Leica thread(screw) mount to M adapter question...

[willijt]

Hello.

Looking for a wee bit of advice. Planning to use a Canon 50mm f/1.8 Leica screw mount lens on an M-series Leica. Anyone have any recommends or advice that they might offer with regard to the screw mount to M adapter I might purchase? Probably will be used on an M4 or M4-P. At present, the only other lens I foresee using with this adapter may be a 35mm screw mount.

Thank you for reading this post.

jim w.

 

[Mackinaw]

I'm using a Leitz "M3 28-50" LTM-to-M adapter to mount my Canon 50/1.4 on my M3 or MP. Works fine.

Jim B.

 

[bdial]

I have a generic adaptor, it also works fine, though I had to go over all its sharp edges with emory paper.I use mine with a Jupiter-12 and a Nikkor 50. If your budget can stand it, I'd choose a Leitz adaptor, but the cheap ones do work, IME.

 

[Patrick Robert James]

The smart money is to get either a Leitz or a Voigtlander and be done with it. Some of the cheap adapters work, but it always seems to be a crapshoot. Personally I think that since you will only ever have to buy one, you might as well forego all the uncertainty and get a good one.

The 35 and 50 require different adapters if you want the framelines to appear automatically so you will need one specific to each lens. Holding the frameline selector to frame a shot is no fun.

 

[willijt]

To Mackinaw, bdial and Patrick Robert James:
Thank you all very much. Your responses helped me a great deal to understand this better. Have just purchased a used Leitz adapter 28-50 online. It has seen some service but the vendor affirms that it is fully functional.
Gratefully,
jim w.

 

[monkowa]

Follow up question here: This is a small issue but I'm just curious, do the higher-end adapters line the lens up correctly so that the focal numbers are in the correct alignment, much as it would be with a regular M-mount? I bought a cheap adapter and the lenses that I mount to it seem to be a bit off, the focus and usage of the lens is completely fine however.

 

[Huss]

Follow up question here: This is a small issue but I'm just curious, do the higher-end adapters line the lens up correctly so that the focal numbers are in the correct alignment, much as it would be with a regular M-mount? I bought a cheap adapter and the lenses that I mount to it seem to be a bit off, the focus and usage of the lens is completely fine however.

I have genuine Leica and Voigtlander adapters, as well as Fotodiox and Fedka. None of them line up. But they all focus fine. This is using a bunch of different LTM lenses on a bunch of different camera bodies.

 

[summicron1]

I have genuine Leica and Voigtlander adapters, as well as Fotodiox and Fedka. None of them line up. But they all focus fine. This is using a bunch of different LTM lenses on a bunch of different camera bodies.

perfect alignment is not necessary -- the lens focus cam is a solid ring that moves in and out, so it engages the rangefinder follow-wheel inside the camera the same no matter what.

alignment is nice -- remember, however, that a lot of SM lenses were designed to screw on so that the center point was actually at about 1 o'clock as you look at the camera. When you put one of those lenses into an adaptor for M use, it still lines up off to the side a bit.

 

[monkowa]

Thank you for the response. I know it doesnt affect the lens or final image but I was just curious. I have a couple Spotmatics that align but i know that as long as the focusing apparatus is correct then there's nothing to worry about.

 

[BrianVS]

The Voigtlander adapters are the best bet these days, Leica adapters are old- and I've had two that had dents in all the wrong places. Absolute correct thickness is not necessary for a 50mm lens, but is required for wide-angle and focal lengths longer than 50mm.

 

[btaylor]

I thought I might add that the Fotodiox adapters I bought work very well after using them a bit to knock off the sharp edges. Framelines line up properly, etc. got them from Amazon. I bought some other generics from heavystar on eBay, they didn't clear the focus lock buttons on some of my ltm lenses. A grinder solved the problem but why start with something I have to fiddle with.

 

[tessar]

+1 for the Voigtlander adapters!

 

[guangong]

Perfectly useable adapters are available from China or Hong Kong from the web site. If not using M camera frame lines, adapters for any foal length work on any ltm camera except Russian cameras.

