Home

Please support mflenses.com if you need any graphic related work order it from us, click on above banner to order!
SearchSearch MemberlistMemberlist RegisterRegister ProfileProfile Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages Log inLog in

Small lenses from 35mm cameras to use on NEX
Post new topic   Reply to topic
Home   Manual Focus Lenses
View previous topic :: View next topic  


PostPosted: Tue Sep 06, 2011 11:29 pm    Post subject: Small lenses from 35mm cameras to use on NEX Reply with quote
Hi folks

I bought a NEX-3 with a 16mm lens and I love the small for factor with this lens attached. However, whenever I put a SLR lens or enlarger lens (and I have loads of tiny ones) the size of the needed adaptor ruins the small form factor, even with a tiny pancake lens like the Pentacon 2.4/50 I have, the size of the adapter makes it three times as deep as the 16mm lens that fits directly to the body.

This would be an issue whatever SLR lens I used even the tiny Nikon 50mm pancake, Hexanon 1.8/40 or Rokkor 45mm.

One solution is to use a collapsible Industar 3.5/50, it withdraws into the M39 adapter when not in use so it is pretty small. However, the aperture on this lens is a pita to use and it's quite slow at f3.5, it's also a bit too long with the 1.5x crop factor.

So my interest has turned to the plethora of compact 35mm cameras available cheap in broken state, I could remove the lens from one of those.

I bought a broked Olympus Trip 35 as the Zuiko lens on it is excellent but it can't be removed from the body in one piece, after reading how to dismantle it, seems way too difficult to bother.

So now I'm wondering which cameras have excellent lenses that can be removed. The Minolta Himatic 7 seems a posibility, it has a 1.8/45 lens that was supposedly designed by ELCAN (E. Leitz Canada) and the whole lens comes off in one piece with the removal of four screws.

I'd like something wider though, so what other compact cameras of the 50/60s do people think would have suitable lenses? I am only interested in really good lenses like the ones I mentioned, no cheap triplets or middle of the road Tessars, unless they have some outstanding quality to recommend them.

Konica C35 is one camera that catches my attention for this purpose, is the Hexanon lens on it upto the standards of the Hexanon ARs for SLR?


PostPosted: Tue Sep 06, 2011 11:33 pm    Post subject: Minolta Reply with quote
Minolta hi-matic woulde be possible
İt's good lens to use actually


PostPosted: Tue Sep 06, 2011 11:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I've got a HiMatic that I haven't used for maybe 10 years, but I'd never part with it because the lens is so sharp. It's a great little camera.
But you have to bodge batteries in them, and they are plentiful. If you've got a rough one then it's a great lens to try.

( has the crap lens arrived yet ? )


PostPosted: Tue Sep 06, 2011 11:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Ah, the crap lens, I forgot all about it!

Yes, it's here. Soon as we get a few hours of sun I shall go shoot with it, very sorry!


PostPosted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 12:46 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Hi Ian,

I have heard some good things about the Pentax Auto 110 lens on Nex.
The lenses are as small as bottle caps.

Some sample pics:

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1036&message=34170542

People make adapters:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/56473904@N05/5333353568/


...and they are selling adapters on Ebay:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pentax-110-Lens-Sony-NEX-3-NEX-5-NEX-VG10-Adapter-/220762911395

The 18mm w/a and 24mm normal would make good starters. You are stuck with shooting the lenses' wide open because the aperture mechanism was built into the body of the cameras.

However you can make a rather thin adapter with aperture control:

http://forum.getdpi.com/forum/showthread.php?p=133981

I also saw some homemade aperture adjustable adapters that used waterhouse stops and the guts from the inside of the camera itself:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/xy9z/5573197368/

http://forum.getdpi.com/forum/showthread.php?p=139151


http://forum.getdpi.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8596


These lenses are still pretty cheap on Ebay. You can get a body, and a couple of lenses for under $35US.

I know you'd have fun with these, Ian!

paul


PostPosted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 1:11 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I've looked at the 110 lenses and they are tiny, but sadly, the 18 and 24 don't cover the NEX sensor fully, the 50 and 50 probably do. Also, the lack of aperture puts me off, but the dealbreaker is the vignetting with the shorter ones, sadly as they are excellent lenses.


PostPosted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 1:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
iangreenhalgh1 wrote:
I've looked at the 110 lenses and they are tiny, but sadly, the 18 and 24 don't cover the NEX sensor fully, the 50 and 50 probably do. Also, the lack of aperture puts me off, but the dealbreaker is the vignetting with the shorter ones, sadly as they are excellent lenses.


Do you think if you used some kind of aperture to stop the lenses down a bit that the vignetting would disappear? I haven't seen the test results.

