Homebrew Short-Focus Lens Mount Converter

Lens Mount Converters FAQ ver. 1.4

by Robert Monaghan

Can I use my old lenses on a new or different brand of camera?

This FAQ will try to answer that question.

Here is a short table of available converters from one source (Cambridge Camera Exchange 212-675-8600) as discussed in a great article in July 1994 Popular Photography by Mr. Herbert Keppler in his SLR Column. For an overall discussion on lens mount converters and issues, I highly recommend this article.

However, I can not recommend Cambridge Camera Exchange based on their past negative Better Business Bureau record of problems reported by buyers. Similar adapters should be available from other sources; but if you elect to deal with CCC, please review this report and user dealer reviews on our "buyer beware" pages and be fore-warned.

Fortunately, I can recommend B&H; Photo-Video from personal experience and many positive postings by other buyers. They have a number of commonly requested optical lens mount adapters available.

New Optical Adapters from B&H; Photo-Video:
• Canon non-AF lens to Nikon body (B&H; #GBCANC)
  
• Canon FD lens to Nikon body (B&H; #GBCANC)
  
• Nikon lens to Canon AF body (B&H; #GBCACAFN)
  
• Canon FD lens to Canon AF body (B&H; #GBCACAFC)
  
• Pentax K lens to Minolta AF body (B&H; #GBCAMAFP)
  

Our Impact! used gear dealer links has numerous potential sources for lens mount adapters, both new and used. For used sources, see KEH which has extensive used gear listings including many adapters. Finally, most mailing lists by brand (e.g., see Egroups listings) of photo gear can suggest sources for specific adapters for their brand of camera (e.g., Minolta, Nikon, Canon..).

Optical Converter Available:

• Pentax K to Canon FD body
  
• Pentax K to Nikon body
  
• Canon non-AF lens to Nikon body
  
• Canon FD lens to Nikon body
  
• Minolta AF lens to Nikon body
  
• Minolta MC/MD lens to Canon FD body
  
• Minolta MC/MD lens to Nikon body
  
• Olympus lens to Nikon body
  
• Yashica Contax lens to Nikon body
  
• Nikon lens to Canon AF body
  
• Canon FD lens to Canon AF body
  
• Minolta AF lens to Minolta MC/MD body
  
• Minolta AF lens to Pentax K body
  
• Pentax K lens to Minolta AF body
  

See Effects of Optical Converters on Sharpness below:

Non-Optical Converters Available:

Pentax screw (M42) thread to:

• Pentax K
  
• Miranda
  
• Fuji
  
• Olympus
  
• Nikon
  
• Canon
  
• Minolta AF
  
• Minolta non-AF
  
• Yashica
  
• Rollei 35mm SLR
  
• Konica
  
• Mamiya 35mm SLR
  

Exakta Lenses to:

• Canon
  
• Minolta
  
• Konica
  
• Miranda
  

Pentax M42 screw thread to Pentax K mount adapter
Photo courtesy of Bojidar Dimitrov

Is it Worthwhile to Buy a Mechanical or Optical Mount Adapter?

Yes, if you have..
• a unique optic you need on the new camera (e.g., Canon Tilt/shift lens on a Nikon mount, or 24mm Olympus shift lens), or
• an expensive or exotic lens (e.g., fisheye) where selling what you have and buying a different mount would result in major $$ losses, or
• one or more pro quality fast lenses that you can't live without in the new mount, or
• lots of very decent quality prime and/or zoom lenses you want to keep on using on both the old mount camera and the new mount camera
  and/or...
  
• you don't mind using stopped down metering on your new camera

No, if you have...
• only one or two typical prime or zoom lenses in the old mount - it is probably better and cheaper to sell and buy the auto-diaphragm lenses
• lenses that can be sold and similar quality rebought in the new mount for little more than the cost of an adapter
  • assuming you never want to use the old mount lenses again, of course
  • provides auto-diaphragm action unlike most mount adapters
  Note:
  
  • Mechanical mount - circa $30 US and up
  • Optical mount - circa $60 to 75 US and up
  and/or...
  
• a real aversion to stopped down metering, bad eyesight, or you are shooting under rapidly changing lighting conditions

T-mount converters to sundry lens mounts
(examples include Canon AF and Minolta AF bodies)

T-mount lenses range from fisheyes to long telephotos, and include other items such as bellows and slide duplicators. The T-mount lens simply screws into a T-mount adapter which mates to the desired camera bayonet mount as if it were a bayonet mount lens. But the T-mount doesn't provide for auto-diaphragm operation, due to the lack of coupling levers. So you must use stop-down metering and exposure or aperture priority automation modes due to the lack of lens setting information connectivity.

Tamron's President Takeyuki Arai invented the original T-mount in 1959. There are at least two versions, one a solid fixed mount (T) and the other with three small screws (T2). You can loosen these screws and rotate the inner ring until the lens aperture ring and controls are facing upward and then tighten into place.

The Pentax Universal M42 Screw-thread mount used a 42mm x 1mm metric thread for its lens mounts. Tamron altered this mount slightly to a 42mm x 0.75mm pitch thread. Be careful that you don't try to force these very similar appearing mounts together! They may start turning, but will bind if you turn hard enough, possibly damaging the camera mount (M42) or lens (T or T-2 threads). Watch out!

Besides the thread pitch, Tamron also used a very long lens registration distance of 55mm. That means the lens mount was 55mm from the film plane. By comparison, Nikon uses 46.5mm. All the popular 35mm SLR camera mounts were shorter than 55mm. This carefully planned optical trick meant that T-mount lenses could be easily adapted to all the popular 35mm SLR mounts by simply varying the width and bayonet mount of the mechanical adapter. Clever!

The T-mount continues to be widely used today for mirror lenses, which have fixed apertures and therefore no need for automatic diaphragm operation. Slide duplicators and bellows are also often T-mount devices. Some weird 8mm and 12mm fisheyes were also made in a T-mount lens! And many preset telephoto lenses use T-mounts to save costs or simplify designs. Many of these lenses are now cult classics!

Incidentally, there is also a reverse T-mount adapter which lets you convert your bayonet mount lenses (e.g., Nikon) into a T-mount thread. This trick is most useful for macrophotography, since infinity focusing is usually lost. You can mount the lens-reverse T-mount combo in a T-mount adapter for another camera mount. The resulting adapters act like a short extension tube, and automation is obviously lost too. But such switcheroos may let you share one macro lens or bellows between different camera brands for the low cost of a few adapters.

Tamron also developed a later series of automatic diaphragm mounts. So far as I know, the T-3 mount lenses were never marketed. The T-4 system provided automatic diaphragm operation along with a manual diaphragm option. Recall that many lenses from the 1960s and 1970s were not automatic operation, but rather preset or even manual lenses. Vivitar adopted the Tamron T-4 system for their interchangeable lens mount lenses. In concert with Soligor, they jointly promoted a very similar TX mount.

The T-4 mounts were popular with camera store dealers who only had to stock a few lenses and some T-4 mounts to cover a huge number of potential camera models with automatic diaphragm operation lenses. The TX system overcame some problems with T-4 mounts on Konica Autoreflex using auto exposure and Canon, Pentax F and ES cameras with full aperture metering. Minolta users were also annoyed that aperture scales weren't in the right place to be seen in the viewfinder. TX adapters were also made for newer cameras such as Olympus OM-1/2, Mamiya DSX and MSX, Fujica ST801/901, and Rollei SL35.

