Budget 28/25/21 LTM lenses - what are my options?

[cramej]

I'm looking for a 28mm or wider LTM lens that doesn't break the bank. Most everything I can find starts around the $300 mark which is about double what I'd really like to spend. I'd consider most any lens that is halfway decent. The Orion 15 looks nice, but even that one is commanding (demanding?) high prices from sellers. Maybe there is a lesser-known lens that I'm missing - ebay searches are a little iffy when you don't know specifics. Am I SOL and just need to wait and save my pennies?

Requirements:

• 28mm or wider
• Under $200
• Speed doesn't matter
• Brand doesn't matter
• Distortion, vignetting, etc. are OK. Character is good but it should be decently sharp stopped down.
• Not the Industar 69
• Not a science experiment between the glass

 

[grain elevator]

There isn't any to my knowledge, unless you get very lucky. I got my CV 21 f/4 for not much more though.

 

[nosmok]

Looks like the Schneider 28mm f/4 Curtagon for the Kodak Retina might fit your bill. There's one on evilBay right now for 26 bucks with no fungus or haze claimed; dkl to leica m adapter is another 69; leica m to ltm adapter another 30 bucks, say. It's definitely the long way there but it might work.

 

[mshchem]

That's pretty low. Several M mount low cost made in China.

 

[xkaes]

So what's wrong with the Industar-69?

 

[grain elevator]

So what's wrong with the Industar-69?

It's for half frame.

 

[grain elevator]

Looks like the Schneider 28mm f/4 Curtagon for the Kodak Retina might fit your bill. There's one on evilBay right now for 26 bucks with no fungus or haze claimed; dkl to leica m adapter is another 69; leica m to ltm adapter another 30 bucks, say. It's definitely the long way there but it might work.

It's a possibility, but in that manner you can use any wide angle made for a SLR as well. Btw. you can't adapt an m lens (or adapter) to ltm, only the other way around, but direct adapters to ltm do exist for some mounts. The Retina S lenses are slr lenses, they also work on dkl mount SLRs. So not compact, no RF coupling, and without the supposed advantages of non retrofocus wides.

 

[cramej]

So what's wrong with the Industar-69?

It's a half frame lens with really bad vignetting on full frame and poor sharpness. I used to have a Chaika and it was even bad on half frame.


The M to LTM adapters seem to be uncommon since the registration distance doesn't match up that way. Novoflex made one but it's meant for bellows. @nosmok - do you know where to find these?

Now that you've got me thinking about other lens adapters, maybe I'll start looking at m42, F, K, etc. If I could actually find a SR to LTM, I'd use lenses I already have.

 

[xkaes]

It's for half frame.

Just curious -- did you write this?:

https://kosmofoto.com/2020/05/hacking-a-half-frame-lens-for-wide-angle-rangefinder-photography/

 

[Marcelo Paniagua]

Unless you are lucky I dont think so. Sometimes Canon 28mm f/2.8 pops on ebay for 250-300 dlls. It is an ok lens. I own one and not really my favorite.

Marcelo

 

[AgX]

So what's wrong with the Industar-69?

The Industar lenses are of Tessar design and thus only can be made made to a very slight wide-angle lens of max. 63°.
(There once was a low aperture 75°Tessar tried by Zeiss, but unsuccessful...)

 

[Don_ih]

M to LTM adapters seem to be uncommon

M to LTM would be some kind of weird magic, since Leica made the M mount such that any LTM lens could easily be adapted to it via a ~1/32" thick adapter (retaining accurate focus). You can't subtract from an M-mount lens to get it to screw onto a Leica thread mount.

 

[nosmok]

Yeah, I screwed up my original reply-- LTM lenses can go on M bodies but not the other way around. Would think that DKL to LTM adapters might exist, but OP not interested in that (SLR lens to RF) route; getting lucky is the only way to fit the criteria AFAICT.

 

[cramej]

Yeah, I screwed up my original reply-- LTM lenses can go on M bodies but not the other way around. Would think that DKL to LTM adapters might exist, but OP not interested in that (SLR lens to RF) route; getting lucky is the only way to fit the criteria AFAICT.

I'm looking at SLR lens to RF now, but finding the right adapter is proving difficult. I can get a Nikon F to LTM adapter fairly easily so I might go that route with a 20 or 24mm lens. Ideally, I would find a Minolta to LTM adapter and use any one of the wide lenses I already have.

 

[xkaes]

Ideally, I would find a Minolta to LTM adapter and use any one of the wide lenses I already have.

I have two Minolta SR to Leica 39mm thread adapters. They are easy to find -- if we are talking about the same thing. One of mine is generic, the other by Novoflex and much better quality. I use them all the time for macro photography.

I also have the opposite adapter -- Leica to Minolta -- which I use for the same purpose. These adapters are even easier to find, and cheaper.

 

[AnselMortensen]

Gizmon Wtulens... maybe @Huss can help recommend a source.

