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M39 to M42 ring adapters
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PostPosted: Tue May 29, 2007 2:17 am    Post subject: M39 to M42 ring adapters Reply with quote
Has anyone used a Leica-type lens to their DSLR via the above? Or is it
a bad idea, simply not done? Curious.

Bill


PostPosted: Tue May 29, 2007 3:12 am    Post subject: Re: M39 to M42 ring adapters Reply with quote
Katastrofo wrote:
Has anyone used a Leica-type lens to their DSLR via the above? Or is it
a bad idea, simply not done? Curious.

Bill


Leica-M lenses (those with the M39 thread mount) are rangefinder lenses and their register distance is too short to allow for infinity focus on a reflex camera. You can mount a Leica-M lens on a reflex body via the M39-M42 adapter, but your lens will only be useable as a macro lens.


PostPosted: Tue May 29, 2007 3:49 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thanks, Orio, then it seems kind of pointless to do, since macro shots
can be done with 50 primes and extension tubes, or real live macro
lenses. This is interesting, if you go the FSU route, it's a one-way street
for film cameras, whereas with SLRs I can use their lenses on a DSLR without problems.

Bill


PostPosted: Tue May 29, 2007 8:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Katastrofo wrote:
Thanks, Orio, then it seems kind of pointless to do,


Yes, especially at the prices of the Leica -M lenses, whcih can be up to about the double of their -R equivalents (which are not at all cheap to start with!)

Katastrofo wrote:

This is interesting, if you go the FSU route,


What do you mean? I searched for FSU on google, and it gives back pages on the Florida State University, but something tells me this is not what you are talking about

Katastrofo wrote:

it's a one-way street
for film cameras, whereas with SLRs I can use their lenses on a DSLR without problems.
Bill


Uh? I think I have lost you again, but I suspect you are confusing things a bit, so I try to recap:

Leica produces two different lines of lenses: those for their rangefinder cameras, and these are labeled -M, and those for their reflex cameras, and these are labeled -R
For instance, an Elmarit-M 135 means that this is a 135mm lens with a f/2.8 aperture (Elmarit means 2.8 ) and the Leica Rangefinder register distance. While an Elmarit-R 135 (such as the one I have) is a 135mm lens with a f/2.8 aperture and the Leica Reflex register distance.
Leica rangefinder cameras have a much shorter register distance than the Leica reflex cameras and this of course is due to the absence of the mirror. This difference is found the same way for other brands (e.g. Contax rangefinders have shorter register distance than Contax reflex cameras) so it is not something that it's Leica-specific.
As for the Leica -R lenses, they can not be used on any other reflex system without problems. They can only be used on reflex systems whose register distance is smaller (or theoretically also equal, but then you would have to physically replace the mount) than that of the Leica reflex cameras. This is the case of Canon reflex cameras, for instance, while Nikon reflex cameras have a longer register distance so with them, you would have the same "macro-only" problem that you would have by mounting a rangefinder lens on any reflex cameras.
So to recap about Leica lenses:
- M lenses are not useable on any reflex system for anything outside of macro photography
- R lenses are useable on those reflex systems whose register distance is smaller than that of the Leica reflex cameras.
I hope this solves your doubts.


PostPosted: Tue May 29, 2007 8:17 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I have a helios m39 from a zenit reflex.

But I have to find out the Register distance of Pentax.

Guido


PostPosted: Tue May 29, 2007 11:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Jigt wrote:
I have a helios m39 from a zenit reflex.
Guido


That is a different M39 type of lenses, with completely different register distance. They are compatible with Canon DSLRs, but miss the infinity focus for a tiny bit. That is usually not a big issue, because the lenses for that mount are usually the Helios-40 or the old version of Jupiter-9, both of which are portrait lenses and therefore infinity focus is not essential. In any case you can set infinity to a good sharpness by shooting at f/8 or narrower.


PostPosted: Tue May 29, 2007 12:08 pm    Post subject: 3m Reply with quote
Hello,

Some information regarding this issue:

http://www.rus-camera.com/camera.php?page=zenit&camera=zenit3m
http://www.rus-camera.com/lenses.php?lens=m39zenit
http://www.xs4all.nl/~tomtiger/Zenit3m.html

I have a Tair 11A (2.8/135) (preset diaphragm) lens on M42 with originla case and filters. Among these it has a M39 mount too (some kind of adapter), which can replace the mount on the lens by removing it. So it can be used on a Zenit 3M, too, this way.


PostPosted: Tue May 29, 2007 12:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Orio,
"FSU" Former Soviet Union. It took me awhile to figure that one out, too,
but it seems to be used to describe the Russian Leica rangefinder copies,
FED, Zorki, but also any other soviet era cameras, Zenit, Kiev, etc. On
the Rangefinder Forum, they will ask if you have any FSU and they are
talking about the FED and Zorki rangefinders.

Also, that's what I meant, you can't use rangefinder lenses on DSLR.

Bill


PostPosted: Tue May 29, 2007 12:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Hello again,

Some links. They might be useful:

http://bobatkins.com/photography/eosfaq/manual_focus_EOS.html
http://www.a1.nl/phomepag/markerink/mounts.htm
http://bobatkins.com/photography/

Cosmin.


PostPosted: Tue May 29, 2007 1:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Jigt wrote:
I have a helios m39 from a zenit reflex.

But I have to find out the Register distance of Pentax.

Guido


Guido, Pentax register distance is 45.46mm, exactly the same as M42 and the Zenith M39 lenses. This was so that the M42 Pentax cameras could use other M42 lenses.

To use the Helios M39 on a K mount camera you will need the flush M42/K-mount adapter ring (not the type with a flange) and an M39/M42 adapter ring (available from many Russian sellers). I haven't had any problems with infinity focus.

Info on camera mounts and register distances here: http://www.a1.nl/phomepag/markerink/mounts.htm
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