The TX adapters are not recommended for use and generally not usable on the older T-4 series lenses. The T-4 series adapters usually are usable on the newer TX lenses. In some cases, a T-4 adapter will be quirky on a TX lens. For example, the TX lenses provide a maximum aperture at the center setting, stopping down if turned to the left or to the right. For Canon and Leica owners, the right side scale is used. For Nikon and most others, the left hand settings and scale are used.

The older T-4 adapters won't prevent you from using the Canon side with a Nikon or other lens. So what? Older Nikons such as my Nikon F2 and Nikkormats require you to set the maximum aperture by rotating the lens to the maximum aperture point. With a T-4 adapter on a TX lens, you can easily fool the aperture setting mechanism by going to far over onto the Canon aperture setting side. Your Nikon thinks you have a lens that is a lot faster than it really is, and problems develop from there.

The Minolta TX adapter has a lens aperture scale you have to setup to get proper viewfinder aperture readings. Usually, you have to set a U-shaped prong on the lens to match and take a pin on the adapter when you couple the adapter and lens together. There are various arrows and colored dots on the mounts to help make this easier. The T-4 lens end is simpler than the TX lenses, which have extra couplings and longer grooves for aperture couplings.

The early TX mounts had various color codes on them for Nikon users (orange at f/5.6) and other mount alignments. The later TX mounts just put an arrow on the lens mount and adapter. You lined up the respective pins and U-shaped slots to these arrows or dots, and just press them together. If you are using a shutter priority camera, check out the adapter instructions for correct lens setting for proper mounting.

Soligor also developed a T-5 lens mount with Tamron, and then a new Universal System (U/S, T/S, and C/S overseas). A few other interchangeable lens mounts were also offered, such as Chinon's varifit mounts and Komura's interchangeable lens mounts and adapter system. Relatively few such mount lenses and even fewer camera brand mount adapters were made available.

Only Tamron continued to develop and persevere with interchangeable lens mounts. Their ultimate goal was to develop a mount that would provide full automation on a wide range of 35mm cameras, simply by changing out the mount. An intermediate stage mount know as the Tamron adaptamatic was developed.

This mount used a long pin which had to be carefully inserted into the guts of the lens to link up with the automatic diaphragm mechanism. This mount proved somewhat flakey in practice, and subject to contamination by dust and sand in frequent use. A simpler and better solution was needed!

Tamron finally succeeded with their Tamron Adaptall and Adaptall-2 series mounts. These mounts continue to be popular today, providing a number of features including easy and simple interchanging between lenses and mounts. Unfortunately, the new age of autofocus lenses has generated a new Tower of Babel, variegated autofocus mount electronics, and even software incompatibilities due to embedded microprocessor chips in the cameras and lenses!

The Lost Universal Lens Mount Opportunity

Regarding the M42 or Pentax/Praktica universal screw mount (42mm x 1mm), there are several versions here too. A single diaphragm control pin type mount will work with virtually all universal screw mount bodies for stopped down metering. For full aperture exposures, a second pin or lever was added to convey f/stop settings to the camera body. But different bodies used pins and levers for this function, and the location of the pin or lever differed in some models. The depth of travel of the lever or pin also varied. So you can't assume these dual action mounts will work with full aperture metering properly on all bodies. But you can usually still do stop-down metering with any such lens on most M42 mount bodies.

Besides Pentax and Praktica, M42 screw mount cameras included cameras by:

• Alpa 2000
• Argus
• Chinon
• Contax D and S
• Cosina
• Edixa
• Fujica
• GAF
• Icarex TM
• Mamiya/Sekor
• Petri
• Pentacon
• Ricoh
• Spiraflex
• Vivitar
• Yashica

Minolta E Adapter - Exakta Lenses onto Minolta
Maintains infinity focus but not auto-diaphragm
Photo courtesy of Andy Heatlie

TX adapters

Tamron developed the T-4 adapter series in concert with Vivitar. The later Vivitar TX series automatic mount adapters were jointly popularized by both Vivitar and Soligor in a relatively larger number of mounts and lenses. Not to be outdone, Soligor got its own T-5 mount.

These mounts can be a little harder to use than a T-mount, since you have to align a coupling pin in the mount with the lens to provide auto-diaphragm operation. Frequently swapping out mounts could lead to errors and problems.

Photos courtesy of Frank Winter of Phoenix

Vivitar TX Adapter (for Yashica)	TX mount Adapter on Lens (Nikon)

List of Mount Adapters (*=auto)
• T-mount (Tamron's President Takeyuki Arai invented in 1959)
• T-2 Mount (Tamron 42mm x 0.75mm pitch)
• * T-4 (Vivitar)
• * T-5 (Soligor)
• * TX (Vivitar and Soligor)
• * Y-S (Sigma and Sun)
• * Varifit (Chinon - rare)
• * T/S (Soligor)
• * U/S (Soligor Universal System)
• * C/S (Soligor - overseas version)
• * I/S (Soligor)
• * Sigma mounts (honorable mention for earlier $25 switch mount policy)
• * Komura (Komura's mounts - rare)
• * Adaptamatic (Tamron, projecting pin linked to auto-diaphragm; 1967)
• * Adaptall and Adaptall-2 (Tamron)

The Y-S interchangeable mount system was a response to Tamron's first interchangeable mount systems of 1964 (T-4). The Y in Y-S mounts is after Mr. Yamaki, who was president of Sigma (hence, Y-S). Besides Sigma, Sun Optical Corp. also used these Y-S lens mounts on some of their lenses.

Soligor Mounts

Soligor jointly marketed T-4 lenses along with Vivitar (often sourcing their T-4 mount lenses under the Vivitar brand name, we're told). Tamron was a mainstay in developing these interchangeable mount technologies, as well as providing some lens offerings of its own. While Vivitar developed the TX mount, Soligor came up with their own T-5 interchangeable mounts.

After this, Soligor developed a Universal System series of mounts using a variety of labels (e.g., U/S, T/S, I/S in USA, C/S overseas...). At least six mounts were available, including Canon, Contax/Yashica, Minolta, Pentax, Nikon, and Olympus. The mounts outnumbered the original zoom lenses by two to one (i.e., 35-70mm f/3.5-4.5, 28-80mm f/3.3-4.5, 80-200mm f/3.8). These T-5 and U/S series mounts are relatively rare.

Chinon's varifit mounts are even rarer. Komura made a number of telephoto lens heads with interchangeable mounts (e.g., Bronica). Novoflex followed a similar pattern, with their own follow-focus and bellows mount lenses. See cult classic lenses for more on the Novoflex series.

If you have a lens in one of these rarer lens mounts, enjoy it. Unless you want to invest a lot of effort into locating older optics from the 1960s and 1970s, you should focus on more modern lenses and the only currently popular automatic diaphragm interchangeable lens mounts, the Tamron adaptall/2 series.

You will also find plenty of T-mount mirrors and bellows and related optics for sale. A modest number of T-4 and TX lenses can also be found with some effort, often at surprisingly low costs. If you have several brands of older cameras and mounts, you may want to invest in lens mounts that are compatible. This approach will open a way to share lenses cheaply and easily between your various lens mounts.

