Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2010/04/15

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Subject: [Leica] M Lenses on GF-1
From: r.s.taylor at comcast.net (Richard Taylor)
Date: Thu, 15 Apr 2010 11:08:54 -0400
References: <j2x6e74b3701004150617q6674f861n2e043329e2e08ce5@mail.gmail.com> <5564A951-14E1-4477-A297-C1AD95FD1AE6@comcast.net> <CDE7B56DB012459BAC2A5B8D992DCC66@jimnichols>

There should be.  SLR lenses need to be further away from the sensor than M 
lenses in order to clear the mirror, are usually retrofocal, and should have 
better image quality on 4/3rds sensors.  

I was tempted to buy an 20mm R lens to try on the G-1 but after the 
introduction of the 20mm Lumix pancake I put that off because the Lumix was 
such a good performer and far smaller than the R lens. 

I think there were some postings on R lenses on micro 4/3rds cameras but 
can't remember when.  I search of the archives might turn them up.  

Regards, 

Dick



On Apr 15, 2010, at 10:48 AM, Jim Nichols wrote:

> Hi Richard,
> 
> I use Leica-R lenses on my Olympus E-1.  Is there a lot of difference 
> between the Summicron-R and the Summicron-M design?
> 
> Jim Nichols
> Tullahoma, TN USA
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Richard Taylor" <r.s.taylor at 
> comcast.net>
> To: "Leica Users Group" <lug at leica-users.org>
> Sent: Thursday, April 15, 2010 9:42 AM
> Subject: Re: [Leica] M Lenses on GF-1
> 
> 
>> The best way to think about this is to think of each pixel as a tiny 
>> bucket with steep sides and the light sensitive area at the bottom.  
>> Light must go straight in in order to be detected.  Light arriving at 
>> anything other than almost straight in is either lost or scattered.
>> 
>> That's why the sensors in the M8 and M9 have the offset lenses on top of 
>> the sensor.
>> They allow the sensor to respond better to the off-axis light coming out 
>> of M-type lenses.
>> 
>> SLR lenses are usually retrofocus designs that send the light close to 
>> straight in to the sensors and therefore work better on the micro 4-3rds 
>> cameras than M lenses do.
>> 
>> Dick
>> 
>> (Who works with sensors like these in the infrared for space missions.)
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> On Apr 15, 2010, at 9:17 AM, Simon Ogilvie wrote:
>> 
>>>> I'm also perplexed at how Contax G lenses can be materially better on
>>>> Micro Four Thirds than are Leica M lenses, or even CV lenses for that
>>>> matter. While I haven't used all on Micro Four Thirds I have used them
>>>> all on film and for the most part they're all pretty good. Thus I'm
>>>> curious as to why the performance would be so different on Micro Four
>>>> Thirds. What kind of adapters are you using?
>>> 
>>> I agree - one of the primary reasons I bought into the 4/3 system was
>>> because it allowed me to use my Leica M (and Voigtlander) lenses which
>>> don't see much use any more as I shoot very little film these days.
>>> The results using these lenses were very disappointing.  The Panasonic
>>> 14-45 covers the range of nearly all of my M lenses anyway, so as the
>>> results seem better and it's much more convenient to use, I stick with
>>> the zoom.    I was surprised that the results from the Contax G lenses
>>> looked so much nicer.  Why this is the case when the Leica lenses are
>>> so nice with film I cannot explain.  The adapters are the Voigtlander
>>> one for the Leica-M lenses, and an adapter imported from Hong Kong for
>>> the Contax G with a little manual focus wheel that engages with the
>>> focussing drive on the lenses.
>>> 
>>> 
>> 
>> 
>> _______________________________________________
>> 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



Replies: Reply from jhnichols at lighttube.net (Jim Nichols) ([Leica] M Lenses on GF-1)
Reply from photo at frozenlight.eu (Nathan Wajsman) ([Leica] M Lenses on GF-1)
In reply to: Message from simon.ogilvie at gmail.com (Simon Ogilvie) ([Leica] M Lenses on GF-1)
Message from r.s.taylor at comcast.net (Richard Taylor) ([Leica] M Lenses on GF-1)
Message from jhnichols at lighttube.net (Jim Nichols) ([Leica] M Lenses on GF-1)