M-42 Adaptors

[spiralcity]

Is there a company making a M-42 to Nikon F mount adaptor that will focus to infinity? I bought a Kawa which promised it would focus to infinity but it didnt.

 

[titrisol]

hard to say, the distance from lens to film in Nikon is shorter
a correction lens is needed

 

[Erik Hartmann]

Found this on ebay:
M42 to Nikon F adapter:

For using Nikon cameras with M42 lenses (Carl Zeiss, Pentax, Praktica, Mamiya). It is impossible to compensate flange bases difference without using an additional back lens. As a result, the picture quality becomes worse. So metric scale M42 doesn’t keep its meanings and focusing can’t be to infinity.

So go to Ebay and look for M42 to NiconF adaptor and you will see....

Edit: fond this:

ROXSEN

M42 Lens to Nikon mount adapter ring

With optic in the middle of the adapter, allow focus infinity

---------------

Erik (now in Jasper (AL,CA))

 

[ricksplace]

Buy a screw mount body on ebay. Pick up a spottie and have fun. I have an adapter for my Pentax K mount bodies, and of course it focuses to infinity without an intermdiate lens. However, I rarely, if ever use it. I just use one of my screw mount bodies ( I have six of them, all with working meters except one).

 

[spiralcity]

rick,
I own 2 screw mount bodies. Both Mamiyas, I like the Mamiya glass quite a bit. I,ve been using some of the glass with my FE2 and kawa adaptor but Im not satisfied with that set-up.

Erik,
Thanks for posting the Roxsen. I'll look into that adaptor.

 

[spiralcity]

Erik,
Where did you find that adaptor ring?
I looked on ebay under Roxsen M-42 adaptor and came up empty.

 

[spiralcity]

Erik,
forget my last post. I found the adaptor and ordered it.
Thanks for the heads up.

 

[DannL]

I picked up a Bower (Canon FD mount / M42) adapter the other day on ebay. On my Canon AE-1 Program bodies, now I can focus beyond infinity with some m42 lenses. I read somewhere it is the thin camera body design on the AE-1 that allows you to get to infinity with certain M42 adapters. Some useless information.

 

[Paul Howell]

With the adaptors with the back lens you also venenate with long lens. I bought an adaptor for my F3 and FGs, my 400 and 300 mm M42 Pentex lens vinenated, and would meter with 28mm or widers lens, shadow on the light meter cell. One of the reasons I kept my Pentax bodies for so long.

 

[Monophoto]

Allow me to expand on Erik's response:

To focus at infinity, it must be possible for the nodal point of the lens to be separated from the film plane by a distance exactly equal to the lens focal length. For example, the nodal point of a 50 mm lens will be exactly 50mm away from the film plane when focused at infinity. As the lens is focused on a distance closer than infinity, the nodal point moves further away from the film plane. As a result, there is the familiar macro rule that when a lens is focused on something very close, such that the image size on the film is exactly the same as the subject size, the lens nodal point will have moved a distance away from its infinity position equal to the lens focal length. That is, the nodal point will be a 2x focal length when the lens is focused for a 1:1 reproduction ratio.

The problem any time you place an adapter between the camera body and the lens is that the thickness of the adapter increases the separation between the lens nodal point and the film plane. Hence, you are likely to lose the ability to focus at infinity if you use an adapter to install an M-42 lens on a modern bayonet camera.

The one possible exception is if the diameter of the camera bayonet mount is significantly larger than the mount diameter of the off-brand lens you are trying to use on the camera. In those instances, it may be possible for the adapter to be designed such that the lens attachment is recessed sufficiently into the body of the adapter to make up for the thickness of the adapter.

Many years ago, I inherited a Konica TC camera. I was using Nikons at the time (still do). Because the opening in the Konica body was sufficiently larger than the rear diameter of Nikon lenses, I was able to find a ring that allowed me to mount a Nikon lens on a Konica body and retain infinity focus.

Unfortunately, my recollection is that most proprietary bayonet mounts have a diameter that is not significantly different from the diameter of the ubiquitous (or at least, used-to-be-ubiquitous) M-42 mount.

 

[spiralcity]

Mono,
Thanks for all the info. I understand the macro rules. I was hoping that a company somewhere, somehow made a special adaptor to suit my M-42 needs.

im going to try this Roxsen adaptor with hopes that it will be better than my Kawa.

Thanks for the reply.

 

[spiralcity]

The Roxsen adaptor came in, so this for anyone interested in the results.

This adaptor WILL focus to infinity. It actually appears to be made by Nereus.
I ran a test roll with this adaptor using my Chinon 35mm and my Mamiya 55mm.

Im very satisfied with this new adaptor. Anyone want a Kawa adaptor for their Nikon mount? ;-)

 

[Erik Hartmann]

Glad to here that it is working OK...

Erik