LTM nikkor prices

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projectbluebird

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I have used Dan's excellent price guides when shopping for canon and leica glass. I have also looked once or twice at the nikon RF guide, whenever I consider buying a Nikon-Leica M adapter.

I also know that Nikon made many of their lenses in LTM mount in addition to the regular bayonet (and contax versions as well). I was wondering where those prices fall in relation to the standard lenses. Are they higher, lower, or about the same?

I ask because the recent thread on the nikkor 10.5/2.5 has made me start looking for nikon lenses to add to my growing collection of leica/canon glass.

Looks like I have another outbreak of GAS.
 
For the most part, the prices of Nikkor lenses seem to be higher in LTM. That's proably due to supply and demand. There are many, many more Leica users than Nikon RF users. You end up with more people trying to buy a relatively small niumber of lenses.
 
For the common lenses, I think that LTM versions will run about 20% higher than S-mount, at least as judged from eBay.
 
The prices for the 5cm F1.4 and F2 seem to be at least double for those in S-Mount. The 8.5cm f2 is a bit more in S-Mount, the 10.5cm F2.5 is anywhere from 20% to 50% more.

The availability of the Leica M8 has pushed the price of LTM lenses higher.
 
Good to know, thanks.

Maybe I should take another look at the adapters from amedeo. Does anyone know what the issue with wide angles is? I don't understand, if the adapter fits, and the lens fits in the adapter shouldn't the whole thing work?

Or do the rear elements protrude too far?
 
The following may be more information than you need. :) In my case, my goal was to have all my lenses usable on both Nikon RF and Leica. If you are only using M-mount bodies, I would suggest finding the LTM equivalent lens. In my experience I haven't seen much of a premium for LTM, with the exception of the 50mm Nikkors as Brian mentioned.

There are two adapters from Nikon S-mount to Leica M-mount that amedeo makes. One has a Contax-style focusing helical taken from a Kiev camera, the other is an uncoupled wide angle lens adapter. (There is no helical on the wide angle adapter.)

The Kiev-based adapter is optimized for the internal mount Nikkor 50mm lenses, but will also work with wide angles if the rear element of the lens does not extend too deeply into the body. For example, the Nikkor 35/1.8 has a an extended rear element and will not fit, but the Nikkor 35/2.5 fits just fine.

The Kiev-based adapter will also work with telephotos, if they are built to the Contax spec.

Regarding the wide angle adapter, he's designed it so the lens is off center, so the extended rear element does not interfere with the Leica focus cam. This allows the Nikkor 35/1.8 to fit onto a Leica. It also works with lenses such as the Contax 21/4.5 Biogon that also have long rear elements. Since it's uncoupled, focus is set by using the focus scale on the lens, which is pretty easy as the wide angles have plenty of DOF.

Here are a couple of photos of the wide angle adapter. This is a Nikkor 35/1.8 mounted on an M3:

amedeowa.jpg


Here is a shot looking through the shutter. You can see the rear element is just below the RF cam:

amedeowa2.jpg


And here is a shot of the lens mounted on the adapter, showing how the lens is off-center:

amedeowa3.jpg
 
Thanks!

Thanks!

digitalintrigue said:
The following may be more information than you need. :)
Click to expand...

Actually, that's exactly what I wanted to know, thanks!

Now for another question.:rolleyes: Is there any premium on the longer nikon lenses for contax mount? The lenses I'm most interested in (right now) are the 85/2 and the 10.5/2.5 I'm also thinking about the 35/2.5, which would be my first 35mm lens ever.
 
My guess is that the Nikkors built to Contax spec are a bit cheaper than regular Nikkors, but I've never researched that...also, not sure how they'd compare to LTM.
 
projectbluebird said:
Actually, that's exactly what I wanted to know, thanks!

Now for another question.:rolleyes: Is there any premium on the longer nikon lenses for contax mount? The lenses I'm most interested in (right now) are the 85/2 and the 10.5/2.5 I'm also thinking about the 35/2.5, which would be my first 35mm lens ever.
Click to expand...

I would say they run about the same price...

I say Raid should own a Nikon RF camera, whaddya think?

Should I start a poll? :)

Kiu
 
Perhaps a good relative price comparison is kevincameras.com. He's the only dealer I know of that has enough inventory of similar condition lenses to do comparisons between S mount, LTM, and Contax-spec Nikkors. Sales on ebay vary quite a bit, and it's always a dice roll as to descriptions of condition.
 
Another question...

Another question...

Took a spin 'round the bay, and a quick peek at kevincameras.com -need to go back when I have more time, so many lenses!- and had yet another question occur to me.

Is there a list of Nikon lenses made in LTM?

I know that many were, but some are rare in LTM and some of the rarer regular lenses were also produced in LTM, making them even more rare. (the 50 1.1, was one if I recall.) I'm only interested in the more exotic lenses for knowledge value, if I had $5000+ laying about I'd be spending it on other things first.

It looks like it should be reasonable to find something in the $200-$400 range if I look hard, or $500-$600 if I don't. That might be stretching my budget a little, but not impossible.

Again, thanks for the info.
 
$200-400 range for what lens? If you are talking about the 105/2.5 LTM, that's doable. I bought mine on RFF for $350. It's not mint, and it didn't come with original caps, hood, or case or any other goodies. Glass is perfect though.
 
digitalintrigue said:
$200-400 range for what lens?
Click to expand...

Several. Either of the slower 35's (although there is a 35/1.8 in that range in the classifieds right now) the 50/2(I've enough 50's right now), or the 105/2.5 (one went on ebay last week for $400 with case, caps and finder)
The 135/3.5 seems to go for less than that range, and the 85/2 for more.

Most of what I've been looking at is in user condition, because I like to use my lenses. The only thing really important to me is the condition of the glass. I can find cases and caps fairly cheap (not necessarily the correct ones) and hoods and finders are nice, but not required. I picked up a very nice Walz zoom finder from kevincameras on ebay recently, it has settings for 35, 50, 85, 90, 105, and 135mm lenses. It is also part of the reason I started looking at the nikkors, might as well have lenses to use with it! :D It looks nice on top of my IIIf, hence the interest in LTM.

I know that there were LTM-S mount adapters made, but from what I've heard they go for far more than I can afford.
 
Take a look here for a quick list of what's in LTM vs S and I think C (Contax) too.

You can find 50s, 85s, 105s and 135s in LTM without too much trouble. Wide are harder but they come up from time to time. 85 black are almost hens teeth but a wonderful lens. I owned the Chrome version and longed for the black. Then I got a 105 and I was happy.

B2 (;->
 
I picked 6 months ago a 85 PC in LTM for 300$+shipping and last month a 50 1.4 SC in LTM for 310$+shipping on the bay.

The 85 is in exceptionally good shape, the glass of the 50 was not as clean but overall it is still performing great (mecanics were flawless on both)
 
The 35mm f1.8 will not work with the M8 and one other M camera, maybe the M5 (need to confirm).
 
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