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

Converting Vivitar 17mm 3.5 FD to m42
Post new topic   Reply to topic
Home   Equipment Care and Repairs
View previous topic :: View next topic  


PostPosted: Wed Apr 10, 2013 7:05 am    Post subject: Converting Vivitar 17mm 3.5 FD to m42 Reply with quote
Just one straight question: Anybody knows the distance between the lens and the IR filter? It's the same than EF.
Thanks!


PostPosted: Wed Apr 10, 2013 7:13 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Also, the lens has like a metal part before the lens, please count on that.


PostPosted: Wed Apr 10, 2013 12:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I am assuming the lens is in Canon FD mount and you want to use it on an M42 camera. I don't really understand the relevance of the IR filter and 'metal part before the lens'. But I will give you my opinion on what I think you need to know.

The lens has an FD mount, this has a flange focal distance of 42mm, a M42 camera has one of 45.46mm. I think this is the information you need. If you could get an adapter, your lens will be too far forward to work other than in macro.

The FD mount is a complicated external bayonet type and could be difficult, if not impossible to convert. I'd not risk it with your lens.

Of course your lens may be used on m4/3 or NEX cameras with a cheap adapter.

There is a member on this forum, Zsolt, who can convert lenses, perhaps PM him. Although I think he only frequents this forum occasionally.

Zsolt's profile: http://forum.mflenses.com/profile,mode,viewprofile,u,6395.html


PostPosted: Wed Apr 10, 2013 12:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
philslizzy wrote:
I am assuming the lens is in Canon FD mount and you want to use it on an M42 camera. I don't really understand the relevance of the IR filter and 'metal part before the lens'. But I will give you my opinion on what I think you need to know.

The lens has an FD mount, this has a flange focal distance of 42mm, a M42 camera has one of 45.46mm. I think this is the information you need. If you could get an adapter, your lens will be too far forward to work other than in macro.

The FD mount is a complicated external bayonet type and could be difficult, if not impossible to convert. I'd not risk it with your lens.

Of course your lens may be used on m4/3 or NEX cameras with a cheap adapter.

There is a member on this forum, Zsolt, who can convert lenses, perhaps PM him. Although I think he only frequents this forum occasionally.

Zsolt's profile: http://forum.mflenses.com/profile,mode,viewprofile,u,6395.html


Thank you for a helpful post. I recently brought in a Sigma Mini-Wide II lens in Canon FD with m42 conversion as part of the plan. I had no prior familiarity with Canon FD. Upon seeing the mount I gave up/placed the project on distant back burner. The Canon FD mount is a daunting mount.

Of course, as you point out, all is not lost. With the proper adapter my Sigma can be used on m4/3. Still, I will not be buying any more lenses with Canon mounts. Lesson learned.


PostPosted: Thu Apr 11, 2013 7:17 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Actually i wanted to use it on my SD14, the metal part before the lens is a bit importante since it would hit the ir filter, thanks a lot for your help!

guardian wrote:
philslizzy wrote:
I am assuming the lens is in Canon FD mount and you want to use it on an M42 camera. I don't really understand the relevance of the IR filter and 'metal part before the lens'. But I will give you my opinion on what I think you need to know.

The lens has an FD mount, this has a flange focal distance of 42mm, a M42 camera has one of 45.46mm. I think this is the information you need. If you could get an adapter, your lens will be too far forward to work other than in macro.

The FD mount is a complicated external bayonet type and could be difficult, if not impossible to convert. I'd not risk it with your lens.

Of course your lens may be used on m4/3 or NEX cameras with a cheap adapter.

There is a member on this forum, Zsolt, who can convert lenses, perhaps PM him. Although I think he only frequents this forum occasionally.

Zsolt's profile: http://forum.mflenses.com/profile,mode,viewprofile,u,6395.html


Thank you for a helpful post. I recently brought in a Sigma Mini-Wide II lens in Canon FD with m42 conversion as part of the plan. I had no prior familiarity with Canon FD. Upon seeing the mount I gave up/placed the project on distant back burner. The Canon FD mount is a daunting mount.

Of course, as you point out, all is not lost. With the proper adapter my Sigma can be used on m4/3. Still, I will not be buying any more lenses with Canon mounts. Lesson learned.


PostPosted: Thu Apr 11, 2013 10:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I think I have the same lens in possession - I will take a look what can be done. In the meantime could you please post pictures of yours?


PostPosted: Thu Apr 11, 2013 10:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
a20010494 wrote:
Actually i wanted to use it on my SD14, the metal part before the lens is a bit importante since it would hit the ir filter, thanks a lot for your help!



