View Full Version : LTM to M adapter
I'm looking for a cheap LTM adapter to use with a Jupiter lens on my M6.
I found these three on ebay:
http://cgi.ebay.com/LTM-m39-SM-to-M-Adapter-For-50mm-75mm-Leica-m5-m6-m7-m8_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trkparmsZ65Q3a12Q7c66Q3a2Q7c 39Q3a1Q7c72Q3a1205Q7c240Q3a1318Q7c301Q3a1Q7c293Q3a 1Q7c294Q3a50QQ_trksidZp3286Q2ec0Q2em14QQhashZitem1 9afba28d3QQitemZ110322395347QQptZLensQ5fAccessorie sQQsalenotsupported
http://cgi.ebay.com/M39-LSM-LTM-50-75-mount-Lens-for-Leica-M-camera-adapter_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trkparmsZ240Q3a1318Q7c3 01Q3a1Q7c293Q3a1Q7c294Q3a50QQ_trksidZp3286Q2em63Q2 el1177QQhashZitem19afe9c81bQQitemZ110325516315QQpt ZUKQ5fPhotographyQ5fCameraLensesQ5fLensQ5fcapsQ5fh oodsQ5fadaptorsQ5fETQQsalenotsupported
http://cgi.ebay.com/New-adapter-for-Leica-screw-M39-lens-to-M-body-quality_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trkparmsZ65Q3a12Q7c66Q3 a2Q7c39Q3a1Q7c72Q3a1205Q7c240Q3a1318Q7c301Q3a0Q7c2 93Q3a1Q7c294Q3a50QQ_trksidZp3286Q2ec0Q2em14QQhashZ item56321b6328QQitemZ370207843112QQptZLensQ5fAcces soriesQQsalenotsupported
Does anybody have any experience with any of them?
photobizzz
06-17-2009, 17:02
You would be better off buying the set from heavystar on ebay but all of these and the heavystar ones are much inferior to the real Leitz and Voigtlander LTM-M adapters, sometime they dont fit right, or are made of pot metal, or bind. Not that they wouldnt work but I would go with a better quality one, I feel your pain over the price though, they are pricey or a ring of metal huh?
bolohead
06-17-2009, 17:44
I second the suggestion that the Leica or Voigtlander adapters are superior. I purchased one of these cheap ones off Ebay and the threads were off center so that the lens was off center by about 2cm. Not so good when using a rectangular hood if it is tilted diagonally.
I second the suggestion that the Leica or Voigtlander adapters are superior. I purchased one of these cheap ones off Ebay and the threads were off center so that the lens was off center by about 2cm. Not so good when using a rectangular hood if it is tilted diagonally.
surely you mean 2mm, not 2cm?
Yeah, they are kind of expensive, it would cost more than the lens in this case.
I'll wait a little, maybe something will come up.
bolohead
06-17-2009, 18:17
surely you mean 2mm, not 2cm?
Nope. 2cm. Had to return the adapter.
photobizzz
06-17-2009, 18:44
If you look around on the various mail order used sections you can find one, I bought a 28/90 Voigtlander LTM-M adapter from BH Photo earlier today for $39
Try to get a used Leitz adapter. They go for around $50 and you won't lose any money when you sell it. There is no greater pain in the ass than an off spec adapter when you waste time trying to figure out why your images are soft.
NathanJD
06-18-2009, 01:01
I have a 35mm cheapo one from ebay that is 1cm off centre that i bought for my summaron with a notch cut out for the RF focus at 1.7m the focus collar disappears into the lens body and my M2 stops focusing, also the focussing tab isn't where it should be and it's disconcerting and VERY annoying. If i were you I would go for a 'real deal' adapter to save yourself the money.
tennis-joe
06-18-2009, 06:43
Watch out if you get the adapters from Cambridge Camera as theirs are off and there are problems if you send them back.
Joe
Hmm...
I just got a Leitz LTM to M adapter, and my Voightlander 50mm 1.5 nokton is off centre by about 1cm?
I'm in the process of finishing off my first roll of XP2, I'm wondering whether the off centre lens is going to be a problem.
A lens mounted off centre should not cause problems so long as the flange-to-film distance is correct.
A much more important question than the off-center-ness of the lens is the actual thickness of the flange (see earlier threads). Cheapo models tend to be well off, and this will cause back or front focussing, especailly with wide angle lenses. If you buy one, find a digital caliper and measure it.
mad_boy
Watch out if you get the adapters from Cambridge Camera as theirs are off and there are problems if you send them back.
Joe
Watch out buying ANYTHING from Cambridge Camera. THey are the dodgiest retailers I've ever had the misfortune to do business with.
Watch out buying ANYTHING from Cambridge Camera. THey are the dodgiest retailers I've ever had the misfortune to do business with.
