using M42 lenses on other mounts

[f/16]

Will the lenses focus to infinity when used on Minolta MD body and adapter? What about Canon FD?

 

[Trask]

Yes, and yes. The M42 mount has a registration of 45.46 mm, Minolta MD is 43.73 mm and Canon FD is 42 mm. What that means is that an adapter can be machined to the precise thickness difference and so the M42 will focus at infinity -- as proven by the fact that Canon made its own M42-to-Canon adapter. Full list of registrations here: http://www.graphics.cornell.edu/~westin/misc/mounts-by-register.html

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

Yes, absolutely. One thing to watch out for is whether the M42 lens you're using has auto aperture function or if it has an auto/manual switch. If it's manual or auto/manual, you're okay with any M42 adapter. If the lens is auto only, you'll want an adapter that depresses the pin to stop down the lens, so that it can function manually.

 

[gone]

You can bend the pin and push it in to get around that if your adapter doesn't have that function, but it tends to be a permanent sort of thing. I haven't had any luck unbending it later, but it is probably possible if you do it delicately. I have actually heard of people putting some sort of Sticky Blue Stuff on the pin w/ it pressed in, and it works well enough to hold the pin down. That fix is reversible.

 

[dynachrome]

I have adapters for using M42 lenses on: Konica AR, Konica F, Canon FL/FD, Minolta SR, Yashica/Contax, Mamiya ES (Auto XTL), Mamiya CS (NC1000/S), Mamiya E (ZE) and Fujica X. The M42 lenses without an A/M switch are not easily used on most of these cameras. The Mamiya P adapter for using M42 lenses on the Auto XTL/Auto X1000 cameras is the most interesting one I have. It allows for stop-down metering as well as auto diaphragm operation. Over the years many odd variations of the M42 mount appeared. Not all of them are compatible with each other. The Olympus FTL has a lock for the lens when it is fully screwed in. The Mamiya SX cameras/lenses have a similar system. Older Praktica/Pentacon cameras had electrical contacts. Some of these, like the Mamiya SX and Pentax Super-Multi-Coated-Takumars (and SMC lenses) allowed for full aperture metering. Some of these non-standard M42 variations will not fit the adapters used to fit M42 lenses to the bayonet mounts of other cameras. The problem is usually that something blocks the lens from screwing in all the way and achieving correct infinity focus. I have had the best luck using M42 lenses adapted to a Minolta X-700 or a Canon F-1/F-1n. The Minolta has a very bright finder and works well even with slower M42 lenses. I use either a grid screen or a plain matte screen with the X-700. With the Canons I like using an L D screen grid type). The oddest M42 lenses I have might be the ones which fit the Ricoh Auto TLS EE.

 

[f/16]

Yes I'm familiar with the M42 lenses without the A/M switch. My Domiplan 50 2.8 is like that but that's not a lens I plan on using on other mounts.

 

[dynachrome]

It's true that the Auto XTL/Auto X1000 models did not sell very well but that doesn't mean they didn't work well or that you can't find one now which is working or which can be made to work with some attention. I am waiting for a new lens for the Auto XTL to arrive. It's a 105/2.8. The ES mount was not very well supported by independent lens makers and this caused sales problems too. I have never seen a Tamron Adaptamatic, Adaptall or Adaptall II adapter for ES and I have not seen a Vivitar or Soligor T4 or TX adapter either. Other companies got into the market with auto exposure 35mm SLRs before Mamiya and then introduced second generation automatic exposure 35m SLRs with more electronics, also before Mamiya. In most cases the meter cells of the older cameras gave not actually stopped working. The wiring supplying power from the battery/batteries often needs replacing.

 

[Mackinaw]

Will the lenses focus to infinity when used on Minolta MD body and adapter? What about Canon FD?

The Canon “Lens Mount Converter P” was designed to allow M42 screw-mount lenses to mount on a Canon R/FL/FD mount. Focus to infinity too.

Jim B.

 

[AgX]

But there are other FD-M42 adapters too.

The difference between M42 and FD is 3.46mm.
I got an automatic adapter that got 16.4mm length difference between M42- and FD-flange...


The Canon P adapter got a breechlock ring that incorporates the M42 thread, my adapter stacks the thread to the bayonet assembly and adds the automatic aperture mechanism, and thus is much longer built.
The Canon P adapter however lacks the automatic-aperture mechanism.