Because of the greater distance from lens mount to film plane in the medium format cameras, it is usually possible to mount their lenses onto 35mm cameras. Unfortunately, the reverse is usually not true except for macro photography use or for short mount lenses.

Example: a Hasselblad lens to Nikon body mount adapter (circa $125 used!). Unfortunately, I found you also have to use a nikon mount bellows or extension tube to provide the range of focusing needed to use the Hasselblad optics at infinity. Why? Because the adapter is only a thin machined piece, while the lens needs to be about another 35mm from the camera body to focus at infinity!

The photo below shows how a Pentax 6x7 camera user can use their lenses on a Pentax K-mount camera body. Reportedly, a Pentax 67 to nikon body mount adapter also exists. As you can see, it is also quite thick. See below for more details on medium format options.

Pentax 6x7 lens to Pentax 35mm K mount adapter
Photo courtesy of Bojidar Dimitrov

Non-autofocus lenses on Autofocus Mounts

Whether you can use a non-autofocus lens on your autofocus mount camera has to be determined on not only a camera brand basis, but even the specific model.

While Nikon has a reputation for its users's ability to use old lenses on new mounts, and vice versa, the truth is more muddled. For example, a Nikon EM might be damaged if you attempt to mount an older pre-AI lens with meter coupling prong. The same is true of many of the newer autofocus Nikon cameras. Usually it is only the professional Nikons such as the F3 that provide the broadest range of lens usability, while the amateur models limit you to the latest autofocus lenses. Here again, adapters may be available that will permit mounting sundry lenses, but at the obvious loss of autofocus operations

A few notable exceptions exist to the above point, in that certain earlier autofocus lenses had the autofocus motors and electronics built into the lens, rather than into the camera and lens-mount. So you may retain autofocus operation with these lenses, even when mounted on a different model camera model. While more bulky, these lenses are the only way to get autofocus operation on older Nikon all-mechanical models, for example. (see auto-AF lens list)

Unfortunately, autofocus lenses usually take bigger optical and mechanical mounts to provide functionality than the older mounting schemes allowed. This changeover obsoleted many older lens lines (e.g., Canon FD), while other mount changes precluding using some brands of older lenses on the new autofocus mounts.

Even the autofocus mounts are themselves changing more rapidly on many brands, bringing more features, but at the price of limited functionality or early obsolescence of earlier autofocus lenses. Again, there are exceptions, such as using a Nikon 35 f/2 AF autofocus lens which can physically mount on the original Nikon F. But autofocus operation is obviously lost, and stopped down metering has to be used due to the lack of a metering prong.

Homebrew Bronica to Nikon Adapter
Bronica Body Cap, Nikon Rear Lens Cap

Home Brew Adapters:

Lens registration distances:

Unfortunately, when mounting lenses on 35mm SLR cameras, we don't have such huge differences or leeway in our adapters. But it may be possible to provide such direct mechanical mount adapters if the distances permit. More expensive mounting adapters may provide some or all automation functions, but these are rare and much more costly (e.g. up to $200 per adapter). But that's cheap if it lets you use an expensive fast telephoto lens that cost $3,000+ instead of selling it at a loss.

Where the distances are longer on the camera body than on the lens, you have to revert to optically based adapters (see list and discussion above). For example, a Nikon body (46.5mm lens registration) needs an optical adapter if you intend to use a minolta MD lens (43.5 mm). In this case, the Nikon body acts as a 3mm extension tube, so the Minolta lens can't focus at infinity without an optical element in the adapter.

Tamron's adaptall mount:

Be aware that various versions of adaptall mounts were developed, and make sure your purchase will work with your adapters if purchased separately. My own experience with a vivitar 21mm adaptall mount was very positive. I easily converted to the nikon AI mount simply by trading out adapters. For $20, I also bought a used adaptall mount for my minolta camera, enabling me to use the 21mm lens in an underwater housing. The same adapter can be used to borrow my 300mm vivitar adaptall lens from Nikon use to Minolta camera body use. My own preference is to use the less expensive third party lenses in the very wide and long telephoto range. In these extreme ranges, infrequent use would make it very hard to justify the cost of a prime original manufacturer's lens.

If you find a good buy on a given lens in the wrong mount, you can buy it and use it with an adapter you can buy separately (circa $20-30 used). If you use a number of camera brands, you can share one lens between all of them by using different mounts. Once you have one lens and an adapter for each of your camera bodies, each adaptall lens you buy is like buying a lens for each of your cameras.

The following listing is not a complete listing of all Tamron adaptall mounts (see Tamron website). But it highlights many of the more interesting manual camera mounts which are available, including some rare mounts like Rollei and Leica. Why these adapters are so nifty is the ability to use affordable Tamron adaptall mount lenses of relatively recent design and quality - including zooms, APO telephotos, and ultrawide manual focus lenses. So you can enjoy relatively affordable Tamron lenses on older or more expensive (Leica..) bodies for which no equivalent current (or affordable) lenses are available. Even better, you can share such lenses between these older and even collectible manual cameras and more recent models (including some autofocus designs, albeit in manual mode, such as the Pentax KA mounts).

Listing of Manual Camera Adaptall Mounts:

Nikon AI-E (no "ears")
Nikon AI
Canon FD
Pentax KA
Olympus OM
Fujica ST
Rollei 35mm
Pentax ES
Leica R4
Minolta MD
Praktica
Konica AR
Praktica B200
Ricoh XR-P

Short Mount Lenses

The problem with rangefinder cameras motivating use of the short-mount lenses related to the lack of a reflex mirror to look through the taking lens. Both for closeup and telephoto users, this lack was a severe problem. The partial solution was to use short-mount lenses which mated to a reflex or viewing mirror (and often prism) attachment that in turn plugged into the camera. Now the user could see what the telephoto or closeup lens was seeing.

Unfortunately, many short-focus lenses were for early Nikon and Leica rangefinder cameras, such as the Nikon lens example featured in a Bronica mount at the top of this article. I say unfortunately, because the price of such lenses is very high due to collector interest in many cases. The benefits of such short-mount lenses is that they offer very high optical quality (Nikon, Leitz, Telyt..) in a lens that is easily adapted for use on a variety of 35mm and medium format cameras. If a bellows focusing unit is provided with the lens, then you may just need a bellows mounting adapter (T-mount..) to use these lenses on a wide variety of cameras.

Medium Format Lens Adapters

However, you can use many 35mm macro lenses on medium format cameras with the right lens mount adapters, as shown by the Nikon micronikkor mounted on a Bronica 6x6 shown below. This works because the extra length of the medium format body acts as an extension tube for the 35mm lenses. While that makes infinity focusing impossible, it does make for a flat field macro lens setup. Note that 35mm lenses when used in such closeup setups are capable of covering 6x6 and larger formats, depending on the degree of magnification and extensions used.

micronikkor 35mm on 6x6

A second problem relates to adapting lenses between medium format cameras. Only a relative handful of adapters are available, and these are usually limited to focal plane cameras. Leaf shutter users are locked into their lens mounts due to the complexity of lens automation and coupling.

