Lens Frankensteinization

[brians]

Hello, I've had an interest in this for a while. I've heard of camera-frankensteinization especially with the affordable-FSU cameras, and one instance of turning an LTM Industar-61L/D into a Kiev/Contax mount.

I've also heard of the "Aisha" which was a combination of a Diana toy camera's lenses placed onto a toy Holga. (Odd toy-to-toy transformation huh?)

I'm wondering if it's possible and plausible (perhaps not plausible) to transform beautiful lens from broken cameras and turn them into LTM's or M mounts. I don't have any broken cameras on hand, but I'm thinking of a few examples I would like to see in LTM or M42(OT SLR stuff):

-Toy camera lenses (just to see its effect), like a Holga's, mini-spy camera's, Diana's.
-Electro 35's f/1.7 lens
-Canonet QL17 GIII's lens
-Agfa Silette's lens (I actually have this, and it's a bit broken)

I know focal length and focusing will be an issue, but anyone have experience taking a shot at this?

Thanks!

-Brian

 

[Pherdinand]

i'd say alignment will be the biggest issue. Has to be parallel to the film plane as good as possible.In case of a holga lens, however, this might be of no importance at all🙂

 

[jdos2]

There are folks that specialize in this sort of thing, usually mounting high value lenses into other mounts, like the Contax G 21mm into M or LTM mount.

It's do-able, but it's usually expensive. Helicals have to be made to high standards of accuracy. On the Keiv, any lenses besides the standards (though most FSU lenses are made to the appropriate standard, from what I hear) have to have special helicals cut, as any lens that doesn't have the exact focal length won't work either in close focus (if adjusted for far) or vice-versa...

In other words, yes, anything can be done. S. Grimes' shop is probably a good place to start. Whether or not it's worth it is another matter.

JD

 

[FrankS]

The biggest issue would be lens to film plane registration and focussing. For these reasons, using an SLR, where you can see when the image is in focus, would be much better than a RF camera.

 

[brians]

It all seems so complicated, but this seems like a very interesting venture. I got the idea after seeing the lensbaby in action. I suppose that would be much easier in terms of focusing? Also, I wouldn't mind if it was a fixed focus, but I do understand that it would be kind of tricky in an RF.

-Brian

 

[FrankS]

I constructed a camera lens out of a photocopier lens (240mm), black ABS plumbing fittings, a Nikon lens mount scavenged from a $5 doubler, and some epoxy glue.

 

[RJBender]

Like Frank said, the lens registration is the most important consideration. For example, the registration for a LTM lens is 28.8mm. Leica R is 47mm. So if you could mount a LTM lens on a Leica R it would be like using a 18.2mm long extension tube on your lens. I don't know much about Leicas, so someone correct me if I'm wrong.
http://www.a1.nl/phomepag/markerink/mounts.htm

I have heard of people using LTM lenses on lensboards with the Rollei SL66. I have also heard that Leica TM lenses will cover the 6x6 format.

One advantage of using a lens with a short registration is less light loss from the back of the lens to the film plane. To illustrate, think of the difference in filter sizes between a 50mm 1.4 Nikon F mount lens (52mm) and a 50mm 1.4 for the Nikon rangefinder camera (43mm). The RF design needs less glass. The disadvantage is there is no room in the camera body for a reflex mirror.


R.J.

 

[darkkavenger]

I'd like to "frankensteinize" my Carl Zeiss Sonnar 180/2.8 in Pentacon Six mount to adapt it to my Kiev-2A .... that would be something LOL 😀

 

[Sonnar Brian]

How about a Canon 50mm F1.5 in LTM to Nikon adapter, focus to infinity on a Kodak DCS infrared camera.

IGOR! It's alive, IT's ALIVE!!!!

http://www.dslrexchange.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=56

 

[RJBender]

I'd like to "frankensteinize" my Carl Zeiss Sonnar 180/2.8 in Pentacon Six mount to adapt it to my Kiev-2A .... that would be something LOL 😀

Hi Max,

You can get an adapter for M42. After that, I don't know. 🙂

R.J.

