Best digital camera (full format) for Leica mount wide angle lenses?

[Sonnar2]

Hi there,

I recently bougt one of the new Voigtlander 35/f2.0 Ultrons for my Sony A7ii and discovered heavy light falloff to the edges wide open. From my understandig this has to do with the thickness of (unmodified) sensor stack of the camera and the wide exit angle of the lens (short distance to sensor).

What is the best digital camera for using classic (Leica mount) lenses, notably wide angle lenses?

Cheers,
Frank

 

[rhl-oregon]

Leica, of course!

But since you own the A72, consider the Kolari modification. It is not specially expensive, and will improve corners and edges of images taken with wide angle RF lenses.

I own an A7 Kolari (soon to be listed for sale on RFF) and currently use an A72 Kolari, for when I want to use M/LTM lenses with an EVF. (However, I mostly use an M-D 262 for those lenses.)

Here are a few images with the A7-K camera.

CV 35/1.2 V1, f 1.8

ZM 21/2.8, probably f 5.6

 

[Sonnar2]

Very nice images.
Is the Type 240 as good as the Type 262 with wide angle lenses? I mostly shot color, not B&W. I read that some Leica cameras have the same, or even worse (colour shifting) problems

 

[rhl-oregon]

I can’t help with anything besides the M-D 262. I’m happy with its colors, even if I mostly convert to monochrome before working on the image, and I mainly shoot 21-50.

I did try a V1 15/4.5 Voigtlander on the M-D, and that resulted in fringing and smearing.

Perhaps you should ask this 240/262 WA color question on a 240 thread here. There are others who have worked with the 240 longer and are more critical about colors and corners than I.

 

[Gregm61]

Very nice images.
Is the Type 240 as good as the Type 262 with wide angle lenses? I mostly shot color, not B&W. I read that some Leica cameras have the same, or even worse (colour shifting) problems

Yes, whichever one you picked, your superwides will produce excellent results.

21mm f3.4 Super Elmar on my M262..



Same lens used on an MP240..



Same lens, again on the MP240..



And again on the M262..

 

[jszokoli]

21mm f3.4 Super Elmar on a digital Leica

21mm f3.4 Super Elmar on a digital Leica

Yes, whichever one you picked, your superwides will produce excellent results.

These images above really support my feeling that the 21mm SEM 3.4 is THE lens to get if your looking for a wide angle lens for a digital M. I was without mine for a few weeks and I can say that it is irreplaceable! If you have a digital Leica get the 21 SEM and you're done, get something else and you will always be searching. And the 21 SEM is, for Leica, affordable.

Joe

 

[bayernfan]

The Ultron 35/2 vignettes heavily regardless of the sensor. See the dedicated image thread, it vignettes heavily on film.

A digital Leica M with its specialized microlens array and thin cover glass will help correct the color-shift and corner smearing associated with wide lenses on digital sensors. If you properly select a 6 bit code, you can correct some the vignetting as well.

 

[Gregm61]

These images above really support my feeling that the 21mm SEM 3.4 is THE lens to get if your looking for a wide angle lens for a digital M. I was without mine for a few weeks and I can say that it is irreplaceable! If you have a digital Leica get the 21 SEM and you're done, get something else and you will always be searching. And the 21 SEM is, for Leica, affordable.

Joe

Agreed.

I shift my outfit around at times, but the 21mm f3.4 Super Elmar is one of the constants.

 

[Out to Lunch]

Depends on the lens construction as well. This shot with the Epson R-D1x -with a cropped sensor, and the CV Super-Wide-Heliar III 4.5/15....

 

[Huss]

Depends on the lens construction as well. This shot with the Epson R-D1x -with a cropped sensor, and the CV Super-Wide-Heliar III 4.5/15....

Doesn't that combo then crop out the sides of the image so it acts like a 25mm lens?
That will eliminate any lens issues.

 

[Out to Lunch]

On this 1.5 cropped sensor it 'becomes' a 22.5mm lens. Taking the same shot with the older Version 2 II Super-Wide-Heliar would result in serious vignetting.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

I'm sorry but 35 is not wide. And non of the digital M will have problems with any, including LTM 35.
Here is maybe one Leica 28 mm LTM lens. And it is kind of crappy one at the corners naturally.
And I'm not sure if here is any 21 mm Leitz LTM...

The rest of non Leica, modern M-mount Leica should works fine without smearing of the corners, but many UWA will need CornerFix to get colors back to normal.
On digital M.

I recommend to check recent Nikon mirror-less FF as well.
https://kenrockwell.com/nikon/mirrorless/with-adapted-rangefinder-lenses.htm
Seems to be better than Sony.

 

[sevres_babylone]

I was generally satisfied with the results on my original Epson RD1 and first gen helier 15mm which with the cropped sensor gave a 22.5mm perspective.
MuchMusic something or other by sevres babylone, on Flickr

The Calm Between Two Storms by sevres babylone, on Flickr

Picking it Up by sevres babylone, on Flickr

On the other hand, I’m not sure what was going on in the one below; if it was like that, or if I did something in post. Or how much aperture played a role.
Angst in the Afternoon by sevres babylone, on Flickr

 

[raid]

The 16mm Hologon vignettes heavily in cornets even when used with ND filter. This is seen in M9 and M240, and less obvious in the M8.

 

[Sonnar2]

Thanks. I've bought a used 240.