LTM ID question

T

the lobster

Guest
Here's a real beginner query:

I am a flea market kind of guy, and have seen many lenses at flea markets. However, I was never in the market for them until now.

I will be looking for LTM lenses. So, is there any way I can be sure a lens I see is a LTM? What I mean is, short of a book or a list, can I make a positive ID using any visual clues? There must be other mounts that look similar to the screw mount, right? (in essence, screw mounts of other sizes).

Now, I'd figure I could bring my camera along and see if it works, but I don't want to mount anything that might damage or get stuck to my camera body.
 
I'd go ahead and take the body I was shopping for lenses for. When you see a lens that might interest you, set it on the camera very gently to see if it's the right diameter and then try to turn it on. Just be gentle in case it doesn't fit, but I'd think that would be the easiest way.

Or, if you have any other LTM lenses to compare it against, that might be easy too.

William
 
Actually, I just thought of this:

Do all LTM lenses take the same rear cap? I would assume they did (based solely on my complete lack of experience, mind you!).

Could I just bring a rear lens cap along with me to use as a guide? Sounds like Cinderella and the glas slipper. :rolleyes:
 
the lobster said:
Actually, I just thought of this:

Do all LTM lenses take the same rear cap? I would assume they did (based solely on my complete lack of experience, mind you!).

Could I just bring a rear lens cap along with me to use as a guide? Sounds like Cinderella and the glas slipper. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

That's an excellent idea. The other clue to look for is the rangefinder cam. The longer Leitz-made lenses such as the 90mm & 135mm will have a narrow cam with a flat face and slanted sides while the shorter lenses will have a 360 degree circular cam. Other makes will vary but the cam must be there to couple to the rangefinder. There are 39mm threaded lenses for SLR's that will screw onto the Leica but are not coupled and will not focus correctly.

Walker
 
Thomas, it may ease concern a little to know there really aren't any "almost fits" thread mounts like the LTM. Sort-of exceptions to that are Soviet lenses; as Walker mentions there are the 39mm thread SLR lenses, and then Soviet LTM cameras have a slightly different backfocus distance that throws focus off a little.

The only other popular thread mount is the Pentax 42mm used on the early SLRs like the Spotmatic. There was also a 37mm thread mount on their first SLR, the Asahiflex, but being rare collector items you're not likely to encounter them.

But taking a threaded LTM rear lens cap is easy, and leads to peace of mind!
 
There is also a 44mm thread mount for the internal mount of the Miranda SLR. The only lenses I have ever seen with this mount are T-mount adapters.

Also, the T-mount itself is a 42mm thread which some people confuse with the Pentax/Praktica/M42 thread. It actually has a different pitch.

If you want to get really exotic there are also some thread mount sizes called C and D mounts (perhaps there are A and B as well?) These are smaller than LTM 39mm and were used on old movie cameras.

If you don't have a camera body to take shopping with you, you might want to buy a back lens cap and keep it in your pocket. As least you can check thread compatibility fairly reliably that way.

-Paul
 
Didn't the Braun Paxettes also come with a 39mm screw-mount that is not interchangeable with Leica screw-mount?

Roman
 
I couldn't find a good site about the Paxettes through Google (none mentioned which interchangeable lenses it used...), but a few threads in photo.net and other forums like this:

http://www.beststuff.com/forum/read.php?f=8&i=110&t=107&v=f

- the Paxettes did indeed use non-LTM-compatible 39mm lenses, but there were also later models with bayonets.

So, I'd be careful trying a Staeble lens on a Leica!

Roman
 
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