Manual Focus Lenses Forum

target187 · Joined: 22 Sep 2009 Posts: 3

I'm very new to this whole 'Manual focus' thing. But yet very interested by it.
I thought it would be time to try something for myself.
I own a Nikon D80 and i know that is not the most usable camera to put M42 lenses on. But still thats my plan...

I already did some research but now, when it comes down to buying, i still have a few question.

Maybe you could help me out, that would be appreciated.

The lens i'm planing to buy (and tracked down) is a 'Super Takumar 55mm F2.0' I heard good stories about it, even in use with a Nikon so i suppose this will work. (not?)

1)
With one is a better lens:
Vivitar 135 2.8 (28xxxx made by Komine) OR the Panagor 135mm 2.8
(of with a can't find much usable info about the image quality)

The Panagor is probably cheaper, and come from the same seller that is going to sell me the Takumar. So that one is easier to get.... (but is it any good?)

3)
I found a nice 'Tair 300mm F4.5' witch will probably be a bargain too, my question: Will it work on my D80?
(ofcourse i'll need a M42-> nikon adapter. With or without the glass)

4)
Can someone provide me some info about these lensen:
(mainly: are they any good, image-quality wise)
I wasn't able to find any good info/reviews about them.
- Tefnon 28-80mm F3.8-4.8 Macro
- Makinon 200mm F3.3

5)
Is a 'vivitar 2x M42 teleconverter' usefull for any of these lenses?

Furthermore: i heard a story about a pin on the backside of the lens hitting the mirror of the camera.

Is that true? Witch lenses will do that? (any of the above?)
(i'm willing to preform some surgery on the lenses to remove the pin, but i'll need to know where to look for. I don't wont my camera to be ruined)

Thank you very much for reading this whole story, all the help i can get is very appreciated!

(If i placed this topic in the wrong section: i'm very sorry! I thought it was mainly about MF lenses so this would be the right place)

Sevo · Expire: 2012-12-03

Adapting other lenses to a Nikon is either expensive (remounting it in Nikon mount) or frustrating (needing a optical adapter with enough quality loss to make it pointless to use good lenses on that combination).

The best way is to get another camera. Film, to start with (nice M42 SLRs are often free these days - just ask around your family and friends, there seems to be a forgotten one in every second cupboard). And maybe later on another DSLR with shorter flange distance or a Micro 4/3 to follow up once you have figured out that you like MF, dislike film and have found some lenses that make it worth while.

LucisPictor · Expire: 2013-12-03

Or you try to concentrate on Russian lenses (such as the excellent Jupiter-37) which can easily be converted to Nikon-mount just by replacing the rear part of the lens. These lenses often have T2-screwmounts.
I once did that with a Jupiter-37 for my dad's Fuji S2.

target187 · Joined: 22 Sep 2009 Posts: 3

Thank u for you input!

@ Sevo:
i'm affraid using film is not an option for me. I really need the LCD-display to give me the feedback about the right exposure.

I know i'll probably lose 'focus to infinity', but are those M42-> nikon adapters without glass not usable?

@lucispictor:
that's interesting to! (didn't know that)
But where will i get the (nikon)mounts needed to convert the Russian lens?

Sevo · Expire: 2012-12-03

Milanos · Joined: 04 Feb 2009 Posts: 110 Location: Vlašim

Hello Target187,

I have been asking pretty same questions few months ago when I started to read this forum regularly.

I own a Nikon D200 and am really satisfied with it although the MF lenses fit is very limited.

My advise is: Do not grab M42 lenses. Stay tuned on Nikkor ais lenses or AI converted lenses and You will be fine. There are plenty of them around in nice condition and are quite cheap. Even the super pieces like 50 f1,2 or 85 1,8 (or f1,4) or other nice stuff are going not too high these days.

There are of course other brands in Nikon mount You can get, e.g. Tokina, Voigtlander, Meyer and some of the new zeiss pieces and many many others.

And in case of convertors, You can use Pentacon six lenses (most of Zeiss were made for P-6) or as mentioned by Lucispictor, the russian lenses. There is as well Leitax (leica R to Nikon) adapter around and Hasselblad to Nikon adapter and many others.

M42 to Nikon with correction glass is how to say like riding on a baby bike when dreaming about tour de France. Kood M42 to Nikon is said to be the best so far, it is ussually going for 40 USD.

We do not know what is Your budget, but I recommend to check the MF nikkors.

Hope that helps a bit.

sichko · Joined: 20 Jun 2008 Posts: 2475 Location: South West UK

target187 · Joined: 22 Sep 2009 Posts: 3

@ sevo:
okay, good to know. 4m is not very much.... (for 180mm)

I thought i could maybe use the Panagor 135 for portrait-headshots.
But even than might just/ or just not work very wel....

Still i don't quite understand the T2 mound idea...
(very new to this)
What exactly is a T2 mount?

I looked it up on ebay. But is it an adapter witch i should take apart to screw the mount-part on the (russian) lens?
(change the lensmount for the piece of the T2)

@Milanos:
I understand your point, and u are probably right.
The thing is, these Nikkon AIs are quite hard to get here. (Holland)
And the ones i can find are actually pretty expensive.
Not the kind of money i want to spend right now, certainly not on something that's 'just' an experiment.

Than i'm almost thinking: Why get an MF-lens when it's not that much cheaper than a new AF lens (witch can ofcourse ofso focus manually)

The Takumar is only €10,00. The adapter (no glass) is about € 17,-
That's the kind of money i'm willing to pay for this experiment.
Not much more.

Thanks for you input about the kood adapters, i'm look into that.

@sichko:
Thanks for your info!

I already thought i wouldn't be the first to ask. But i couldn't find much topics with a good answer to my questions. (not even with the search function. That comes up with a lot, but i didn't get much useful...
So if you could provide me some links, that would be great!

Milanos · Joined: 04 Feb 2009 Posts: 110 Location: Vlašim

Ups 10 Euro is really not high budget for MF Nikkors. Anyway if You buy an infinity adapter, please post some pictures I´m interested in the quality, cause I have a few Zeiss pieces at home with M42 and would like to get either new life on the body or new home to them...

sichko · Joined: 20 Jun 2008 Posts: 2475 Location: South West UK

sichko · Joined: 20 Jun 2008 Posts: 2475 Location: South West UK

Screamin Scott · Tue Sep 22, 2009 2:57 pm

target187,
I have both adapters & the optical version (to keep infinity focus) works pretty good as long as you have a high quality lens you are using it with, don't print super large prints from it, & basically only view your work on the web. I also shoot using the T mount lenses & using enlarger lenses via adapters. For the most part, I would agree to stick with Nikon mount 3rd party lenses or Nikkors as they are readily available & easier to use than the other methods. That said, if you like to expirement as I do, there are a lot of good old M42 lenses out there..
As for your question concerning the Vivitar vs Panagor 135mm's, there are more than one Komine made Vivitar 135mm's. The "close focusing model" is the best, the other Komine made Vivitar & the Panagor are likely about equal in terms of IQ

peterqd · Expire: 2014-01-04

The Super-Takumar 2.0/55 is a good choice. Besides great IQ and relatively cheap price, it is very easy to adjust the infinity focus to suit a Nikon camera with a glassless M42 adapter. And of course the adjustment is completely reversible if you ever need to reset it.

This link explains how to adjust the similar 1.4/50:
http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~Srawhiti/pentax50mmf1.4.html