Komura LTM m39 Lenses
Komura LTM m39 Lenses
I have two Komura m39 or L39 or LTM lenses I have Tested on my New Sony A7r full frame DSLM camera. The first was the small lightweight 105mm F:3.5, test results show that the image quality falls apart at the extreme end of the magnification cycle on the A7r view playback mode. I suspect that optically this is NOT the superior version of this lens. I was careful to focus wide open , hold the helicoil from slipping and close down.
Next I tested the Komura 135mm F:2.8 lens against my Leitz Leica M mount 135mm F:4 Elmar lens. Both lenses were tested with there shades on. The leica Elmar was very good indeed at F:8, the helicoil does not slip when f:stop is closed down. Next the Komura F:2.8, which is bigger, but not much heavier. Focused at F:2.8 and closed down, it was fabulous! Contrast, sharpness and Bokeh was sweet! So I put the Elmar back in the display case and the Komura in the camera bag. The image quality at Full magnification on the back screen of the A7r held up all the way! Wow what a sharp lens and a full stop faster than the elmar F:4. I realize that Leitz also made a F:2.8 in L/M mount, but I don't have one and its expensive these days, probably for good reasons.
Now my camera bag has 4 manual legacy lenses in it! The 21mm F:4 voigtlander Cosina LTM, chrome. The lenses has a center nodal point rear element that is too close to the chip and color fringes the edges of the FF in purplish color casting on a Sony A7r. To color correct, I used a old science called filtration. A 85c Leitz A filter screws in perfectly inside the shade and removed 90% of that purplish color cast. I love the lens, its lightweight, small and sharp! Next the leitz Leica L/M mt. 40mm F:2 CL Summicron. What a fabulous lens, pooh-pooh incorrectly by the purists in 1980, who claimed correctly that it doesn't focus wide open correctly because the rangefinder base dimensions were not the same! True but who cares! On a DSLM Sony A7r with TTL focus at 7x, this is a meaningless science. The Summicron CL 40mm F:2 German Leitz made lens is exceptional in light weight, small size and outstanding performance! Next the small Elmar 90mm F:4 chrome LTM small lens. tested at its sweet spot of F:8 its a killer and a keeper. Naturally I use adapters for all these lenses. last but hardly least is the exceptional Bokeh quality of the Komura 135mm F:2.8. Well thats it, I don't have any Sony FE lenses yet, I think i get the kit lens 28~70mm FE for video work, thats all.
I am a legacy lens tester and user. I wrote my first post back on eBay in 2009 about the Lumix G-1 with my fabled 40mm Leitz CL F:2, on m4/3 rd's. Then it was a 2x crop so it was actually 80mm F:2, it was great but not normal. So I settled for fast m25 or C-mount lenses, tested and wrote about them too many buyers on eBay. I sold a ton of C-mount and small SLR lenses throughout the years since always waiting fot the Full frame DSLM camera. I have a Nex 7 also with a 16mm, 50mm and Zoom. I tried the Nex series lenses on the A7r, but even in the no crop mode, they didnt cover the FF and after cropping away the edges and circle of confusion you went from FF 36 Meg to 24 Meg file size, so why bother!
Unless you have a huge wallet for FE series Zeiss lenses from Sony, I suggest you experiment with legacy lenses . I consider size to be important; along with sharpness, contrast, flare and Bokeh. SLR lenses tend to have longer back focus to chip plane and bigger adapters to compensate. C-mt is a circle of confusion that's a waste of time on the A7r. Only the rangefinder lens passes the criteria, I want! One surprise was the Olympus Pen F 38mm F:2.8 as it covered the Sony A7r full frame with edge resolution and light falloff, still it was so small and very sharp for most of the image. In fact it was cool, as it makes a kind of old fashion border to the photos which keeps your eye in the photo. The faster Oly Pen F lenses are too big in weight and size, go for the smaller slower lens.
Well thats it for now, its been fun writing to you'all, There was a sleeper lens made by Zeiss for the Exakta back in closing days of WW2 known as the light weight, small tiny alloy 5cm Tessar F:2.8. On a exakta adapter EX>Nex its not too big and gives exceptional results if you find the coated version, which may be Post war? Its hard to find, but usually cheaper as its a sleeper lens, just a little trade secret on a modern FF DSLM camera. Regards, Don@eastwestphoto
