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What adapters are you using on your Nikon?
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Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 8:03 am
Post subject: What adapters are you using on your Nikon?
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Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 8:03 am
Post subject: What adapters are you using on your Nikon?
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Hi,

I got really interested in manual lenses after using my Pentacon Six lenses. So I'm looking around searching for other adapters to put on my Nikon.

Which lenses are you adapting?

I'm thinking about M42 (curious how bad is the glass element in the adapter?), M39 (not that many lenses for sale), Minolta MD (only found the adapter in Hong Kong and afraid of sending over money! Experinces?), Leica R (soooo expensiv and only mount modifiers) and Canon FD (the evil side? any good glas?)

What I'm thinking about is wether there are some lenses really worth looking for and using with adapters or just stick to Nikkors and P6?

What are you using, why are you using what you are using and how are your experiences compared to Nikon glass?


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Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 1:40 pm
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Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 1:40 pm
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I used P6 and M42 without glass. From 135mm focal length was usable perfectly adapter without glass. My noname glass adapter is crap.


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Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 2:32 pm
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Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 2:32 pm
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So you would only recommend Tele lenses with M42 on a Nikon?

I was looking into wide angle and was thinking but I've seen some nice Telefoto lenses around!

Are there nice M42 lenses around 300-400mm?


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Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 2:45 pm
Post subject: Re: What adapters are you using on your Nikon?
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Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 2:45 pm
Post subject: Re: What adapters are you using on your Nikon?
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Karhallarn wrote:
Hi,

I got really interested in manual lenses after using my Pentacon Six lenses. So I'm looking around searching for other adapters to put on my Nikon.

Which lenses are you adapting?


I've used a variety of P6 lenses with good results. Other people have used other medium-format lenses (e.g. Mamiya) with good results but I have no direct experience.

Quote:
I'm thinking about M42 (curious how bad is the glass element in the adapter?).....


I've had very good results using a "glass" adapter with a variety of M42 lenses. However there are conflicting views about the amount of image degradation such adapters produce. You might wish to search the forum. There are several threads.

Quote:
M39 (not that many lenses for sale)


The register of an M39 lens is (usually) shorter than that of an M42 lens so that obtaining infinity focus might present a real difficulty.

Quote:
(only found the adapter in Hong Kong and afraid of sending over money! Experinces?)


I've bot LOTS of stuff (lens hoods, mechanical adapters - P6 &M42/Nikon -, stepping rings, bellows, etc) from HK. Quality has been good or better with delivery times ranging from 4-5 days to 2-3 weeks.

Quote:
What I'm thinking about is wether there are some lenses really worth looking for and using with adapters or just stick to Nikkors and P6?

What are you using, why are you using what you are using and how are your experiences compared to Nikon glass?


There are a few Russian lenses (Jupiter 11A 4/135, Jupiter 37A 3.5/135, Tair 11A 2.8/135, Jupiter 21A 4/200, and a few others) where the normally supplied M42 mount can be easily replaced by a Nikon F mount. I have had good results with the ones mentioned.

Notwithstanding the good results obtained with the lenses listed above I am currently concentrating on Nikon (Nikkor) Ai(s) and 3rd party Ai(s) lenses. There are quite a lot of good 3rd party lenses. They include a range of lenses made for the Kiev 19 SLR, lenses made by Kiron and Komine (often carrying the the Vivitar label), by Tokina and some of the Tamron Adaptall 2 lenses. I find it easier to use lenses with automatic aperture - but that's simply my personal taste - others may differ.


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Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 2:49 pm
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Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 2:49 pm
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Sounds very promising! The MD Adapter is interesting to me because my father used to shoot minolta and there are some lenses lying around at home!

A 50mm 1.7, a 35-70 3.5, a 135 3.5 and 250mm mirror lens.


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Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 2:53 pm
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Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 2:53 pm
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Karhallarn wrote:
So you would only recommend Tele lenses with M42 on a Nikon?

I was looking into wide angle and was thinking but I've seen some nice Telefoto lenses around!

Are there nice M42 lenses around 300-400mm?


I've used the Mir 1 (Mir 1B, Mir1V) 2.8/37 and the Flektogon 2.4/35 with a glass adapter without any problems. Without a glass adapter you can only focus to a few metres. Comparative tests, with and without a glass adapter was possible for close subjects only. However I saw very little, if any, image degradation. Note that the glass adapter acts as a weak teleconverter. I used one by a company called Kood. This gave a multiplying factor of ~1.1. So 37 becomes 41 and 35 becomes 39. This might be a disadvantage.


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Posted: Thu Jul 16, 2009 10:50 pm
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Posted: Thu Jul 16, 2009 10:50 pm
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I'm using the Bower glass adapter sold by B&H to adapt M42 lenses to Nikon. I've uploaded plenty of shots in original size to Flickr, click here

I also recommend a forum search for M42 and Nikon. There's plenty of information in them that is interesting to you.


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Posted: Sat Jul 18, 2009 10:14 pm
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Posted: Sat Jul 18, 2009 10:14 pm
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Karhallarn:
Nikon has a long row of nice sharp lenses from wide angle to long telephoto and some of them are really outstanding. Zeiss lenses are as well top and were made in P-6 mount. And there are other lenses in nikon F-mount (Tokina, Vivitar and others) or Ai/pre Ai (you have to let it convert) for nikon use. P-six mount is as well common not only at zeiss brand but Russian lenses fit it. I think Kiev 60 or Kiev 88 lenses are usefull.

As well You can use Kodak Retina/Voigtlander/ Shneider lenses on nikon with certain adapter and still obtain infinity. If You are interested I have a list of lenses which can be used.

I was at the same point as You are 6 months ago. I recommend to do a deep research of this forum and internet generally and You would see how many possibilities You have.

The M42 to Nikon adapter without glass is the best if You do not need infinity.


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Posted: Sat Jul 18, 2009 10:51 pm
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Posted: Sat Jul 18, 2009 10:51 pm
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I have one M42 to Nikon F adapter with glass from MASSA which is able to see infinity with Yashica Yashinon-DS lens. Focus is indicated by green dot on my D70.

It is aluminum type, paint in black but the paint is easily scratch to revel the original white color.
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