Using SLR wide angle lenses on RF cameras

raid

raid

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I have tried out a few months ago using a Canon 19mm 3.5 FL on LTM bodies with Canon Adapter B. It is an excellent vintage lens. I have to thank Mark [dexdog] for selling me the lens. It requires mirror lock-up use on Canon cameras.

Then I tried using a a 21mm Asanuma lens and a Spiratone 20mm 2.8 in M42 mount on an LTM body with adapters P and B. I will get back any day a developed roll of film with this lens. I have no clue what to expect.

My latest acquisition is a W-Rokkor 21mm 4.0 lens. It requires mirror lock-up with the SRT. I don't have any Minolta cameras, but I found in one of my bags a Minolta-Leica adapter! The vintage Rokkor lenses have a reputation for being excellent optically and for being "different" from all other lenses.

Which wide angle SLR lenses are you using, and have you tried using it on a RF camera?
 
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No SLR wides on an RF here either... But the topic does remind me I have an M42 adapter for Olympus Pen, and I've used my 28/3.5 SMC Takumar on the Pen. Of course in that application there's a "crop factor" similar to APS-C dSLRs, so it's more of a slightly wide normal. Have fun with your SLR ultra-wides!
 
I have the CZ F-Distagon 16, Distagons 21 and 28/2.8, and the Yashica 24 ML. These are fun to mount on a Contax SLR or Canon DSLR, but there are tradeoffs. Being retrofocus, the barrel distortion is quite noticable. The weight and size is unattractive for my M4 use. For RF shooting, I much prefer a dainty, slower WA of more symmetric design, e.g. pre-ASPH Summicron 35 or CZ CB21/4.5 ZM.
 
I have used my OM 24mm on my Bessa R.
Zone focus of course and I didn't have an auxiliary viewfinder so there was some guessing...
It was just for landscapes.

More about the above on this thread:
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=47955

I haven't used it for 18 months or more. It does seem weird. The lack of finder was the main problem.
I always meant to try my OM 28mm with that set up as the extents of the Bessa R viewfinder would be pretty close to the 28mm FOV. Never got around to it and now have an M body with the CV 28 lens so probably never will.
 
I hope to be able to use a non-ai 28mm Nikkor on my Leica soon. It's a really lovely lens, and it's not that big. Certainly lighter than carrying an extra Nikon body anyway.

Benjamin
 
raid said:
Nobody uses a wide angle SLR lens here?
Click to expand...

Why should one? Make little sense in my view. They are compromised in their optics (corner performance and distortion) to allow for the mirror box. So why pay the penalty for no gain and put in on a Ranger where you could be using a nice e.g. Biogon.
 
I also have the Canon FL 19mm F3.5 and it has become one of my favorite lenses on my Leicas. Very similar to the 21mm F3.5 Leitz Super Angulon, especially in the overall "look". Great lens.
 
Rico said:
I have the CZ F-Distagon 16, Distagons 21 and 28/2.8, and the Yashica 24 ML. These are fun to mount on a Contax SLR or Canon DSLR, but there are tradeoffs. Being retrofocus, the barrel distortion is quite noticable. The weight and size is unattractive for my M4 use. For RF shooting, I much prefer a dainty, slower WA of more symmetric design, e.g. pre-ASPH Summicron 35 or CZ CB21/4.5 ZM.
Click to expand...

Rico,
The W-Rokkor and the Canon lenses both are not retrofocus design lenses. They are like RF lenses in design. That's why I got them.
 
joachim said:
Why should one? Make little sense in my view. They are compromised in their optics (corner performance and distortion) to allow for the mirror box. So why pay the penalty for no gain and put in on a Ranger where you could be using a nice e.g. Biogon.
Click to expand...

Joachim,
Some of the earlier wide angle SLR lenses were designed like RF lenses and before there were retrofocus lenses. The lenses look like a J-12 with protruding rear elements. Even with mirror lock-up SLR cameras there was a need to use an external finder.The only shortcoming is no RF coupling,like the first model CV 25mm/4 snapshot. The size of these non retrofocus lenses is not large. There is no real "penalty to pay" here. Just the opposite; there is a lot to save in expenses.
 
Doug said:
No SLR wides on an RF here either... But the topic does remind me I have an M42 adapter for Olympus Pen, and I've used my 28/3.5 SMC Takumar on the Pen. Of course in that application there's a "crop factor" similar to APS-C dSLRs, so it's more of a slightly wide normal. Have fun with your SLR ultra-wides!
Click to expand...

Thank you, Doug.
I also use a M42-Pen adapter with SMC Takumar lenses. The 50/1.4 is a great lens, and it becomes "longer" and even better for portraits on the Pen F.
 
These are [tiny] photos of such a lens [not mine]:
 

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Last year I got an adapter to put T mount lenses on my M6. For fun I got out my first lens and put it on the M6, a late 60's vintage Soligor 28mm f2.8 preset that I bought in 1972. It's big and blocks some of the finder but it was fun to shoot a roll with an old friend. Surprisingly the old Soligor has more depth of field than my 28mm f2.0 Summicron. I like being able to put old lenses on my M6 but it's mostly for fun. Joe
 
Al,
I agree with you 100%. That 19mm lens is an awesome lend. Build quality is also great. These non-retro focus lenses stay small in size, just like RF lenses.
 
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