Fortunately, there are some exceptions, especially for focal plane shutter users. Lenses for Kalimar 660 medium format cameras could also be used with an adapter on Bronica S2/EC forcal plane cameras among others. Similar adapters were made by Ercona corp. (Astro-..), Stirling and Howard (Astrogon..), Kling Photo (Kilfit), Zoomar, Birns and Sawyer, Novoflex, Burleigh Brooks, and even Komura and Vivitar (see Bronica Consolidated Lens listings for details).

Many lenses can be adapted to focal plane medium format camera use. See Bronica home brew lenses page for many examples and details. Some manufacturers such as Kalimar's Kiev 88 lenses can also be adapted with factory provided mounts. Kalimar also make other optical items such as prisms that fit Hasselblads.

For professionals who already own Hasselblad lenses, there is an adapter to mount and use these lenses and accessories (bellows, tubes) on the 35mm Nikon cameras. The photo at the top of this article shows the same approach in an adapter for owners of both Pentax 6x7 cameras and Pentax K-mount 35mm cameras. Finally, for $35US you can buy from Kalimar an adapter to use the entire line of Kiev 88/Pentacon 6 medium format lenses on your Nikon or Pentax M42 screw thread mounts.

Finally, some lens mount adapters are currently being made for medium format focal plane camera users by Cambridge Camera Exchange. They are offering a 500mm f/8 telephoto in Hasselblad focal plane camera mounts, pentax and mamiya 6x4.5 focal plane camera model mounts, Kiev/Pentacon 6 mounts, and others. The cost is only $399.95, or less than a tenth of some OEM manufacturer's lenses, albeit for a preset lens. But the 35mm buyer gets an even better bargain, as the same lens is available as a T-mount preset lens for only $99 new.

Optical Element Mounts:

As noted above, you will probably lose autofocus features, especially since they aren't present on most earlier lenses, but also between models (e.g., Nikon AF lenses won't work in AF mode on Canon). You will probably have to use manual focus and stop-down metering, and close down the aperture manually. But you might be able to use both stop down metering and aperture priority metering on cameras with aperture priority options.

Non-Infinity Options:

Format Shifting Options:

Optical Lens Adapters - fisheye, wide angle, and telephotos:

A related idea for sharing optics between different mounts was developed decades ago for mounting optical converters on the front of the normal camera lens. Many of these optical converters use series filter mounts, which were a standard size mount (e.g., series VIII corresponds to 67mm filter when threaded adapter is used). With one adapter ring, you could use an entire lineup of series VII filters on your nikon, for example. Or you could use the same adapter ring to mount some unusual optical converters including a handy and fun 180 degree circular fisheye converter.

For circa $50, you can buy a front of the lens screw-in fisheye adapter that will enable you to get a 180 degree fisheye effect with your normal lens. Naturally, these adapters lack some of the snap in contrast and flare resistance of prime fisheye lenses, as well as exhibiting more pronounced light falloff and other defects. But their cost is only a few cents on the dollar of the cost of a prime fisheye lens, and they can be every bit as much fun to use. You can also buy a wide angle adapter thar provides a 21mm (.42x times 50mm normal lens) view at a cost of $30 up. A less useful telephoto adapter also converts your normal lens into a mild telephoto (circa 75mm).

Camera Body Mount Conversion Approach:

This camera body "surgery" approach really makes sense only if you are a pro with such a major investment in expensive pro glass that you simply can't justify the cost of selling out and buying anew. For example, a pro doing macrophotography using flash might have needed TTL flash exposure control when it was a new development, not available on his usual camera brand. Adapting a new body to provide this function with his or her existing pro lenses could have been an interim solution until the feature became more widely available in their preferred camera brand cameras.

Single Lens Conversion Approach:

Autofocus Lens Conversion Problems:

In a few brands - Nikon and Pentax chiefly - you can use autofocus lenses on earlier pre-AF bodies with full auto-diaphragm action and features. You may be able to use certain pre-AF and manual focus lenses on some of the AF bodies too. But beware, for example, of using pre-AI nikkors on AI/AF only bodies, as the older lenses can damage the newer bodies if mounted.

Even if you can mount pre-AF or manual lenses on AF bodies, you often can't use them in autofocus mode, and often can't use them with even stop-down metering which is a feature lacking on some lower-end AF models. This brain-dead approach is a giant leap backward as far as lens mount conversion goes. Don't forget this limits use of T-mount mirror lenses, telescopes and microscopes, and other areas of photography. So if you are wedded to an autofocus camera system, expect some major limitations on what kind of lens mount conversions and interchanges you can do.

Lens Mount Conversion Approaches:

You can also do this conversion process backwards. For example, I am looking for the T mount version of the 7mm f5.6 spiratone fisheye and 12mm f/8 sigma T-mount fisheye lens. For under $150, I could use these lenses on any camera that can take a T-mount (i.e., nearly all of them). I already have and share T-mount bellows and slide duplicators and several long telephoto lenses in T-mounts. If and when I find these lenses, I will buy them and use them on whatever bodies I happen to be using at the time.

Another backwards example is buying a pentax M42 screw mount to Nikon mechanical adapter (used). Now I can mount my Pentax SMC super takumar 200mm f3.5 on my Nikon bodies. At this point, I can start buying any odd but inexpensive telephoto, wide-angle, or specialty lenses from the forty odd brands of lenses made for the M42 screw mount cameras. I can also use sundry telescope and microscope and other specialty items with this adapter too. Since screw mount lenses are in disfavor, the prices are often very cheap.

Another backwards reason to use adapters is the too-common experience of having your main camera and lenses stolen. You might have a number of lenses for the older camera still on hand at home, but be unwilling to be tied down to that brand now that your main investment has been stolen. You can decide to switch brands, but not want to immediately replace all of your lenses. This case would be a good time to consider the converter mount options.

Another backwards reason might be the relatively low resale value of your older lenses versus the much higher purchase price of your new lens system. For infrequently used but very expensive wide angle and telephoto lenses, as well as specialty lenses (e.g., macro), you may be content to keep both your golden oldies and the real gold they will save you in lens costs.

But perhaps the best reason to become aware of these adapter options is the chance to buy a recent automated camera body with perhaps an autofocus zoom lens or two and play with it. Before learning about these options, I wouldn't have dared start a second line of cameras, given the investment I already have in my nikkor lenses. But now I can use those lenses on my new brand-x body, without having to buy a new set of telephoto, wide angle, and specialty (macro) lenses.

In summary, you can often mount and use a much wider variety of optics on your camera body than the original maker would want you to know about. Doing so can save you lots of money, provide unusual optical effects inexpensively (e.g., fisheye adapter), or let you try out a new camera body or brand without abandoning your considerable investment in another system. Finally, you can build your own adapters and use any number of lenses in inventive ways, such as macrophotography. In the process, you will learn a lot more about cameras and lenses and photography than the person who never experiments and loses out on all this fun.

OEM Lens Mount Converters
Photos courtesy of Chung Wong
Canon Converter N - Nikon AI lens to FD body
Canon Converter E - Exakta lens to FD body
Canon Converter P - Pentax Screw lens to FD body
Minolta Adapter P - Pentax Screw lens to Minolta MC/MD body
Konica Exakta adapter II - Exakta lens to Konica AR body

What Fits My Camera

Modern Photography magazine, since absorbed into Popular Photography magazine, used to publish annual lens listings with a section titled What Fits What???. The material below is abstracted from the Feb. 1980 issue, and related to lenses and cameras of that period.

