Lenses on Modified Cameras

[Sonnar Brian]

Nikon S2 with the Helical Shimmed for COntax Mount.

Carl Zeiss Opton 50mm F1.5, all wide-open. This lens will focus on THIS Nikon S2 exactly where the RF indicates. Focus wide-open is good out to ~30ft, then stop down a bit.

I modified this S2 about 5 years ago. The Helical is shimmed for a sweet spot of 8ft for the focus at the film place and RF to agree. Was fun setting a 50 year old camera up in a Lab, on an 8ft optics bench. Next to a LASER.

 

[charjohncarter]

Mine is a temporary modification, and again though an adapter. But I think it is a rare adapter: LTM to M42. What is really nice is to use my 16mm M42 (modified to manual only) on my Leica (or BessaR).

 

[charjohncarter]

By the way, your mod is completely ingenious. Is that your daughter? I've watched her grow up on RFF.

 

[squirrel$$$bandit]

I was just going to say, Brian's portraits of his daughter are really terrific.

John, is that Super Tak a fisheye?

 

[charjohncarter]

No, a Super Takumar 28mm.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

Thankyou,

That is Nikki, she just turned 11. She's used to having cameras pointed at her!

 

[charjohncarter]

I finally got my 10 year old grandaughter trained. Your portraits of her are great, I always like them. I wish I had more of my kids from that age.

 

[Phil_F_NM]

The 28mm Takumar reminds me of a project that I have in the works: RF coupled 50mm f/1.5 SMC Takumar.
The old thorium Takumar 50 is one of my all-time favorite lenses ever. It's up there with the Summicron DR. The only problem is that I want to use it on my Leica...

So, over a day of measuring and testing, I found that the 50 Takumar has the same focus rate as a rigid chrome Summicron. That rate being equal to the main lens in most Leica users' stables, it shouldn't bee that hard to adapt a 50 Takumar to an extension ring shimmed out to the proper registration distance and then grafted to a LTM-M adapter. The difficult part will be attaching a cam-follower to act as intermediary coupling between the rear element mount on the Takumar and the focusing cam roller in the Leica body.
If only I had some more precision machine tools...

Phil Forrest

 

[charjohncarter]

Pentax made a Leica to M42 adapter, which in their wisdom, when attached to a #1 Pentax extension ring/tube is the correct size for Pentax lenses. I've never attempted the the focus cam modification, but it works well with the wide and super wide.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

I have a 50/1.4 Super-Tak, Thorium. I'll take a look at it. Also, from the old 1976 Pop Photo test of 32 Normal Lenses, most 50mm lenses are actually closer to 51.6mm, the Leica standard.