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Best Source for Donor Mounts
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PostPosted: Fri Mar 25, 2022 9:57 pm    Post subject: Best Source for Donor Mounts Reply with quote
I’m curious what ideas you might have for how to buy precisely made good quality mounts to modify lenses. For more context, I have replaced the mount on my Canon VL 250mm f4 mirror lens. There’s no adapters for that mount, so I unscrewed it and screwed a Micro Four Thirds mount onto it.

I had to drill holes into the M43 mount, which wasn’t a problem. I got that mount off of a Kipon adapter that I took apart.

It’s fine, but not ideal. It’s kind of a soft aluminum mount. I wish I could find a good place to get better-quality ones, chrome-plated brass ideally.

So far it’s been kind of a process of hunting for a) cheap well-made lenses with good mounts, or b) adapters with well-made mounts that are screwed onto the rear, and not just machined as part of a single-piece adapter body. I haven’t found many of a) at all, and b) isn’t turning out to be reliable; I’ve tried a couple of adapters that arrived not looking like the product photos I saw when I bought them. The Kipon adapter is the only reliable such source I know, but again, it’s soft and a bit imprecise, and Kipon adapters actually aren’t cheap and tend to take a long time to order and receive.

For a few different lenses I want to modify in the future, I’d love to have nice strong precise mounts for Fujifilm X, Micro Four Thirds, Sony E, and M42.

Are there better sources? What are your ideas?


PostPosted: Sat Mar 26, 2022 12:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
It's a case by case thing for me. I only mod lenses that are either ubiquitous or damaged as I can t bring myself to ruin good , rare lenses. I usually modify, or make or modify adapters.


PostPosted: Sat Mar 26, 2022 1:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
You can buy replacement lens mounts for many native mirrorless lenses, that you could adapt with ready made screw holes.

e.g.

ï¿¡10.69 10%OFF | New Lens Bayonet Mount Ring For Sony FE 70-200 mm 70-200mm f/4 G OSS Repair Part
https://a.aliexpress.com/_mPxrsq6

ï¿¡3.02 46%OFF | Len Zoom Bayonet Mount Contact Ring for Fuji 16-50 16-50II F3.5-5.6 without Flex Lens bayonet mount ring without flex
https://a.aliexpress.com/_msX4gEw

ï¿¡7.05 19%OFF | new 18-55 STM Bayonet 18-55 STM Ring For Canon 18-55 STM bayonet lens mount Digital Camera Repair Parts
https://a.aliexpress.com/_mK19vbg

ï¿¡23.75 | Original Lens Bayonet Mount Ring Part For Sony 16-35 2.8GM 24-70 2.8GM 70-200 2.8GM 100-400GM 85mm1.4GM Repair parts
https://a.aliexpress.com/_mr6Yice

MFT:
ï¿¡15.84 | NEW 12-60 H-ES12060 H-FS12060 Rear Bayonet Mount Ring For Panasonic 12-60mm For Lumix G VARIO For LEICA DG Vario-Elmarit
https://a.aliexpress.com/_mKSl2cQ

Even Nikon 1 mount gets a look in:
ï¿¡3.68 8%OFF | 1PCS 95% new original lens for Nikon 10-30mm 10-30MM f / 3.5-5.6 piece repair ring bayonet mount
https://a.aliexpress.com/_mrFq4OS

In some cases you'd need to do a bit of shaving work, in some none.

I'm sure you could find them cheaper. They're a mix of plastic and metal, but prices still vary wildly on both- for example, the Nikon 1 lens mount is metal but very cheap.


PostPosted: Sat Mar 26, 2022 11:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
That is super helpful, thanks! I never thought to search for it — I immediately found a lot of convenient options. Cheers!


PostPosted: Sun Mar 27, 2022 9:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
If you ever need to modify it to an older MF mount (pre-digital age), the OEM reverse mounts are also good sources, easily found for little money. Many of the main makers (Nikon, Canon, Minolta, Pentax, Olympus etc.) produced reverse mount rings for reverse-mounting their lenses on bellows. They tend to be quality chromium-plated brass mounts. The protruding filter thread can easily be shaved down or used for shimming as required.

Here are a couple of examples where I used the Minolta SR reverse mount:

http://forum.mflenses.com/custom-minolta-sr-md-mount-adaptations-t83467.html


PostPosted: Sun Mar 27, 2022 1:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Very clever idea, as well!


PostPosted: Sun Mar 27, 2022 4:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
xaprb wrote:
That is super helpful, thanks! I never thought to search for it — I immediately found a lot of convenient options. Cheers!


Let us know which you end up buying and how you get on- this is something I want to explore later..


PostPosted: Sun Mar 27, 2022 4:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
RokkorDoctor wrote:
If you ever need to modify it to an older MF mount (pre-digital age), the OEM reverse mounts are also good sources, easily found for little money. Many of the main makers (Nikon, Canon, Minolta, Pentax, Olympus etc.) produced reverse mount rings for reverse-mounting their lenses on bellows. They tend to be quality chromium-plated brass mounts. The protruding filter thread can easily be shaved down or used for shimming as required.

Here are a couple of examples where I used the Minolta SR reverse mount:

http://forum.mflenses.com/custom-minolta-sr-md-mount-adaptations-t83467.html


Curious on your method for shaving them down evenly.