 

[RJBender]

I constructed a camera lens out of a photocopier lens (240mm), black ABS plumbing fittings, a Nikon lens mount scavenged from a $5 doubler, and some epoxy glue.

Do you use it for macro work? 😕

R.J.

 

[Tarzak]

I'd love to get the lens off a Lynx 14 and stick it on my Zorki 4.
An accessory finder would be mandatory as I suspect the lens would almost block the viewfinder of the Zorki.
Hmmm, might weigh a ton too.

 

[Tarzak]

It would also be nice to be able to mount some of my Olympus OM lenses onto LTM camera bodies.
Surely that is possible. Research will need to be done.

Anyone got some donor parts?

Zuikozorki has a nice ring to it.

 

[brians]

I'd love to get the lens off a Lynx 14 and stick it on my Zorki 4.
An accessory finder would be mandatory as I suspect the lens would almost block the viewfinder of the Zorki.
Hmmm, might weigh a ton too.

My kinda thinking! 🙂

The registration that you were talking about, how the mount has to have some distance from the film plane, I am wondering if I can make a "janky" makeshift lens with PVC tubing. I'm wondering how I'm going to get it to work with the leaf shuttered cameras since they have the shutter inside, between the rear lens element. Would I just discard it? I think this would be a fun project to work on during my breaks from school 🙂

 

[VinceC]

>>think of the difference in filter sizes between a 50mm 1.4 Nikon F mount lens (52mm) and a 50mm 1.4 for the Nikon rangefinder camera (43mm). <<

Actually, the difference in filter size is due mainly to the required linkage for the automatic diaphram plus the focusing helical (not present in the RF version). The glass is nearly identical (Nikon did have to readjust the formula for the SLR version to allow clearance for the mirror box but kept the front element the same size -- for the 105mm and 135mm lenses, there was no change in formula when remounted for the SLR). Light falloff is principally an issue with the wide angles, where the front elements are quite tiny on an RF lens and quite large on an SLR lens.

 

[Tarzak]

Light falloff is principally an issue with the wide angles, where the front elements are quite tiny on an RF lens and quite large on an SLR lens.

Does that mean an SLR wide angle will work OK on a rangefinder [if you could get it to fit and got the film plane distance right]?

 

[FrankS]

Guys, listen. I know this is a RF site, but if you're talking about McGivering a lens onto a camera it doesn't belong to, an SLR is the camera to use, since you can see through the viewfinder when the McGivered lens is in focus. RF cameras rely on a focusing cam at the back of the lens to move a focusing cam follow arm to move the RF patch. RF cameras are just no good for this kind of surgery.

 

[VinceC]

>>Does that mean an SLR wide angle will work OK on a rangefinder [if you could get it to fit and got the film plane distance right]?<<

That's correct, and if you hunt hard enough, you can find adapters from SLR lenses to Leica RF mounts. Focusing has to be done using the distance scale on the lens, which can work on a very wide-angle lens.

 

[Tarzak]

RF cameras are just no good for this kind of surgery.

Anything's possible until you sit down at the workbench. 😛

25/4 Snapshot Skopar is not rangefinder coupled.
Frankensteinization -> Frankenzonization
The crazier the better.

 

[Honu-Hugger]

If you are serious about this sort of thing Century Optics in LA specializes in exactly this type of work (for instance taking cheap unwanted 300mm f/2 Nikkors 😉 and converting them to "C" mount, Zeiss Ortho-Planars to Nikon, etc.).

One reason I chose the Rollei SL66 over the Hasselblad years ago was for the ability to mount odd-ball lenses to blank boards. I use an otherwise soft 150mm Schneider for portraits (it gives a different look than the 150 Sonnar), and also have a few Luminars and Micro-Tessars mounted to blank boards.

Alpa used a parallel lever mechanism to move the mirror in their SLR cameras to keep the body profile as thin as possible; Alpa offered a large number of lens adapters from other manufacturers that allowed the full range of focus with other lenses.