Since many people now buying such classic cameras don't know all of their lens options, this may be helpful information. You should also check web sites devoted to specific cameras (see camera sites for useful links...).

What Fits What???
• Canon A-1, AE-1, AV-1
  • any Canon FD lens (newer breechlock/bayonet or older breechlock) in auto exposure mode and at full aperture
  • any Canon FL lens - non-auto and stopped down aperture with manual diaphragm action
• Canon EF
  • Canon FD lenses at auto exposure and full aperture
  • FL lenses - non-auto and stopped down
  • R lenses - non-auto, stopped down, manual diaphragm
• Canon AT-1, F-1, FT, TX, TL
  • Canon FD lenses at full aperture
  • FL lenses stopped down
  • R lenses stopped down, manual diaphragm
• Using Adapters
  • Exakta/Topcon bayonet mount - non-auto mode, stopped down, manual diaphragm
  • Pentax/Praktica M42 screw mount - non-auto mode, stopped down, manual diaphragm
  • nikon bayonet mount - non-auto mode, stopped down, manual diaphragm

• Konica Autoreflex T, T-3, T-4, TC, FS-1
  • any Hexanon lens made after 1969 (with second aperture setting lug) - full aperture auto-exposure modes
• Konica Autoreflex (original 1967 models)
  • pre-1969 single pin lenses only
• Using Adapters
  • if you can find adapter, you can use older lenses on new bodies (stopped down only)
  • Older lenses includes F, FM, FP, FS Konica Cameras

• Minolta XD, XG
  • MD Rokkor lenses - full auto-exposure mode, at full aperture
  • other Rokkor lenses (e.g., MC) aperture-preferred auto exposure only and full aperture
• Minolta SR-Txxx
  • any rokkor lens at non-auto and full aperture
• Minolta SR-1, SR-7, SR-M (serial numbers over 2,500,000
  • any MD lens after modification by Minolta (no longer available)
• Minolta other SR bodies
  • MD lenses (but without minimum f/stop setting use)
• Using Adapters
  • Praktica/Pentax M42 screw thread lenses - manual diaphragm action

• Nikon FE, FM, F2A, F2AS, EL2, Nikkormat FT3
  • any nikkor AI lens - full aperture, auto-exposure (on auto cameras)
  • any Nikon Series E lens - ful laperture and auto exposure
  • any non-AI lens (nikkor IC) - stopped-down aperture (unless AI'd see above)
• Nikon Non-AI bodies (F, F2, nikkormat FT, FTn..)
  • any AI lens at full aperture
  • any E lens at stopped down aperture
  • Non-AI lenses at full aperture (but without automatic indexing of maximum aperture - need prong and twist to set max. aperture)

• Praktica LLC, PLC, VLC, EE 2
  • any Electric (e.g. Pentacon) lens at full aperture, auto exposure (on auto cameras)
  • any M42 screw mount (Praktica, Pentax..) lens at stopped down aperture
• Other Praktica/Hanimex Body (M42 mount)
  • any M42 screw mount lens at stopped down mode
  • any M42 screw mount lens at full aperture on certain bodies

• Rollei SL or Voigtlander VSL
  • any Rollei lens with single pin in back at ful aperture and auto-exposure (on auto models)
  • older Rollei lens (without pin) at stopped down aperture, auto exposure where possible

• Topcon RE or Super D
  • any RE Topcor lens at full aperture
  • any Exakta lens with manual diaphragm mode
  • using Adapter - any Topcon UV lens with manual diaphragm action

• Pentax Praktica M42 Universal Screw-thread mount body
  • various yashica, chinon, ricoh, GAF, mamiyia/sekor, argus/cosina, Fujica, and Olympus FTL lenses will interchange - non-auto, stopped down
  • note: some mounts have pins that may match for auto-diaphragm models
• Fujica 801 models (post 1972)
  • non-Fujica lenses in stopped down mode
• Pentax Spotmatic F or ES
  • non-Pentax auto lenses in stopped down mode
• Using Adapters
  • pentax M42 style lenses on Pentax K bayonet cameras
  • pentax K mount lenses on pentax M42 bodies with adapter

Surprise! Mr. Keppler's test results support his conclusions that these optical converters/adapters have only a very modest impact on quality. These optical adapters are actually weak negative lenses which act as modest teleconverters. The weak teleconverter effect explains the shift from 28-85mm to 36-101mm shown in the lower test results.

The change in focal length of circa 23% was accompanied by a loss of light of about a stop. Again, that's why Mr. Keppler shows the f/3.5-4.5 range was converted to a f/5 to f/6.3 range using the optical adapter.

So let's see. For $30 street price, this adapter would allow you to use lenses such as minolta MD lenses on a Maxxum body, as one example. You do lose auto-diaphragm operation, and have to use stop down metering. But the impact of the optical element in the optical converters on quality is very minor, as these results suggest.

In short, these interesting tests help confirm how minor the effect of optical converters are on sharpness and resolution overall.

rec.photo.equipment.35mm
Date: Thu Jan 08 1998
[1] Re: Lems mount clarification required
From: "Jim Williams" jlw@novia.net

Can someone help me out with an explanation of what the various T (T, T2, etc.) mounts are & how they differ from m42?

The various T mount systems are interchangeable mounts that allow specific T-mount lenses to be used on a variety of cameras. For example, if you bought a T-mount bellows, you could use it on a Minolta AF camera by buying a Minolta AF T-mount and attaching it to the bellows; if you have a Nikon you'd buy a Nikon T-mount, etc.

The generic "T" mount is a simple screw mount that doesn't include any form of autodiaphragm, aperture coupling, etc. -- it's just used for purely manual-aperture devices such as bellows, close-up equipment (e.g. slide copiers), cheapo mirror lenses, etc. Although this is a screw-type mount, it's completely different in size than the M42 mount. This mount (also called the Praktica/Pentax screw mount, since it was used on those brands of cameras) is a direct mount that can be used only for mounting M42 lenses on a camera with an M42 mount; it's not an interchangeable mount like the T system.

T2, T4 etc. were other forms of interchangeable mounts used by some third-party lens manufacturers (Soligor, Vivitar, etc.) to provide an interchangeable mount system with autodiaphragm and aperture coupling. These interchangeable-mount lenses were once fairly popular when SLRs had fairly simple lens mounts -- they let dealers stock a smaller inventory of lenses, and then when you wanted, say, a 135/2.8 for your Canon, they just sold you a T-something lens and the appropriate adapter for your camera. As camera mounts got more complex, with more couplings and so on, it became harder to engineer interchangeable mounts for all of them, and these lenses became less popular.

I'm assuming that the C-mount adapters I see advertised are 'Contax' mount - is this correct?

Probably not. The C mount is a standardized screw mount used on many 16mm movie cameras and video cameras. A C mount adapter could either be an adapter to mount a "generic" device on a C-mount film/video camera, or to adapt a specific mount of 35mm camera lens for use on a film/video camera.

