M39 and M42 adapters. Do they work?

[Mimoore54]

I have a Zorki 4k on the way from Moscow with a Jupiter 8. I also have a few M42 lenses (Takumars and a Helios) for a Spotmatic. Can they be used on the Zorki with an adapter? and what about the other way round? Or is the calibration all wrong. Bear with me if I sound stupid as I am new to this forum. Thanks in advance.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Yes you can get SLR to Leica adapters -- I use Nikon to Leica from SRB, www.srbfilm.co.uk -- but of course the lenses are scale focused, nor RF coupled. The other way (Leica on SLR) you won't get infinity focus because the flange-to-film distance is too great.

Cheers,

R.

 

[radi(c)al_cam]

Roger, thank you for the link -- do you use the old Novoflex or newer ones?

I'm quite irritated reading here http://photo.net/leica-rangefinders-forum/00SudJ that some people claim having not the proper success with their Lei* adapters, after I have my LeiMin, LeiOM, LeiNik, LeiCont and LeiCo found working precisely.

Either I fortunately have purchased such ones, which (accidentally?) have been made more accurate, or my eye-sight is so far out of focus, that I overlook any faults?

 

[Roger Hicks]

Dear Alexander,

Knowing Novoflex moderately well, I'd be astonished if there were inherent problems. Their stuff is VERY well made. But I use SRB custom adapters, mostly as a result of historical accident and never having checked the Novoflex range. I'm just about to ask if SRB can make me a new one: East German Zeiss 300/4 Sonnar to Visoflex III.

Cheers,

R.

 

[rxmd]

Roger, thank you for the link -- do you use the old Novoflex or newer ones?

I'm quite irritated reading here http://photo.net/leica-rangefinders-forum/00SudJ that some people claim having not the proper success with their Lei* adapters,

In that thread the poster was using an adapter ring for attaching a bellows unit. Novoflex makes adapter rings for bellows with M39 (aka Leica Thread) mount, as well as other adapters for attaching lenses to Leica M bodies. Sometimes people confuse the two, in particular when they don't understand lens registration distance.

An adapter ring for M42 lenses on M39 bodies has to compensate for the different lens registration distance of both. Registration on M42 is 45.5 mm, on M39 it's 28.8 mm, so the effective thickness of the adapter needs to be 16.7 mm. If it's different, you have a bellows adapter and your images will be out of focus.

Either way there is no rangefinder coupling, so the focussing distance has to be either guessed or measured using some other means.

 

[rxmd]

I'm just about to ask if SRB can make me a new one: East German Zeiss 300/4 Sonnar to Visoflex III.

It's certainly possible, you have some 5mm clearance for lens registration. I wouldn't expect too much from the 300mm Sonnar, though. On medium format it's a fine lens, but it's big, most of the image circle would remain unused, and resolution isn't really that outstanding, which might be limiting on 35mm. With the 180/f2.8 Sonnar I was disappointed. Maybe a 280mm Telyt for the Visoflex might be a better option.

 

[Roger Hicks]

It's certainly possible, you have some 5mm clearance for lens registration. I wouldn't expect too much from the 300mm Sonnar, though. On medium format it's a fine lens, but it's big, most of the image circle would remain unused, and resolution isn't really that outstanding, which might be limiting on 35mm. With the 180/f2.8 Sonnar I was disappointed. Maybe a 280mm Telyt for the Visoflex might be a better option.

It wasn't the feasibility that worried me -- I was reasonably confident there is enough room -- but the price.

You are very likely right about the quality -- I had a 280 Telyt, years ago -- but I happen to have a 300/4 lying around, so if the adapter isn't too expensive, I'll go for it.

Cheers,

R.

 

[radi(c)al_cam]

corrigenda

corrigenda

Dear Roger and all,

I have to rectify what I have written above:

Novoflex differentiates between "Adapter" and "Anschlussring".

The "Anschlussring" is often mistaken for an adapter, but in fact it is a "joining ring" (for bellows &c).

That some people do not have the proper success with their Lei* "joining ring" (which they aberrantly call "adapter"), may be true.

I have rechecked my Novoflex "Anschlussringe":

my LeiNik is perfect to use ALSO as an adapter, but, unlike I've written above, my LeiCont and my LeiOM are not!

My LeiMin "joining rings" are just 1,3mm too shallow for use as adapter -- so it's an edge case -- it works with my W.ROKKOR - QH 1:4 f=21mm, exactly as shown on Stephen's site: http://www.cameraquest.com/min21.htm


Concerning "LeiCo":
Here I was totally confused -- my M42>M39 gizmo is not the Novoflex LeiCo joining ring, but a custom made adapter, which I was lucky to purchase for EUR 19!