gerkshinobi
Member
I purchased a Type II voigtlander LTM to M mount adapter and mounted my 50 1.5 summarit to my m7 and noticed that the lens does not mount the center of the lens at the center point of the camera. It makes shooting a bit weird, but has anyone else experienced this with the voigtlander adapter? I've attached two pictures with the arrow pointing at the top center of the lens so you can see what I mean. Did I get an off copy or is this just how the LTM to M adapter works?
Spicy
Well-known
not sure, and i'm positive there are much more qualified people than me to answer, but mine isn't like that (CV 21 on M4-P).
i'm guessing you haven't developed any film show through that cam/lens combination? easiest way to see if there's a problem, though certainly far from the fastest/cheapest, unfortunately...
i'm guessing you haven't developed any film show through that cam/lens combination? easiest way to see if there's a problem, though certainly far from the fastest/cheapest, unfortunately...
gerkshinobi
Member
i dropped off some film so now im just waiting to pick it up from the lab. we'll see if it makes any difference in the photos
literiter
Well-known
I have exactly this problem with the Voigtlander adapter with the Voigtlander 15mm Heliar lens on my M2 and M4-P.
I think we have a little quality control issue here.
I think we have a little quality control issue here.
It's normal unfortunately... it'll work right though.
Johann Espiritu
Lawyer / Ninja
Had the same thing with my 35 Color Skopar classic and VC adpater - the Skopar was a little off-center (it looked a little over tightened). However, it did focus perfectly despite this on my M7, M9 and R2A.
Johann
Johann
Erik van Straten
Veteran
It is normal that screw mount Leica-lenses have their distance-index on the left side seen from top when you hold the camera to shoot. This is done to make it easier visible with a viewfinder like a VIDOM or VIOOH mounted.
Erik.
Erik.
ferider
Veteran
Like Erik said: this is not the adapter but the lens. Would look the same on a Leica screw mount camera.
c.poulton
Well-known
I have about five or six of these CV adaptors and none are as bad as the pics show - OK some lenses when mounted are off centre slightly but only by a few mm. I don't believe that this is the fault of the adaptor but more to do with the lens. I can't imagine that it would have any impact on focusing.
Spicy
Well-known
if it's the lens, my elmar 50 2.8 collapsible doesn't reflect it. when it's fully screwed into my IIIc, it's about 3* off from being completely vertical (facing away from the viewfinder, rather than towards, like it would be if they were meant to make it easier for viewing through the finder)
that being said, i don't think it should make much of an effect on focusing, since the focusing arm thing is affected by where the moving end of the screw mount is, not where the actual mount is. only problem would be it being mounted either too close in or too far that things like minimum focus distance or infinity aren't within it's feeler range.
that being said, i don't think it should make much of an effect on focusing, since the focusing arm thing is affected by where the moving end of the screw mount is, not where the actual mount is. only problem would be it being mounted either too close in or too far that things like minimum focus distance or infinity aren't within it's feeler range.
Vobluda
Well-known
Well, if the shutter works, you can focus the lens, wind the film and pictures are sharp what exactly is the problem? 
ferider
Veteran
Lots of lenses do this, by design, also on an original Leica adpater:
The tell-tale mark for Leica lenses that this is as intended is that the fastest aperture mark aligns with 12 o'clock, as with the OP's Summarit or the Summicron on Canon P above:
Roland.
The tell-tale mark for Leica lenses that this is as intended is that the fastest aperture mark aligns with 12 o'clock, as with the OP's Summarit or the Summicron on Canon P above:
Roland.
gerkshinobi
Member
Lots of lenses do this, by design, also on an original Leica adpater:
The tell-tale mark for Leica lenses that this is as intended is that the fastest aperture mark aligns with 12 o'clock, as with the OP's Summarit or the Summicron on Canon P above:
Roland.
thanks everyone!
Chris Bail
Regular Guy
Good to know...I also ran into this with the CV 50/1.5 I was trying to mount onto my M8. Not that serious, but it was a little off. Unfortunately the example I got had to go back for some serious back focus issues. Good to know it's probably not the adapter.
pvdhaar
Peter
Many LTM lenses allow the mount to be re-oriented so that they lign up..
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14413
Unfortunately, the images were removed at some point in history, and I haven't got the originals anymore.. But the process is actually quite straightforward.
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14413
Unfortunately, the images were removed at some point in history, and I haven't got the originals anymore.. But the process is actually quite straightforward.
250swb
Well-known
As others have said a genuine LTM to M adapter places the lens off centre because it was designed to be off centre. This is to allow photographers to see the lens markings when an accessory finder is fitted. And more importantly it ensures the focus throw starts and finishes in the right place, otherwise when you focus close up your finger on the focus tab would get into the view through the viewfinder. In other words it replicates the reasons the original LTM lens is off centre. This does not affect focusing and is not a fault of the adapter if it is sold as an LTM adapter.
CV do however market two versions of the LTM adapter, one authentic, and the other a 'MkII' job that does centre the lens. Hence confusion when talking about CV adapters with 'mine does this' and 'mine doesn't do that' arguments.
But it makes more sense to keep the lens offset than try to engineer it into an upright position given the focus throw.
Steve
CV do however market two versions of the LTM adapter, one authentic, and the other a 'MkII' job that does centre the lens. Hence confusion when talking about CV adapters with 'mine does this' and 'mine doesn't do that' arguments.
But it makes more sense to keep the lens offset than try to engineer it into an upright position given the focus throw.
Steve
pvdhaar
Peter
Depends on the camera. For M-mount cameras without a viewfinder (e.g. Bessa-T, ZeissIkon-SW, Leica-MDa), having the focus scale oriented upwards is actually quite a bit more helpful than having it obscured by the better part of the camera body..
rayfoxlee
Raymondo
I had the same problem with the Heliar 15. Unscrewing the threaded back plate and moving it one way or the other will re-align the starting position of the LTM thread. Job done.
Ray
Ray
250swb
Well-known
Yes, I see your point, but having it offset would be far better if you have the camera on a very high tripod and can't see the camera from above
Steve
David Hughes
David Hughes
Just a point
Just a point
Hi,
Isn't it odd? If this thread was about a camera body and lens from the former USSR we'd have had several rants by now about poor quality control, poor design and the Communist Party etc, etc but as we are talking about German and Japanese we don't hear from them.
In the interests of balance, should we encourage these rants or suppress them? Just a thought about something that's bothered me for a while. FWIW, I think they confuse politics with engineering and don't know much about either.
Regards, David
Just a point
Hi,
Isn't it odd? If this thread was about a camera body and lens from the former USSR we'd have had several rants by now about poor quality control, poor design and the Communist Party etc, etc but as we are talking about German and Japanese we don't hear from them.
In the interests of balance, should we encourage these rants or suppress them? Just a thought about something that's bothered me for a while. FWIW, I think they confuse politics with engineering and don't know much about either.
Regards, David