LTM wide angle recommendations

[raid]

If your goals is to use such lenses with a digital Leica, I recommend that you get retrofocus lenses such as the Rokkor 21mm/2.8 or Canon FC 17/4. The rear glass will be far enough from the sensor to make such lenses useful.

 

[Luddite Frank]

I would not now buy a costly SLR lens to be used with a RF camera when the cost is high. I happen to own since many years quite a few SLR lenses, so I use them with my Leica cameras with an adapter. It works best with wide angel lenses. From the Canon FD line I have:

7.5mm/5.6
17mm/4
24mm/2.8
28mm/2

All would work with Adapter B on ltm or M cameras. Since these lenses are retrofocus in design, they can be used well with Leica digital cameras too.

Good advice.

At those prices, I would probably not chase one just to use on a Barnack.

I do have a Canon FTb, so there is slightly more reason (?) to find a Canon super-wide, but hopefully to luck-into a bargain somewhere.

The best-priced example on e-bay at $189 USD, had scratched/ moldy front element... not exactly a bargain given the issues.

 

[raid]

I would wait until some Canon FD user unloads a clean 17/4 at a good price.

 

[Sumarongi]

Good advice.

At those prices, I would probably not chase one just to use on a Barnack.

I do have a Canon FTb, so there is slightly more reason (?) to find a Canon super-wide, but hopefully to luck-into a bargain somewhere.

The best-priced example on e-bay at $189 USD, had scratched/ moldy front element... not exactly a bargain given the issues.

I would wait until some Canon FD user unloads a clean 17/4 at a good price.

What about a Tamron Adaptall SP 17mm?

 

[raid]

Tamron SP lenses are very well made optics. Is it rectilinear?
https://www.pentaxforums.com/userreviews/tamron-adaptall-2-sp-17mm-f-3-5-51b.html

 

[Sumarongi]

Tamron SP lenses are very well made optics. Is it rectilinear?
https://www.pentaxforums.com/userreviews/tamron-adaptall-2-sp-17mm-f-3-5-51b.html

Yes, here some more details: http://www.adaptall-2.com/lenses/51B.html

 

[raid]

Thanks for the info. It seems to be a very good lens.

 

[CameraQuest]

Hi

I am after chasing down a wide angle lens for my IIIg, IIIc and bessa R, mainly for shooting the cricket grounds l shall visit this year, what would you recommend, l was thinking along the lines of a Voigtlander 25mm snapshot etc, what would you recommend🙂 Thanks in advance for any help received

the most basic decisions are do you want LTM lenses of

1) vintage or modern look ?
2) low, medium, or high investment range?

After you decide these factors, the actual lens choices will fall into place much quicker

If you want modern looking images from your screw mount cameras,
the only practical choices are the Voigtlander 10,12,15,21,25,28mm lenses,

as the modern Leica LTM lenses are limited production, hard to find, and very pricey.

Stephen

 

[johannielscom]

Johan: have you tried out your 28mm Avenon with slow film?

Hi Raid,

not yet, only Kodak TMY 400 so far.

Is there something noteworthy to expect? 🙄

 

[Luddite Frank]

General question about using such a wide lens.

My interest, not far removed from the OP wanting to shoot sporting-grounds, would be landscapes, and architecture.

Is it practical to shoot such a wide (rectilinear) lens hand-held, or is a tripod a practical necessity ? ( Keeping horizontals & verticals true...)

 

[Sumarongi]

General question about using such a wide lens.

My interest, not far removed from the OP wanting to shoot sporting-grounds, would be landscapes, and architecture.

Is it practical to shoot such a wide (rectilinear) lens hand-held, or is a tripod a practical necessity ? ( Keeping horizontals & verticals true...)

In that case, instead of a tripod, I often use a *spirit level* -- one can buy plastic ones for the accessory shoe for mere pennies, and they weigh just grams. Of course some accessory shoe doubler, or a simple flash-bracket holder for the additional accessory shoe is useful, but again, less hassle than a tripod.

 

[Luddite Frank]

So, you aim the camera looking down on the spirit level, and not by holding the VF up to your eye ? ( I'm planning to do this on a screw-mount Leica, BTW)

I guess the FOV is wide enough that it would be difficult to leave anything out of the shot...

 

[Sumarongi]

So, you aim the camera looking down on the spirit level, and not by holding the VF up to your eye ? ( I'm planning to do this on a screw-mount Leica, BTW)

I guess the FOV is wide enough that it would be difficult to leave anything out of the shot...

The spirit levels I use are all-over transparent plastic cubes, so I can use them looking down, or looking through -- so I'm at least horizontally un-slanted 😉 --, and I put them in an accessory shoe next to the accessory VF, when I'm using my Bessa L, e.g.

 

[raid]

Hi Raid,

not yet, only Kodak TMY 400 so far.

Is there something noteworthy to expect? 🙄

I used to get beautiful rendition with my Kobalux 28mm and Fuji Reala 100.

 

[Roger Hicks]

What about a Tamron Adaptall SP 17mm?

Excellent lens. I had one but gave it to a friend as I also had 14mm in Nikon fit (Sigma), and in Leica fit 15mm Voigtlander, 18mm Zeiss, 21mm Kobalux/ Avenon and Voigtlander...

I also had a 20/5.6 Russar and it was awful. Then I tried another and that was awful too. Some people swear by them so I must just have been unlucky twice.

Cheers,

R.

 

[johannielscom]

I used to get beautiful rendition with my Kobalux 28mm and Fuji Reala 100.

Have some Agfa APX 100 (the new stuff) and also some Agfapan 400 (the very old stuff) and will try them both with the Avenon for sure, thanks!

🙂

 

[Beemermark]

I also had a 20/5.6 Russar and it was awful. Then I tried another and that was awful too. Some people swear by them so I must just have been unlucky twice.

Cheers,

R.

30 years I was friends with a very large store that dealt mostly in used stuff. They had six of the 20mm Russars. I tried all 6, all 6 were terrible. In those days I didn’t have much money so I could live with bad, but not as bad as these lenses.

 

[Roger Hicks]

30 years I was friends with a very large store that dealt mostly in used stuff. They had six of the 20mm Russars. I tried all 6, all 6 were terrible. In those days I didn’t have much money so I could live with bad, but not as bad as these lenses.

Glad it's not just me!

Perhaps, instead of you and me being unlucky, the few who've had good ones were all exceptionally lucky.

I love the wording of "I could live with bad, but not as bad as these lenses".

Cheers,

R.

 

[Sumarongi]

30 years I was friends with a very large store that dealt mostly in used stuff. They had six of the 20mm Russars. I tried all 6, all 6 were terrible. In those days I didn’t have much money so I could live with bad, but not as bad as these lenses.

Glad it's not just me!

Perhaps, instead of you and me being unlucky, the few who've had good ones were all exceptionally lucky.

I love the wording of "I could live with bad, but not as bad as these lenses".

Cheers,

R.

I have *no* experience with the lens in question, but I happen to have the PYCCAP accessory finder -- I'm glad that I have it, especially when I combine it with one of the discussed SLR-lens-on-RF-camera-sandwiches, and it's actually quite a good finder, IMHO.

 

[ruby.monkey]

So, you aim the camera looking down on the spirit level, and not by holding the VF up to your eye ? ( I'm planning to do this on a screw-mount Leica, BTW)

I guess the FOV is wide enough that it would be difficult to leave anything out of the shot...

It's a shame Cosina stopped making their double shoe mounts and prism spirit level. I still need one for my 12mm f/5.6 UWH.