M42 to Nikon adapters?

Tony-S · May 25, 2011

I have a Nikon FM and several Pentax Super Takumar lenses with A and M aperture switch. Does anyone have experience with using the lens adapters with this camera? I understand that some may protrude into the camera and interfere with the mirror. Here's one I've come across:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/97559-REG/General_Brand_ABSN_Nikon_AI_Body_to.html

anon12345 · May 25, 2011

For grins, here's a list of flange data . . .

http://www.graphics.cornell.edu/~westin/misc/mounts-by-register.html

I only use M42 primes on my Canons (EOS mounts), with no trouble whatsoever. If you are interested in using an EOS camera with your M42 glass, I'll gladly give the details.

Luseboy · May 25, 2011

I use a coastar 135mm on my f2. it works ok, but you dont get infinity focusing. I didn't have a switch on my lens so i had to jurry rig the aperature. But it works fine. You can find the adapters on ebay for pretty cheap.
-Austin

Rol_Lei Nut · May 25, 2011

There are M42 to Nikon adapters containing an optical element which maintain infinity focus (even have one, came with a lens I bought, but never tried it).
How they affect the image, I can't say, but I don't think it'd be pretty.... ;-)

Ottrdaemmerung · May 25, 2011

Better yet, instead of buying an adapter, you could simply get yourself an M42 body! I'm sure you can find one for probably less than the price of the adapter. For suggestions, I myself have a Yashica Electro TL, an Asahi Pentax Spotmatic, and a Zenit ET, all of which handle M42 lenses wonderfully (I'm kinda partial to the Yashica).

(edit: I bought my Zenit ET body on eBay for $7 and change. It's by no means a great camera, but perfectly functional and I mention it just to show how inexpensive they are. Spotmatics also seem to have been particularly plentiful, so there's no doubt you could find one of them cheaply, too.)

2F/2F · May 25, 2011

Ottrdaemmerung said:
Better yet, instead of buying an adapter, you could simply get yourself an M42 body! I'm sure you can find one for probably less than the price of the adapter. For suggestions, I myself have a Yashica Electro TL, an Asahi Pentax Spotmatic, and a Zenit ET, all of which handle M42 lenses wonderfully (I'm kinda partial to the Yashica).

I agree. Adapters don't make as much sense as they used to, with bodies often costing the same amount as a good adapter. And you get to use the lens with its full capabilities if you get the body. Of course, if you just have one lens you want to adapt every now and then, I don't know how much sense it makes to haul around another body just for that one lens. But if you have a few, and use them often, just get the proper camera body IMO.

elekm · May 25, 2011

Right -- I'll add to it here. M42 bodies are so inexpensive that a body probably will be less than the adapter. I see no reason to spend good money to use a lens that will no longer focus to infinity or requires other compromise.

anon12345 · May 25, 2011

Just to add, the Canon EOS platform with an inexpensive adapter allows all my M42 lenses to focus normally at infinity. As expected, the focusing and aperture adjustments are still manual operations. As others have reasoned . . . . it is probably not prudent to make a nikon do the job of a "real camera".

M42 to Nikon adapters?

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