[Leica] Leica lenses on other cameras

[lrzeitlin at aol.com]

 I have used Leica lenses on other cameras for many years. Most recently on an Olympus EPL 1 digital camera. The smaller sensor has both advantages and disadvantages. The most obvious disadvantage is that the focal length is doubled, i.e. a 35 mm lens covers the field of a 70 mm lens on a standard Leica camera, a 50 mm lens becomes a 100 mm lens. Paradoxically an advantage is that the smaller sensor means that the “sweet” center of the lens is utilized eliminating the fuzzy corners. This often makes old Leica lenses perform as well as the newer ones. Focusing the digital camera with an eye level electronic viewfinder is dead easy although you must manually stop down to the exposure aperture. Shades of the1960s. Dumb converters are available for most cameras for about $20 through eBay. I have rekindled a love affair with an old 50 mm Canon f1.2. On my digital camera it now works as very high speed short telephoto. All the low resolution corners of the frame are left out. Pictures of the camera with various lenses attached are in the gallery. Who needs a Noctilux?
Larry Z