Jim Evidon
Jim
I have a GF1 on order. I will want to buy a couple of MFT ( micro 4/3's) adapters;
one for Leica M mount lenses and another for Nikon SLR lenses.
There are, of course, Voigtlander and similarly priced adapters priced from
$175 and up. There are also much less expensive ones in the $20 to $75
range which some users have either praised or condemned. I am quite sure than the Voigtlander brand is probably high quality and a no-brainer, but has anyone had experience with the less expensive ones available at Amazon, Adorama, or even Ebay?
I'll spend the money if I have to, but if I can get a usable product that may not look as "pretty" for less money, I'd rather do that.
Comments, anyone?
one for Leica M mount lenses and another for Nikon SLR lenses.
There are, of course, Voigtlander and similarly priced adapters priced from
$175 and up. There are also much less expensive ones in the $20 to $75
range which some users have either praised or condemned. I am quite sure than the Voigtlander brand is probably high quality and a no-brainer, but has anyone had experience with the less expensive ones available at Amazon, Adorama, or even Ebay?
I'll spend the money if I have to, but if I can get a usable product that may not look as "pretty" for less money, I'd rather do that.
Comments, anyone?
PCB_RF
Established
There seem to be primarily 4 levels of adapters:
1. Inexpensive Chinese-made ($20-$40)
2. Better Chinese-made ($70-$100)
3. Higher-Quality Japanese-made ($140-$180)
4. German-made Novoflex ($250)
There are some other sources, there's a fella in Poland machining his own, as well as somebody in Italy making some pretty complex/expensive adapters.
Adapters are glassless and have no electronic/mechanical data transfer, they simply have to position the lens correctly. That means there's less to "go wrong" with them.
In general you get what you pay for. Better adapters have better fit and finish. My cheap adapters often fit a bit loose on the body, with a small amount of radial play. Lenses often fit the adaptors a bit loose as well. Sometimes they focus past infinity.
This seldom translates to lower image quality or reduced functionality. If you're fussy and your budget is flexible, better adapters are better, but they won't necessarily result in better images.
I've only had a few issues. My cheapo FD adapter uses a very thin bolt to push against the aperture lever, and I've bent it a couple of times. A couple of other cheapies worked fine on a G1 and EP1, but not on a GF1.
You pays your money and you makes your choice.
1. Inexpensive Chinese-made ($20-$40)
2. Better Chinese-made ($70-$100)
3. Higher-Quality Japanese-made ($140-$180)
4. German-made Novoflex ($250)
There are some other sources, there's a fella in Poland machining his own, as well as somebody in Italy making some pretty complex/expensive adapters.
Adapters are glassless and have no electronic/mechanical data transfer, they simply have to position the lens correctly. That means there's less to "go wrong" with them.
In general you get what you pay for. Better adapters have better fit and finish. My cheap adapters often fit a bit loose on the body, with a small amount of radial play. Lenses often fit the adaptors a bit loose as well. Sometimes they focus past infinity.
This seldom translates to lower image quality or reduced functionality. If you're fussy and your budget is flexible, better adapters are better, but they won't necessarily result in better images.
I've only had a few issues. My cheapo FD adapter uses a very thin bolt to push against the aperture lever, and I've bent it a couple of times. A couple of other cheapies worked fine on a G1 and EP1, but not on a GF1.
You pays your money and you makes your choice.
je2a3
je
M4streetshooter
Tourist Thru Life
I use RJ adapters from EBay. No issues at all.
I have an LTM from the guy in Poland that actually has some adjustment screws in the threaded ring. It makes it very easy to adjust orientation and infinity focus on LTM lenses.
I have an LTM from the guy in Poland that actually has some adjustment screws in the threaded ring. It makes it very easy to adjust orientation and infinity focus on LTM lenses.
elshaneo
Panographer
I have two of the Metabones Micro 4/3 to Leica M adapters bought from Ebay, they are definitely excellent adapters, I remember that I paid around 65 USD for each
Pickett Wilson
Veteran
I've had no problem with the cheap ebay adapters.
