[Leica] R lenses on a digital body

[cummer at netvigator.com (H&ECummer)]

Wayne,
If you want a full frame body you have to either go Canon 5D, 5D MkII,  
1Ds and its later versions with adapter or change bayonets and use the  
Nikon D700 or D3 or D3x.
For less than full frame you have many Canons and Nikons to choose  
from and can also add in Olympus and Leica and Panasonic 4/3rds  
cameras with R > 4/3rds adapters.
As Jim says focusing can be problematic with wide angles lenses so  
choosing a camera with magnified live view to confirm focus might be a  
good idea. With Canons you may experience exposure errors as you shut  
down the lenses. This doesn't happen with 4/3rds and Nikon bodies. I  
have used R lenses on Canons up to the 5D, Olympus 330E and E3,  
Panasonic DMC L1 and now Nikon D700. If I were to be forced to choose,  
I think I would go with the Olympus E3 for less than full frame and  
the Nikon D700 for full frame because I like the way the cameras  
handle. But those are pretty expensive and as Jim points out, to use  
the Nikon you have to change the bayonets (cost Eur 68 for each lens  
plus a steady hand). None of these conversions and adaptions will give  
you auto diaphram and you will have to use stop down aperture  
preferred metering which pretty much limits you to f5.6 to f8.0 for  
focusing depending on the brilliance of the viewfinder. Full frame  
cameras tend to have brighter viewfinders than cropped frame cameras  
(one exception being the E3). At the end of the day R lenses work best  
on R platforms but the DMR / R8 /R9 combo is rare and expensive and  
its interface is not up to the standards set by the latest digital  
bodies. And, of course, we are waiting, still waiting for the R10, In  
the meantime I am out using my R lenses on my D700, taking pictures  
and making fun where I can.
Cheers
Howard

> Date: Wed, 28 Jan 2009 11:41:08 -0600
> From: "Jim Nichols" <jhnichols@lighttube.net>
> Subject: Re: [Leica] R lenses on any Digital body
> To: "Leica Users Group" <lug@leica-users.org>
>
> Wayne,
>
> If you want to undertake this "on the cheap", see my recent post of  
> the
> Elmarit-R 28 on my Oly E-510.  Focusing is problematic, but gets  
> better with
> longer lenses. The lens provides an image equivalent to one of twice  
> its
> focal length on a normal 35mm film camera.
>
> If you want to do it right, see Howard Cummer's recent posts of  
> converting R
> lenses for use on full-frame Nikon DSLRs. Nice, but expensive.
>
> Jim Nichols
> Tullahoma, TN USA