NikonGear'23
Gear Talk => Lens Talk => Topic started by: Bjørn Solberg on March 29, 2018, 10:29:08
-
When an experienced photographer like Michael Erlewine recommends Leitz Macro Elmarit 60mm (in the tread "This is how much a new Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 Apo-Lanthar Costs" he and Mr. Koerner hijacked fom Macro Cosmos) I get interested.
They come in 3 versions with basically identical build, and can easily be converted to Nikon mount with Leitax mount http://leitax.com/leica-lens-for-nikon-cameras.html
The last ROM version mount comes with Dandelion chip already in place from Leitax.
Recommendations and views welcome.
-
When an experienced photographer like Michael Erlewine recommends Leitz Macro Elmarit 60mm (in the tread "This is how much a new Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 Apo-Lanthar Costs" he and Mr. Koerner hijacked fom Macro Cosmos) I get interested.
They come in 3 versions with basically identical build, and can easily be converted to Nikon mount with Leitax mount http://leitax.com/leica-lens-for-nikon-cameras.html
The last ROM version mount comes with Dandelion chip already in place from Leitax.
Recommendations and views welcome.
I recommended it for those, like Jack, who want a lighter lens for hiking etc. It is not an APO lens. It is just a reasonably small nice lens. In fact, I keep it on an older Nikon DSLR body to take photos of equipment around the studio. I like the lens, but I do not use it for what I call "serious" photography. I would like to see the Big Brother of this lens, the Leica 60mm APO, but I don't think that is adaptable to Nikon mount and it costs a lot. I have the Zeiss Otus 55mm, which is close enough.
-
Exactly Michael, affordable hiking lens, and to try a different brand then Nikon. And for sure serious enough for me.
-
I recommended it for those, like Jack, who want a lighter lens for hiking etc. It is not an APO lens. It is just a reasonably small nice lens. In fact, I keep it on an older Nikon DSLR body to take photos of equipment around the studio.
This is a beautiful lens, Michael, exactly in alignment with my favorite-type lenses to bring out into the field. Thanks for the tip.
I like the lens, but I do not use it for what I call "serious" photography. I would like to see the Big Brother of this lens, the Leica 60mm APO, but I don't think that is adaptable to Nikon mount and it costs a lot. I have the Zeiss Otus 55mm, which is close enough.
Honestly, most "serious" photographers do not deploy the highest-end Apo lenses ... but, rather, just really good lenses that are quite versatile in application.
While the Zeiss Otus is the pinnacle of 50-something commercial options, I would say there are at least 1000 professional photographers who use other Nikkor 50-ish primes, for every '1' who uses an Otus.
The truth is, the absolute finest Apo-type lenses are really for connoisseurs/collectors more so than for 'serious' photographers.
______________
Exactly Michael, affordable hiking lens, and to try a different brand then Nikon. And for sure serious enough for me.
There is nothing "unserious" about this lens: its construction and capabilities are all that's required.
For example, in my 300mm f/4 tread (http://nikongear.net/revival/index.php/topic,7205.0.html), I compared the absolute, ultimate usefulness of the 300mm f/4 with the 'superior Apo rendering' of the (too-heavy, too awkward) 300mm f/2.8 VR II. (I own/ed both, I can speak about both.)
While the latter does have more 'Apo exquisiteness'; the former is good enough ... and it is a thousand times more useful/pleasurable to implement in the field.
That said, the Leica Macro Elmarit 60mm appears to be, essentially, an equal option to the Micro-Nikkor 55mm lenses (sharp, small, cheap, versatile), but perhaps a little classier.
Whatever 'Apo' characteristics other 55mm lenses (Otus) have assets are probably not too discernible in real-life, hiking/field conditions to make up for their extra weight + lack of 1:2 reproduction ratios as liabilities, rendering them less useful overall.
In the same fashion, the results I get with the 300 f/4 PF are easily as nice as the results anyone gets (including myself) with the 300 f/2.8 VR II ... though the latter 'rates higher' in lens tests ::)
Having used both, you couldn't give me the 300 f/2.8 VR II if it meant I had to give-up the 300 f/4 PF to get it ... even though I know it delivers "technically better" image quality when pixel-peeping.
Regarding the subject lens, the reviewing sites on the Leica Macro Elmarit 60mm seem to ascribe a 'warmer rendering' to this lens than is typical of Leica ... and I happen to prefer cooler rendering.
In fact, that is another reason I prefer the Voigtländer 125mm Apo Macro over the Zeiss 135mm Apo: in addition to being more useful, the CV 125 also renders cooler, whereas the Zeiss 135mm renders warmer.
At least that was my experience with my lenses ...