Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2012/11/28
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Sent from my iPhone Steve Barbour On Nov 28, 2012, at 8:57 PM, Mark Kronquist <mak at teleport.com> wrote: D3 user many adapted lenses rather than relying on arrows and dot the glass shows focus well. On a D3 they almost always agree...(severe backlighting no) Errr. what? On Nov 28, 2012, at 8:46 PM, Aram Langhans wrote: > Thanks Howard. I saw your post there, but never replied as we were still > on our trip. > > I just recently noticed something on my D7000 as far as focus goes. I was > using the 50 cron and getting what looked like out of focus pictures. One > of them had some things in front of the main subject fairly close and I > noticed that they were sharp as a tack. I then used my homemade fine > focus test rig and using the focus conformation, I found that there was > quite a bit of front/back focus range when the light was lit, but I could > rotate the lens quite a bit and still keep it lit. In those situations, I > could get front, back or correct focus shots. My eyes and the small crop > screen, though larger and brighter than the Canon I had before, is not > good enough for me to see tack sharp focus on the screen. > > I then tried live view with the imaged magnified and could get tack sharp > results on what I was focusing on. I do not want to use live view all the > time, but if the focus conformation lights are this unreliable, it could > explain some of my missed shots with the 50. Now, I don't seem to have > that problem with the 100 APO. Maybe when I am doing Macro I take more > time to see, and maybe the closeness makes the image snap in and out of > focus enough for me to more accurately judge correct focus on the screen. > > Have you noticed any focus conformation slop on your Nikon? > > I am also wondering if I should invest in a split image/microprism screen, > but the metering problems with a third party screen have me hesitating. > There are already some metering problems stopped down with Leica glass on > the D7000, though not nearly as severe as with my previous Canon. > > We can take this back to the Reflex forum if you like. > > > Aram > > > -----Original Message----- From: H&ECummer > Sent: Wednesday, November 28, 2012 7:11 PM > To: lug at leica-users.org > Subject: [Leica] Leitaxed R lenses on Nikon > > > Date: Wed, 28 Nov 2012 16:58:31 -0800 > From: "Aram Langhans" <leica_r8 at hotmail.com> > Subject: Re: [Leica] Leica in the LUG > To: "Leica Users Group" <lug at leica-users.org> > > Too far off for me yet. My interest would be for my R lenses, but I will > wait and see how others have "mastered" this acceptable solution to learn > if > it really is worth it or not. Would it be better than my spending way less > up upgrade my perfectly acceptable Nikon D7000 to a DX00 full frame? I > will > have to see how others feel about the only two real drawbacks of Leitexed > lenses on Nikon - the focus problem and the stopped down meter issues. If > it really is an acceptable solution, I will save up my money, sell my bad > leg, rent out my spare bedroom and get one. > > Aram > > Hi Aram, > Over on the Leica Reflex Forum > Frank F and I had a discussion about using leitaxed R lenses on Nikon > Dslrs. > Apologies to those Luggers who are also on the Reflex Forum for the > duplication > but I thought some here might be interested. > > > [LRflex] Leitaxed R lenses on Nikons > > Hi Frank, > Answers to your questions (*) below. > > From: "Frank Filippone" > > Howard > > Do you shoot your Leitax'd lenses wide open all the time? > > * No - the focus confirmation on the D700 worked up to f5.6 - and with the > D800E in brighter light it works up to f8.0. So I can focus and work at > f8.0 in > good light. If I have trouble with confirming focus then I open up. > > What are the results like when using your lenses with the D800e? > > * The quality of R lenses shines through - every time. The limit IMHO is > the > eye of the photographer, :-) > > Which lenses? Mostly long Telephotos? WA? 50? > > * I have had a variety of R lenses and with experience have sold off some > of them. I > had the 19 Elmarit Version 1 but it was very large, the front element was > exposed, and it tended to vignette in the corners wide open so I sold it > off > and replaced it with the Cosina / Voigtlander 20mm. Fact is I don't use > that > very much at all - having the 24 - 70 Nikkor zoom but it is a huge monster. > > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/R+lenses+on+Nikon+D700/El19CheungShaNofilterw.jpg.html > > http://tinyurl.com/c4d9htp > > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/R+lenses+on+Nikon+D700/FeralCow19EFilterw.jpg.html > > http://tinyurl.com/btke4a > > * I have the 28mm Elmarit latest version and it works very well and is > perhaps > the best 28 ever made by man. It draws simply wonderfully. I shoot it > mostly at > f5.6. > > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/HK2010_001/4PanMidW.jpg.html > > http://tinyurl.com/ayadq7a > > * I have the 21 - 35 Elmar and sent it to Leitax to be bayonet changed > because > the rear cowling needed to be shaved to clear the mirror of the D700 (and > now > the D800E). It is a great wide angle lens and sharp to the corners as you > would > expect a Leica to be. I use it quite a bit for street shooting. > > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/lens+pix/CageTalkw.jpg.html > > http://tinyurl.com/ctx6zrh > > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/lens+pix/Check24w.jpg.html > > http://tinyurl.com/2ek7ecu > > * I recently acquired the 35 - 70 Elmar zoom and (bravely for me) I made > the > leitax bayonet change myself. It requires some filing to preserve the ROM > attachment should you ever want to revert the lens to the R mount. > * The quality of the 35 - 70 Elmar is clear on the D800E but being limited > to > f4.0 as the widest aperture in low light focusing can be more difficult. At > least that is what I am finding for my 69 year old eyes. > > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/lens+pix/HC70Elw.jpg.html > > http://tinyurl.com/9r2yztn > > * I have the 90 Summicon (Canadian made) and it is great for portraits but > I > find it doesn't get a lot of use. I use the Nikkor 85 f1.8 AF instead. AF > and > auto aperture have their place. > > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/HK2010_001/YlwRsW.jpg.html > > http://tinyurl.com/3ax9cct > > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/HK2010_001/PurpleOrchidW.jpg.html > > http://tinyurl.com/2bbzjkc > > * The 100 APO is spectacular on the D800E and I have the 1:1 adaptor so I > can > get really close. This is the one lens I will not sell no matter what > happens. > Flowers and bugs watch out!! > > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/Macro/PetuniaW.jpg.html > > http://tinyurl.com/b3skj7l > > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/Canada2012/SpiderLw.jpg.html > > http://tinyurl.com/9ukuzus > > * I had the 180 f3.4 APO and its quality was clearly evident on the D700. > It > didn't focus close enough for tight portrait shots and I finally sold it > off - > which I now regret. > > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/R+lenses+on+Nikon+D700/LiLauw.jpg.html > > http://tinyurl.com/blu4s6 > > * I had the 400 f6.8 with the trombone focusing and I used it with the > D700 on > a tiger shoot in India a few years ago. I had real trouble getting sharp > photos > in the heat of battle and came to rely more on the 300mm f4.0 manual focus > Nikkor that I had with me - so I sold off the Telyt as well. When I hit > focus > the images were great but I was mightily frustrated and disappointed when I > missed focus in an other wise good shot. And, of course, you couldn't get > focus > confirmation with f6.8. The 300 f4.0 with auto aperture worked better for > me in > the field and the quality was more than good too. 400 Telyt shots: > > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/TIGER/TigHuntW.jpg.html > > http://tinyurl.com/2apymwo > > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/Final+Tigers/TigUpW.jpg.html > > http://tinyurl.com/c7q6jx7 > > * One comment about focus confirmation - the arrows in the view finder > point in > the opposite direction to what you must turn the lens to achieve focus - > because Nikons and Leicas focus in opposite directions. So you have to > rewire > your brain with practice to overcome this difference. I hope this long and > detailed answer isn't too long or to detailed but it sums up my experience > so > far. I don't regret at all making the bayonet changes. > > Cheers > Howard > > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information _______________________________________________ Leica Users Group. See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information