Paul

P.S. - I have found the SMC 35mm f/3.5 lens on the NEX a potent and compact little package -even with the adpater!

http://forum.mflenses.com/35mm-f-3-5-super-takumar-t42340.html


PostPosted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 1:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Kodak Retina camera has tiny dkl lenses. Or Voigtlander bessamatic
I always use my dkl lenses if I need compactness


PostPosted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 1:35 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I can't find any sample pics taken on the NEX using these lenses. The prices for the Pentax 110 and lenses is skyrocketing right now.

Good call on the DKL lenses, but how deep is the DKL-NEX adaptor?


PostPosted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 1:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
It same as other 35mm lenses adapter to NEX (M42 Konica etc)
I use in NEX with adapter EOS-NEX + dkl- EOS combo
here's it mounted on Canon


on NEX


PostPosted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 2:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Perhpas I can find a compact camera with a Xenar on it that I can use, that would mean no adapter and a much smaller package overall.

The key is in the register of the original camera, the NEX is only 18mm so allowing for mounting, a compact camera lens with a register of 20-25mm would be ideal.


PostPosted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 5:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I was thinking of this too.
Sadly if you cripple the lens from a fixed rangefinder camera unless you got the tools it's not easy to get a usable lens with working focusing on Nex. You can try it for a short time but in long term it's not good.

About DKL.. the lenses are sweet and have wonderful colors but the adapter is long.

I hate to telling it but unless you go for a quality rangefinder lenses (leica m, contax G) you will have to drop the compactness.

The Minolta 7 i will never brake .. this 45mm Rokkor is wonderful with film.

18mm for 110 vignettes on nex ? sais who?
I didn't had a proper adapter for it but it was looking almost OK for me just holding it next to camera body.

Btw i still have it and if you are interested i can donate it for your project Wink


PostPosted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 6:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
This is reason why now LTM lenses is sky rocketing price. I cannot afford nice Canon 50is LTM on fleabay


PostPosted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 7:17 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Even Leica lenses are no real cure-all - the NEX are somewhat telecentric in sensor design, so that 28mm or wider rangefinder lenses of every make (except for the latest highest priced "for digital" Leica wides) suffer considerable edge smearing due to that.

Compact 35mm or 38mm lenses are your best bet - but unfortunately, the popular and cheap Jupiter-12 has too big a rear element to fit. The Acall 35mm/3.5 is tiny, nice and a mildly retrofocal design which does well on sensors - but even though odd mount (Exakta, M42 etc.) versions are fairly affordable when it turns up for auction (I got mine for less than 30€ including shipping), I haven't seen one for quite some time except in the hands of some of the more ridiculously expensive fixed-price dealers.

Personally I am still waiting for someone to make a Nex/Robot thread mount adapter to test my Robot lenses - these should be a good match in size, focal length and coverage.


PostPosted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 2:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Sevo wrote:

Personally I am still waiting for someone to make a Nex/Robot thread mount adapter to test my Robot lenses - these should be a good match in size, focal length and coverage.


I use my Schneider-Kreuznach Tele-Xenar 3.8/75 (Robot mount) on my NEX with a Robot-C/mount and a C/mount-NEX adapter. Works well!


PostPosted: Fri Sep 09, 2011 3:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Some of the c mount lenses, longer than 40-50mm might do well? If you want fast, then at that range, they get very bulky and heavy. F2 or less and they can be quite petite?

The very old English and German enlarging and cine lenses can be quite small. There is a penalty, as they usually lack coatings. You may also not like the less well corrected aberrations.

The place to see them is on flikr, mostly on m4/3 and see how they suit size wise and visual effect? Whatever their faults they will be worse on NEX and may have a vignette too, unless a long enough focal length is chosen.


PostPosted: Sat Sep 10, 2011 1:20 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
std wrote:
I was thinking of this too.
Sadly if you cripple the lens from a fixed rangefinder camera unless you got the tools it's not easy to get a usable lens with working focusing on Nex. You can try it for a short time but in long term it's not good.

About DKL.. the lenses are sweet and have wonderful colors but the adapter is long.

I hate to telling it but unless you go for a quality rangefinder lenses (leica m, contax G) you will have to drop the compactness.

The Minolta 7 i will never brake .. this 45mm Rokkor is wonderful with film.

18mm for 110 vignettes on nex ? sais who?
I didn't had a proper adapter for it but it was looking almost OK for me just holding it next to camera body.

Btw i still have it and if you are interested i can donate it for your project Wink


Good info, I need to find a Pentax 110 camera to remove the mount from as I have the 50mm Pentax-110 lens, then I can make a Pentax 110 to NEX adaptor. I have the aperture from a broken shutter so I could fit that inside the adaptor too.

Tomorrow I'm going to remove the lens from a broken Taron Eyemax to have a go at my first attempt at modifying a compact camera lens for NEX usage.

I might take you up on that 18mm, I'll see how my adaptor project goes!


