M39 to M adapter question?

[Vintage35]

Please, anyone with a known good M39 to M adapter mounted on their CL, could you tell me, when a M39 lens is mounted, does the "Infinity" mark , or should I say the focus mark point straight up or sort of off to the side like as if it were mounted on a M39 camera? I've noticed mine points straight up and my Summaron 35/3.5 won't sync with the RF arm less than 7ft because the "cut out" part of the lens frame isn't straight up.

I'm thinking my knock-off adapter is too thick by a thousandth of a mm or so causing the lens to not screw on as it should. The threads are ok, the lens does bottom out on the flange

 

[Wongler]

I've used a Fotodiox adapter and a Summitar on my CL without any issues. The focus arrow points slightly off to the side, used the same adapter on my M3 and it's great.

 

[Vintage35]

I've used a Fotodiox adapter and a Summitar on my CL without any issues. The focus arrow points slightly off to the side, used the same adapter on my M3 and it's great.

how far? normally my Summitar points almost between 1 O-clock and 2 O-clock... past 1 but not quite 2 O-clock... as does all my M39 lenses

 

[Wongler]

I took a few shots, hope this helps. Fotodiox LTM-M adapter, 50mm version, Expanded Summitar on the CL and M3. Lens is locked at infinity.

 

[Ronald M]

Supposed to go to the side to clear finders.

Bigger problem is it needs to be exactly 1 mm thick. Off brands are not always well made.

 

[Vintage35]

I took a few shots, hope this helps. Fotodiox LTM-M adapter, 50mm version, Expanded Summitar on the CL and M3. Lens is locked at infinity.

wow, yours is worse than mine. it's pointing just after 11 O-clock. My Hektor 135mm would not line up with the RF arm if I used that, neither would my 35mm Summaron's slot (focus arrow should be pointing between 1 and 2 O-clock)

guess I need to get one of Gandy's Voigtlander adapters or pray for a deal on a Leica.

 

[Wongler]

The adapter I have works for the Summitar I have. I don't have any other LTM lenses to try it with. You have me interested in this now though.

on the M3, F/2 focused at the bow


M3, F/11 probably

 

[Vintage35]

I like the bokeh, "football" shaped points of light in the background. I too had great results with my Summitar, go figure, it must not be enough distance from the film plane to cause blurring. the only reason I noticed it being off is my new Summaron, the focus RF sync stopped at 7 feet, that's precisely the point where the helical goes in past the edge of the lens body, there is a cut away but it is too far to the left because my focus spot is straight up.

 

[Vintage35]

Problem solved... I splurged and got an authentic Leitz adapter and the lenses mount as they should. It must have been a too thick base plate because the bayonet mounts are right on.

Don't ask me why but when using the other adapter the images still came out nice and sharp. perhaps it's only something like a thousandth of a mm off as far as the lens plate to film plane.

 

[David Hughes]

Hi,

The maths is simple, 26 tpi so a complete turn moves it 0.0385" (roughly) in or out.

One turn is 360° and so 5° wrong is 0.0005" out, roughly. Well within the fudge factor of DoF even at f/1...

Regards, David

 

[Vintage35]

Hi,

The maths is simple, 26 tpi so a complete turn moves it 0.0385" (roughly) in or out.

One turn is 360° and so 5° wrong is 0.0005" out, roughly. Well within the fudge factor of DoF even at f/1...

Regards, David

Wow thanks!. I will keep the 3rd party adapter mounted on my Summitar and use the Leitz adapter for the Summaron (and any other LTM lens that has a tab or indentation RF sync)

 

[fer_fdi]

I have the same problem with my Summaron 35/3.5, but coupling stops near 4 feet mark.
I'm using a cheap chinese adapter.
Your case is the third I know.
I'd like to know what exactly happens physically... I'll inspect mine as soon as I finish exposing current roll.

My thread here:
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2583110#post2583110

(a better adapter solved the problem, see above thread)

.

 

[fer_fdi]

BTW, is this the Summaron or the Summitar?
Wonderful photograph!

(...) and the lenses mount as they should.
(...)

 

[css9450]

For mounting wide angles on the CL, is there a "preferred" adapter to buy? I want to use a 28 or 35mm screw mount lens and as far as I see it, the adapter doesn't matter since there are no framelines on the CL for those lenses anyway. Or does it matter? I already have a CV finder for the 28...

 

[fer_fdi]

It seems that a pair of framelines are always visible: the 40 is permanent and then the 50 or the 90 is added.
So I guess that with a 35 or a 50 adapter you'll see 40+50 and with a 90 adapter you will see 40+90 framelines.
So you should decide what is less distracting, the added 50 or the added 90 frame...

And for your 28mm, use the external viewfinder and/or "look around" the edges of the CL viewfinder : )

I have a CLE, not a CL, but that's the info I have


In any case, try to avoid the cheapy noname chinese adapters. Specially with certain old lenses that have a cutout on the back (like the ltm Summaron 35/3.5)

 

[css9450]

It seems that a pair of framelines are always visible: the 40 is permanent and then the 50 or the 90 is added.
So I guess that with a 35 or a 50 adapter you'll see 40+50 and with a 90 adapter you will see 40+90 framelines.
So you should decide what is less distracting, the added 50 or the added 90 frame...

Makes sense, thanks.

 

[David Hughes]

Hi,

Page 9 of the CL's instruction manual 'the 40mm frame is always visible' and I'll add that it pays to find, steal or buy a manual and read it.

BTW, you can blank out the 50mm frame but it's a crude looking answer. Get a cocktail stick or match stick and look through the view-finder whilst moving the stick in front of the translucent screen. At some point a line will vanish as the upright or horizontal stick goes past. Then stick a bit of black plastic sticky tape where the stick was, repeat as necessary.

Looks awful, might leave sticky goo but does work. I did it years ago and then didn't bother after one film. So try at your own risk.

BTW 2, the 35mm M2's lens in the CL means 40 an 50 lines unchanged in the VF...

Regards, David

 

[css9450]

Hi,

Page 9 of the CL's instruction manual 'the 40mm frame is always visible' and I'll add that it pays to find, steal or buy a manual and read it.

BTW, you can blank out the 50mm frame but it's a crude looking answer. Get a cocktail stick or match stick and look through the view-finder whilst moving the stick in front of the translucent screen. At some point a line will vanish as the upright or horizontal stick goes past. Then stick a bit of black plastic sticky tape where the stick was, repeat as necessary.

Yep, the two options on the CL are 40 & 50, or 40 & 90, depending on lens. If I shoot with my CV 25, I still see the 40 & 50, but its not an issue since that lens requires use of the clip on VF anyway.

I wonder, how does the camera know which frameline to show? I keep searching for a lever or some such contraption in there but all I see is the focusing cam. This is my first M mount camera so there is a bit of a learning curve for me.

 

[fer_fdi]

(...) I wonder, how does the camera know which frameline to show? (...)

It is detected by the length of one of the mount's flanges:
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=80066
look for posts #13 and #15

 

[css9450]

Interesting! The bayonet flanges were not something I had even considered.