That is because you have not yet tried dedokawinkel...:)
Sell the M6 and buy a cheap camera to use with the cheap adapter.
I don't see how the lens can be off center by one centimeter, let alone two. The adapter flange is not wide enough to leave that much room. As Pablito suggests, one or two millimeters would be more plausible. But even then, Acliff's Leitz adapter should not be decentered at all. Leitz didn't make such errors! Yet we have two people reporting that their lenses are off center, and there must be some reason why they are saying this. I wonder if I am interpreting the words in some way other than what was meant.
Payasam: accurate centering is one of the things that distinguishs excellent lenses from mediocre ones. It's one of the things they test for in test reports. I would be concerned if I thought my lens had a de-centering error.
I bought a Pixco one off eBay (seem to be quite common). Got it today, and it's well made and finished (chrome-plated brass, the ad said). Works accurately on my Leica M8.
It comes in a blue box with Pixco on it - and the box is shown in the eBAy ads, if that helps identify it. Check out various sellers as the price varies widely - I got mine for £5 incl. postage from China.
If you a try it and your sample is rubbish, don't blame me! :p
Like most things Chinese, some adapters are incredibly well made, while some companies produce total junk - and it's hard to separate the two from several thousand miles away...
Ronald_H
06-22-2009, 08:39
Get a no-brand one from China. It feels and looks solid and works perfectly. Your YMMV of course...
I don't see how the lens can be off center by one centimeter, let alone two. The adapter flange is not wide enough to leave that much room. As Pablito suggests, one or two millimeters would be more plausible. But even then, Acliff's Leitz adapter should not be decentered at all. Leitz didn't make such errors! Yet we have two people reporting that their lenses are off center, and there must be some reason why they are saying this. I wonder if I am interpreting the words in some way other than what was meant.
Payasam: accurate centering is one of the things that distinguishs excellent lenses from mediocre ones. It's one of the things they test for in test reports. I would be concerned if I thought my lens had a de-centering error.
I am using it with a voigtlander nokton, do you think that has anything to do with it? My leitz adapter is obviously second hand and looks to be in good condition, unless I have managed to purchase a fake...
In terms of decentering, even if it made no difference to the image, I am a stickler for everything being in order (straight pens and books on desk syndrome) so I might buy another adapter to test...
Ramersdorfer
06-22-2009, 12:19
I assume Acliff means that the lens rotates 2cm too far or not far enough when being mounted so that the focusing index is not dead centre at the top. Is this correct? This is what happens with my 50mm Nokton mounted on my M2 with an original Leitz adapter, although in my case its only a few mm. From what Rob-F said about the adapter flange not being wide enough, you seem to be thinking of lateral displacement of 2cm.
I haven´t yet noticed a problem in the end result with my set up.
I assume Acliff means that the lens rotates 2cm too far or not far enough when being mounted so that the focusing index is not dead centre at the top. Is this correct? This is what happens with my 50mm Nokton mounted on my M2 with an original Leitz adapter, although in my case its only a few mm. From what Rob-F said about the adapter flange not being wide enough, you seem to be thinking of lateral displacement of 2cm.
I haven´t yet noticed a problem in the end result with my set up.
Yeah, I think I was mixing up two different problems. The leitz adapter is bang on centred, no issues with bring up the right framelines and such. The lens when screwed on is rotated by about 7-8mm too far. I was thinking that I might be overtightening it, but any less and I would risk the lens falling off.
I'm not very experienced with screw mount lenses, and I was concerned about the adapter considering the m mount 35mm skopar that I have is obviously just right.
I understand the Leitz adapters are designed so the lens screw in a few mm beyond the center point. Not sure why that is.
I see two possible technical reasons a lens can be off center.
1) incorrect flange thickness.
As mentioned in earlier post, the thickness of the flange is very tight. The M bodies are 1mm thinner than TLM bodies, and hence the 'ideal' measure of the flange is 1,00mm. It seems Leitz made them to a range of 0,98 to 0,99mm assuming there is always a little dirt on the flange.
If the thickness of the flange is for example 0,95mm then one can screw the lens further in; in other words it will go past the normal point.
The diameter of the lens is app. 15 cm and the pitch of the thread seems to be 1mm per rotation, so every 0,01mm flange deviation will give 1,5 mm off-set of the lens. i.e. a correct one should be between 0 and 3mm off.
2) the position of the thread with regards to the 0-point of the adapter is off. In other words the flange is rotated with regards to the screw.
Both of these are manufacturing defects. The 1st one will lead to focussing problems (apart when on a 50mm lens) especially for wide angle lenses.
Do check the thickness of the flange using a quality digital caliper.
