Nikon Rangefinder Lens on Leica M

S

Smitty

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Hello All,

I have a very nice Nikkor 3.5cm f/2.5 lens that I am guessing is Nikon S Mount?
Is there any way of adapting this lens to work on my Leica M (M8 and M3)?
Would like to have it working with rangefinder coupling for focus.

Thanks, Smitty
 
I have been looking at the thread, if I am reading this correctly it looks to me as though the rangefinder will only couple on a 50mm lens? I am attempting to adapt a W 35mm f2.5 lens.
Smitty
 
It will couple on lenses wider than 50mm (e.g. 35/2.5), but not those with a big rear element. Your 35/2.5 will work, while the 35/1.8 will not. You may want to write Amedeo directly as he's a member and sponsor of this forum. he's also a great guy to deal with.
 
If I am understanding this correctly the focus mechanism on 50mm and above Nikkor lenses is in the camera body and below 50mm is in the lens helical which is not compatible with the Leica rangefinder. The lens can be adapted to fit the body but you would need to guess focus the lens.
 
Welcome to RFF. The Nikkor 35mm f2.5 is a wonderful lens. I've got one in Leica thread mount and it might be worth finding one. The Amadeo adapters are very well made but they add weight and will cost close to the price of this lens in the thread mount. Let us know how this works out. Joe
 
My 5cm and Millennium 50 Nikkors focus just fine on M9 with Amadeo adapter – except that Leica lenses and Nikkors focus by turning in opposite directions.
 
Smitty said:
If I am understanding this correctly the focus mechanism on 50mm and above Nikkor lenses is in the camera body and below 50mm is in the lens helical which is not compatible with the Leica rangefinder. The lens can be adapted to fit the body but you would need to guess focus the lens.
Click to expand...

Only partially correct.
The way the lenses impart motion to the cam follower in the Leica rangefinder is similar to the way other native LTM or M mount lenses focus but instead of using a double helicoid in the lens, as in a Leica lens, the adapter is separate from the lens and only serves to act as a cam to impart motion on the cam follower in the body. All Nikon RF lenses other than 50mm move on their own focusing helicoids but they have a coupling which turns the adapter at the proper rate and so you get accurate rangefinder focusing.

All that said, the 3.5cm f/2.5 Nikkor will focus just fine on an Amedeo adapter for a Leica camera. This is the lens that got me started on shooting Nikon RF glass, first with my old M9 then later with a Nikon S2 and SP.

There are a few lenses which won't work but the lens you speak of is not one of them so don't worry. It's a great optic!

Phil Forrest
 
My Nikkor 35/2.5 focuses just fine (with full RF coupling) on my barnack and M2 via the coupled version Amedeo adapter. Just know that if you buy Amedeo's M adapter, it will only bring up the 50mm framelines on an M camera. Since I also have 50, 85, & 135mm lenses, I decided to go with the Amedeo LTM adapter. When I use it on my M2, I use the Voigtlander LTM/M adapter that will bring up the appropriate framelines for whatever lens I'm using.

Amedeo makes a good product. I'm very happy with mine.
 
The CV 21/4 in Nikon S mount will not work with the Amedeo adapter for M.

edit: for M8/M9
 
Erik van Straten said:
Old M9?

Erik.
Click to expand...

Yes, I don't own it anymore.

raid said:
The CV 21/4 in Nikon S mount will not work with the Amedeo adapter for M.

edit: for M8/M9
Click to expand...

No, the CV lenses with deep rear elements will not work as they will hit the RF cam follower in the Leica M body. Neither will the 3.5cm f/1.8 Nikkor. The Jupiter-12 has a similar problem but can easily be modified to fit.

Phil Forrest
 
I'm not Amedeo sponsor!
But him make me an adapter a bit decentrated, for my 21 mm and other protruding inside lens... only for wide angle lens.
It work perfectly on my M9.
 
Excellent adaptor, I picked one up S/H recently because they don't come up very often, other than new :D
Two points, it is a solid piece of machinery ie not lightweight, comes in at 80g, that may be important to you.
Secondly mine, don't know if they all do, has a machined section with blank, fll yourself, sections for six bit coding on the digital Leica series.

Frame lines come up as 50/75mm but some tape on the lever can fix that :eek:

The list linked to above states the Voigtlander 50mm f2.5 (external mount) "may/should" work, it doesn't.
Those of mine marked as not focussing eg Voigt. 21mm plainly will not work on the M8 as they will not mount never mind focus.
I've not got around yet but I am looking fwd particularly to shooting the 10.5cm f2.5 on the M8. That is limited down to about 6ft on the Leica, on the native Nikon RF it goes down to just under 4ft, not the end of the world.

The adaptor mounts with no play as do all the compatible lenses both interior and exterior mount.
 
I have an Amedeo adapter for Nikon S to Leica M for 50mm lenses. It is very well built.
A used wide angle adapter would save me some money.
 
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