spaceistheplace
Established
What is the best way to adapt Leica R to work on a Nikon F?
Huss
Veteran
Changing the mount - companies like Leitax and Fotodiox make them - is the way to do it.
But - you will lose auto aperture control. You will have to manually stop down the lens to your shooting aperture.
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
See the post just above on the Leitax Almost Auto Aperture. There is a lever that is part of the kit that makes it easier to open the aperture for critical focus. Upon release it stops down. A lot easier to work around the stop down metering limitation.
Cal
Godfrey
somewhat colored
I had the Leitax mounts on two R lenses and used them on the Nikon F body. Plain prism head so metering was irrelevant, and a Type A screen so that when the split-image blacked out it wasn't much of an issue.
I tried AAA lever gizmo and found it too fussy for my taste. Shooting mostly wide open and near-wide open worked best, just focus stopped down.
But ultimately I replaced the focal lengths with Nikkors for use on Nikon mount bodies and returned the lenses to their Leica R mount. That works best—the good Nikkors are themselves very high-quality lenses and they work well with F, F6, and D750 bodies. The Leica R lenses work best on Leica R bodies and the Leica SL body.
G
I tried AAA lever gizmo and found it too fussy for my taste. Shooting mostly wide open and near-wide open worked best, just focus stopped down.
But ultimately I replaced the focal lengths with Nikkors for use on Nikon mount bodies and returned the lenses to their Leica R mount. That works best—the good Nikkors are themselves very high-quality lenses and they work well with F, F6, and D750 bodies. The Leica R lenses work best on Leica R bodies and the Leica SL body.
G
farlymac
PF McFarland
Well now I'm glad someone dug up this old thread, because I have Leica R system gear that I may want to hold on to for a long time. Good to know the lenses will work fine on the new SL, so when my R3 craps out, I'll be able replace it without buying new lenses.
Still shooting my Nikon gear too. Went out this morning with the F Eye-level, 28/2, 35/2.8, 50/1.4, and 105/2.5 and a roll of Tri-X. It was a nice walk around.
PF
Huss
Veteran
After doing the Leica R - Nikon F conversion, I wouldn't do it again. It hobbles the usage of those lenses. I'd keep the R for Leica R or their M/SL series, and use Nikon/Zeiss/Voigtlander glass on the Nikons. Out of those, my 2 favourite lenses are the CV 40mm f2 SL and the ZF 50mm Makro Planar.
Steve Bellayr
Veteran
I have no experience with the Leica SLR. Obviously, I prefer the Leica M. When it comes to SLRs I went with Nikon. There are more lenses and they are at lower prices. IMHO
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Here is a plan "C" and a follow on to Godfrey's post.
The new Leica SL has great potential to utilize Nikon glass. I bought the Novaflex LET/NIK adapter that offers the aperture ring, and I mounted a 58/1.2 Noct-Nikkor on the SL. What a crazy rig and the SL's VF'er is mucho better than even my Nikon F3P's VF'er with a DK-17 Magnifier and Beatie Intenscreen.
I can see buying a Nikon 28/2.8 AIS to mount on my SL.
Anyways consider that the SL can serve both very well. Keep both.
Today I will return the LET/NIK and get the less expensive LEM/NIK which will stack onto the Leica "M" to "T" adapter I already own. The aperture on the LET/NIK is not needed or useful to me.
Cal
The new Leica SL has great potential to utilize Nikon glass. I bought the Novaflex LET/NIK adapter that offers the aperture ring, and I mounted a 58/1.2 Noct-Nikkor on the SL. What a crazy rig and the SL's VF'er is mucho better than even my Nikon F3P's VF'er with a DK-17 Magnifier and Beatie Intenscreen.
I can see buying a Nikon 28/2.8 AIS to mount on my SL.
Anyways consider that the SL can serve both very well. Keep both.
Today I will return the LET/NIK and get the less expensive LEM/NIK which will stack onto the Leica "M" to "T" adapter I already own. The aperture on the LET/NIK is not needed or useful to me.
Cal
farlymac
PF McFarland
Just looked at the prices for an SL, and so I would most likely upgrade to an R7 instead if the R3 dies on me.
PF
PF