Ah, the Sigma, now I understand. The metal obviously controls the aperture from the camera, not needed in your case. If you butchered the lens to get an M42 fitting on it you'd lose that piece.

Ultimately not a practical situation.


PostPosted: Thu Apr 11, 2013 8:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
There is possibility to convert it (lathe and a lot of tears, sweat and blood). But this lens is also available in pentax mount which is compatible with sigma bayonet and could be converted by removing auto aperature pin and adding 1.5 mm shim. Consider this as solution instead messing with FD version.

Edit: There is also native M42 version - I think that this is easiest solution here...


PostPosted: Fri Apr 12, 2013 7:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
philslizzy wrote:
The lens has an FD mount, this has a flange focal distance of 42mm, a M42 camera has one of 45.46mm. I think this is the information you need. If you could get an adapter, your lens will be too far forward to work other than in macro.

This is incorrect, actually. If you're dealing with a third-party lens that was available in various mounts, the lens must have a default register distance long enough to work with the available lens mount with the longest register distance.. in this case, Nikon. So, if the lens was available for Nikon, it would have to have a fixed/default optical register distance of at least 46.5mm (or 47mm, for the occasional third-party Leica R-mount lens), regardless of the physical mount; so a third-party Canon FD-mount lens such as this one would have something along the lines of a thicker mount structure to compensate for the, say, 4.5mm difference between the lens mount's register distance and the actual default optical register distance.

philslizzy wrote:
The FD mount is a complicated external bayonet type and could be difficult, if not impossible to convert. I'd not risk it with your lens.

Some third-party FD-mount lenses are actually very easy to convert (Cosina, Tokina); while others are, indeed, pretty much impossible (Komine). Seeing as this lens is Tokina-made, it may be doable (especially if you were to find a donor lens with a more desirable mount).


PostPosted: Sat Apr 20, 2013 2:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
philslizzy is right

but i don't know what do you mean by 'default' register distance..

if register is 42mm than is 42mm - it has nothing to do with the brand - like voigtlander, angeniuex, vivitar, kiron
therefore, their 'native' register' distance must be change to 42mm prior to use them on canon fd camera system

have you ever seen both kiron 105 macro for canon fd and for contax mount-

i have had both of them and they are different in their design
and guess why - because their registers were different -

so the 'default' register somehow doesn't work in my head

tf

Andrew G. wrote:
philslizzy wrote:
The lens has an FD mount, this has a flange focal distance of 42mm, a M42 camera has one of 45.46mm. I think this is the information you need. If you could get an adapter, your lens will be too far forward to work other than in macro.

This is incorrect, actually. If you're dealing with a third-party lens that was available in various mounts, the lens must have a default register distance long enough to work with the available lens mount with the longest register distance.. in this case, Nikon. So, if the lens was available for Nikon, it would have to have a fixed/default optical register distance of at least 46.5mm (or 47mm, for the occasional third-party Leica R-mount lens), regardless of the physical mount; so a third-party Canon FD-mount lens such as this one would have something along the lines of a thicker mount structure to compensate for the, say, 4.5mm difference between the lens mount's register distance and the actual default optical register distance.

philslizzy wrote:
The FD mount is a complicated external bayonet type and could be difficult, if not impossible to convert. I'd not risk it with your lens.

Some third-party FD-mount lenses are actually very easy to convert (Cosina, Tokina); while others are, indeed, pretty much impossible (Komine). Seeing as this lens is Tokina-made, it may be doable (especially if you were to find a donor lens with a more desirable mount).


PostPosted: Tue Jun 11, 2013 10:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Hi All,

Stumbled upon this thread & just wanted to add my 2 cent, I've recently converted a Canon FD breach kiron kino precision 28mm f2 to an M42 mount, it took a lot of messing about & I haven't sorted out the aperture yet (it's wide open on F2) but it does work, it might just be on some FD breach lenses but 'frankenlens' is defiantly working to infinity & down to about 0.2, I've still got some fixing to do though...

I've got it mounted on my Sony SLR using a cheap M42 to Alpha converter & it's a lot brighter than my Minolta 28mm 2.8 & everything seems good Smile


PostPosted: Tue Jun 11, 2013 10:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Welcome Daco!


PostPosted: Tue Jun 11, 2013 10:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thanks Attila Very Happy I've lurked here a bit but never dived in...


