MD lens to Bessa R2A(Leica m) body?

noyart · Mar 1, 2015

Hello
I been selling off all my cameras to save money for good m mount body. So yesterday my luck finally happened och I bought myself a Bessa R2A. Beautiful camera body. Sadly it was only the house. I don't have money for any m lenses yet. Other expenses came to light here at home :/ I have my eye on a voigtlander 40mm f2.

Been thinking about adapters. The only set of lenses I have here at home are Minolta MD (my favorite 50mm 1.4) and old Rus L39 screw mount lenses like Jupiter 8. Are there any good but also cheap adapters? I know cheap and good do not always go hand in hand :/ I just want to get out there and shoot with my Bessa </3

pdeeh · Mar 1, 2015

Just about any LTM/M adaptor will do for the Jupiter, though I've stuck to the Voigtlander and Leica branded versions as they're not insanely expensive on eBay etc

Fixcinater · Mar 1, 2015

Jupiter-8 will be fine. Use a lens shade.

noyart · Mar 1, 2015

pdeeh said:
You won't be able to use the minoltas because of the registration distance of the Bessa.

Just about any LTM/M adaptor will do for the Jupiter, though I've stuck to the Voigtlander and Leica branded versions as they're not insanely expensive on eBay etc

Okay if I understand correctly you can put a MD lens on a bessa, there are a lot of adapters on eBay, but they don't work? Or the focus don't work?

Leica or voigtlander branded adapters? Sounds expensive xD

pdeeh · Mar 1, 2015

No ignore what I said, I think I must have been having some sort of seizure when I said that.
Of course you can adapt almost any lens to an m mount camera. So long as someone makes a suitable adapter (the registration distance has to be greater than that of the m mount of course)
Sorry for confusing the issue, I've edited my post

pdeeh · Mar 1, 2015

noyart said:
Leica or voigtlander branded adapters? Sounds expensive xD

I never paid more than the equivalent of 20 or 30 dollars.
If you think that's expensive you've just bought into the wrong system

noyart · Mar 1, 2015

pdeeh said:
No ignore what I said, I think I must have been having some sort of seizure when I said that.
Of course you can adapt almost any lens to an m mount camera. So long as someone makes a suitable adapter (the registration distance has to be greater than that of the m mount of course)
Sorry for confusing the issue, I've edited my post

Hahaha no problem I don't understand how the focus would work.. Is it impossible? Haha I ordered 2 adapters for screw mount to m mount from Amazon only 30 dollar awesome

The Minolta lens takes beautiful picture ah

pdeeh · Mar 1, 2015

Well you have to use scale focus . The rangefinder won't be coupled.

Fixcinater · Mar 1, 2015

Look up Brian Sweeney's modifications to Pentax M 50mm f/1.4 amongst other SLR lenses to get them to work on M-mount cameras complete with RF coupling.

It's possible for 50mms but a fair amount of work.

noyart · Mar 2, 2015

pdeeh said:
Well you have to use scale focus . The rangefinder won't be coupled.

Ah okay

noyart · Mar 2, 2015

Fixcinater said:
Look up Brian Sweeney's modifications to Pentax M 50mm f/1.4 amongst other SLR lenses to get them to work on M-mount cameras complete with RF coupling.

It's possible for 50mms but a fair amount of work.

I Googled some but it was hard to find anything good about him and modifications. Found someone selling adapters but that would cost 300 dollars ^^ thank you for directing me to the right direction

pdeeh · Mar 2, 2015

Brian is a very clever guy indeed, but he can be a bit elusive as he drops in and out of forums and I'm not sure he's got a web site of his own these days (but then I might just have lost track of it).
The last time I sighted him was at photo.net

noyart · Mar 2, 2015

pdeeh said:
Brian is a very clever guy indeed, but he can be a bit elusive as he drops in and out of forums and I'm not sure he's got a web site of his own these days (but then I might just have lost track of it).
The last time I sighted him was at photo.net

Haha I keep my eye open I try to search some more later today

Fixcinater · Mar 2, 2015

He is on Flickr: fiftyonepointsix I believe.

noyart · Mar 3, 2015

Fixcinater said:
He is on Flickr: fiftyonepointsix I believe.

Wow thank you so much!

Dr Croubie · Mar 3, 2015

I've got a Jupiter-8 (50/2) and Industar-61 (53/2.8) both in LTM, both fit on my R3A with an LTM to M adapter, rangefinder coupled and work perfectly, both under $40. I got the adapter free with another lens, but I think it's a genuine CV. You can get them off fleabay for less than $10 if you don't mind buying from China.

