M52 Thread

thuggins · Jun 23, 2022

I bought a focusing helicoid for a project. This has a M42 male thread on one end and a M52 female thread on the other end. The M42 is no problem as this just takes a standard rear lens cap.

I had never encountered a M52 before. It seems there are two variations of the thread. One has a .75 pitch and the other a 1 pitch. From the looks of it, this appears to be a M52 x 1 thread. What was the M52 used for? Any suggestions for finding adapters, etc for this thread?

AgX · Jun 23, 2022

M52x0.75 is a common Filter Thread.

(Keep in mind that "M" basically does say nothing on the pitch. Thus both threads you refer to are likely "M" threads.)

I got no idea what M52x1 was used for in the photo world.

What would make sense in your case though would be a female 0.75mm pitch thread, as then it could be used with respective retro-rings, which by this would act as camera-adapters to that helicoid.

Donald Qualls · Jun 23, 2022

I'd guess M52x1 is a rear thread for some large shutter. Copal/Compur 3?

AgX · Jun 23, 2022

No, the nearest thread in diameter is 56mm.

AgX · Jun 23, 2022

AgX said:
What would make sense in your case though would be a female 0.75mm pitch thread, as then it could be used with respective retro-rings, which by this would act as camera-adapters to that helicoid.

Well, in this case a helicoid with M39mm enlarger-thread instead of that M42 thread would make even more sense...

I mean, M42 lenses typically have a helicoid. A M42 helicoid thus would be an additional one. It would make sense if it bridges extension gaps between common extension rings, which the original one could not. But as any extension ring it would likely bring a common taking lens into a range of lesser IQ.
Thus my hint at M39 enlarger lenses.

thuggins · Jun 23, 2022

It is not a filter thread. 52mm x .75 filter rings bind.

According to sizes.com, it is not a shutter thread. This shows a Copal #3 has a 62mm x .75 mounting thread.

AgX · Jun 23, 2022

Off topic, but I got a table wih 58mm front and rear thread at Copal #3.

Donald Qualls · Jun 23, 2022

AgX said:
Off topic, but I got a table wih 58mm front and rear thread at Copal #3.

Maybe that's the inside thread?

reddesert · Jun 23, 2022

On ebay you can find inexpensive focusing helicoids with various thread sizes, mostly M42x1, M52x1, M58x1, and so on. (This is an improvement over the part when focusing helicoids were expensive and hard to get.) M42x1 is easy/useful, that's the Praktica/Pentax etc M42 lens thread mount. The reasoning for the others is less clear, filters in those sizes are M52x0.75 and so, and Copal/Compur shutters don't match.

I don't know where the impetus for these focusing helicals originated but some of it is possibly from the lens adaptation / cine / video market.

miha · Jun 23, 2022

M52 is a standard thread on adapters for microscope objectives to be used on still cameras:

The Wickedly Sharp Nikon 10X CFI Objective For Photomacrography

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BAC1967 · Jun 23, 2022

M52 is also used on some telescopes and Guide scopes. I think I have a set of M52 extension rings that I somehow acquired but have no way of using them. May be a way to turn a telescope into a closeup lens.

https://www.highpointscientific.com/stellarvue-ste52-guidescope-extension-tube

https://www.thorlabs.com/newgrouppage9.cfm?objectgroup_id=11074

MattKing · Jun 23, 2022

Would M52 threads be useful with some enlarging lenses?

reddesert · Jun 23, 2022

"M" just means metric. "M52" doesn't uniquely specify M52x1, or M52x0.75 (filter thread).

AgX · Jun 23, 2022

miha said:
M52 is a standard thread on adapters for microscope objectives to be used on still cameras:

But then such adapter only makes sense if the M42 thread would be a male one. The photo at post #1 does not make us wiser on this.

xkaes · Jun 23, 2022

reddesert said:
I don't know where the impetus for these focusing helicals originated but some of it is possibly from the lens adaptation / cine / video market.

NEWYI -- the name on the adapter -- makes a lot of TV/CCTV lenses, so this is a good guess.

AgX · Jun 24, 2022

AgX said:
I got no idea what M52x1 was used for in the photo world.

It was not used.

But it seems now a kind of standard (like in our world the T mount) to couple camera-mount adapters to helicoids.

thuggins · Jun 24, 2022

Whatever 52mm x1 is used for, there are various adapters for the thread listed on the evil auction site. I ordered a couple that look promising and should be useable for my purpose.

Interestingly enough, the only camera brand referenced for any of the adapters was Hasselblad.

AgX · Jun 24, 2022

You confuse me. You bought helicoids or adapters with that M52x1 thread after inquiring here on that thread, still without knowing what that thread is used for, now you say it looks usable for your purpose.

I guess now I am not the only one wondering what you want that M52x1 thread to couple to, if is not the way I described today.

Maybe you glue it to something.

Murrayatuptown · Oct 15, 2022

There are M52, M58, M65 and even M72 helicoids on eBay. They get more expensive probably due to more material required and less demand for them.

I didn't realize they existed until someone told me to look for M52 for lens adaptation solutions. He used rubber tape to make up any gap between a smaller barrel and the M52 threads. For that purpose, the thread pitch doesn't matter at all.

I have one M42-M52 helicoid in addition to an M42-M42 so far.

M52 Thread

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