Leica Elmarit 135mm 2.8 with goggles on M9

Raid

All-Pro
Hi,
I started to get interested in this lens after I saw several people here and at other sites mentioning its usefulness for portraits and landscape photography. I bought such a lens last week on ebay for $290 shipped.
Here are my first results with the lens. I took maybe 15 shots out of which the first five images were soft and unsharp. I don't want ultra sharp portraits, but reasonably sharp eyes ... etc.
Some people here cautioned to check the alignment and I feel that my lens is OK here. It looks very clean, and it has the front and rear covers by Leica.

This is my oldest daughter, Dana. She was maybe bored and/or tired, and I am glad she allowed me to take some photos of her.
I usually set the M( to ISO 160, but with this heavy lens and with the open shade, I used ISO 640.
How many like-new-looking Leica lenses with max aperture 2.8 can you buy (shipped) for below $300!



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I love using 135mm focal length lenses on Rangefinder cameras, no problem focusing and they allow close-in, tight shots.

SO! You told Dana that this was an F2.8 Leica lens, under $300 and she was bored! Unbelievable.

Now, if you told her it came with Klondike Bars- she would have perked up...
 
Yes, she would have loved to get some Klondike bar. I just got home after watching Dana play a volleyball game. I used the Elmarit at 2.8 and ISO 1000 and also at 2000. For a game, I switch from DNG to basic jpg since usually I delete the photos soon afterwards. I just enjoy taking the photos.
 
It is very difficult to quickly focus accurately with this lens during a volleyball game. Many images were OOF. I used ISO 2000 and ISO 1000 at 2.8.


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They look good to me! I never have an issue with the M9 shooting ISO2500 and DNG-16 (uncompressed). Straight exports to jpeg look great.
 
I just got back from the beach. We have gorgeous weather, and I used this lens this time at aperture 16 and ISO 160 for sunny images! I am very impressed by the lens's performance.

Pensacola Beach

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crop from above image:

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I like the images a lot. The Elmarit is a great lens indeed.
 
I can see myself using this lens often at the beach, Brian. I now know that the goggles and the RF are matched, and the colors come out great, as you have said.
 
These all look wonderful, Raid. I'm still working on focusing the 90 well, but you're doing great with the 135!
 
I also recently found one, v3 for a good price and was using it last night:
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L1023125 by unoh7, 135 elmarit f/2.8

The calibration seems very close, however the "frame" in the left eye is too far to the left. This version has more screws than the first, i think.

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image by unoh7, on Flickr

there are also the two tiny recessed screws on top and side of left eye.

What I have heard is: loosen the 7 screw on back, and expose tiny screws on side to adjust the position.

But I'm not sure what the two big screws on either side of the eye are for?

TY sirs :)
 
Looks to be a community production of "Oliver!" Nice shot, a type of shot I wouldn't think of for a range finder, but no problem I see!

Ah, I see it's that play featuring the match-making socialite and her "half-a-millionaire." :)
 
ohuh7: I was at first not careful about framing until I saw the resulting images. Then I "saw" that the frames in the goggles are not in the center! I also have V3, like your lens. Thanks for the info on the screws.
 
ohuh7: I was at first not careful about framing until I saw the resulting images. Then I "saw" that the frames in the goggles are not in the center! I also have V3, like your lens. Thanks for the info on the screws.

hi Raid

always a pleasure :)

let's figure out how to get that frame in the right place!!

Now I finally have an M9 like the rest you LOL. I tried to make the Sony A7 work, but the leica just kills it. When I first got the M9 with new sensor for 3500 in Jan, I thought: well, for low light it will still be the A7. No, now I prefer M9 for everything except macro and 400mm bird shots.

I can't believe they say the M9 is no good when it's dim. I cap my iso at 800 and push. Better than the sony in the end, at least when you use LR. I shot all these at iso 400, which is actually pretty pleasant.

Also, I must thank Brian, who really showed me how great the M9 is in threads at RFF, and who often helped me with lenses. But back in those days I could not justify the cost and did not care for the size. But it turns out the A7 and M9 with suitable glass are near identical in footprint. And M9 prices are way down :)

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L1023158 by unoh7, on Flickr

Mandler has credit for V1 and V2, but not V3, which is curious to me.

I think I have 7 135s now :(

PS Raid: I don't know if you have the SHOOC finder: it's very nice and not too dear, but one must mount it backwards!

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image by unoh7, on Flickr

I think I had to pay 70usd for that.

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What do you use this VF with? The shown Telyt?
I do not have the VF or your lens.

I use it with all my 135s M and LTM :) Including our 135/2.8 elmarit, because the frame window is off!


The elmarit wide open:
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L1019442 by unoh7, on Flickr

Might be f/4:
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L1019505 by unoh7, on Flickr

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L1019423 by unoh7, on Flickr

One crazy thing: I mount my uncoded 135/2.8 on the M9 and it recognises the lens as 90/2.8, plus it doubles the lens speed, i.e. you shoot f/4, it reads f/2 in exif!
 
Welcome aboard to Leicaplace- great entrance. I will double check my 135/2.8 Elmarit- did not notice the framelines being off. I've used it with the M8 and M9.

On the M9- I do not worry about ISO2500, this is with a 1934 Sonnar 5cm F1.5-

Straight export from LR4.4, ISO2500

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Marine Museum, Quantico
 
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