I've also got an M42 to LTM adapter, which maintains the correct flange-distance so the lenses still focus as per the scale. No rangefinder, just have to guess distance to subject, set it on the lens, stop down to cover mistakes, and pray. Worked great with a 35mm Takumar at f/8.

pdeeh · Mar 3, 2015

Not all Soviet ltms are suitable for the bessa, I think one or two of the wides foul the shutter.
The best source for info about bessas and whatnot is cameraquest.com

noyart · Mar 3, 2015

Dr Croubie said:
I've got a Jupiter-8 (50/2) and Industar-61 (53/2.8) both in LTM, both fit on my R3A with an LTM to M adapter, rangefinder coupled and work perfectly, both under $40. I got the adapter free with another lens, but I think it's a genuine CV. You can get them off fleabay for less than $10 if you don't mind buying from China.

I've also got an M42 to LTM adapter, which maintains the correct flange-distance so the lenses still focus as per the scale. No rangefinder, just have to guess distance to subject, set it on the lens, stop down to cover mistakes, and pray. Worked great with a 35mm Takumar at f/8.

Nice I also have those lenses Industar 55mm f/2.8 N-61 L/D and Jupiter 8. I ordered 2 adapters yesterday from Amazon 11 dollar a piece. So I hope it works maybe I try a adapter from evilbay for my MD and shoot zone focus. Now I just have to wait for my ltm adapters

Edit scratch that I don't know what version I have the 55mm or the 53 Industar lens

noyart · Mar 3, 2015

pdeeh said:
Not all Soviet ltms are suitable for the bessa, I think one or two of the wides foul the shutter.
The best source for info about bessas and whatnot is cameraquest.com

Awesome site thank you

Patrick Robert James · Mar 3, 2015

The Pentax conversion wasn't invented by Sweeney, though he did do a lot of weird lens hacks. The Pentax conversion was originated by a gentleman named Roland who goes by ferider on the web. Back when he came up with the idea, Roland was kind enough to send me a precut tube that made it easy for me to put one together myself. Nice guy. Since I put mine together a few years ago I haven't had a single desire to replace it. I am really surprised that more people don't convert them since it is such a legendary lens and fast 50s for a Leica cost a fortune.

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=113676
http://ferider.smugmug.com/Technical/Lenses/Pentax-M-SMC-5014/

mnemosyne · Mar 3, 2015

Patrick Robert James said:
I am really surprised that more people don't convert them since it is such a legendary lens and fast 50s for a Leica cost a fortune.

Well, you can get the excellent Canon 50mm f1.4 for around 250$ and this is not the only budget option for a fast 50 on a SM/M Leica.

pdeeh · Mar 3, 2015

hehe $250 is only "budget" in Leicaworld

mnemosyne · Mar 3, 2015

pdeeh said:
hehe $250 is only "budget" in Leicaworld

Indeed, or to be more precise, in the world of fast Leica glass, this would be a "budget" offer

If it don't need to be fast ... well, one of my personal favorite 50mm lenses for Leica (Industar-50) cost me 8$ something.

noyart · Mar 3, 2015

Patrick Robert James said:
The Pentax conversion wasn't invented by Sweeney, though he did do a lot of weird lens hacks. The Pentax conversion was originated by a gentleman named Roland who goes by ferider on the web. Back when he came up with the idea, Roland was kind enough to send me a precut tube that made it easy for me to put one together myself. Nice guy. Since I put mine together a few years ago I haven't had a single desire to replace it. I am really surprised that more people don't convert them since it is such a legendary lens and fast 50s for a Leica cost a fortune.

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=113676
http://ferider.smugmug.com/Technical/Lenses/Pentax-M-SMC-5014/

I'm reading through the thread, very interesting stuff I will reread the thread later at home see if I can do this mod with my Minolta lens it could be possible

noyart · Mar 3, 2015

Patrick Robert James said:
The Pentax conversion wasn't invented by Sweeney, though he did do a lot of weird lens hacks. The Pentax conversion was originated by a gentleman named Roland who goes by ferider on the web. Back when he came up with the idea, Roland was kind enough to send me a precut tube that made it easy for me to put one together myself. Nice guy. Since I put mine together a few years ago I haven't had a single desire to replace it. I am really surprised that more people don't convert them since it is such a legendary lens and fast 50s for a Leica cost a fortune.

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=113676
http://ferider.smugmug.com/Technical/Lenses/Pentax-M-SMC-5014/

Because I use the bessa and not a leica I don't need an adapter that brings the viewfinder 50 frame. So I could but some cheap evilBay adapter and then go from there? A brase tube and some cutting.

MD lens to Bessa R2A(Leica m) body?

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