A Look at: Novoflex Leica M Lens to SL-T Lens Adapter

A Look at: Novoflex Leica M Lens to SL-T Lens Adapter

I don’t normally review adapters much, and I wouldn’t call this a full fledged review but I actually received more emails about my Metabones Leica M Lens to L Adapter post (review here) than I thought I would.  So, I decided to give another Leica M lens to L adapter a try.  I own the Leica version but at the time that I bought mine, the Leica SL was still new, and there weren’t many alternatives.  Now, there are quite a few on the market, and recently, I had the opportunity to give the Novoflex Leica M Lens to SL-T Lens Adapter a try.  Here’s what I thought of it.

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So, this is only the second third party M to L adapter I’ve used so far, and build wise, it’s excellent.  The Novoflex adapter comes in a hard plastic case similar to what you would get with a higher end filter, and the adapter is made of all solid metal.  There is no flexing or signs of inferior parts use at all.  It’s completely black…I believe anodized, and looks great on the camera.  Speaking of camera, I was using it on the Panasonic S5 at the time.  Lastly, lenses can maintain focus at infinity, and you can meter in aperture priority or manual.

↑ Here’s what’s included.

↑ Here’s the area where the M mount lens is attached.

↑ This part attaches to the camera body.

I always get a little anxious when I use adapters because I want a good fit.  I don’t like feeling like the lens mount has play but at the same time, I don’t want an ultra tight fit either.  I’m happy to say the lenses I’ve used with the Novoflex Leica M Lens to SL-T Lens Adapter feel just right on the adapter to me.  I was also using the adapter mostly with a large M mount lens at the time, so in a way, it was kind of like a stress test.  I was reviewing the 7artisans Photoelectric 75mm f1.25, which weighs 608 g, making it a lens that leans more towards the heavy side of M mount.  The adapter didn’t seem stressed at all.  The lens attached very smoothly and securely.  Like any L mount lens, the 75mm felt like it belonged on the body.

↑ Here’s the 7artisans Photoelectric 75mm f1.25 attached to the Panasonic S5.

↑ Here’s a photo of the 35mm Summicron Version 4 attached to the S5.

For those looking for an L to M adapter, I feel this is a great option especially when you consider the price.  It’s not cheap but at the same time, it’s not unreasonable either.  Currently, it retails for $219 but I feel the quality is definitely up to par for this price.  It costs more than the $89 Metabones I wrote about a while back but it’s also a lot cheaper than Leica’s version, which retails now for $450.

↑ This was taken with the Panasonic S5 and the 7artisans 75mm f1.25 using f8.

↑ This photo was taken with the S5 and the 75mm f1.25 at wide open aperture.

Like the Metabones, the biggest downside is there’s no electronic communication between the lens/adapter and the camera body.  If that’s what you want, you’ll have to go with the Leica M-Adapter L for 6-bit code reading.  But if you don’t care or feel you don’t need that form of communication, then there really isn’t an issue because this is a high quality adapter.  For instance, if I’m using it on the S5, I don’t need Leica 6 bit code communication.

↑ This was taken with the S5 and 75mm f1.25 using f11.

↑ This photo was taken with the S5 and the 75mm f1.25 using f5.6.

Besides that, there may be smaller issues but nothing serious. For one, the lens release button could be slightly larger in my opinion.  When I was using a large lens like the 75mm f1.25, it takes a bit more effort to release the lens.  It would also be nice to have lens caps just for easier storage.  However, I am nitpicking here because these two things I mentioned are in no way deal breakers.  As I said, this is clearly a high quality adapter that works great with M mount lenses.  That’s what’s important.

↑ I found the lens release button is a bit small but not deal breaker.

↑ One last photo of the S5 with the 7artisans 75mm f1.25 using the Novoflex adapter.

So, if you’re in the L mount system, and want to try some M mount lenses with your camera, the Novoflex Leica M Lens to SL-T Lens Adapter is great to consider.  The quality is definitely up to par, and for those who do not need electronic communication, you can save quite a bit when compared to Leica’s version.