Adapter weds Leica lenses to Micro Four Thirds cameras -- for real, Heidi
By Joseph L. Flatley 
posted Dec 8th 2008 8:48PM
posted Dec 8th 2008 8:48PM
The German outfit Novoflex has just announced an adapter that will allow you to mount Leica lenses onto your Micro Four Thirds system cameras. Due out this month at €149 (about $193), the mount is one in a planned series, with adapters for Leica R, Nikon, Contax / Yashica, Olympus OM, Pentax and Minolta MD lenses expected in February. Of course, the only MFT camera out there is Panasonic's Lumix G1, but with a new Olympus on the horizon and more sure to follow, this is certainly good news for all of you budget-conscious photographers out there.
[Via Wired]
[Via Wired]
Who's heidi?
Maybe some kinda reference to Heidi Klum... as they talk about some german company and she's german. But seriously, i have no clue =/
http://es.youtube.com/watch?v=trhwQfANYg8
I don't know what's worse. You posting that link and actually knowing about it or me watching the entire thing...
No... whats worse is that I used to like that cartoon as a kid.
I like the case. The blue on black is cool.
Great idea. Let's put top of the line, ridiculously expensive, professional lenses on a "soccer mom wannabe professional photographer's" camera.
It is a good idea, when you consider that the lens system typically outlasts the camera anyway, and (after a certain point) is more important than the body in determining image quality.
Nonsense. It's small, it's rather silent, ... the design could be simpler, but otherwise a nice camera for street photography I imagine. Maybe the design is even an advantage, people think they have to hear a sound out of such a camera, but they don't hear it, so they don't think someone is taking photos of them. Great! My Pentax is way to loud.
Budget budget-conscious photographers probably don't own Leica lenses...
Either way, this camera is still far too expensive. If I wanted to go cheap, I would get a D40, if I wanted to take it up a notch, I would settle for the D90.
If you only count features though, this camera has a edge over the D40. More dedicated controls, bigger viewfinder, no mirror slap issue at slower shutter speeds (the D40 lacks a lock-up feature), and even high speed flash sync. The fact that the VF is electronic rather than optical could be somewhat of an issue, though at least they put in a high end EVF, and the sensor is slightly smaller, though still several times larger than what you'd find in any compact (save for the Sigma DP1). But I'd say overall the price is fairly justified. Especially since it's a brand new product.
And I'll give you the size argument: its between the size of a D40 and the compact FZ8. In fact, it is the serious amateur or the professional for who price is less a factor - the G1 is probably the price of a good lens or two. For them, they probably already have a D300 or more; so between a D40 which is a tad bulkier and less featured and a G1 which is smaller and has more features, resulting in less overlap with their D300, they may very well take the G1. Especially if it can use their old Leica's lens collection too.
Neat.
It's not a Leica M lens, so it's not all THAT great.
Good news really...but not -terribly- unexpected, the 4:3 mount is decently easy to adapt lenses to..and the micro 4:3 is probubly the same way...
as for the G1...its a camera I'm seriously torn on, on one hand i love the thought of a small pocket-sized DSLR, but on the other hand I say that I can barely see on the tiny viewfinders on a normal-4:3 camera [Except for the E3 pro model] and even my EOS-30D can be troublesome to see through [Although thats also the fact it lacks a REAL eyecup, what the heck happened to those anyways?] I have yet to handle one of these [I am planning to however, its a camera that seriously does intrigue me]
Other worries are contrast-only AF, which can be..spotty sometimes, and the EVF in general, which make my eyes bleed and i doubt will ever be, at least to me, a replacement for an SLR viewfinder [Which i doubt they'll ever replace...] and the single command dial [I regularly use both on my 30D] And the size, I shoot a 30D with the BP-E2 on the bottom, I came from an EOS-3 with a PB-E2, I like the extra size and weight that keeps my camera "balanced" with the optics i like to shoot...I don't like the tiny rebels, the D40, the D60 or the a200/300/350 or the Olympus 420....510...[Ok any Olympus save the E3 which I think is one of the best built cameras on the market]
But that said, it does look like a nifty imaging tool..
In fact the shorted mounting distance should make adapting even easier. Possibly even leaving additional room for circuitry to make "smart" adapters that can actually give you control over the strictly electronic apertures in most modern lenses. (that's my hope at least)
One advantage the G1 actually has over most 4:3 cameras is the physical size of its viewfinder. It gives a 1.4x magnification and 100% Field of View. Compare that to the 0.94x magnification and 95% FOV of the e520. It's also apparently much sharper than most other EVFs.
On the flip side the EVF does still struggle in low-light. And I agree that the excess glare produced by a backlit EVF can be annoying. (though OLED or some other technology might eventually improve matters here)
The command dial on the G1 is a bit of an oddity. The exposure compensation button is actually built into it. Meaning all you have to do is push the dial in to access either EC or aperture control.
