GL Optics Leica-R

[Christoffer Glans]

I'm checking out the Leica-R from cinemaglass.com, primarily the Leica-R 35mm T1.4, 50mm T1.4 and the 80mm T1.4 to see if they are worth getting.
Are there any videos or demos showing them in action? I'm not really comfortable buying them without having seen how they perform. Anyone have any experience with these?

 

[Dominik Muench]

cant speak for the rehoused versions although I'd buy them in a heartbeat and would love to see some footage too, but if they are like the Leica R originals...boy oh boy, love their look and feel, can send you a ton of footage and stills I shot with the 28/60/135mm if that's any indication to you.

 

[Christoffer Glans]

cant speak for the rehoused versions although I'd buy them in a heartbeat and would love to see some footage too, but if they are like the Leica R originals...boy oh boy, love their look and feel, can send you a ton of footage and stills I shot with the 28/60/135mm if that's any indication to you.

Yeah, I've seen some footage, but not enough to make up my mind. It's quite expensive and there's no high speed wide option under 35mm. How's the breathing on these? I've yet to see any focus pulls.

Do you have any links to videos you shot on them? :biggrin5:

 

[Dominik Muench]

the 28mm is 2.8 or do you need something faster ?
its quite subtle and smooth. these were all shot on my Leicas:

 

[Christoffer Glans]

Looks really good
Right now I'm looking at the 35 as the widest since it's a T1.4, but I can only afford three lenses as of now and there might be a problem not having anything wider than the 35mm. Would you recommend getting the 19mm, 35mm and 80mm instead? I rarely use a 50mm but not having a wide option might be causing problems. It's just that it's not very fast at T2.8.

 

[Dominik Muench]

I haven't really worked with those focal lengths, David Battistella is the absolute Leica crack when it comes to those different types. I guess it comes down to what you're planing on doing, instead of the 50mm though I can highly recommend the 60mm macro which is probably my absolute favorite lens so far.

 

[Christoffer Glans]

I haven't really worked with those focal lengths, David Battistella is the absolute Leica crack when it comes to those different types. I guess it comes down to what you're planing on doing, instead of the 50mm though I can highly recommend the 60mm macro which is probably my absolute favorite lens so far.

Thing is that they have a set of specific lenses they rehouse at GL optics. Here's what they do...

 

[Mark Andersen]

I have these lenses but only the Duclos moded version. But I can tell you they are beautiful. They will bloom a bit when wide open, like many fast lenses, to get 1.4s that are near perfect wide open you have to go Summilux C primes or Maters. But the Lieca Rs are not bad and I find them quite usable at 1.4. My 50 probably blooms the most, the 80 is better (I think mine is abnormally good, I've heard other say they find the 80 soft) and my 35 is the best at 1.4

 

[Mark Andersen]

I might some day have GL rehouse these but I'm a little nervous about it and the price is hard to swallow for a owner operator set sine the Duclos mod works pretty well, as long as you have a little piece of gaff tape nearby, (inside joke)

 

[Christoffer Glans]

I might some day have GL rehouse these but I'm a little nervous about it and the price is hard to swallow for a owner operator set sine the Duclos mod works pretty well, as long as you have a little piece of gaff tape nearby, (inside joke)

But the focus ring isn't 330 degrees on the Duclos mod, right? It's kinda hard for a focus puller without that. Handling the camera yourself I get is easier, but how do the Duclos perform with a full camera crew?

As of now I'm leaning towards getting the 19mm T2.8 the 35mm T1.4 and the 80mm T1.4. Can't afford four lenses and just having the 35, 50 and 80 is a bit short on the wide side. I rarely use 50mm, but then again, many does if I'm renting the gear. Hard choices.

 

[A. Clint Litton]

The glass is beautiful, that much we can say. But another question worth considering is which versions of the various lenses are being used. The 19mm v2, and 28mm v2 are huge upgrades to the older versions. the v2 50mm is much better than the v1, but the E60 (v3) 50mm is this absolute best, but also pretty hard to find. So it may be doubtful that they are using the absolute best versions available. Also, are they able to find serial numbers across the focal lengths that are relatively close together, so that there's a better chance of similar coatings and color matching. The upside may be PL mount and uniformity, though I still wonder if it's a full rehouse, allowing the use of clip-on matte box, etc. I've been using the R lenses with a Duclos mod and they're very nice and small, but definitely owner-operator/personal use type of thing. Some people will rent them still, but with EOS mount, it's not really the same thing as a PL setup. I'd also wonder how serviceable these GL mods are by a lens technician closer to home (wouldn't want to have to send back to China for work). QC is the other looming question. Probably good to also ask around for those who have GL mods of Contax lenses to see what the overall impressions have been. Good luck...