 

[BrianVS]

The tolerances of the Chinese adapters is not as tight as those from Voigtlander and Leica. With a normal lens, the error shows up as not quite focusing to infinity or focusing past it. The distance scale will be off, but the RF to actual focus agreement is good. This is not acceptable for use on wide-angle and focal lengths loner than 50mm as the RF cam does not move 1:1 with the optics. An error in thickness of the adapter means the actual focus is off. So- for 50mm lenses, I've fine with an inexpensive adapter, the last one- I polished down the thickness of it in order to focus to infinity.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

I'm done with ebay Mic. Too much of the lottery. And too long delivery. Switched to Fotodiox, which is available even at crappy Amazon.ca and no problems so far.

 

[blockend]

I had two Chinese adapters on the M5. One was so tight I gave up half way through mounting, the other put a lot of slack in the frame line lever and may have contributed to light bleed. If you go cheap prepare to buy a few before you get a good one.

 

[guangong]

If you buy the better made Chinese adapters for from a reputable dealer in Hong Kong they are equivalent to those made by Leitz. I have encountered German made, non Leitz adapters, that were completely unusable. I have multiple sets of both Leitz, modern Voightlander (where do you think they are made?), and those bought from HK and never a problem with focusing any lens from 35 to 135 mm using any of these adapters. Of course, if you attempt to go really cheap you will, as you discovered, have serious problems.

 

[BrianVS]

I believe the Voigtlander adapters are made in Japan. That is how my adapters are stamped.

The last adapter that I had to polish down was a FotoDiox adapter- which surprised me. It was off by a good bit. I have several of their SLR to M-Mount adapters, use them to convert SLR lenses to RF coupled M-Mount.

I know the Chinese companies can build a precision product: My 7Artisans 50/1.1 was perfect out of the box on my M9, and I have a second one being delivered with the modified mount to accommodate my M3DS.

I've adjusted a lot of lenses for people, probably 300 total or so. A lot of those came with LTM to M adapters, so I've shot with a lot of them. The Voigtlander adapters are the best.

List the names of the better made Chinese adapters, I will try some of those.

 

[BrianVS]

Heavystar has a good reputation, and I have bought many hoods from them before.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/201504890387

I will report back. These are stated to be chrome over copper, not aluminum. Set of three adapters, one for each set of framelines. I have a lot of older Leica mount lenses, and bought a bunch of M-Mount rear caps out of China. I have a good number of 135mm lenses, hard to pass up a late Canon 135/3.5 in LTM for $25 on Ebay. It was advertised as "unknown mount". Also will report back on the new 7Artisans lens. I understand how they got the mount "slightly off" for the M4 and M3DS. There were slight changes made over the years, undocumented that you only learn when getting it on a bench. So... if this one goes on my M3DS,

http://www.ebay.com/itm/7artisans-5...t-M-M-M3-M6-M7-M8-M9p-M10-Black-/162565501062

Buy One. This lens is amazing- compare with the 5cm F1.1 Zunow of 60 years ago, and 60 years ago- that lens was priced at ~$400. Off topic I know, but related to tolerances for camera mounts. For a 50/1.1 lens, this has to be better than 0.01mm.

 

[BrianVS]

The three adapters arrived. The 50mm adapter is on the M8 now, with a 1952 Jupiter-3. Mounts fine, lens screws into place properly.

The 135 adapter is too thick, the lens is off ~10degrees from where it should be. This poses three problems: the tripod adapter on the lens cannot be used; the RF Cam makes contact with the pickup- but it's close; the lens has a noticeable back-focus with this adapter.

Heavystar Adapter with Nikkor 13.5cm F3.5 lens, LTM.

heavystar_adapter by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr

Heavystar_Adapter_135 by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr

100% crop:

Heavystar_Adapter_135_crop by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr

I took two shots with the M9 and a 1.25x magnifier- both were like this.

 

[BrianVS]

The Leica 135 adapter, same lens. Tripod adapter is perfectly centered for use, and the RF Cam is in the proper position.

