAR macro lens - for now. This is obviously a budget kit. I found a used Tamron Adaptal -2 mount which is marked L/R which the seller says worked on his SL. Is this supposed to couple to the meter? The body arrives on Monday. I have owned Leica 35's many years ago and have used Lumix cameras with Leica and near Leica lenses since 2004. I regretfully had to sell my M4 and M2R some years ago as well as later Leica cameras.

 

Have any of you used Tamron lenses with a Leicaflex SL? I intend to get Leica lenses when I am able to.

Thanks for reading - John

[SCL]

My recollection from about 16 years ago was that I had to use stop down metering with my Tamron lenses on my SL body. Anyway you'll know for sure once you get your camera and test its metering against the sunny 16 rule. Get a free copy of the manual at http://www.cameramanuals.org/leica_pdf/leicaflex_sl.pdf . He appreciates a $3 donation.

[john_h_osterholm]

Thank you. I know that there are a couple different mounts out there but they are scarce. As I wrote, I hope to buy a Leica lens or two. The funny thing is that before the digital adapter for Leica digital cameras, these Leica SLR lenses had a much lower value. Not so anymore. The digital cameras I own will still be my primary camera option. I gave up my M4-2 and M2 because of their weight and the fact that my arthritic fingers made reloading film all day to be difficult.

[floyd_waller]

Blasphemy I know, but I am reentering the Leica film cameras with a nice Leicaflex SL and a Tamron 35-70 f3.5 BBAR macro lens - for now. This is obviously a budget kit. I found a used Tamron Adaptal -2 mount which is marked L/R which the seller says worked on his SL. Is this supposed to couple to the meter? The body arrives on Monday. I have owned Leica 35's many years ago and have used Lumix cameras with Leica and near Leica lenses since 2004. I regretfully had to sell my M4 and M2R some years ago as well as later Leica cameras.

 

Have any of you used Tamron lenses with a Leicaflex SL? I intend to get Leica lenses when I am able to.

Thanks for reading - John

Back in the day, Tamron made adaptall-II adapters for both Leicaflex and Leica R. I have and use both. They have become rare and expensive on ebay. One is very lucky to obtain either at a reasonable price. You would need the Leicaflex adapter for your SL. I use mine with an SL2 and it provides full aperture metering.

[john_h_osterholm]

Someone on EBay sold me an adapter that he said absolutely worked on his SL but when it arrived and then when my SL just arrived, his adapter did not mount. It is marked L/R. I questioned him on that but he insisted that it would work so now I have a lens that I cannot use and an expensive adapter that I cannot use.

[Robin Smith]

I think you need the Leicaflex adapter as that, I assume, is set up for the 2-cam system used by the SL and SL2. The R adapter, presumably, is set up for the 3 cam or 3rd cam system used by the Leica R3 onwards (R8/R9 used ROM as well). So I think the L/R adapter will not work on the SL.

[john_h_osterholm]

Yes, I do. I only bought this because the seller assured me that it would fit. Now I am sending it back and I hope that he repays me. I also found a Leica Vario Elmar 35-70 f3.5 to buy for a reasonable price so that is what I will do.

[john_h_osterholm]

I tried and tried to mount this adapter and it did not fit the Leicaflex SL body so I went through EBay and sent it back. Tonight the seller sent me an irate message calling me ignorant and telling me that the camera was either tampered with or that I basically didn't know what I was talking about. I should have done more research first or at least questioned what he assured me of. This adapter was marked L/R which is not supposed to work with any body other than an R system. So I guess you could say that this was my fault, but all I wanted to do was return it and he could then sell it to someone else. No harm done - I thought.

[Robin Smith]

It was his mistake not yours, so he is at fault. There are ignorant buyers and sometimes I am inclined to tell them to suck it up, but in this case you asked him a direct question and he gave the wrong answer, so actually he was the ignorant one when put on the spot.

[john_h_osterholm]

It will all be alright as I found a nice 35-70 f3.5 Vario Elmar to buy from the retiring George Ury. This is as you probably know is a 1983 Minolta lens made for Leica. The price at $295 was right, I thought. I have purchased from George in the past. I also have the Minolta version on a Minolta XD11 so I can make some comparisons. $200 for the working body and $295 makes a nice budget Leica kit. The Leica R4's & 5's can be bought for reasonable money as well. I just happened to have a bit of nostalgia for the older, more clunky looking SL.Thanks for all the responses. The picture was taken in 2012 with the XD11 and the Rokkor 35-70 macro in Hawaii.

 

[john_h_osterholm]

I ended up finding a nice R4 to buy from George Ury so I am good now. In retrospect I should have done that in the first place. The SL was mailed to Don Goldberg to repair the meter. Yesterday I found a Leica R adapter in a camera shop in Vancouver BC for $12 so I bought it. Assuming it works I will use my Tamron macro on the R4.

[Wouter Willemse]

Not sure if it's the case, but if macro/close-up work is an important part of your work, do consider the Macro-Elmarit-R 60mm, it can be found at very acceptable prices, and it's pretty much an impeccable performer. Typically it costs about as much as a Summicron-R 50mm, which make it one of the cheapest Leica lenses available I guess.

[john_h_osterholm]

I have looked at that and you are right it is a decent lens for macro.