How to adapt Minolta MD and Minolta MF on M42 cameras?

[ForenSeil]

Hi!
I wan't to adapt different mounts like Minolta MD/AF on M42 cameras (I don't care about infinity)
Are there any adapter available?

[nurkov]

from what I remember there is an adapter for that with infinity. Check ebay

[ForenSeil]

Nope, I can only find adapters for M42 lenses on MD bodies

[fermy]

The simplest way is MD->M39 adapter followed by M39->M42 ring.

[Minolfan]

Register distance of MC/MD is shorter then M42 (43.72 vs 45.46).
So no Rokkor with infinity on M42 camera.
But M42 or Exakta on MD works.
Pick up a Minolta body somewhere!

[Arkku]

I have converted some lenses (Zeiss C/Y, Olympus OM, Nikon F-mount, and Minolta MC) to M42 mount by replacing the original mount with an M42 part scavenged from some broken M42 lens or teleconverter. I even got infinity with each of them by adjusting the focus on the lens… If you don't care about infinity, for many lenses this modification is very simple (and reversible) since all you need to do is use the original mount as a drill template for your replacement mount (and perhaps jam the aperture control temporarily so you can stop down the lens).

For converting many lenses without infinity focus, you could even drill multiple sets of mounting holes on the same replacement mount and move it between lenses, then only one donor Helios-44M-x would suffice. (Since the M42 mount has no protruding parts on the flange, extra holes don't matter as there's nowhere for them to get caught.)


Alternatively you could get a non-infinity glassless adapter (e.g., MC to EF) and replace/augment the camera side mount with M42 threads. Or even simpler/cheaper, hollow out a rear cap for the lens-side mount and glue M42 threads on the opposite side (probably won't be perfectly flat, etc, but I doubt it matters here).

If finding suitable M42 mounts for this becomes a problem, you could buy the cheapest filters (around 49-52mm size) or stepping rings you can find and use those to get filter threads on the camera side of the adapter (e.g., hollowed rear cap), then a single M42 reversing ring with the matching filter threads can be used on each such device.

[philslizzy]