Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/06/26
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]>Does anyone use this lens? any particular qualities? i.e Is it any good?! I used one for two years. It's a good lens. You won't be wasting time taking pictures with it: they won't embarass you or stand out as inferior in a slide show (one of my favorites of a full double rainbow was taken with this lens). After a while I realized how much I enjoyed a wide angle, however, and traded up to a 21 Elmarit-M. The primary reasons were 1) Convenience: the Russar requires an LTM adaptor and this can't be left on when the rear lens cap is on. In practice the mounting and unmounting and stowing are a bit cumbersome if you use the lens frequently. 2) Speed: At f/5.6 (and wanting to stop down a bit to improve quality) the lens does limit low light use, and I like to shoot in low light. 3) Optics: A late model Leica lens will be better, but the Russar is an excellent way to test the waters before committing to a Leica wide angle. As Marc pointed out, it might be all that you need if you only occasionally want to shoot that wide. Have fun with it. - -Charlie