When attaching adapted SLR lenses, obviously weight would be concern. On the other hand Panasonic has shown that the reduced mounting distance can also have a slimming effect on lenses actually designed for the system.
Hmmn that is a cool point...imagine bolting the Canon EF 200 f/2L on one of those [Horridly unbalanced, but the effective 400mm f/2 would be incredible]
That comment on the viewfinder is exactly why im quite torn! I'm waiting to actually try one I suppose before I really definitively give a verdict....
$750 is steep, but its an introductory price, if it fell into the $500-600 range, and once backed with a couple primes[I think I saw a f/1.7 24-25mm listed under "coming soon"], I could possibly see myself grabbing one as a "carry camera" to throw in my messanger bag to keep handy at all times
Or I might get that 5D I've wanted and strip my 30D down [Sans BG-E2] with a Sigma 30mm f/1.4 DC on it to fulfill the same purpose
In fact it's a 20mm f1.7 "pancake lens":
http://dpnow.com/images/5198/P1000231-1copy.jpg
That's exactly the same reason I'm tempted by micro four thirds! I'd love to have something I can carry around with me sans the bulk of my main SLR rig, but without having to sacrifice performance.
Woops my bad!
Ah a lovely little pancake lens....Tessar from the looks of it, Those generally work pretty well, Provided its reasonably priced and etc it could be one of the standout lenses for this system....
I'd love a Leica Summicron or such for it as well [I know the 4:3 system has a 25mm Leica, and I think its a Summicron...]
I wonder if they will make one for Leica screwmount lenses, also if the Minolta MD mount will be any good.
Canon G1
Google G1
Lumix G1
next……？
Don't forget the Contax G1 and Sony DSC G1.
In old days, each manufacturer's lens had their typical character.( seems not now )
That was the reason why some liked Leica and others liked Carl Zeiss.( Contax )
I was using Nikon and Pentax lenses on EOS with the adapters I made myself.
So that, I could compare the lenses on the same film.
To use different manufacturer's lens on the same camera body is not just economical reason.
The color characteristics still vary at bit between manufacturers. But it's harder to notice with digital, since the white balance setting can compensate better than film.
How is this for BUDGET-consumers, since only the ADAPTER is $200?! I hate it when Engadget writers don`t think, before posting something smart like that.
Forget the price of the adapter, look at the prices of Leica M mount lenses. They are the best lineup of lenses out there, but boy do you pay for them. The cheapest one is a 50/2.8 for $800 after rebate at B&H. Now that is what really makes the whole "this is certainly good news for all of you budget-conscious photographers out there." just plain silly.
Its a Novoflex, they're all that expensive, I'd expect there will be some equally good chinese knockoffs in a month or two going for $50-60 instead..
As for the price of Leica optics, it depends really, I've found some used 50mm f/1.4s in the R mount for $800 before, which while excessive isnt unrealistic....if you shop around you can find bargains though
Zeiss is more affordable, you can get a used 50mm f/1.4 Planar in the Contax/Yashica mount for $300 or so, and the 85 f/1.4 Planar is maybe $600, definately reasonably priced for what they are!!
Well a new Leica M8 costs $4000-5000, so the G1 is substantially cheaper, which is what I think Engadget was referring to.
Sounds great until you remember that whatever focal length lens you mount on there loses half of its field of view to the camera's 2x crop factor. So that nice expensive wideangle Zeiss or Leica 21mm or 28mm lens you might have suddenly becomes equivalent to a 42mm and 56mm respectively. Hmmm.
True. Although at the moment there simply isn't a solution that keeps those wide angles wide on a digital camera. Even the M8 only uses a APS-C size sensor.
Dang! Why did I get rid of all my OM lenses. They were awesome.
Hmmm. Now I'm considering it. My one left-over Leica lens I haven't sold, a 90mm f/2 Summicron would be the equivalent of a 180 f/4. I've used the Leica 180 f/2 Apo Summicron, and though this lens can't touch that one, the effect of 180 at f/2 was very nice.
Lexicon of Leica terms:
Elmar - slower than f/2.8
Elmarit: f/2.8
Summarit: f/2.5
Summicron: f/2
Summilux: f/1.4
Noctilux: f/1.2, f/1.0 and now f/0.95
Names no longer used:
Hektor = Max Berek's (early Leica engineer) dog.
Rex (Summarex) was his other dog
The interesting part of the micro 4/3s possbilities are not just to use the leica, canon, zeiss, nikon, yashica, fujinon lenses
Rather, I find interesting is the variety of potential 16mm cine lenses in C-mount or Arriflex that will cover the sensor and allow you not only wide focal lengths but also give you the capability of using fast zoom lenses (many in the 1.8 - 2.5 area)
Some are already making their own mounts:
http://forum.getdpi.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4194
http://www.buycheapnow.co.uk/cheap-digital-cameras