Lens mounts with a shorter flange focal distance than leica m

ibi · Wednesday at 12:39 AM

I'm wondering if there's any film system that has a shorter flange focal distance than leica m systems, so I don't have to buy a 500$ camera to use modern lenses

Dan Fromm · Wednesday at 8:01 AM

Apparently none. See http://www.markerink.org/WJM/HTML/mounts.htm.

Consider buying a used body.

brbo · Wednesday at 8:35 AM

Dan Fromm said:
Consider buying a used body.

But seriously, in your experience, how easy it is to find a fully functioning M-mount camera for less than $500?

abruzzi · Wednesday at 9:14 AM

only digital mounts show as shorter:

Flange focal distance - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

brbo said:
But seriously, in your experience, how easy it is to find a fully functioning M-mount camera for less than $500?

You should be able to get a Minolta CL for that price, but I don't know of anything that is significantly less.

Petrochemist · Wednesday at 9:16 AM

brbo said:
But seriously, in your experience, how easy it is to find a fully functioning M-mount camera for less than $500?

You didn't say you needed an analogue body to use the modern lenses. There are plenty of used digital bodies with shorter flange distance available used for under $500 (even in the UK)

Film options are available but all are smaller formats, and probably unsuitable for you:
Just about all 8mm or 16mm cine cameras, the Pentax auto 110 & the Russian half frame Chaika all have shorter flange distances though several of them not by much.

Mind you there are also modern lenses made in common SLR mounts.

brbo · Wednesday at 9:20 AM

Petrochemist said:
You didn't say you needed an analogue body to use the modern lenses. There are plenty of used digital bodies with shorter flange distance available used for under $500 (even in the UK)

I'm not OP so no need to quote my responses.

OP did post this in 100% analogue/traditional forum, though. AFAIK, there is then no need to emphasise this is not about digital.

ic-racer · Wednesday at 10:01 AM

Modern Leica lens = $2,000-3,000.
Why use such a cheap body??

Dan Fromm · Wednesday at 10:22 AM

brbo said:
But seriously, in your experience, how easy it is to find a fully functioning M-mount camera for less than $500?

If you wanted advice about inexpensive film cameras that accept M-mount lenses, with or without adapters, you should have asked more clearly.

brbo · Wednesday at 12:38 PM

Dan Fromm said:
If you wanted advice about inexpensive film cameras that accept M-mount lenses, with or without adapters, you should have asked more clearly.

Again, it was not me that was asking the question and I believe OP made it quite clear that he wants (1)a film camera that (2)takes M lenses and (3)costs less than $500.

So, now that we (hopefully) know the requirements, what are the options? That it won't be a new camera should be pretty much clear by now...

Petrochemist · Wednesday at 1:07 PM

brbo said:
Again, it was not me that was asking the question and I believe OP made it quite clear that he wants (1)a film camera that (2)takes M lenses and (3)costs less than $500.

So, now that we (hopefully) know the requirements, what are the options? That it won't be a new camera should be pretty much clear by now...

With those requirements there are I think only three options
1/ Get a film camera with a considerable crop from the list in my previous post, though I suspect there are no suitable adapters for them produced.
2/ Be very lucky, film cameras with M mounts occasionally sell for under $500, but most of these have known issues. A badly listed camera MIGHT work fine but escape everyone else's attention.
3/ Carry out a DIY modification - not a simple operation but there are those who could pull it off.

I wouldn't consider any of these to be good options to attempt, so refining the parameters may be needed.

Dan Fromm · Wednesday at 1:39 PM

brbo said:
Again, it was not me that was asking the question and I believe OP made it quite clear that he wants (1)a film camera that (2)takes M lenses and (3)costs less than $500.

So, now that we (hopefully) know the requirements, what are the options? That it won't be a new camera should be pretty much clear by now...

Apologies for confusing you with the OP. The OP wrote:

I'm wondering if there's any film system that has a shorter flange focal distance than leica m systems, so I don't have to buy a 500$ camera to use modern lenses

and hasn't posted again. I have no idea what it means by modern lenses or whether it wants to use an M body. Several of the people who responded to the original post made that assumption. I'm still puzzled.

Lens mounts with a shorter flange focal distance than leica m

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