PostPosted: Sat Sep 17, 2011 8:38 pm    Post subject: Re: Small lenses from 35mm cameras to use on NEX Reply with quote
iangreenhalgh1 wrote:
Hi folks
So now I'm wondering which cameras have excellent lenses that can be removed. The Minolta Himatic 7 seems a posibility, it has a 1.8/45 lens that was supposedly designed by ELCAN (E. Leitz Canada) and the whole lens comes off in one piece with the removal of four screws.


I've stolen your idea Ian!

By luck, after reading this, I saw and won a broken Hi-Matic 7 on ebay for 99p (+£5 P&P Wink)

Fitting it to my EPL1 has taken most evenings this week and all today. What a palaver (but good fun)! Below are pics of it on my EPL1. It's not especially compact mind you. I've only just finished this (well, a bit more work is needed to get the infinity focus at the end stop) but I've had enough for now. Rolling Eyes





When I've taken some test shots, I will create a new thread in the micro-four thirds section

Mark


PostPosted: Sat Sep 17, 2011 8:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
OK, so one test shot, just to prove it works!

Shot at f1.8.


Crop around focus area



PostPosted: Sat Sep 17, 2011 10:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Well done mate!

I got the lens off my Himatic but the bl**dy shutter is stuck shut so need to dismantle it.

Also, can't see how all the brass plate and other brass cr*p on the back comes off, most annoying.


PostPosted: Sat Sep 17, 2011 10:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Quote:
Konica C35 is one camera that catches my attention for this purpose, is the Hexanon lens on it upto the standards of the Hexanon ARs for SLR?
Even better ... in fact I rate higher than most SLR what I did test.

http://forum.mflenses.com/konica-c35-black-provia-100-diy-e-6-tetenal-e-6-jobo-t42357.html


PostPosted: Sat Sep 17, 2011 10:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Interesting, C35s are very common, will have to get one.


PostPosted: Sat Sep 17, 2011 10:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
iangreenhalgh1 wrote:
Well done mate!


Thanks! Your comments neatly encapsulate why this is a non-trivial conversion. I was seduced by your comment that "the whole lens comes off in one piece with the removal of four screws". Oh my, that was just the beginning of the story. If I had known how complicated it was, I would have taken plenty of pictures along the way. I do have pictures of my mounting which I will post in a new thread.

Some brief hints

iangreenhalgh1 wrote:

I got the lens off my Himatic but the bl**dy shutter is stuck shut so need to dismantle it.


Stuck or just shut? Either way, big problem number one is how to open the shutter. Access is through the front of the lens by unscrewing the thin ring around the name ring. I can't remember the exact details, but I think the aluminium outer ring comes off next. This probably allows the shutter speed and aperture rings to be removed. The front optical group is then unscrewed and the plate under that is removed. Under this is another plate that is locked on with a tab around the threaded ring for the optical group. Prise off this plate and the fantastic clockwork shutter mechanism is underneath.

Thing of beauty though this is, I removed as many bits as I could and eventually could unscrew the swivel plate that opens and closes he shutter leaves. I was able to reposition this plate so that the spring that normally keeps the shutter shut now keeps it open. thus, I did not have to remove the shutter blades themselves.

I did not attempt to reinstall the shutter mechanics Laughing

iangreenhalgh1 wrote:


Also, can't see how all the brass plate and other brass cr*p on the back comes off, most annoying.


A real puzzler isn't it?

The inner helical is attached to the lens and the outer helical runs in a plane bush in the die-cast front plate of the camera. So be careful! Break this die-casting and you could be stuck with a lens you can't focus.

To get the lens off the mounting plate, you need to unscrew the helical. But the back of the lens has four (IIRC) prongs that stop this happening. One is the blade that runs in a clawed tab screwed to the die casting and this converts the rotation of the focus ring to linear motion of the lens. Remove the clawed tab and keep safe. This blade is the only one that is important.

I couldn't see how to get the two longer prongs past the die casting so in the end I just ripped them off. One is the round bar that I just pulled off with a pair of pliers. The longer blade I bent back and forth until it snapped.

With those gone, the lens can be unscrewed. A bit of juggling may be required. I drilled a 1mm diameter hole about 1 mm deep in the face of the outer helical so i could rotate it independently with the point of a scribe. The "linear motion blade" will move out with the lens and thus clear the die casting allowing the whole lens to unscrew.

I recommend you take plenty of pictures ( I didn't) otherwise you will spend a lot of time working out how to put it together again (I did).Very Happy

Mark


PostPosted: Sat Sep 17, 2011 11:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Jeez, that's a lot of work.

I'll wait until I see further test shots with yours before I decide whether to bother!


PostPosted: Sun Sep 18, 2011 8:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Indeed it's lot's of work and effort, at lest the first time when you haven't done it before.

Ian in the package i sent to you there are 2 of those: i think one of them was 1.9 hexanon and the other 1.4 yashinon.
Post new topic   Reply to topic
Home   Manual Focus Lenses
Goto page 1, 2  Next
Page 1 of 2