Another cult lens

[raid]

There are many different Pentax Leica adapters for sale. Is this one OK, for example:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/METAL-PENTAX...item256ac10c05


.... or this one:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Leica-M39-le...item2ea1f3fd5a


.... or this one:


http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-ADAPTER-...item5d318d4701

[Benjamin Marks]

Lovely images. I would like to see more, even though I don't think this sort of lens conversion is in my future.

[sanmich]

Roland

That's a beautiful conversion. I'm impressed...
To have a 1.4 50mm coupled to 0.7m at a sub-stratospheric price is GREAT.

Just to be sure: the requirement to have the exact 51.6mm FL is because the cam is flat, right?
I mean, with very precise machining and calculations, and given the ability to adapt the cam, you could adapt any lens and correct its movement through a gain in the can (?)

Another question, please: How is this Pentax in terms of distortion?
I gave up my canon ltm 1.4 which is otherwise a brilliant lens because of distortion and minimum focusing distance, and since then, find myself drooling on fast glass with no ability to justify the price of it...

[ferider]

Originally Posted by sanmich

Roland

That's a beautiful conversion. I'm impressed...
To have a 1.4 50mm coupled to 0.7m at a sub-stratospheric price is GREAT.

Just to be sure: the requirement to have the exact 51.6mm FL is because the cam is flat, right?
I mean, with very precise machining and calculations, and given the ability to adapt the cam, you could adapt any lens and correct its movement through a gain in the can (?)

Another question, please: How is this Pentax in terms of distortion?
I gave up my canon ltm 1.4 which is otherwise a brilliant lens because of distortion and minimum focusing distance, and since then, find myself drooling on fast glass with no ability to justify the price of it...

Thanks, Michael. The requirement of 51.6mm FL comes from the Leica RF calibration.

You could only use a slanted cam and correct for a different focal length, if the rear of the lens would rotate (which it doesn't for most SLR lenses). Otherwise you need a double helix.

The pictures above (uncorrected) show that the lens barrel distorts just a little. Much less than Canon 50/1.4 or Summilux v2.

Cheers,

Roland.

[ferider]

Originally Posted by raid

There are many different Pentax Leica adapters for sale. Is this one OK, for example:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/METAL-PENTAX...item256ac10c05


.... or this one:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Leica-M39-le...item2ea1f3fd5a


.... or this one:


http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-ADAPTER-...item5d318d4701

The last one might work, Raid. Would be interesting to try. Not sure how the rear of an M42 lens looks like. The others are a no-go.

My Novoflex adapter converts Pentak bayonett to M. There is a cheaper one available on ebay, like this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/250916389253

Roland.

[Trius]

Originally Posted by shadowfox

Wow, I'm just imagining if I can do this with my Konica Hexanon AR 35/2.
Too bad no one sells a Konica AR to Leica M adapter

And my AR 40/1.8

Oh ... I'd have to buy an M? Sigh.

[FPjohn]

Kudos! Fine images.

yours
FPJ

[sanmich]

Originally Posted by Phil_F_NM

As for the K to Leica adapter, there are much cheaper versions available ... The Novoflex one is much more pricey.

Phil Forrest

Careful about this:
I just checked two of the cheaper models on ebay, and the sellers told me that their adapters bring up the 35/135 frames, which is a problem because you can't even file them down.

[ferider]

Interesting, Michael. Anybody can show a photo of the rear of an M42 copy of the Takumar ? (to use one of the Russian M42/LTM adapters)

Roland.

[hans voralberg]

Here you go Roland, rear end of a Takumar 50/1.4



Uploaded with ImageShack.us



Uploaded with ImageShack.us



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

[raid]

Originally Posted by ferider

Interesting, Michael. Anybody can show a photo of the rear of an M42 copy of the Takumar ? (to use one of the Russian M42/LTM adapters)

Roland.

Roalnd,
Wouldn't a K-M2 adapter remove some of your worries here>

[dude163]

Couldn't you use a M42>PK adapter ( the official one ) then the Kipon PK>Leica M mount to mount M42 lenses to a Leica body without coupling?

Having the RFF coupling is the key however! then I could use my takumars and my Helios 40 on my M8

[ferider]

Thanks for the photos, BT. The rear element ring doesn't seem as easily accessible as in the Pentax bayonet mount lens, I leave modifying this one for somebody else to try.

Raid, and others, the only options you have is a Novoflex adapter for a general M conversion (bringing up 50mm framelines), or the Kipon Pentax/M adapter, if you are OK with 35mm framelines (for example, if you want to use the lens on an M3).

Roland.

[hans voralberg]

I think if anybody want to do it on a Takumar the cam would have to be stuck/solder on to the thin area surrounding the rear element, very small clearance there.