PostPosted: Wed Jun 12, 2013 1:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
trifox wrote:
philslizzy is right

but i don't know what do you mean by 'default' register distance..

if register is 42mm than is 42mm - it has nothing to do with the brand - like voigtlander, angeniuex, vivitar, kiron
therefore, their 'native' register' distance must be change to 42mm prior to use them on canon fd camera system

have you ever seen both kiron 105 macro for canon fd and for contax mount-

i have had both of them and they are different in their design
and guess why - because their registers were different -

so the 'default' register somehow doesn't work in my head

tf

Andrew G. wrote:
philslizzy wrote:
The lens has an FD mount, this has a flange focal distance of 42mm, a M42 camera has one of 45.46mm. I think this is the information you need. If you could get an adapter, your lens will be too far forward to work other than in macro.

This is incorrect, actually. If you're dealing with a third-party lens that was available in various mounts, the lens must have a default register distance long enough to work with the available lens mount with the longest register distance.. in this case, Nikon. So, if the lens was available for Nikon, it would have to have a fixed/default optical register distance of at least 46.5mm (or 47mm, for the occasional third-party Leica R-mount lens), regardless of the physical mount; so a third-party Canon FD-mount lens such as this one would have something along the lines of a thicker mount structure to compensate for the, say, 4.5mm difference between the lens mount's register distance and the actual default optical register distance.

philslizzy wrote:
The FD mount is a complicated external bayonet type and could be difficult, if not impossible to convert. I'd not risk it with your lens.

Some third-party FD-mount lenses are actually very easy to convert (Cosina, Tokina); while others are, indeed, pretty much impossible (Komine). Seeing as this lens is Tokina-made, it may be doable (especially if you were to find a donor lens with a more desirable mount).


This is an interesting discussion, though only tangentially related to the OP. This is something about which I have wondered for a while:

When a manufacturer makes a lens type for multiple camera brands having multiple (and different) register distances, how does the manufacturer accommodate the variety of register distances? To wit, possibly:

1. Use a different final lens element (an optical solution), or . . .

2. Design all lenses (optically) for the longest register distance and then deal with need for shorter register distances by altering (increasing) the barrel length, thereby moving the final lens element away from the camera body, as required.

I don't know how this is done and, indeed, the various manufacturers could easily approach the problem in different ways.


PostPosted: Wed Jun 12, 2013 1:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
guardian wrote:


This is an interesting discussion, though only tangentially related to the OP. This is something about which I have wondered for a while:

When a manufacturer makes a lens type for multiple camera brands having multiple (and different) register distances, how does the manufacturer accommodate the variety of register distances? To wit, possibly:

1. Use a different final lens element (an optical solution), or . . .

2. Design all lenses (optically) for the longest register distance and then deal with need for shorter register distances by altering (increasing) the barrel length, thereby moving the final lens element away from the camera body, as required.

I don't know how this is done and, indeed, the various manufacturers could easily approach the problem in different ways.


In a way Sony NEX has already achieved this. It's more than likely that they unintentionally gained huge benefit simply by designing a compact APS-C camera. This automatically turns it into a near universal camera that can have almost any lens attached to it.

That's why I eventually will buy a NEX. I'm going to build a kit first with a selection on primes for my Nikon. I'm nearly done now with just a 200mm, a wide, and one more AF lens to go (a brand new Tamron 90mm Macro.)

After that I'll start saving for a NEX and my whole kit will be adaptable to both cameras!


PostPosted: Wed Jun 12, 2013 7:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
dacogawa wrote:
Thanks Attila Very Happy I've lurked here a bit but never dived in...

Big mistake Smile I nudge you to change it Laughing Laughing Laughing


PostPosted: Fri Jun 14, 2013 10:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
guardian wrote:


1. Use a different final lens element (an optical solution), or . . .

2. Design all lenses (optically) for the longest register distance and then deal with need for shorter register distances by altering (increasing) the barrel length, thereby moving the final lens element away from the camera body, as required.

I don't know how this is done and, indeed, the various manufacturers could easily approach the problem in different ways.


If it's any help the helicoid on the lens I converted is very long that's why I can get down to about 1 or 2cm & go to infinity & beyond without any problem, being no expert I'd guess on no.2, the 3rd party manufacturers just made the barrel longer & shorter for different cameras.

Now if I could just come up with some easy way to control the aperture I'd be very happy...

I've put a pic of the lens below, if pics aren't allowed here, please delete & apologies



PostPosted: Mon Jan 14, 2019 11:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
For me M42 is the universal mount. I can use it for all my systems. So i am interested to convert lenses to M42 (FD, MD, Exacta, ...)
Post new topic   Reply to topic
Home   Equipment Care and Repairs
Page 1 of 1