Canon Eos 5 For M Lenses

[CONNOR MJ]

I feel a bit betrayed by Leica for not producing a full format digital camera,I spent a lot of money to have a 21mm and my summarit f1.5 should stay 50mm.Do any
of you boffins know the best route to quality full format digital for m lenses.I see there are adaptors for cannon (eos 5) to fit M lenses.Ps still love using film but would like the flexability.

 

[rxmd]

This is the boffin speaking. Where have you seen an adapter for M lenses to Canon EOS bodies? Due to lens register issues, it is very unlikely that such an adapter would be useful at all.

To have a 21mm buy a Voigtländer 15/f4.5, it's not that expensive. It's slower, but on the M8 you can crank up the ISO. A full frame digital rangefinder is apparently impossible at present at marketable prices.

 

[gavinlg]

You can't use M mount lenses on any DSLR.... Well you can with some kind of adapter but as far as I know, it limits the overall usability to virtually nothing. One thing you can do though, is use the canon 5D with an adapter to rock leica R lenses on it. The adapters range from cheap ones on ebay ($5) to the really nice reliable ones which are the cameraquest ones ($180?) to the needlessly more expensive ones which are a rip off.

Most lenses work on the 5d - you can also make the excellent contax zeiss glass fit with an adapter.

 

[Dr. Strangelove]

I feel a bit betrayed by Leica for not producing a full format digital camera,I spent a lot of money to have a 21mm and my summarit f1.5 should stay 50mm.Do any
of you boffins know the best route to quality full format digital for m lenses.I see there are adaptors for cannon (eos 5) to fit M lenses.Ps still love using film but would like the flexability.

The flange focal distance (flange-to-film/sensor distance or register) of the EF mount is much longer than with the Leica M mount. It means that while you can use an M mount lens on a Canon EF mount camera with an adapter, it will me usable only for close-up and macro photography.

Incidentally, the short flange focal distance combined with the qualities of digital image sensors is the primary reason why the Leica M8 does not have a full frame sensor.

 

[venchka]

Adapters are available for Leica R, Nikon F, Olympus OM, Contax, etc. to Canon EOS SLR bodies. There is an in between priced adapter with focus confirmation that I think sells for about $75. I know someone who is currently using the Contax Carl Zeiss Distagon 2,8/21 Lens and the Olympus 21/2.0 on a Canon 5D.

 

[CONNOR MJ]

Thanks for the replies,it seems there are no quick easy and inexpensive answers to this question.Perhaps a quality scanner is the best bet,Kind Regards Matt Connor

 

[Avotius]

There is a Nikon to M mount adapter, and you can stick a Nikon to canon mount adapter behind that then mount it on a canon digital

 

[jim_buchanan]

The flange focal distance (flange-to-film/sensor distance or register) of the EF mount is much longer than with the Leica M mount. It means that while you can use an M mount lens on a Canon EF mount camera with an adapter, it will me usable only for close-up and macro photography.

Incidentally, the short flange focal distance combined with the qualities of digital image sensors is the primary reason why the Leica M8 does not have a full frame sensor.

This quote pretty much says it all. 28mm versus 44mm for the EOS. For example, my Summicron-M 50mm would have to be set into the EOS throat by 16mm to get infinity focus. The lens group would have to be unscrewed from the helical focus assembly and mated to some nonexisting recessed helical focuser that would reset the lens group 16mm closer to the film palne of the EOS. Would the mirror get in the way, I don't know yet. Sometimes, I feel like a boffin for spending so much time investigating this topic.

Anyway, 50mm or less M lenses are out of the question, because of the protruding rear lens element and the only option on 50mm and less is to get a Leica R lens, such as Summicron 50mm or the 60mm Macro M, and another R lens for shorter focal lengths.

Now, the very fact that Leica, faced with the new SLRs coming to market, tried to compete with their VISO system gives us all a chance to use some Leica lenses with EOS. The Viso system was a mirror box that fit between the M body and a special Viso lens. Certain models of 135mm, 90mm and a special 65mm allow their lens group to be removed and use on a Viso helical focus assembly that repositions the lens group back. The 65mm is rep[orted to be not good. The 90mm better, and the Tele-Elmar 135/f4, right before the model with built-in lens hood is almost APO quality.

I have a specially built 135 Tele-Elmar lens group mounted on a non-leica helical focuser that infinity focuses on a Canon Rebel body. I am currently trying a different arrangement for the same goal of using the Tele-Elmar lens group. If successful, I will have a spare focusing assembly for sale that would allow another Boffin to use their 135mm Tele-Elmar lens group in a like manner.

Finally, a photo of whats possible with my humble Tele-Elmar in a digital age:

 

[manojd]

Jim Buchanan,

I came across this post while looking for a similar solution: be able to mount M lenses on SLRs. Where did you get your specially made canon adaptor? is it available in the market?

That's a nice picture BTW.

Thanks.