DNG
Film Friendly
I have two of the Metabones Micro 4/3 to Leica M adapters bought from Ebay, they are definitely excellent adapters, I remember that I paid around 65 USD for each
+1 on the Metabones..
seem mimic the Voigtlander in looks also.. Very well made.
chrisso
Established
I have a Voigtlander M adapter which is great, plus a couple of the Metabones adapters. Very happy with all of them.
seakayaker1
Well-known
I have a couple of Voigtlander 'M' adaptors. I have also purchased adaptors for four thirds lenses from Panasonic, adaptors for Zeiss Contax G lenses from Monza & Metabones and C-Mount adaptor from Metabones and rainbowimaging on ebay. I have also picked up a few other inexpensive adaptors from rainbowimaging on EBay for other lenses as well.
Prices have ranged from $20.00 to $ 179.00.
All have worked with no problems.
All of these are used on my GF1.
Samples of output from the lenses can be found here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/26672618@N03/sets/
Good luck with the GF1! I love mine . . . . .
Life is Grand!
Dan
~
Prices have ranged from $20.00 to $ 179.00.
All have worked with no problems.
All of these are used on my GF1.
Samples of output from the lenses can be found here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/26672618@N03/sets/
Good luck with the GF1! I love mine . . . . .
Life is Grand!
Dan
~
Dogman
Veteran
I have the Voigtlander adapter and it does work great. However, it's a pretty simple product so I don't see the justification for the prices being charged for these adapters. I bought the Voigtlander over the cheapie models simply because it was available and I wanted it "right now".
I would note one little gripe about the Voigtlander. The lens release button, well-made as it is, is located pretty darn close to where my fingers fit on the Lumix G1's grip. On more than one occasion, I have inadvertently pressed this button when grasping the camera and this caused a partial release of the lens.
I'm planning on picking up one of the cheaper adapters to try. I've used both the more expensive Voigtlander and the cheap Leica screwmount to M-mount adapters in the past and really found nothing to distinguish them while in use. As long as it is not defective in some way, one of the cheapies should perform fine.
I would note one little gripe about the Voigtlander. The lens release button, well-made as it is, is located pretty darn close to where my fingers fit on the Lumix G1's grip. On more than one occasion, I have inadvertently pressed this button when grasping the camera and this caused a partial release of the lens.
I'm planning on picking up one of the cheaper adapters to try. I've used both the more expensive Voigtlander and the cheap Leica screwmount to M-mount adapters in the past and really found nothing to distinguish them while in use. As long as it is not defective in some way, one of the cheapies should perform fine.
summilux
Well-known
it is the spring that counts, the cosina has the best spring implementation: a copper ring, high polish etc. the lesser one, ie the metaphones does have have the ring, but rather three separate rings which tends to move around, difficult to describe, you open it and you find out, the lessor ones, kipon etc that I have tried, all cut corners in the spring that holds the lens tight with the adaptor, the end result is that on cheaper adapter, the lens becomes loose in the long run.
the RJ ones do not even have the spring, they just use the friction between metal, and when the metal gets wound down, your adapter is spent.
YOU get what you paid.
the two below belong to cosina adapter:
the two below are metabones:
the last two are from the canon body lens mount, the most sophisticated one, of course, and it is just from a low end film camera body, eos 33, which sells less than the cosina adapter I think:
the RJ ones do not even have the spring, they just use the friction between metal, and when the metal gets wound down, your adapter is spent.
YOU get what you paid.
the two below belong to cosina adapter:
the two below are metabones:
the last two are from the canon body lens mount, the most sophisticated one, of course, and it is just from a low end film camera body, eos 33, which sells less than the cosina adapter I think:
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Jim Simmons
Member
I've got a couple of the cheap ebay adapters (one M and one LTM), and both of them needed shimming. The LTM shim was easy to make, the M one a bit trickier. I used brass shim stock from a hobby store. The LTM adapter was WAY off, but is not spot on.
The major physical difference is that both front and back mating surfaces of the expensive adapters is chromed brass (contained in an aluminum body, whereas the cheap Chineses adapters are chromed brass on the lens side and black-anodised aluminum on the body flange side. This would matter if I was removing the adapter from the body a lot (the aluminum would wear), but I don't, so it's OK.
The major physical difference is that both front and back mating surfaces of the expensive adapters is chromed brass (contained in an aluminum body, whereas the cheap Chineses adapters are chromed brass on the lens side and black-anodised aluminum on the body flange side. This would matter if I was removing the adapter from the body a lot (the aluminum would wear), but I don't, so it's OK.