Leica_adapter by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr

Leica_Adapter_135 by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr

100% crop:

Leica_Adapter_135_crop by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr

I will polish the adapter down so that the lens comes up into the proper location. I use polishing sheets made for fiber optic connectors for the final phase. That should also fix the misfocus. A 35mm focal length lens would be less noticeable- but still will be off because the adapter is not the proper thickness.The 90 is also a bit off, too thick. "A little off the top, please" should be better. I have a Minolta Chiyoko 85/2.8 that is more forgiving than my Canon 85/1.5. The 85/1.5 focus is perfect with the Voigtlander adapter that I use with it.

These adapters are from Heavystar, and are better than the last FotoDiox adapter which I polished down. I would stick with Leica and Voigtlander adapters for 90 and 135 lenses. I'll report back after taking a little metal off of this one.

These adapters were ~$15 each, bought as a set. The cheapest Chinese adapters are ~$6. I've bought the Voigtlander and Leica adapters used for $25~$35, have quite a few of them. BUT- if anyone knows of some good adapters that can be had for $25 and under, please list them.

 

[BrianVS]

Also- The new 7Artisans 50/1.1 arrived, new version. It now mounts onto the M3DS, BUT the locking pin does not engage. The original one would not mount as the lens body hit the collar around the lens release button. The new one has been cut to clear it, but the shape "or something" of the locking pin keeps it from settling in place in the groove of the lens. Thickness is correct, the radius of the tip of the M3DS locking pin is different from my other Leicas. The M3DS will get the 50/1.1 Nokton for super-speed, but usually gets a Summarit or Summicron.

 

[BrianVS]

I just finished wet-sanding with #220 sand-paper, and polishing with the fiber-optic sheet. I can verify that these adapters are brass. I had to take 0.07mm off of one side and 0.05mm off the other. The tolerance should be 0.02mm for a properly made adapter- the HeavyStar adapters are not within spec for a reliable focus. After polishing down to 1.00mm the focus is good on my Nikkor 13.5cm F3.5 and the Canon 135/3.5. The position of the tripod socket for the Nikkor is still off, meaning the threads do not start in the correct position. So- it's now on the beautiful Black Canon 135/3.5, which does not have a tripod socket. I've never had to adjust the tripod socket position when using with a Voigtlander adapter, the starting position of the threads and thickness of the adapter is within spec.

The 90mm adapter measured out to be the proper thickness, and focus is good with my Canon 85/1.5. The starting position of the thread is slightly off center, enough to require a tripod socket of a lens to be adjusted. The Nikkor 10.5cm F2.5 has enough adjustment for the tripod socket position to work with this adapter.

I would not buy the Heavystar adapters for 135mm and 90mm lenses unless you are good at sanding, polishing, and measuring. At least be prepared to send the misfits back and ask for replacements.

 

[btaylor]

Brian, thanks for all your research and findings on these ltm to M adapters. My focus chart tests using the Fotodiox adapters looked okay as did the heavystar adapters (all at f4), but I also had nothing to compare them to and there are so many variables. To take one variable out of the equation I bought a couple of genuine Leica adapters, which, provided they are not abused, should be accurate.

 

[BrianVS]

Thankyou- I like to know "how things work". The Voigtlander and Leica adapters are chrome over brass, but when you look at the back of the adapter there is a brass ring where the adapter meets the mount. I believe that this is polished down to give the correct thickness after the mount is cut and after the chrome finish is applied. By polishing down on the underside of the mount, the starting position of the thread is unaffected.The Chinese adapters that I have rely on the precision of the CNC machine alone, do not have the underside ring like the Voigtlander and Leica adapters. If you apply the chrome finish to the lens after polishing down the underside, the thickness of the adapter would change. SO- make the adapter, apply the chrome finish, then polish down the underside ring for the exact thickness. That is more labor intensive, and is the driving force of the cost of the adapter.

 

[BrianVS]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Leica-L39-s...BIT-Edition-/263182202865?hash=item3d46e1b7f1

This Chinese manufacturer looks like they polish down the adapter from the back side, like the Voigtlander and Leitz adapters. $28+$8 shipping, $36 total. If you buy more than 1 item, they combine shipping. I'll keep an eye on them for a sale, or buying a set at some time. At this point- I'm fairly well stocked on adapters.