M42-L39 adaptor ?

[rl1856]

Any have experience purchaseing and then using a M42-L39 adaptor in a FSU camera ?

There are many many cheap m42 lenses lurking in pawnshops, resale shops, available on Ebay etc. Since thrift is one of the appeals of FSU cameras, I thought to combine the 2 !

Seriously, has anyone done this and what were the results ?

FSU cameras in question- Fed 2d/e and Zorki 3m.

Thanks,

Ross

 

[kiev4a]

There's a ebay seller (or was the last time I checked) in Macau who sells such an adapter. He has them made by a local machinest. An example if what can be done is my Avatar which shows a Zorki 1 equipped with an M42 Vivitar 20mm lens via the adapter. Haven't tried it with telephotos by wide angles have enough dept of field to handle and small lens to film distance problems

 

[Seele]

Novoflex made some adapters for using 35mm SLR lenses on Leica screw-mount cameras; for instance this one is used for fitting Minolta SR-mount lenses:

http://www.cameraquest.com/min21.htm

While Stephen Gandy says this adapter is difficult to find and not cheap (he claims $350) I do have one I picked up from one of those lucky-dip boxes at a camera dealer for the price of a cup of coffee: never tried to see if it actually reaches infinity but I might put my Minolta MD 16mm/2.8 fisheye on the Zorki 4K and see what happens.

This adapter is called LEIMIN for obvious reason, and in the same series there is one which has an M42 thread front instead, on my example it is oddly marked LEIEX, which according to commonsenseshould really be LEICO, but then I also have a proper LEICO which is much shorter than that LEIEX. I might have to do some tests to see if any one of them is properly spaced to reach infinity correctly.

According to Gandy such an adapter for mounting M42 SLR lenses would still be a custom-made item with $350 but I suppose that gentleman in Macau is offering a good alternative.

http://www.cameraquest.com/yas2133.htm

 

[SRMC]

I just received an m42-l39 adapter from Kengchu88 on eBay. I haven't had a chance to shoot with it yet, but I purchased it so that I could try my 16mm Zenitar on my Zorki 4. I used a peephole viewer from the home improvement store to make a finder.

Here is a shot of the two together.

 

[kiev4a]

I had good results with mine using a Soligor 28mm f2.8 M42 lens on a Zorki 3A. This photo was shot with that combination and a turret viewfinder

 

[SRMC]

I'll probably only use my adapter with wide lenses that I'm comfortable using with zone focusing. The adapter from eBay is not coupled to the rangefinder so you'll have to rely upon the distance markings on the lens rather than focusing through the camera. This isn't so critical with wider lenses, especially when you are not shooting with a wide open aperture. But I certainly am not good enough at estimating distances that I'd be able to zone focus with anything longer than around 35mm.

Also, m42 lenses are going to be larger than their ltm counterparts, so one of the advangages of a rangefinder - - a smaller and lighter kit - - will be lost. But, this isn't such a big concern that it will stop me from playing around. Isn't that where the fun is?

SRMC

 

[kiev4a]

The M42 lenses are certainly larger. I took the Z1 and 20mm Vivitar out in public once and got some very strange looks.

 

[rl1856]

Thanks All !

Thanks All !

It wont be as easy as I thought.

Sounds like it would work out ok for wide angle lenses, but anything beyond 50mm will cause problems due to the distance from the back of the lens to the film plane.

Best,

Ross

 

[kiev4a]

It wont be as easy as I thought.

Sounds like it would work out ok for wide angle lenses, but anything beyond 50mm will cause problems due to the distance from the back of the lens to the film plane.

Best,

Ross

Plus, as was pointed out by someone else, your rangefinder isn't coupled. If you stopped down a 135mm M42 lens you might be OK shooting at infinity but trying to focus on closer objects would be a crap shoot.