Properly Mounting LTM Lenses

[digitalox]

I bought my first LTM lens, a VC 25/4 a little while back for the Bessa-L. I can never seem to get it quite lined up perfect with the dot at the top center after its screwed completely on. Does this matter or affect the focus any? Is there a method to it?

Thanks,

Scott

 

[bmattock]

Scott,

It is not uncommon for the lens not to line up at 12:00 straight up. In fact, on my Bessa R, many lenses line up just to the left of 12:00 as I look down while holding the camera at chest level pointing away from me. If I were looking at the lens straight on, it would be lining up at about 1 or 2 o'clock. That sound right to you?

Now, with that said, it is more important that the focusing tab that sticks out of the back of the lens line up with the 'foot' on the camera that senses it - that informs the rangefinder where you have focussed your lens anyway. Some LTM lenses have a 'collar' that goes all the way around the lens, in which case this would be even less critical.

One thing to beware of - Braun Paxette and Super Paxette lenses are 39mm thread mount too, but have a different lens registration distance and won't focus correctly on a LTM camera no matter what. A clue you have one is when the focus readout is on the bottom of the camera at 6 o'clock instead of somewhere on top between 1 and 2 o'clock.

I have some lenses that line up just at 12, while others are more or less off - but they all focus correctly.

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[Rodinal Addict]

You are fortunate Scott, that your Bessa L has no rangefinder, and your 25mm color snapshot lens is not rangefinder coupled, thereby eliminating the need to line up a focusing tab. Just screw it on, guess the distance, fire away.

 

[digitalox]

Yeah, the center always ends up a little bit to the left no matter what

Thanks for the info.

 

[peter_n]

Some of the older Leica lenses line up at 1 o'clock. That was because many of the cameras had a viewer that obstructed the "top down" view of the lens barrel, so Leica shifted from 12 to 1 o'clock so you could see the distance scale on the barrel easily.