Stopped Down Metering

Fortunately, you can still meter using the stopped-down metering approach on most cameras. By pressing a depth-of-field button, the camera is placed into stopped-down metering mode too. The lens is stopped down to the taking aperture automatically on some adapters. On T-mount and other purely mechanical mounts, you may have to turn the aperture ring to the desired taking aperture. In either case, the camera is now metering at the actual stopped down aperture. You can set the shutter speed and aperture as desired, based on your meter reading.

If this sounds funky, remember that the early ground breaking SLRs such as my Pentax used this technique all the time! When taking photographs in daylight, you may have to only meter the infrequent tricky lighting situation. You can also use a handheld meter or spotmeter if available.

On aperture priority cameras such as the Nikon FE or F3, you just set the aperture and the camera determines the shutter speed automatically at the instant of exposure. I would recommend an aperture priority camera for anyone wanting to use a number of pre-set and T-mount adapter lenses. If you intend to do photomicrography with T-mount bellows, then look for an auto-aperture camera with thru-the-lens flash control of exposure. Your camera can then compute the correct flash exposure automatically for you when using bellows or extension tubes.

Shutter priority systems or program exposure modes generally require you to perform stop-down metering with the non-automatic coupled adapters (such as the T and T2 mounting adapters). In a program exposure mode camera, the camera follows a set of programmed rules to adjust shutter speed to some minimal setting (e.g., 1/60th) after which it increases aperture to provide the needed light levels. Since mechanical mounts without aperture coupling can't perform the latter task, they don't work well in program mode for many situations.

T-mount for Photomicrography and Bellows Macro-Photography...

A series of semi-automatic bellows, such as those by Novoflex and other brands, makes it possible to perform some common automatic operations. An example would be stopping down the remote lens mounted at the end of the bellows. But the semi-automatic bellows won't convey lens settings back to the camera, as a mounted lens would, so stop down metering is usually employed.

The least expensive and most interchangeable bellows use simple physical mount adapters to mount your lenses onto the bellows, and the bellows onto your camera. A T-mount adapter at the end of the bellows is used to mate the bellows to the camera lens mount.

Reverse T-mount Adapters

Reverse T and T2 mount adapters are available for many camera brands - see Willem-Jan Markerink's registration mount page for details (at bottom).

rec.photo.equipment.35mm
From: w.j.markerink@a1.nl (Willem-Jan Markerink)
[1] Re: Lems mount clarification required
Date: Fri Jan 09 1998

T2 is a distinction of the generic T-mount.

T2 does not offer any coupling, T4 does.

T2 is M42x0.75mm pitch, whereas Pentax/Praktica screwmount is M42x1mm pitch....and there is 10mm difference between the registers....not interchangeable at all!

For more technical data see the chapter on camera/lens registers on my homepage:

http://www.a1.nl/phomepag/markerink/mainpage.htm

rec.photo.equipment.35mm
From: Charles F Seyferlich cfscnw@worldnet.att.net
[1] Re: Screw mount (M42) to Canon FD mount
Date: Fri Feb 06

CamObscura wrote:

If there is such an adapter it probably wont allow the lens to focus at infinity.That is a common problem in trying to adapt one lens mount to another,and why Tamron developed the Adaptall 2 system...

The Canon FD cameras will allow M42 screw mount lenses to mount by means of a adapter and they will focus to infinity. Canon once made adapter "P" to allow this. They also made Adapters "E" and "N" to allow Exakta and Nikon lenses to mount and focus to infinity.

From: Charles F Seyferlich cfscnw@worldnet.att.net
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.35mm
Subject: Re: adapter for use of pentex lense on Canon camera?
Date: Fri, 06 Feb 1998

Monte L. Rogneby wrote:

I recently acquired a few pentex screw mount lenses at an auction. Does any body know whether they can be used on a Canon FD mount?

Thanks in advance

Look for a Canon "P" adapter - it will allow use of Pentax thread lenses on Canon FD mount cameras and allow focus to infinity. There will be no diaphram automation, so you will have to stop-down lenses manually.

Canon no longer makes the "P" adapter, but they turn up on the used market every now & then.

Canon also made "E" and "N" adapters that allowed use of Exakta and Nikon lenses on FD Canons.

[Ed. notes: sometimes you can pick up adapters at rec.photo.marketplace]

From: ScottG JanTamrac@worldnet.att.net
Newsgroups: rec.photo.marketplace
Subject: ## FS: Adaptor to use Pentax screw lenses w/ EOS bodies - US$25
Date: Sun, 08 Feb 1998

FS: Adaptor to use Pentax screw lenses w/ EOS bodies - US$25

This one is different than the lightweight ones currently on the market. It is made of a solid, heavy alloy that is ideal for the wear and tear of a screw mount. It mounts the lens very close to the body.

A bit of the lettering is worn, otherwise it's in fine shape.

Shipping in the U.S. is included.

email to: jantamrac@att.net

Thanks for your interest and happy imaging!

Date: Mon, 5 Jan 1998 18:20:00 GMT
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.35mm
From: w.j.markerink@a1.nl (Willem-Jan Markerink)
To: rmonagha@post.cis.smu.edu
Subject: Re: Isn't Nikon's F mount obsolete? using nikon lenses on canon EOS

Hi Robert,

Non-optics Nikon->EOS converters are also available, I know of at least 3-5 brands; either simple (mounting the Nikon lens with a screw), or nifty (with a spring loaded lever).

I currently use such a nifty Novoflex unit on my Sigma 8mm/f4.0 circular fisheye.

Similar Leica->EOS converters also exist....and there are several happy shooters on the globe with this setup!

(posted & mailed)
--
Bye,

Willem-Jan Markerink

From: ir004021@mindspring.com (Bob Salomon)
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.medium-format
Subject: Re: Hasselblad lens adapter??
Date: 24 Nov 1997

rbucha7924@aol.com (RBucha7924) wrote:

Anyone know about a new aftermarket adapter that allows the use of other manufacturer's lenses on Hasselblad bodies?

Have heard a rumor, but that's all......

-Rick

The new Hasselblad ARC camera body uses the 35mm and 45mm Rodenstock Apo Grandagons and the 75mm 4.5 Grandagon N lenses. These are not mounted via an adapter but come in the proper mount for this camera.

On the other hand you can, and many people have used, the 200mm Imagon lens on Hasselblad using either the now discontinued Rodenstock adapter or the ones from Zork. You could also buy an adapter from Rollei that mounts Rollei 6000 lenses onto any camera body. These would then give that camera some of the Rollei's features. shutter speeds in 1/3rd steps to 1/600 from 30 secs with full flash synch, auto bracketing, 1/3rd step apertures, ability to photograph motion in increments as fast as 10 shots in well under a second on 1 fram of film. and a range of lenses from Schneider and Zeiss from 30mm to 1000mm + two tele converters.

Of course due to the thickness of the adapter, they would not focus to infinity on a Hasselblad body but would on a 35mm body.

--
Gepe, Giottos, G-O light, Heliopan, Kaiser, Linhof, Rimowa, Rodenstock, Rollei, Sirostar

rec.photo.equipment.medium-format
From: 5vr.g@ukonline.co.uk (Mike G)
[1] Kiev or Pentacon lenses on Mamiya 645
Date: Fri Mar 27 09:09:41 CST 1998

Kiev or Pentacon lenses on Mamiya 645 how to do it, where to get the
gear.

