[ladybug]

Hi, I am currently thinking of getting a GXR + m-mount module but need some help with lenses selection.

Ideally I would want a FOV similar to my current pentax lenses (DA15, DA21, DA35, DA70)....but i would like to have FF lenses, u know those manual ones with the lens distance markings and all....

I have gathered voigtlander and some of the summicron/summilux are great lenses but could someone please tell me which ones are good (yet at the same time cost roughly the same as the pentax limiteds)?

What are the lenses u guys used with your GXR?

Thanks

[TKH]

Voigtländer lenses are a real bargain. For you the 15mm Heliar, the old 35mm Nokton 1.2 (used around $700, the new one costs $1.300) may do the job.
For Macro like the DA35 I would grab the A12 modul 50mm. Also think about the old Pentax Super Takumar 55mm 1.8 or longer portrait jobs.
Rainer

[ogl]

Not very expensive set is
Voigtlander 15/4.5, outstanding 40/1.4 (not expensive, but with very good bokeh and fast).
It's good combo IMO. I hope to buy next year.

Expensive:
Voigtlander 12/5.6, Nokton 35/1.2 and/or Nokton 50mm f1.1

I can recommend also Zeiss Planar 50/2

[raider]

How do u change aperture on these manual lenses... I supposed you do so by changing the aperture ring? Is there a way the gxr can set the aperture automatically on body?

[aleksanderpolo]

CV15 is very good, though a little slow.
I don't have a 21 at the moment, but CV will have a 21/1.8 soon, could be interesting
ZM 35, CV 35/1.2 II are both good, 35/1.4 not so good unless you like "classical" style
And then, FA77(!) or CV 75/2.5

[creampuff]

I luv my GXR with the Ultron 28mm f/2...

[TKH]

... Nokton 35/1.2 ...

Oh, yessssssssss!

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[ladybug]

Thank you for your recommendation.

I had a look at B&H prices, this is what I found:

1. Voigtlander Heliar 15mm f4.5 $529. There are also quite a few different versions of the 15mm there....which one should I be looking at?
2. Voigtlander color-skopa 21mm f4 $419
3. Voigtlander nokton 40mm f1.4 $529
4. Voigtlander nokton 35mm f1.4 $629 - Do u reckon the 35mm is better than the 40mm in this case? or should I look at the 40mm more closely.
5. Voigtlander Heliar 75mm f1.8 $759

I cannot find a nokton 35mm f1.2 lens in B&H....
And what is a "CV15"? Is that a lens model or ??

Looks like creampuff likes the ultron 28mm f2 ($629). Is this better than the 35mm f1.4?

What do you think of the above list that I made. A good lens list or not.

Thanks

[ogl]

Thank you for your recommendation.

4. Voigtlander nokton 35mm f1.4 $629 - Do u reckon the 35mm is better than the 40mm in this case? or should I look at the 40mm more closely.

40/1.4 is more interesting IMO (of course)

CV -Cosina Voigtlander

It helps
http://www.cameraquest.com/voigtlen.htm

You can order lenses here too.

Pay attention that there are
Leica Screw Mount and Leica M Mount

You need Leica M mount. Leica Screw mount needs additional adapter.

[creampuff]

Buy lenses according to the angle of view that you want. On the GXR, the 1.5x crop factor of the M mount A12 plays a big part in how wide the angle of view you get. Take note that the GXR M mount lacks image stabilization and doesn't have dust removal or reduction. It does afford a better option than the 2x crop factor offered by M4/3 cameras using M mount lenses. Using the optional VF-2 electronic viewfinder does help a lot in focusing as it is easier to observe the focus peaking, allows discreet shooting and shooting in very bright daylight, when the external LCD becomes hard to view. The lack of AA filter delivers great sharpness. One thing to note is that M mount lenses don't have very close minimum focusing distances compared to SLR lenses or GXR lens modules, so select your focal lengths carefully if you intend to shoot close ups.

[aleksanderpolo]

CV stands for cosina voigtlander

There are multiple version of the same optical formula. The CV15 for example, comes in two version: The earlier LTM version has closer minimal focus distance (MFD), need a LTM->M adapter (not a big deal), is not RF coupled (no problem on GXR), cannot mount filter (can be a big deal for some). The later M version is RF coupled, but with longer MFD.

I would suggest you subscribe to Sean Reid's review. He compares the performance of the CV35/1.4 vs CV35/1.7, CV75/2.5 vs CV 75/1.8, for example, and is well worth the subscription fee. Also note that the "classic" line stands for more "classic" drawing (read: softer), so it might/might not be your cup of tea.

