Nikon adaptor for Xpan - any good?

[Koolzakukumba]

I'm in the strange position of having an adapter that lets me fit Nikkor lenses to the Xpan but no Xpan. The adapter was an expensive impulse buy when it looked like I was going to get an Xpan but I ended up buying a Pentax K10D instead (long story).

I'm now thinking of buying a rangefinder, either a Leica M6 or an Xpan. What I'd like to know is how well the Nikkor/adapter works on the Xpan. I have a 24mm Nikkor and could use it with a Voigtlander 25mm viewfinder. I know it wont couple to the rangefinder and will only cover the normal 35mm format and not the pano format but an Xpan with 45mm and 24mm lenses is very appealing. There's enough depth of field with the 24mm to get away without a rangefinder anyway.

I'd love to hear the experiences of anyone using a Nikkor or other lens with the Xpan. How does it handle on the camera? What's image quality like - any improvement from the mirror and vibration-free rangefinder design? Is anyone using a shift lens on the Xpan to cover (more or less, I believe) the pano format?

Bruce

 

[Koolzakukumba]

Sorry, I've just noticed that someone posted something similar a couple of weeks back. I'd still like to hear what the Xpan handles like with other lenses and what image quality is like, though, if anyone has an opinion.

I seem to remember reading that the framelines in the Xpan and quite conservative showing around 85% of the actual field of view. I did a quick calculation and it would seem to be the case that my Nikkor 105mm would be just about a perfect fit for the 90mm frameline and my 35mm Nikkor a reasonable fit-just a little tight-for the 30mm frameline although it could be used with an accessory viewfinder as well.

Again, these would have to be scale focused (not too much trouble for the 24 and 35)and could be used only in non-pano mode but it's still quite interesting that I could have an Xpan with 24, 35, 45 and 105 lenses. That's a nice outfit.

Bruce

 

[sepiareverb]

That's a lot of extra size and weight to lug around for regular 35mm format, especially to just scale focus. I'd get a different RF body and a lens or two if you don't want to do pano, or just go for the XPAN and a 45.

 

[Koolzakukumba]

That's a lot of extra size and weight to lug around for regular 35mm format, especially to just scale focus. I'd get a different RF body and a lens or two if you don't want to do pano, or just go for the XPAN and a 45.

I know what you're saying but I used to lug a Mamiya Press outfit around so this would be lightweight for me. If I didn't want to do some pano stuff and had an endless supply of cash, I'd buy into a Leica M6 outfit. However, I want to do some street photography with the Xpan in pano mode and that's how it would mainly be used. However, being able to use a 24mm lens as well, which I already have, for street photography is appealing and would cost a lot less than the equivalent Leica outfit. Scale focussing with a 24mm really isn't much of an issue. At an aperture of f8 I'd be getting everything sharp from 4ft to infinity at 8ft so who needs to focus!

 

[Robin Harrison]

All I'll say, is that you can make your Xpan look like this, which is pretty darn cool:

 

[Koolzakukumba]

An Xpan with a separate rangefinder, Nikon Series E lens and Canon lens hood - cool indeed! How do you frame shots with a 50mm lens? Is the accessory rangefinder accurate enough for a tele lens?

 

[Robin Harrison]

An Xpan with a separate rangefinder, Nikon Series E lens and Canon lens hood - cool indeed! How do you frame shots with a 50mm lens? Is the accessory rangefinder accurate enough for a tele lens?

Well, this is actually my uncle's setup, but I'll answer for him.

Framelines are usually tighter than they need to be to account for close-focussing. If you were to use this from 3m out, the normal 45mm framlines would be fine to use, and then you'd just need to mentally adjust a tad for anything closer. This being a 35mm-format lens, I'm talking of the non-pano lines, of course.

He also was a 28mm Nikkor shift lens which works a treat in pano mode (but even the thinnest filters cause a little corner shading. He uses the 'everything in the viewfinder plus a little more' mothod of framing, but in this lens's case the best thing to do in my opinion is to mask off a CV 15mm finder.

In terms of focusing, the rangefinder probably is accurate enough for mild telephotos, but a human's interpretation of focus scale on the lens probably isn't! You'd have to match a position in one arbitrary distance scale to the position on another. I certainly wouldn't want to be trying this!

 

[jan normandale]

OT, I've an Xpan / 45 so I was watching this thread. I'm still not sure about the 'conversion' adapter. I'd like a way to use a 90 on it though, however these lenses prices are prohibitive today.


Robin, I'm going to go thru your China stuff. I was there 4 years ago and I'd love to go again.

 

[ianwilliams]

I would love an adaptor, if one exists, that works the other way round - how about using the XPan lenses on your Nikon/Canon/Panasonic GF1 etc... The Xpan lenses are extraordinarily sharp with a huge (in comparison) image circle. How about a shift adaptor - now that would be awesome-the ability to use an XPan lens on a Canon 5D2 for example, with the ability to correct perspective for architectural images. I have an Xpan with all 3 lenses and the 30mm is spectacularly sharp.

 

[didjiman]

I would love an adaptor, if one exists, that works the other way round - how about using the XPan lenses on your Nikon/Canon/Panasonic GF1 etc... The Xpan lenses are extraordinarily sharp with a huge (in comparison) image circle. How about a shift adaptor - now that would be awesome-the ability to use an XPan lens on a Canon 5D2 for example, with the ability to correct perspective for architectural images. I have an Xpan with all 3 lenses and the 30mm is spectacularly sharp.

Won't work. The XPan lens register distance is shorter than Nikon, e.g. the lens would have to be mounted inside the body to achieve infinity focus.

Also, while the XPan lens are sharp, it's only because it's used on a bigger piece of film. I am sure PRIME lens on Nikon, Canon etc. can be equally as sharp.

// richard

 

[Harold Gough]

Also, while the XPan lens are sharp, it's only because it's used on a bigger piece of film.

That doesn't follow. The vertical dimension is the same (24mm). The principle, so far as sharpness goes, is no different from when two 35mm frames are stitched together. Don't be led astray by the fact that the lenses are considered to be of medium format design.