A little while ago I posteed a message to this group requesting
information on this topic. A few of you emailed me to let you know
what I found out, so here is the info !

It is possible to get an adaptor to fit these lenses on to Mamiya
645's, any model. It retains infinity focus, but not automatic
diaphram control. Any Kiev 60, Pentacon 6 or Exacta 66 lens can be
mounted, opening up the possibility of using some very nice Zeiss,
Schneider or Rissian lenses on these cameras.

The adaptors can be obtained in the States from:    

Brooklyn Camera Exchange -  BROOKLYNCAM@worldnet.att.net for $159
or
Kiev USA - KievUSA@aol.com for $145
These adaptors are probably German in origin.

In the UK and Europe you can get then from:

SRB Film Service - srbfilm@aol.com for #99.95.
These are hand made to order.

Lenses are pretty widley available, but some very cheap Soviet optics
are available in the U.K. at present. For example the 30mm f3.5 fish
eye is on sale for #145 ($240)

Try these places if you are interested, all in the UK, sorry no email
for them.

Global Cameras Int +44 181-427-7492
SRS Trading +44 1923-226602
Chiswick Camera Centre +44 181-995-9114

The places are all selling the new production 'Ansnat' lenses at the
above price. I hope this is useful to someone.              

Mike Ganley

rec.photo.equipment.misc
From: w.j.markerink@a1.nl (Willem-Jan Markerink)
[1] Re: Are there exist any adapters Leica skrewmount -> Nikon? Date: Wed Apr 15 21:02:05 CDT 1998

Yes, Novoflex and many others sell these M39->Nikon adaptors....also allowing enlarger lenses to be mounted btw (these have M39 screw thread as well).

[added:]
Oops, I was too fast....they exist, but won't allow infinity focus. Unless you find one with additional lens elements, but I don't think these exist.

For more data on lens mounts and camera/lens registers, check my homepage:

http://www.a1.nl/phomepag/markerink/mainpage.htm

--
Bye,

Willem-Jan Markerink
w.j.markerink@a1.nl
[note: 'a-one' & 'en-el'!]

Date: Sat, 18 Apr 1998
From: "." cypra@toad.net
To: rmonagha@post.cis.smu.edu
Subject: pentacon 6

recently in prague (praha) I traded a nikon em for a pentacon 6 w/ 80mm and 50mm carl zeiss. I have heard it is possible to get an adaptor that will allow me to use these lenses on my mamiya 645? fact or fiction? If true...where can I get such a device?

paul schuster
borgwarner@toad.net

[Ed. note: I responded that Cambridge Camera and Brooklyn Photo exchange had such an adapter for circa $150, possibly less directly from Zorkendorfer]

From: Norbert Lack nl@mitgmbh.de
Subject: Response to Kiew 88 lens on P645 body?
Date: 1998-04-22

There is an adapter for fitting Kiev 60 (Pentacon Six, ...) lenses on Pentax 645, by Zoerkendorfer:

http://www.zoerk.com/Pages/Products_Special_mounts.html

There also is an adapter for fitting Kiev 88 lenses on a Kiev 60 body.

Either you could combine these two adapters or ask Zoerkendorfer what they would charge you for a special adapter.

Norbert

rec.photo.equipment.medium-format
From: bobsalomon@mindspring.com (Bob Salomon)
[1] Re: Zoerk tilt shift adapters f/ MF?
Date: Sun Apr 26 13:14:19 CDT 1998
Organization: HP Marketing Corp.

rbblk@erols.com wrote:

> Anyone familiar with the t/s adapters for most medium format cameras
> manufactured by Zoerk, a German company? Anyone use one and can comment
> on their quality? Any distributors in the USA? Prices?
>
> Thanks
>
> Rob

It's Zork not Zoerk, and they are imported and sold by Ken Hansen Photo in NYC.

We used to be the distributor for them before Ken so if you have specific questions we can answer them. As they can get complex it is best done on the phone at 973 808-9010 x15.

Ken is 212 317-0923

--
PLEASE SEND ALL E-MAIL TO ME AT:
bobsalomon@mindspring.com
HP MARKETING CORP. Gepe, Giottos, G-O light, Heliopan, Kaiser, Linhof, Pro Relea se, Rimowa, Rodenstock, Rollei, Sirostar

rec.photo.misc
From: Roger Stockton stockton@racalcanada.com
[1] Re: Lens Adapters
Date: Tue May 05 20:07:57 CDT 1998

Harold wrote:

>
> Does anyone know if Pentax ever made a lens adapter for Practika\Pentax
> thread mount to Pentax K-mount lenses. I was thinking of using my K-lenses
> on my old Spotmatic. Just thought I'd ask cause I can't find any info on
> this.
>
> Harold

Pentax never made one, but a few of the advertisers in some US photo magazines advertise both the common m42-lens-to-K-body adapter as well as the adapter you're seeking.

Probably your K-mount lens won't focus to infinity when used with such an adapter...

You can make such an adapter yourself by epoxying a rear lens cap for a K mount lens to the front of a screw body cap, then drilling or cutting out the center of the resulting contraption. Such a homebrew adapter is unlikely to keep the lens perpendicular to the film plane though, so try to buy one first.

Roger.

Date: Mon, 23 Mar 1998
From: BOB SHELL 76750.2717@compuserve.com

The ULTIMATE lens hacker is my friend Herwig Zorkendorfer. He can adapt anything to fit anything. He even makes an adapter to put Rollei lenses from their 6000 series medium format cameras onto Canon EOS cameras and maintain automatic diaphragm!!!!!!!!!!

Look at his web site:

http://www.zoerk.com

He belongs in your hall of fame.

Bob

From: "J.C. Hartmann" jch@meadecom.com
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.medium-format
Subject: Re: 4x5 camera lens on Mamiya RB. Possible?
Date: Tue, 09 Jun 1998

I have a Rodenstock Imagon soft focus lens which I use with an adapter on a Hassy. I think there is an adapter for the RB mount, but I'm away from my catalogs.

Call a pro supplier, like Calumet (1-800-CALUMET) and ask them if one is made for the Mamiya. The trick is that the adapter is made by Rodenstock, not the camera mfr.

Jim Hartmann

rec.photo.misc
From: Ron Ginsberg ginsb001@minn.net
[1] Re: Scrwe Mount camera, Canon Lenses
Date: Tue Jun 16 22:54:08 CDT 1998

Contact these folks via their page: http://members.aol.com/gdwnphoto/

They specialize in adapters. I purchased the reverse, and M42 screw mount lens to Canon EOS adapter from them.

Date: Fri, 26 Jun 1998
From: Marc James Small msmall@roanoke.infi.net
Subject: [Rollei] Zeiss M42 Thread-Mount and Asahi and the K BM, to boot

The M42 mount was developed by Carl Zeiss (yet again!) at Jena in 1939. It was used, postwar, on the Contax S and D cameras introduced a decade later by the East German successors to the old Zeiss Ikon Dresden concern and was then adopted by Pentacon for use on the Praktica in place of the earlier M40 thread-mount. After that, Asahi and a zillion other companies began using it, and it was the most common mount used through the 1960's. Interestingly, Zeiss Ikon itself was the last major manufacturer to adopt it, putting it on the Icarex 35S TM and SL-706 in the late 1960's.