Of course, other people's opinion/review cannot replace your own preference. So perhaps you can buy one of the lens and see if you like the drawing before diving full in. Personally, I found that the ZM line in general has more "bite" than CV, but again it's personal preference.

[ladybug]

Thank you for all your contributions. I understand more about m lenses somewhat better now...but I will need to investigate more to decide if I should change system to GXR...

[GXRUser]

Why not just get the Novoflex K to M with aperture control ring (for DA lenses)? If you only use FA lenses, you dont need the version with the aperture control ring.

It would allow you to use your current Limited lenses with the GXR. They will be manual focus, just like any M mount lens you would select.



"Recommended lenses for GXR + M-mount
Hi, I am currently thinking of getting a GXR + m-mount module but need some help with lenses selection.

Ideally I would want a FOV similar to my current pentax lenses (DA15, DA21, DA35, DA70)....but i would like to have FF lenses, u know those manual ones with the lens distance markings and all....

I have gathered voigtlander and some of the summicron/summilux are great lenses but could someone please tell me which ones are good (yet at the same time cost roughly the same as the pentax limiteds)?

What are the lenses u guys used with your GXR?

Thanks


From PentaxForums.com: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/ricoh-gxr/201228-recommended-lenses-gxr-m-mount.html#ixzz28o8LJQd3"

[anthony mazzeri]

Why not just get the Novoflex K to M with aperture control ring (for DA lenses)? If you only use FA lenses, you dont need the version with the aperture control ring.

It would allow you to use your current Limited lenses with the GXR. They will be manual focus, just like any M mount lens you would select.

I agree. Just get a K-M adapter and use all your fine Pentax SLR lenses to begin with before going to the expense of a whole new set of duplicate rangefinder ones.

[EchoOscar]

I agree. Just get a K-M adapter and use all your fine Pentax SLR lenses to begin with before going to the expense of a whole new set of duplicate rangefinder ones.

Well, there is quite a difference in size, weight and comfort. Even the smaller DA Limiteds, when clamped on the K to M adapter are big, clumsy, uncomfortable and tedious to use. The 40mm pancake might be the nicest of those. 42mm screwmount lenses aren't quite as bad with the m42 adapter but still, it's much clumsier with those, too.
For example, I have tried a 135mm Leica R lens with the LR to LM adapter, but the experience was not that pleasant, nor usable. The lens is long and heavy, heavier than the GXR and the module together, and handheld shooting felt a bit daft. Not much smarter with a tripod, either. A reasonably fast 50 or 58mm m42 or LR lens wasn't much better, either. It''s still an awkward chunk of glass and metal uncomfortably far from the body itself, although a bit more usable.

I ended up selling the R lens and buying a native M lens to replace it, and the difference was like night and day, even though I lost half a stop of speed, and a little bit of focal length. Shooting with the short SLR telephoto was tedious and hard to do handheld, but quite enjoyable with the native one. Same with wideangles and standard lenses. I still have and sometimes use the m42 to M adapter and a couple of m42 lenses but, I am in the process of gradually replacing all of them with proper native M lenses. The m42 lenses are much better and nicer with typical (D)SLR bodies.

The GXR really is a fully digital rangefinder. Sort of. Not just a small mirrorless DSLR substitute. Putting a huge DSLR lens (along with a chunky adapter) into the GXR defeats the whole purpose of the system. IMO, anyway.
Besides, the GXR M module has been designed with the typical (symmetric) rangefinder lenses in mind and optimised for them, unlike the other mirrorless systems. That's why the M module has a real M bayonet to begin with, the sensor has no AA filter, and apparently the IR filter is also thinner than usual, much like in the digital Leica M bodies, and unlike in other mirrorless bodies.
Therefore it makes more sense (again, IMO) to use the GXR M-module as a digital M-mount rangefinder with the classic M-mount rangefinder lenses, rather than as an awkward mirrorless body with chunky adapters and all sorts of lenses designed for entirely different systems. Vice versa, it sort of makes more sense to use the classic M mount lenses in either a real Leica or the GXR, rather than in other mirrorless systems with an adapter. A non-native lens with an adapter is always a compromise, and in the case of the GXR, perhaps more so than with some other mirrorless systems.

In other words, whilst it's possible (and maybe cheaper) to use the GXR mount (+ K-M adapter) as a K-01 substitute, I for one don't recommend it. At least not as a permanent solution. It's not particularly fun or comfy, either. Want to use the old K lenses with a small mirrorless camera, buy a K-01. It's cheaper, too, these days.

-just my 2c, and I'll come up with my lens recommendations in another, hopefully shorter post.