Using Canon lens FD on Leica M

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k-vang

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Hello all,

I just bought a Canon lens FD 17mm f4 with the mint condition, and try to get body Canon F-1 also. However this combo is very heavy and I feel it's not good to handle :(

As I know that we can use FD lens with Leica M with the combination is using Canon Adapter B with Canon FD lens to LTM camera adapter. Then, we input more Leica M - LTM adapter on Leica M. Is it correct or not? Kindly help to advise.

BR,
Khiem
 
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You've got it. The Canon Adapter B with a LTM-to-M adapter will allow you to mount your 17mm on your Leica M. You'll have to scale focus though. Just remember to put your FD 17mm in "manual mode" so you can set the correct aperture.

Jim B.
 
Mackinaw said:
You've got it. The Canon Adapter B with a LTM-to-M adapter will allow you to mount your 17mm on your Leica M. You'll have to scale focus though. Just remember to put your FD 17mm in "manual mode" so you can set the correct aperture.

Jim B.
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Thanks so much for your advice - Jim B.

Btw, I would like to ask for put "manual mode" on FD 17mm. Could you help to explain more?

BR,
Khiem
 
k-vang said:
Btw, I would like to ask for put "manual mode" on FD 17mm. Could you help to explain more?
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If you have the older breechlock FD lens (with the chrome lens mount ring), grab the big lever on the back of the lens (at the 6:00 position) and turn it counterclockwise as far as it goes (it will lock). Now, when you mount the lens, the aperture will move as you turn the aperture ring.

If you have a FDn lens (with the black lens mount ring), you'e going to have to jury-rig something to fit into the big lever slot so it will lock into the manual aperture position.

Maybe Raid will see your post. He came up with something that made it easy to adapt an FDn lens so you could set the aperture manually.

Jim B.
 
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I often use this great lens on a Leica M with Canon Adapter B plus a LTM-M adapter. I use a small piece of aluminum foil with FD lenses to allow me to change aperture settings. Breech lock lens don't have such a need. there,you just change the aperture. The 17mm lens has hardly any distortion.
 
Can you say a bit more about how you achieve rigidity with the alum foil, Raid? Canon used to sell a small plastic piece to achieve that trick and the capacity is also built into the reverse mounting "hood" that Canon used to sell. I'll see if I can come up with the right reference.
Giorgio
 
Giorgio,
I tried to get the small plastic gadget, but I could not find anyone who sells it.
I roll up small piece of rigid aluminum, and then I turn the lens over to move the aperture lever at the back, then slip in the aluminum foil, and the lens becomes manual.
 
Mackinaw said:
If you have the older breechlock FD lens (with the chrome lens mount ring), grab the big lever on the back of the lens (at the 6:00 position) and turn it counterclockwise as far as it goes (it will lock). Now, when you mount the lens, the aperture will move as you turn the aperture ring.

If you have a FDn lens (with the black lens mount ring), you'e going to have to jury-rig something to fit into the big lever slot so it will lock into the manual aperture position.

Maybe Raid will see your post. He came up with something that made it easy to adapt an FDn lens so you could set the aperture manually.

Jim B.
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Doh, I forgot about that requirement ! Sorry !

Ronnie
 
Thanks, Raid, I haven't found one for sale either, and was wondering how you got the necessary rigidity.

Giorgio
 
Tear off a small piece of aluminum foil and fold it several times until you have a small, but rigid, piece of "thingy" that you can insert into the lot where the aperture pin moves. It will stay there securely.
 
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Go on and you can not use the yellow spot to focus. It means "scale focus" or "focus by believed" in Vietnameses spoken :D
 
Sorry for my confusion but can someone please confirm that there is no focus coupling with any of these many FD to M adapters. The only way to focus is guestimating with scale focusing? Many thanks for clarification!!!
 
Hi,

No focus coupling, just scale focusing (zone focusing).

Regards,
Robert

jamriman said:
Sorry for my confusion but can someone please confirm that there is no focus coupling with any of these many FD to M adapters. The only way to focus is guestimating with scale focusing? Many thanks for clarification!!!
Click to expand...
 
There is no RF coupling possible unless you do some serious machining, such as Amedeo does with his adapters.
 
In case you can't find the Canon adapter B, uncoupled adapters for using various SLR lenses on a Leica M are available from Novoflex. They have Canon FD and a variety of other mechanical mounts.

These things make a lot of sense if you want to use symmetric "mirror lock-up" superwides of the old days or you have, say, a 19mm Elmarit-R lying around. They don't make as much sense when you're trying to save a ton of money since the combined cost for the adapter + a decent SLR wide can easily top the used value of a Voigtländer 15, 21 or 25. The SLR to M adapters are listed at €149 on the Novoflex website.
 
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Many thanks for replies!! Having read Putts review about the canon fd 55 1.2 aspherical lens, on a whim I bought one. I knew there are adapters out there for the FD to M mount to use on my M9. I didn't realize however that I would have to scale focus! Doesnt make sense to use scale focus with a normal lens. Thats how I got myself into this mess. I read a post somewhere that the rayquel adapter has a nice scale to help focus. Anyhow should I just sell the lens and move on? Thanks again for any advice!
John
 
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