What is todays best normal (50-55-58mm) lens?

[Lee L]

Anyone have any comments on using Leica/ Leitz 50mm f2 R Summicron and using it on EOS with adapter? I see some with ROM contacts and wonder if that would cause a problem with the mirror on Canons? They seem to sell used cheap enough.

The 50mm Summicron-R is the lens that convinced me to switch systems almost 28 years ago. (Well, that and the fact that they'd just introduced a 100mm Macro R.) I haven't tried R lenses on Canons, but many others have. There was a review of digicams in Photo Techniques a while back with a Canon D body and the Leica Digital Modul R included. The reviewer was pretty emphatic in saying that a combo of the Leica lenses with an adapter on the Canon body and software tweaking was clearly the best option. There was no mention of specific lenses used other than the Canons all being L lenses. The list of reasons given for lens preference in the review was the same list I'd give with film. I'd guess that the Leica review samples were all ROM lenses, and no compatiblity problems were mentioned. Don't have the issue info at hand.

There should be plenty of non-ROM R lenses around if you're putting them on a Canon. They'd cost less and you wouldn't be paying for unecessary features.

Lee