 

[Christoffer Glans]

The glass is beautiful, that much we can say. But another question worth considering is which versions of the various lenses are being used. The 19mm v2, and 28mm v2 are huge upgrades to the older versions. the v2 50mm is much better than the v1, but the E60 (v3) 50mm is this absolute best, but also pretty hard to find. So it may be doubtful that they are using the absolute best versions available. Also, are they able to find serial numbers across the focal lengths that are relatively close together, so that there's a better chance of similar coatings and color matching. The upside may be PL mount and uniformity, though I still wonder if it's a full rehouse, allowing the use of clip-on matte box, etc. I've been using the R lenses with a Duclos mod and they're very nice and small, but definitely owner-operator/personal use type of thing. Some people will rent them still, but with EOS mount, it's not really the same thing as a PL setup. I'd also wonder how serviceable these GL mods are by a lens technician closer to home (wouldn't want to have to send back to China for work). QC is the other looming question. Probably good to also ask around for those who have GL mods of Contax lenses to see what the overall impressions have been. Good luck...

From what I understand the built quality is superb, they are robust and true cine-lenses in their operation. Things I've heard though is that the QC isn't the best, that there have been cases of focus points not being correct and even worse, not correct between different lenses in a set, meaning that it doesn't matter if you backfocus, you will always be off. I'm also wondering about the service part, even if they need to be sent back to LA for service that's not really working. I really need to be able to go to our local rental office (which have technicians as well) and correct things if needed.

It's a bit worrisome that I've heard a lot of bad reports about the QC though. There's a lot of money paid and a long delivery time so there should not be any problems. Lenses for this much really need to be "perfect", at least something as basic as focus distance marks being correct... that's pretty basic and something lenses like the Xeen handle for a fraction of the cost of these.

 

[Dan Kanes]

The nice thing about using a Leitax back and some good focus gears a la duclos is that you can use other canon mount lenses for your wide - I.e. sigma 18-35, which personally I feel is a good match to the leica R for your wides.

of course there is the matter of manual focusing with the 18-35 with a gear ring (not so hot)

 

[Christoffer Glans]

So no one has any experience with the cinema glass rehoused versions of these Leica-Rs? I find it strange that these aren't more popular than they seem, what's the catch here?

 

[Tarquin Cardona]

So no one has any experience with the cinema glass rehoused versions of these Leica-Rs? I find it strange that these aren't more popular than they seem, what's the catch here?

Hi Christoffer

The catch is in between the lines of what some have already said here. Leica R are awesome if you get the right ones. For example a very late SN version of the 90mm is a killer of a lens.
35 Lux late model is insane. So one needs to research a fair bit to find the ones where the optics were improved over time as is the case with the V2 of the 19mm. Some lenses like the 70-180 and 35 -70 2.8 zooms have basically been swallowed up and are insanely expensive now for example. Because they are just that good.

What I am getting at is that just being a Leica R lens does not make it inherently awesome. So if GL Optics are picking up Leica R glass with no real emphasis on cherry picking the best for the rehouse, then you are paying a crazy premium for what lenses that may have been acquired for a few hundred bucks, rehoused and spat back out at 25K. So for me if you are going to play the vintage game in Leica or Contax or whatever. Better to do your research and have a solidly reputable house do the mods for you. It's more personal and more reliable.

Also, based on experience with the Sigma zoom GL mod, I had exactly the back focus problems others have mentioned. For me I won't trust this type of stuff anymore. Someone can get a good one, but a lot of folks get lenses that are functional but not really professionally perfect.

 

[Christoffer Glans]

What I am getting at is that just being a Leica R lens does not make it inherently awesome. So if GL Optics are picking up Leica R glass with no real emphasis on cherry picking the best for the rehouse, then you are paying a crazy premium for what lenses that may have been acquired for a few hundred bucks, rehoused and spat back out at 25K. So for me if you are going to play the vintage game in Leica or Contax or whatever. Better to do your research and have a solidly reputable house do the mods for you. It's more personal and more reliable.

Got some word back from Avi about the lenses. Supposedly they now have a columator/projector to correct markings that are off so he guaranteed me 100% accurate on that. He also wrote back about what lenses that are the basis for the Leica-R series. So what's your take on these?