[fbf]

Nice work Roland. Guess I should go get one.

[raid]

Originally Posted by ferider

Thanks for the photos, BT. The rear element ring doesn't seem as easily accessible as in the Pentax bayonet mount lens, I leave modifying this one for somebody else to try.

Raid, and others, the only options you have is a Novoflex adapter for a general M conversion (bringing up 50mm framelines), or the Kipon Pentax/M adapter, if you are OK with 35mm framelines (for example, if you want to use the lens on an M3).

Roland.

I hear you, Roland. I need to buy either a Novoflex or a Kipon adapter. The latter is less expensive and is sold on ebay. I have an M3, so I could use the lens with that camera.

[lam]

I must say this is very impressive and props for doing it, it's a great thing that you're expanding our knowledge on lenses available or may be available to us, rather than just shooting the idea down and counting pennies for a summilux or whatever.

[Phil_F_NM]

Last night I was up far too late researching the rear elements of superspeed lenses to see which ones had metal shrouds.

I found that the best and probably least expensive candidate for this kind of adaptation would be the Minolta Rokkor-X 50mm f/1.2. The rear element is giant BUT it has a very thin metal shroud, not unlike the one in the LTM Canon 50mm f/1.2. There is also some space to work with between the rear element and the flange so we're not talking too much precision necessary.

I'm thinking that I'd simply JB Weld a tab to the shroud and then put a spring-loaded intermediate cam follower in the adapter (like the one in the 10.5cm Nikkor LTM.) Cost of the lens is a couple hundred for a mint sample, adapter is no more than $50, donor lens to source intermediate cam follower from (or just finding the cam follower itself in a junk bin, like from DAG, Sherry or Youxin) and the work involved would result in a MODERN 50/1.2 lens with RF coupling for well under $1000 USD.

I'm still trying to figure out how to adapt the Canon L 50/1.2 FD but the mount and the non-shrouded massive rear element are the problems I see.

Phil Forrest

[ferider]

Cross posting with thread http://www.rangefinderforum.com/foru...ad.php?t=82523, because I think the lens did quite well on my M2 for portraits in the dark of a sport's bar ....











Cheers,

Roland.

[Ruhayat]

Awesome! I would definitely buy this adapter from you if you make it available for sale, too. I have a whole set of m42 lenses, and the Takumars are just a little bit bigger than M lenses.

[charjohncarter]

Originally Posted by f16sunshine

So this is the M(K-Mount) version of the lens not the M42 version as I originally thought.
I have 2 of the M42 lenses here. I wonder if it is the same mod for the screw mount lens.

Me too, I love the set up, but the coupling is really not something most of us can do. Still I'd like to run my M42 and/or K mount lenses on my IIIf. Great job, you have a talent.

[charjohncarter]

Cult lenses????? I really think you mean rapport with a lens. The lenses that I have that I have rapport with are: My Olympus 35RC lens, my, as above, Pentax Super Takumar 50mm f1.4, my First Six Camera (folder) lens, and as it is a fixed lens on a totally automatic camera (which diminishes its value as a rapport lens) is my Konica C35 lens. I also like my but it is not in the rapport class is my Elmar 50mm lens. Recent shot with my Olympus 35RC, boy do I love this lenses.

I know simple and boring but it is so clean and so sharp, plus it seems to have the ability to get outside and inside with ease. Maybe, that is the film and the developing, but this guy (lens) does it best for me:

[ferider]

WRT "cult lens", I was just quoting Michael, CJC.

----------

Update:

With Novoflex discontinuing the adapter that I used above (replacement with a new and more expensive adapter with aperture control), I made a second lens for another RFF member using a Kipon adapter.

1) US 95 plus shipping for a clean lens on ebay
2) US 88 for the Kipon adapter.

Great news first: the Kipon adapter brings up 28/90mm framelines that can easily be modified to bring up 50mm framelines.

Here is the "new" lens as finished:



Here the adapter with mod





Also, the Kipon adapter is well built - the lens behaves great at infinity (this is focused at around 25m on the Antenna today early in the morning):



And here is a photo of my first SMC lens taken through the second copy at about its minimum focus distance of 0.7m (Rollei Retro 100, Rodinal 1:100 stand).



Cheers,

Roland.

[ChrisN]

Bravo! Good work Roland!

Re-reading through this thread it again surprises me the people who have posted "I don't understand why you would even try this - why not just use an SLR body!". I guess that there will always be people who don't understand the challenge and the satisfaction, just as there will always be people who look for and rise to such challenges. Well done!

[menos]

Roland, this is my official new all time favorite thread on RFF ;-)

Thank you so much for sharing all this. There might be people, who just don't get the idea behind it, but others really get dirty thoughts from seeing the possibility alone of adapting lenses to a well working RF body.