3.5cm f1.8 adapter for digital

leoindover

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Has anyone found a digital adapter for this lens yet. It is a Nikon S mount. It is a lens that goes deep into the body of the camera, not like the longer focal lengths which do not.

Cheers

Ken
 
It would be great if there was a solution. As far as I know, there isn't.

Two alternatives that I know of - a) buy the LTM version which is quite expensive and hard to find.
or b) buy the 3.5cm/2.5 which will work with the Amedeo adapter.
 
Amedeo makes an offset adapter which will allow this lens to fit into the Leica body and not interfere with the cam follower. It is NOT RF coupled though so you're back to shooting with something akin to the f/2.5 version since the DOF at f/1.8 on this lens is dreamy sharp and very thin when you get closer than 3 Meters.

OR...

You can be brave and have the back end of your lens machined down to slide by the RF cam follower but that is some serious surgery on a precision part. It can be done, you just have to have the courage to do it.

Another somewhat unorthodox method to get the thoriated glass 35mm look on your RF would be to use a 35mm Nikkor-N Auto (for the Nikon F) which was based on the 3.5cm f/1.8 though the focal length was doubled then "folded" in half with a negative group to give a 35mm field of view. Both lenses have radioactive elements and similar grouping of the formulation though the SLR lens has more elements to "fold" a telephoto into a wide angle. As the 35mm f/1.4 N lens has CRC, the rear element group rotates in the housing and moves at a different rate with regard to the front group. One could take this rotational motion and use it to create a spiral linear cam which replaces the collar on the rear element to push against the cam follower in the Leica. Then it's just a matter of putting the lens on an adapter.

The two lenses are uncommon for wide angles with their radioactive elements but they both have a similar and special rendering.

Phil Forrest
 
Has anyone found a digital adapter for this lens yet. It is a Nikon S mount. It is a lens that goes deep into the body of the camera, not like the longer focal lengths which do not.

Cheers

Ken

I think the replies so far have assumed, perhaps correctly, that you want to mount onto a Leica Digital M ?
You can of course adapt Nikon S glass to other digital cameras, see this thread:

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2122357#post2122357

There may well be a discussion about this type of glass on the new full frame Sony 7 & 7r but I'm sure google will assist you there.
 
I use the lens with Amadeo adapter on GXR and mft without problems, (I guess it would mount on A7 too) it doesnt work on any M without modification as Phil stated in detail above.
it interferes with the coupling mechanism.
 
Amadeo adapter info...
IKON S-MOUNT COMPATIBILITY LIST

S-MOUNT NIKKORS

Nikkor-O 2.1cm f4 (NO - rear element too large, interferes with rangefinder mechanism)
W-Nikkor 2.5cm f4 (NO - will mount but cannot be focused)
W-Nikkor 2.8cm f3.5 (YES - will mount and focus from infinity to 6ft, but may come into contact with focus cam between 6ft and 3ft)
W-Nikkor 3.5cm f3.5 (YES - will mount and focus properly)
W-Nikkor 3.5cm f2.5 (YES - will mount and focus properly)
W-Nikkor 3.5cm f1.8 (vintage/reissue) (NO - rear element too large, interferes with rangefinder mechanism)
 
Phil,

I would prefer a full frame sensor camera, but will look at anything that doesn't need to be modified other than with an adapter. I do not want to modify the lens at all.
 
I bought the ltm version so that I could use it also on the M8 and M9. Amedeo sold me a wide angle S adapter without RF capabilities.
 
Phil,

I would prefer a full frame sensor camera, but will look at anything that doesn't need to be modified other than with an adapter. I do not want to modify the lens at all.

Your issue is going to be that found with the new Sony 7 / 7R series, compatibility with the sensor. Vignetting and magenta corners, edge softness/smearing (from the sensor not the lens).
I have yet to find a definitive view on which camera, of those two, is "better" for legacy glass.
Less than full frame reduces these issues but "cripples" the lens, as the M8 does, 21mm becomes 28mm, that rather negates your wish for the f1.8/35 which becomes 45 ish. Only you can decide on the compromise you will accept.
I have not seen, but that doesn't mean they are not there, shots of that lens on a new Sony.
 
Phil,

I would prefer a full frame sensor camera, but will look at anything that doesn't need to be modified other than with an adapter. I do not want to modify the lens at all.

Then you will have to go with a mirrorless like a Sony A7 if you want precision focus out of it.
If you can deal with scale focusing, you can get the offset Amedeo adapter which will allow the lens to be used on a Leica full frame digital. This adapter does not have any focus coupling so you're limited to scale focusing it.

Those are your two options.

Buying the LTM version is the least expensive route by far with samples selling for about half of what the Sony camera goes for and you could then get your Leica M9/MM/240 body.

Phil Forrest
 
I did what Phil said. I bought the ltm version. Its value does not go down, so I could sell it if needed.
 
the above compatibility list might be true for Leica-M cameras.

mirrorless is a different thing.

the 35 1.8 nikkor in s mount works on all mirrorless cameras (gxr, m43, nex, a7, fuji) etc.
with amadeo adapter.

easiest for fullframe. buy an A7
best
maitani
 
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