Need cheap DSLR for M39 lenses w/ infinity focus

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mystylesthebomb

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Howdy. I did a search and could not find a good thread. I'm looking for a cheap ($100-$150) used DSLR body that I can fit an M39 adapter to that will focus at infinity. I've found a Pentax that fit all this but the adapters don't support infinity. Is there an old basic 4 mp to 10 mp or so DSLR that I can do this with? I've looked around on eBay a lot and they all seem to go for $250 or so in decent condition. Any help appreciated! Thanks, Scott
 
Howdy.

No. The lens mount to sensor distance is too long with dslrs, you'll need a mirrorless or an adapter with a glass element.
 
mystylesthebomb said:
Howdy. I did a search and could not find a good thread. I'm looking for a cheap ($100-$150) used DSLR body that I can fit an M39 adapter to that will focus at infinity. I've found a Pentax that fit all this but the adapters don't support infinity. Is there an old basic 4 mp to 10 mp or so DSLR that I can do this with? I've looked around on eBay a lot and they all seem to go for $250 or so in decent condition. Any help appreciated! Thanks, Scott
Click to expand...

$150 might be a stretch, but you might be able to find a used NEX-3 or NEX-5 at close to this price range. I've seen NEX-3's go for less than $200. E-mount should allow you to reach infinity on any manual lens ever made, and M39 to E-mount adapters are very cheap.
 
If you are talking about m39 as in... 39mm reflex screw mount (the predecessor to m42), yes Pentax dslr will work. As will Canon, Sony, and some lenses will work on Sigma bodies but not all (shallow mirror box). Nikon will only work in close range.

If on the other hand you are referring to L39 .... Leica thread mount, you will need a mirrorless camera with a short register or rangefinder.
 
Thanks for the help - trying to use Russian M39/LTM lenses

Thanks for the help - trying to use Russian M39/LTM lenses

I've been playing with the Fed and Zorki rangefinder cameras with Fed, Jupiter, and Helios lenses. The lenses are compatible with cameras such as a Leica III. Same 28.8 distance to focal plane.

I've tried looking at cheap DSLRs then trying to find adapters that support infinity, and I've tried looking at adapters that support infinity then looking for those cameras. It's not been fruitful at the low end of cost.

On mirrorless, I have a Jupiter that sticks waaaay back into the body so maybe that would be the only thing to work. But mainly I want to try the Helios 44 in a M39/LTM mount on a DSLR to fool around with boca.

Thanks for the replies!
 
Nex-3 might work!

Nex-3 might work!

It looks like a decent Nex-3 body is around $100 and an adapter that supports infinity is about $10. The Panasonic GF-1 also looks like a good fit. Are there any gotchas here? Is one better than the other? Thanks!!!

p.s. The Olympus Pen also might work but the adapters are in German and I'll need to play with translation. Chrome won't do the whole page for some reason.
 
mystylesthebomb said:
I've been playing with the Fed and Zorki rangefinder cameras with Fed, Jupiter, and Helios lenses. The lenses are compatible with cameras such as a Leica III. Same 28.8 distance to focal plane.

I've tried looking at cheap DSLRs then trying to find adapters that support infinity, and I've tried looking at adapters that support infinity then looking for those cameras. It's not been fruitful at the low end of cost.

On mirrorless, I have a Jupiter that sticks waaaay back into the body so maybe that would be the only thing to work. But mainly I want to try the Helios 44 in a M39/LTM mount on a DSLR to fool around with boca.

Thanks for the replies!
Click to expand...


M39 = Reflex mount
L39 = LTM mount

Both may have a 39mm diameter but that's were similarities end.
The register is different and M39 has no RF coupling.

Your Helios 44 is an M39 lens not LTM. No RF Coupling. It's designed to be mounted on a SLR not an RF.


Most Mirrorless bodies will work for both. No DSLR bodies will work for LTM but many will for M39.
 
mystylesthebomb said:
It looks like a decent Nex-3 body is around $100 and an adapter that supports infinity is about $10. Are there any gotchas here? Thanks!!!
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Not really. It is a slow body with minimal manual controls, but I suppose for the price that's a give.

I shot with one full time in the day...nice little camera.
 
mystylesthebomb said:
... The lenses are compatible with cameras such as a Leica III. Same 28.8 distance to focal plane.

I've tried looking at cheap DSLRs then trying to find adapters that support infinity, ...
Click to expand...

You won't find one. There are no DSLRs that will allow infinity focus with LTM compatible lenses, period. It is quite impossible to make an SLR that is thin enough to allow a moving mirror behind a LTM lens without using an extremely small sensor. Even if one such camera was made it wouldn't allow many of the LTM lense to work as then protrude rearward toward the sensor way to far for any mirror to clear.

On the other hand, you can adapt LTM lenses to almost all of the mirrorless cameras including the NEX family and the m4/3 family. I occasionally use a Jupiter-8 on my m4/3 Pany G-1. There will still be some issues with a few lenses that protrude rearward, but the list of such lenses is relatively short.
 
The Helios-44 is an M39 (same back-flange distance as M42 lenses) and will not focus properly on a Leica or Leica compatible camera. Neither will it work properly on a camera by using a commercial LTM/M39 adapter as they are designed for LTM lenses.

To use that lens on a camera you need an SLR with M42 mount or DSLR with M42 adapter and an M39-M42 ring (common and cheap on Ebay) to mount your lens into the M42 mount. Then, if your lens is properly adjusted, you can achieve infinity focus.

The same is true of the M39 mount MIR-1B and some of the Industar lenses.

Buying FSU lenses can sometimes be a crap shoot. I speak from experience.

Steve
 
mystylesthebomb said:
It looks like a decent Nex-3 body is around $100 and an adapter that supports infinity is about $10. The Panasonic GF-1 also looks like a good fit. Are there any gotchas here? Is one better than the other? Thanks!!!

p.s. The Olympus Pen also might work but the adapters are in German and I'll need to play with translation. Chrome won't do the whole page for some reason.
Click to expand...

The Nex is APS-C so your crop is 1.5x, i.e. a 50mm shoots as 75mm

Any 4/3 like the GF-1, crop will be 2x....so the 50 is 100mm.

hence for any legacy glass Nex is preferred to M43.
 
Be aware that some folk don't like menus of the Nex-3. I have no problem with it, just set it the way you like and be done with it.
 
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