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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

LEICA R on RED: Pictures

For those of you that have de-clicked your Leica R lenses, do you experience iris creep (as in the iris moves on its own)? I was reading some reports that it's ultimately better to not declick the iris?
 
For those of you that have de-clicked your Leica R lenses, do you experience iris creep (as in the iris moves on its own)? I was reading some reports that it's ultimately better to not declick the iris?
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It might occur but if the right grease is used it shouldn´t. I once got one lens back from declicking which had this issue but they finally fixed it and it never happened again.

For me it´s necessary to have the lenses declicked because i shoot documentary as well and sometimes need to change exposure smoothly within the shot. If you just shoot under controlled lighting conditions you probably can live with the clicked iris.

What focus gears are you guys using on the summicron-R's? As I am looking for the tilta nucleus-M/N. But I will need some focus gears for the lenses itself. (I also need focus gears for my sigma lenses as well).
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I have gears from Cordvision and i´m very happy with them. But they are in Switzerland, depending where you live you have to deal with customs / long transportation times.

http://www.cordvision.com/product/pro-lens-gear/
 
I'm a Leica lover and I have been thinking of putting together some lenses for the Scarlet. Looks awesome!
 
What focus gears are you guys using on the summicron-R's? As I am looking for the tilta nucleus-M/N. But I will need some focus gears for the lenses itself. (I also need focus gears for my sigma lenses as well).
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I've got one of these on my 50mm summicron-r:

https://followfocusgears.com/collections/leica
 
Tony Yang:
You can de-click in a half-assed way, or the permanent way(spring cut or removed)
half assed = iris creep
permanent = smooth as butter and no problems whatsoever. Can't use them on R system camera afterwards, of course.
 
Tony Yang said:
For those of you that have de-clicked your Leica R lenses, do you experience iris creep (as in the iris moves on its own)? I was reading some reports that it's ultimately better to not declick the iris?
Click to expand...

Declicked and dampened is how I prefer them. If done well there's no creep, aperture has a nice feel to it with a bit of resistance (but not too much) and still have the option to revert back to a clicked iris later. Duclos Lenses seems to have this process down pretty well now.
 
The thing is, without permanently fixing it to the lever, the spring is the only way to close the iris. That means drilling and setting a screw which is a far greater intrusion than just taking the ball out. Cutting or removing the spring itself isn't enough as the iris would just stay open. Currently we have two or three lenses where the iris is creeping. A quick phone call and our trusted lens technician is sending the right grease to tackle the problem.
We've been running a set know for around half a year and had fantastic results. Especially the 19mm V2, 28mm V2mm, f1.4 35mm and 80mm stand out me. 100mm APO Macro is pretty lovely as well.

Optics aside, I realised it's necessary to be gentle with the lenses. Wireless focus and auto calibration do take their toll. We were thinking of rehousing, but right it's just not feasible.
 
I did a split the difference move with my set of lenses. The ball is still there but it was filed down to limit the clicks. So they have a slight resistence, but the stops do not jump. Never had a problem with Iris creep in this way because the Iris is spring loaded, temperature can affect the grease and it can start to move. It's not just external heat that can affect it but camera body heat that partly can some through the lens as the body heats up. Can be a bit more of a problem in hotter climates depending on the grease that is used.

David

PS: I Was so saddened to hear that my lens tech here died suddenly of a heart attack. He did such a great job for me and it was always great to hang out at his bench and talk lenses. He is missed.
 
David Battistella said:
PS: I Was so saddened to hear that my lens tech here died suddenly of a heart attack. He did such a great job for me and it was always great to hang out at his bench and talk lenses. He is missed.
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Sorry to hear that David. It is fascinating job they do, and we do become quite reliant on them. It's an important relationship to have between a cinematographer and lens technician.
 
So I finally filled out my Leica R set with a 90mm, and I'm LOVING them. I am running into one hiccup with rigging though: my Tilta FF-T03 can't fit between the camera body and the matte box in a way that the gear on the follow focus can connect with the gear on the lens. It's challenging rigging with these lenses because they are so short. What follow focus system are you guys using? I've been looking into the Arri MFF-2 because I love the small, light form factor, but I'm afraid I will have the same issue.

Ideas??
 
Thanks a ton! So much information there. It's a little confusing, but I'm going to try and do a Leica-R 50mm f/2 Summicron 1 and get the right mount for it.

Thanks again!
 
Couldn't decided which was the best forum for this, so feel free to point me elsewhere. Two questions:

1. I picked up a couple 1996 Summicron Rs. What's my window for years that match closely for color/tone/etc as I'm hunting for others?

2. Anybody installed their own Leitax EF mount, as opposed to using Duclos? The instructions seem straight forward. Just wondering if I'd get myself into some unholy jackpot.

Thanks!
 
Corbin Frost said:
Couldn't decided which was the best forum for this, so feel free to point me elsewhere. Two questions:

1. I picked up a couple 1996 Summicron Rs. What's my window for years that match closely for color/tone/etc as I'm hunting for others?

2. Anybody installed their own Leitax EF mount, as opposed to using Duclos? The instructions seem straight forward. Just wondering if I'd get myself into some unholy jackpot.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Re: #2. It's very easy to install on your own. Adding a focus gear is easy too (followfocusgears.com). It's de-clicking the aperture that I'd leave to Duclos. Follow the instructions on the Leitax site or watch this: https://youtu.be/_eKb0YrvOZU
 
I'm having the same issue! I've been eying the Bright Tangerine Revolvr and revolvr Atom because it looks like there is a lot of room forward and back for the gear, but have yet to drop the cash on that kit yet. Also considering going with a wireless system instead.
 
Shane L said:
I'm having the same issue! I've been eying the Bright Tangerine Revolvr and revolvr Atom because it looks like there is a lot of room forward and back for the gear, but have yet to drop the cash on that kit yet. Also considering going with a wireless system instead.
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I need to get my hands on a Revolvr to see if it will work. Next to an FF-5 (that I can't afford), that would be my choice. If it fits the Leica R's, I'll get one next year. I personally don't recommend a wireless system as your primary FF. I pulled for a DP who wanted to go wireless for an entire feature, and while it was indeed handy for handheld stuff or even the Dana Dolly, I felt like I wasted a lot of time calibrating at every lens swap. And it's also another point of failure in the camera that can slow production down. And a huge annoyance is that the DP can't alter the focus on the lens during setups. The puller gets less down time because he's in control of the focus even when the camera is not rolling.

It's great to have when you need it, but if you don't need it all the time, I recommend a regular follow focus.
 
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