If it is more than 1mm you could try to correct; but this is tricky.
If it is less than 1mm bin it or use it on a 50mm...
mad_boy
Svitantti
06-25-2009, 00:31
Roxsen's filters are off too, also I bought a second from eBay that looked different, but was even more off :D.
Should just get a Leitz or Voigtländer I guess.
Got mine from Steve and cameraquest and it is perfect
http://www.cameraquest.com/adaptltm.htm
I've attached a photo of what my 1.5 nokton looks like on my m2.
Using a genuine Leica adapter.
Is this a normal amount of rotation?
Brian Sweeney
10-15-2009, 01:46
The Rotation, some lenses where made to rotate closer to the viewfinder, others straight up. "Normal" on an adapter should be the same that it does on an LTM camera.
But...
It will not make a difference in the actual focus agreeing with the RF.
Make sure the lens focuses correctly to infinity. At that pint, the distance scale, RF, and actual focus should all be good.
Carlsen Highway
10-15-2009, 01:56
I bought a Roxsen brand adapter (pretty sure the same product as Pixco) from a shop in Hong Kong on Ebay...it works perfectly fine with my Jupiter 8 and M2.
I measured it with micrometre calipers when I got it and it measures thickness 1mm as it should...mounting and focus is spot on....in other words I have a cheap chinese adapter that cost me 12$ including shipping from HKG and I cannot complain in the slightest.
...There is no greater pain in the ass than an off spec adapter when you waste time trying to figure out why your images are soft.
I got a cheap one from seller "jinfinance" on that auction site, and it makes the Jupiter-3 lens register correctly at the M6 and M3 at close focus. So, in fact it made my lens sharper!
In general I agree original adapters are the thing to use, but when it comes to Jupiters it might also be a benefit to have a cheap adapter fitted. YMMV.
If you are just buying the adapter to use with one Jupiter lens, go for the ceahp one - you are probably going to have to re-shim the lens to focus correctly anyway, and the process will also correct any focus issues inherent in the adapter.
If you think you might ever own more than one LTM lens you want to put on your M, buy a Leica or CV part. You may still need to shim your Jupiter, but probably not your Nikkor P.C or Canon 50/1.5.
I've got a Voigtlander 50mm LTM adapter for my Canon 1.4 lens. It also is "crooked" when it's screwed in all the way. (like Acliff's photo above) It doesn't affect the performance, no big deal.
Just printed off 2 more rolls of film, and there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with the focus, so nothing really to worry about.
crawdiddy
10-15-2009, 10:37
Why WOULDN"T you buy this adapter for $16? Shipping is free. You could purchase all 3 for less than you would spend on a single Voigtlander or Leica adapter. I have a set of them purchased from Macau. The only thing I don't like about them is that I had to purchase from China. They work fine.
I've got a Voigtlander 50mm LTM adapter for my Canon 1.4 lens. It also is "crooked" when it's screwed in all the way. (like Acliff's photo above) It doesn't affect the performance, no big deal.
For classic Canon and Nikon LTM lenses this is normal. The idea is, I believe, to be able to see the focus point through the RF.
For CV lenses this is not normal. Their inf. focus mark should point to 12 o'clock. They can be adjusted though, within limits, see http://ferider.smugmug.com/Technical/Lenses/CV-Lens-adjustment/1975455_N6tET
I also like to stick to Leica and CV adapters.
Roland.
For classic Canon and Nikon LTM lenses this is normal. The idea is, I believe, to be able to see the focus point through the RF.
For CV lenses this is not normal. Their inf. focus mark should point to 12 o'clock. They can be adjusted though, within limits, see http://ferider.smugmug.com/Technical/Lenses/CV-Lens-adjustment/1975455_N6tET
I also like to stick to Leica and CV adapters.
Roland.
You sir, are a scholar and a gentleman.
Rescrewing the mount seems to have done the trick, it is now only 2mm over, so 12.10am, rather than 1am.
Thank you very much!
I've attached what it looks like now:
Livesteamer
10-15-2009, 13:27
Another vote for the quality adapters. A long time ago, I owned the worlds ugliest Nikon F. It was so battered that I took it into the machine shop where I worked and asked them to measure the film plane to lens flange distance. It was still square and accurate to a ten thousandth of an inch. That's about 1/50th of a human hair. This demonstrates the accuracy that Nikon and others strive for. An inexpensive adapter cannot be machined to this kind of tolerance. Buy Quality and hang on to it. Oh, and the worlds ugliest Nikon F worked just fine altho I later sold it and traded up to an early, black, plain pentaprism F. One of my few good investments. Joe
chenzhaohy
10-15-2009, 13:39
I have a voigtlander 50mm adapter in new condition which I never used.
Let me know if you are interested.
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