• 19mm version II
• 28mm e48
• 35mm f1.4 e67
• 35mm f2.0 e55
• 50mm f1.4 e55
• 50mm f2.0 e55
• 60mm macro e55
• 80mm f1.4 e67
• 90mm f2.0 e55
• 135mm f2.8 e55
• 180mm f2.8 e67

The lenses I've been looking at are these and I think, based on the info he gave, these are the versions that the rehousings are based upon:

19mm version II
http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-wiki.en/index.php/19mm_f/2.8_Elmarit-R_II

35mm f1.4 e67
http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-wiki.en/index.php/35mm_f/1.4_Summilux-R

50mm f1.4 e55
http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-wiki.en/index.php/50mm_f/1.4_Summilux-R_I

80mm f1.4 e67
http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-wiki.en/index.php/80mm_f/1.4_Summilux-R

Opinions?

 

[Avi Cohen]

I'm checking out the Leica-R from cinemaglass.com, primarily the Leica-R 35mm T1.4, 50mm T1.4 and the 80mm T1.4 to see if they are worth getting.
Are there any videos or demos showing them in action? I'm not really comfortable buying them without having seen how they perform. Anyone have any experience with these?

cant speak for the rehoused versions although I'd buy them in a heartbeat and would love to see some footage too, but if they are like the Leica R originals...boy oh boy, love their look and feel, can send you a ton of footage and stills I shot with the 28/60/135mm if that's any indication to you.

Hi Fellas... Cinema Glass here... they are for sure 100% the same glass as Dominik here is referencing... any footage he may send over will be the same look... only difference is, they would be there after collimated, with an aluminum body, 95mm front ends, .08 module gears, a 330 degree focus through and an interchangeable mount system PL/Canon/Nikon

 

[Avi Cohen]

I might some day have GL rehouse these but I'm a little nervous about it and the price is hard to swallow for a owner operator set sine the Duclos mod works pretty well, as long as you have a little piece of gaff tape nearby, (inside joke)

Hi Mark

Avi Cohen (www.CinemaGlass.com)

The cost per lens for rehouse if you supply your own glass is $2500

 

[Avi Cohen]

The glass is beautiful, that much we can say. But another question worth considering is which versions of the various lenses are being used. The 19mm v2, and 28mm v2 are huge upgrades to the older versions. the v2 50mm is much better than the v1, but the E60 (v3) 50mm is this absolute best, but also pretty hard to find. So it may be doubtful that they are using the absolute best versions available. Also, are they able to find serial numbers across the focal lengths that are relatively close together, so that there's a better chance of similar coatings and color matching. The upside may be PL mount and uniformity, though I still wonder if it's a full rehouse, allowing the use of clip-on matte box, etc. I've been using the R lenses with a Duclos mod and they're very nice and small, but definitely owner-operator/personal use type of thing. Some people will rent them still, but with EOS mount, it's not really the same thing as a PL setup. I'd also wonder how serviceable these GL mods are by a lens technician closer to home (wouldn't want to have to send back to China for work). QC is the other looming question. Probably good to also ask around for those who have GL mods of Contax lenses to see what the overall impressions have been. Good luck...

Yes yes and yes...

19mm v2

Full rehouse

ready for any matte box, etc...

Matthew Duclos just chimed in on a thread up a bit ago with this

"Matthew Duclos I had my hands on the GL Leica R re-housings recently. They were a demo set, but I do have to say they were some of the best Leica R re-housings I've seen - and certainly the best work I've seen come out of China in terms of re-worked vintage lenses. The glass is what it is. Nothing to complain about there. But the housings were pretty decent build. Focus movement was smooth and consistent (not common for Chinese products). The fit and finish was higher quality than the rest of the work I've seen from GL."


Lastly you can come ny anytime here in LA and out your hands on them

 

[Avi Cohen]

From what I understand the built quality is superb, they are robust and true cine-lenses in their operation. Things I've heard though is that the QC isn't the best, that there have been cases of focus points not being correct and even worse, not correct between different lenses in a set, meaning that it doesn't matter if you backfocus, you will always be off. I'm also wondering about the service part, even if they need to be sent back to LA for service that's not really working. I really need to be able to go to our local rental office (which have technicians as well) and correct things if needed.

It's a bit worrisome that I've heard a lot of bad reports about the QC though. There's a lot of money paid and a long delivery time so there should not be any problems. Lenses for this much really need to be "perfect", at least something as basic as focus distance marks being correct... that's pretty basic and something lenses like the Xeen handle for a fraction of the cost of these.

Hi Chris, we have a brand new projector from duclos and I can assure you no back lash and happy QC... the first couple sets before full speed ramped up production lenses always have a few kinks to be worked out. I can assure you though everything is now good to go hot off the presses.