 

[Kodachromeguy]

As grain above noted, you can use any SLR wide angle lens with the right adapter. Bulky, not svelte, guess focus, but it works:

Successful Experiment: Pentax Takumar 24mm Lens on my Leica M2

Background When I travel overseas and need to pack light, I often take my Leica M2 rangefinder camera with its compact 35mm and 50mm f/2...

worldofdecay.blogspot.com

 

[cramej]

I have two Minolta SR to Leica 39mm thread adapters. They are easy to find -- if we are talking about the same thing. One of mine is generic, the other by Novoflex and much better quality. I use them all the time for macro photography.

I also have the opposite adapter -- Leica to Minolta -- which I use for the same purpose. These adapters are even easier to find, and cheaper.

I seem to have trouble finding the SR to L39. Do you know a good source?

 

[Rrrgcy]

FD-to-LTM adaptor (B adaptors, Novoflex or Urth) and inexpensive RMC Tokina, Canon, Tamron, Quantaray, Komine or even the very inexpensive ($5-$50) JC Penney (Makinon, Makina Optical of Japanese and Korean) FD wide lenses.17mm going to cost you but 28mm f2.8 everywhere cheap.

 

[xkaes]

Novoflex calls it a LEIMIN adapter. There is one on EBAY right now, but this place has horrible prices IMHO. I think I got mine for around $25:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/373333478897

 

[cramej]

I ended up getting a Fotodiox Nikon F to M39 adapter and a Vivitar (Tokina) 24mm f2.8 for a total of $80. The lens only has a 52mm filter size opposed to the 62 or 67 of some of the wider lenses. We'll see how it works out.

The FD adapters were tempting but they were kinda pricey right now and I already have some Nikon gear.

@xkaes I'll consider that LEIMIN bit it looks like that particular one is the other way around. It has the male SR bayonet.

 

[xkaes]

@xkaes I'll consider that LEIMIN bit it looks like that particular one is the other way around. It has the male SR bayonet.

The Novoflex LEIMIN adapter puts SR lenses on 39mm cameras -- Leica is on the rear, Minolta is on the front.

The Novoflex MINLEI adapter puts 39mm lenses on SR cameras -- I'm staring at mine right now. For some reason, mine is marked "MINLEI-K". I don't know if all are marked that way, and have no idea what it means.

It's easy for people & sellers to get these two similar adapters mixed up.

Anyway, estimate focusing with wide-angle lenses should not pose a problem. Even open wide it's easy to get it right thanks to the great DOF.

 

[xkaes]

I ended up getting a Fotodiox Nikon F to M39 adapter and a Vivitar (Tokina) 24mm f2.8 for a total of $80. The lens only has a 52mm filter size opposed to the 62 or 67 of some of the wider lenses. We'll see how it works out.

Minolta's last version of its 24mm lens has a 49mm thread. Maybe it depends on the design -- or they figured people wouldn't use filters.

 

[davela]

Looks like the Schneider 28mm f/4 Curtagon for the Kodak Retina might fit your bill. There's one on evilBay right now for 26 bucks with no fungus or haze claimed; dkl to leica m adapter is another 69; leica m to ltm adapter another 30 bucks, say. It's definitely the long way there but it might work.

There are no $200 true rangefinder coupled LTM wide angle lenses. The Curtagon 28/4 made for the Kodak Retina DKL mount cameras is a beautifully made high performing lens, but be advised it's also radioactive as hell. Also, The Curtagon is RF coupled on a Retina IIIS, but I'm pretty sure that none of the adapters will couple the RF cam to LTM.

The Orion-15 was once a moderately priced 28mm lens in LTM, but it's been going up in price lately a lot. The Canon 28mm F3.5 is the best lower cost option in 28 mm with LTM. It's a fine lens, but costs about $300 and up on the used market these days. The most modern 28mm in LTM at reasonable cost is the Kobalux/Avenon, about $400 and up without a finder. It's a sharp modern lens optically (mechanically just so-so IMO).

If you are happy going very wide, the Voigtlander 21mm F4 in LTM is pretty common on the used market these days and can sometimes be found for a bit less than $300, but almost never with a finder. It's a superb lens - underrated in my view. Similar comments pertain to the the CV 25mm "snapshot" Skopar in LTM.

 

[xkaes]

To complete this discussion, here are pictures of the NOVOFLEX LEIMIN and MINLEI adpaters. In each, the LEIMIN is on the left and the MINLEI is on the right.

The Novoflex LEIMIN adapter puts SR lenses on 39mm cameras -- Leica is on the rear, Minolta is on the front.

The Novoflex MINLEI adapter puts 39mm lenses on SR cameras -- Minolta is on the rear, Leica is on the front.

These and similar NOVOFLEX adapters (LEIPEN, NIKLEI, etc.) are easy to find, but you might have to hunt around or wait a while to get a good price -- whatever that means.