I have an Leica R 7 system.

I am wondering if there are any zoom lenses out there that comes with leica mount or can be fitted somehow.

Leitz prices for zoom lenses are kind of "stiff", so i would like to look at sigma for example.

-- Michael Janecke (michael@janecke.com), December 24, 2001

Answers

That's an interesting question, Michael. The immediate answer is simple, but the debate about it could go on for ages. Bias warning: this entry to the debate is written by a Nikon geek.

The simple answer is that Tamron makes what you are asking for. Nowadays Tamron advertises mainly its autofocus lenses, but its previous range of manual focus lenses is still available new (though usually only to special order) and is readily available secondhand. This previous range used a special set of Tamron "Adaptall 2" mounts which means that a secondhand Tamron lens can be fitted to a wide range of cameras -- all you have to do is to buy and fit the correct mount.

The only Sigma lens for Leica R-mount is a bit of an oddity. In 1991, Sigma designed a zoom lens for Leica -- the 20-70mm f/3.5-4.5 -- which is built by Leica and sold as a Leica Vario-Elmar for USD 1200 or so. I doubt whether this is what you were thinking of! Nor are the Angénieux zooms that were made in R-mount in the 60s and 70s: Angénieux's standards are as high as they come ... and so are their prices.

The debate that your question raises is, Should anyone who buys an R7 also buy third-party lenses?

1. Part of Leica's style is to build to the very highest standard equipment that will last for decades.
2. Part of Nikon's or Canon's style is to build to professional-photographer standards equipment that will survive professional-photographer use.
3. Part of Tamron's style to build equipment of very high optical standards that will survive consumer-photographer use.

Using a Leica camera with Tamron lenses seems something of a mismatch. If you were starting from scratch, I would be one of those saying that you would be better advised to buy all-Nikon or (if you must :-)) all-Canon.

The mismatch is not necessarily one of optical quality. Some argue that the Tamron 90mm f/2.8 Macro lens is better optically than its Nikon and Canon competitors: I have used both Tamron and Nikon and cannot see any difference. So for a macro lens you might well choose Tamron for equivalent or better optical quality at half the price. But the plastic body of the Tamron seems significantly less robust to me than the metal body of the Nikon. And I doubt whether Tamron consistently maintains the optical standard of Nikon, let alone Leica.

Might you not be happier, Michael, sticking to the optical and build quality of Leica by buying, secondhand, fixed focal-length lenses of modest aperture?

Later,

Dr Owl

-- John Owlett (owl@postmaster.co.uk), December 25, 2001.

Hi Dr. Owl,

thanks for the answer. Since the point of mismatching was raised, i would like to explain my thinking some more.

I am an amateur and got my leica by pur accident (luck) for an extremly low price. In the range of a olympus mju, from an old guy who just gave his hobby up. I have an old slr camera set made in the 50th and made a lot of pictures with it.

For the leica i have a summilux 50mm and a vario elmar 35-70, which came with the camere. I also have a third party 500mm mirror tele.

I am using the camera mainly for portraits and family picture type of applications and think i am well equipped (lenses wise) for that.

The rest would all be new territory for me. I would like to experiment with wide angel lenses and also with a zoom (70-300???), but here leitz prices are prohibitive in the sense that i most likely will not use them well or often. Here i would be willing to look into third part lenses and accept the reduced quality which might come with it. For instance my 500mm mirror tele was bought for 75$ and is perfectly alright for what i want and know how to do with it. A leitz telyt would cost me a fortune and i could never use it accordingly.

So in a nutshell i stick to the high quality of leitz lenses for applications i know and will frequently use and go for third party for playing around.

-- Michael Janecke (michael@janecke.com), December 25, 2001.