PostPosted: Sun Mar 27, 2022 7:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
eggplant wrote:
RokkorDoctor wrote:
If you ever need to modify it to an older MF mount (pre-digital age), the OEM reverse mounts are also good sources, easily found for little money. Many of the main makers (Nikon, Canon, Minolta, Pentax, Olympus etc.) produced reverse mount rings for reverse-mounting their lenses on bellows. They tend to be quality chromium-plated brass mounts. The protruding filter thread can easily be shaved down or used for shimming as required.

Here are a couple of examples where I used the Minolta SR reverse mount:

http://forum.mflenses.com/custom-minolta-sr-md-mount-adaptations-t83467.html


Curious on your method for shaving them down evenly.


Lapping on sandpaper on top of a flat stone surface for small amounts. Dremel and/or hand files for bigger amounts, finishing off with lapping on stone-backed sandpaper again. A vernier calliper measurement around the circumference ensures even target thickness everywhere within 0.02mm tolerance.

A small milling machine is on my wish-list of things that will likely never materialise Wink


PostPosted: Mon Mar 28, 2022 3:44 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
RokkorDoctor wrote:


A small milling machine is on my wish-list of things that will likely never materialise Wink


Welcome to the club. Wink Heck, I'd even settle for a drill press and a place to set it up.
In the mean-time I'm becoming a fan of hand fitting with tiny files and wet/dry auto-body paper- a carry over from my air valve rebuilding days...

-D.S.


PostPosted: Tue Mar 29, 2022 5:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote




Here's a couple of reversing rings.

At top: [pro]master nikon to 72mm.
Actually picked this up today out of the $5.00 bin at the camera shop.
I needed a 72mm lens cap, and this works a bit.

Bottom: N.P.S. Nikon to 52mm. Much older and better built than the extruded aluminum [pro]master.
Both work well and seem fairly sturdy.
I don't seem to have a 72mm thread dia. lens here that will produce an image reversed, but I haven't tried them all.
300mm is a bit on the longish side Wink

-D.S.


PostPosted: Tue Mar 29, 2022 9:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Doc Sharptail wrote:




Here's a couple of reversing rings.

At top: [pro]master nikon to 72mm.
Actually picked this up today out of the $5.00 bin at the camera shop.
I needed a 72mm lens cap, and this works a bit.

Bottom: N.P.S. Nikon to 52mm. Much older and better built than the extruded aluminum [pro]master.
Both work well and seem fairly sturdy.
I don't seem to have a 72mm thread dia. lens here that will produce an image reversed, but I haven't tried them all.
300mm is a bit on the longish side Wink

-D.S.


You needed a 72mm lens cap so you end up with a 72 reverse ring. I think we are on the same wavelength here! Like Dog
Reverse ring + rear lens cap = multi-functional front lens cap... Wink

Other possible quality mount sources are from the screw-together style extension tubes, such as the Minolta Extension Tube II below. On a good day you can pick those up for a few £/$:


This comes with ring EB at the back:


And for Minolta their M-42 P-Adapter and M-39 L-Adapter are also useful options:




PostPosted: Tue Mar 29, 2022 11:17 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
RokkorDoctor wrote:
eggplant wrote:
RokkorDoctor wrote:
If you ever need to modify it to an older MF mount (pre-digital age), the OEM reverse mounts are also good sources, easily found for little money. Many of the main makers (Nikon, Canon, Minolta, Pentax, Olympus etc.) produced reverse mount rings for reverse-mounting their lenses on bellows. They tend to be quality chromium-plated brass mounts. The protruding filter thread can easily be shaved down or used for shimming as required.

Here are a couple of examples where I used the Minolta SR reverse mount:

http://forum.mflenses.com/custom-minolta-sr-md-mount-adaptations-t83467.html


Curious on your method for shaving them down evenly.


Lapping on sandpaper on top of a flat stone surface for small amounts. Dremel and/or hand files for bigger amounts, finishing off with lapping on stone-backed sandpaper again. A vernier calliper measurement around the circumference ensures even target thickness everywhere within 0.02mm tolerance.

A small milling machine is on my wish-list of things that will likely never materialise Wink


Very interesting- will definitely do something similar in the future.

Dumb question, but for drilling screw holes in a mount, don't they need to be counterbored? Otherwise the screw will just fall straight through, right? Total noob here sorry.


PostPosted: Tue Mar 29, 2022 2:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
RokkorDoctor wrote:




You needed a 72mm lens cap so you end up with a 72 reverse ring. I think we are on the same wavelength here! Like Dog
Reverse ring + rear lens cap = multi-functional front lens cap... Wink


New 72mm front lens cap = $23.95

New reversing ring still in packaging = $5.00 Mr. Green

Which is why I went the route that I did.
Just as an aside, some of the old Patterson film tank pour caps make excellent nikon/minolta/pentax rear lens caps- just in case anyone was wondering Wink

-D.S.


PostPosted: Tue Mar 29, 2022 3:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
eggplant wrote:
Dumb question, but for drilling screw holes in a mount, don't they need to be counterbored? Otherwise the screw will just fall straight through, right? Total noob here sorry.


Yes, they do need counterboring for the screw heads.


PostPosted: Tue Mar 29, 2022 3:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Doc Sharptail wrote:
Just as an aside, some of the old Patterson film tank pour caps make excellent nikon/minolta/pentax rear lens caps- just in case anyone was wondering Wink

-D.S.


Now I am wondering if that also means one can mount a Patterson film tank on a nikon/minolta/pentax camera Wink


PostPosted: Wed Mar 30, 2022 4:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I know this is in jest, but for those considering an attempt: Rolling Eyes
It is a plain friction fit.
I think the tank-top throats would be a bit on the loose side inside the camera mount.

-D.S.
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