Zeiss and Asahi negotiated for some years over the joint development of a camera -- this was the predecessor to the later deal with Yashica which gives us the Contax SLR and G lines. The result of this arrangement with Asahi was a pooling of multi-coating research which gave birth to Zeiss's T* and Asahi's SMC coatings (and I will NOT get into which one of these was first to the market!), and the Zeiss-designed K-mount.

Asahi has become famous, and justly so, for its great line of cameras and lenses, almost all of which have borne a Zeiss-designed mount.

Marc

msmall@roanoke.infi.net

Date: Fri, 26 Jun 1998
From: Bob Shell bob@bobshell.com
Subject: Re: [Rollei] Zeiss M42 Thread-Mount and Asahi and the K BM, to boot

Good summary, Marc.

A while back someone wrote me a note asking some questions. One of them was "what does the K in K-Mount stand for." I had to confess that I did not have a ghost of an idea. I asked Pentax, and nobody at Pentax USA had any ideas. Have you ever heard an explanation of this?

By the way, did you know that Takeyuki Arai, inventor of the T-Mount and founder of Tamron died earlier this month? He was one of the great Japanese inventors of photographic ideas, first with the manual T-Mount and later with Tamron's Adaptamatic and Adaptall auto adaptors. Unfortunately the arrival of autofocus killed his dream of "one lens fits all".

Bob

From: Robert hsi1@cris.com
Newsgroups: rec.photo.marketplace
Subject: Re: Pentacon six TL
Date: 26 Jun 1998

> By the way, I think you can buy a brand new Exakta 66 II with meter
> that will take these lenses.  It's a 6x6 camera.
>
> And, there are adapters that will allow you to mount these lenses
> on the Mamiya 645 SLR for 6x4.5 negs.  You can find old Mamiya 645
> bodies for $300 or less.
>
> Cambridge (ugh!) is advertising adapters that will allow you to use
> these lenses on Nikons, Canons, Contax, and others.
>
> Red

I bought one of these adapters from Brooklyn Camera Exchange once...they probably still sell them. They were not cheap, and the lenses could be used manually only. Results were good though if you have the time.

Date: Sat, 27 Jun 1998
From: "R. J. Bender" rjbender@apci.net
Subject: [Rollei] OFF TOPIC Zoerkendoerfer adapters

On Sat, 27 Jun 1998 10:09:46 -0400 Bob Shell writes:

> When I still had the SL66, my friend Herwig Zoerkendoerfer adapted a 180 mm
> f/2.8 CZJ Sonnar for me.  It was one of the late MC ones and produced
> really fine images.  It also focused VERY close, since he left the focusing
> helical functional, so I could rack the bellows all the way out and then
> run the helical all the way out as well!

==============================

Since I've read about the Russian lenses for the Kiev several years ago I have been wondering why the Russians just don't make their lenses with a Mamiya 645 mount, particularly the more exotic lenses such as the fish eyes. Presently, the only way one can use a Kiev lens on a Mamiya645 is with a $300 Zoerkendoerfer adapter. Is it really worth it?

Another Zoerkendoerfer adapter which intrigues me is one that lets you use a 45mm Mamiya lens as a shift lens on a Nikon. If I understand correctly, it is around $450 from some of the New York dealers. Is the shift adapter a useful accessory?

R. Bender (a Nikon, Mamiya and Rollei user)

Date: Sun, 28 Jun 1998
From: Bob Shell bob@bobshell.com
Subject: Re: [Rollei] OFF TOPIC Zoerkendoerfer adapters

>  Since I've read about the Russian lenses for the Kiev several years
>ago I have been wondering why the Russians just don't make their lenses
>with a Mamiya 645 mount, particularly the more exotic lenses such as the
>fish eyes. Presently, the only way one can use a Kiev lens on a  
>Mamiya645 is with a $300 Zoerkendoerfer adapter. Is it really worth it?
>  Another Zoerkendoerfer adapter which intrigues me is one that lets you
>use a 45mm Mamiya lens as a shift lens on a Nikon. If I understand
>correctly, it is around $450 from some of the New York dealers. Is the
>shift adapter a useful accessory?
>
>  R. Bender (a Nikon, Mamiya and Rollei user)

Actually, you are talking about Ukrainians, not Russians. Be careful about that since they are verys sensitive. One of our writers mistakenly referred to Kiev equipment as Russian, and you would not believe the letters we got at Shutterbug. Ukrainians do not particularly like Russians!!!!

There was some talk a couple of years ago about offering the Kiev lenses in Hasselblad mount with shutters. The problem with that idea was that the shutters cost so damned much that the resulting lenses would be too expensive.

As to why they haven't thought of offering them in Mamiya mount, I don't know. That ought to be relatively easy for them to do.

I have heard that there is a Japanese-made adapter for the Kiev lenses to Mamiya 645 which costs less than the Zoerk one, but I haven't seen one.

What I have from Zoerk that I use a lot is the shift adapter. I have it for Mamiya on the front and Canon EOS on the back, so I can use any Mamiya 645 lens on my Canon cameras with shift. Works very well. By using the Zoerk Pentacon to Mamiya adapter with this I can also use my Kiev and CZJ lenses on my Canon EOS, and WITH shift!!!

Bob

rec.photo.equipment.medium-format
From: Rob Black rbblk@erols.com
[1] Re: Pentax 67 lenses for 645
Date: Fri Jul 10 00:02:50 CDT 1998

Johan W. Elzenga wrote:

> You already answered your own comment. IF the aligment is improper, you'll
> get a loss in optical quality. That is obvious. So your adapter may not be
> 100%. The point is that the adapter SHOULD not cause any loss, because it
> has no optical elements. The lens to film plane distance SHOULD not have
> changed, because that is exactly what the adapter does: The adapter + the
> 645 lens to film distance equals the lens to film distance of the P67. Of
> course, an adapter can be faulty just as anything else can be faulty, but
> that does not change the principle behind it! The laws of physics can not
> be faulty.

Actually I worded my post incorrectly. I *have* seen differences in image quality when changing a T mount lens from one camera make to another (Canon vs. Nikon). The adapter was not misaligned, I made sure or that. Sorry for the misrepresentation.

Although I do agree that the 67 adapter should work like an extension ring, with no image loss, it does not. The results with the 200 and 135 were *slightly* degraded, but the results with the 90 LS, 300 f4 and 55 f4 were all top notch. I may be more critical in my tests than you may be, but this tells me there is a possible problem im mating the entire line of 67 lenses with the adapter for the 645. Or at least batch variations in the lenses themselves would cause problems. I think you are doing the questioner a disservice by making a blanket statement that there will be no problems across the entire line. I repeat my advice, check out your particular lens with the adapter if at all possible before buying.

BTW I'm not knocking the Pentax lenses at all. I've been shooting both the 645 and 6x7 for 14 years now and they don't take a back seat to anyone. Rob

Date: Sat, 11 Jul 1998
From: "S.K. Grimes" skgrimes@ma.ultranet.com
To: Robert Monaghan rmonagha@post.cis.smu.edu
Subject: Re: Swapping Lens Mounts on 35mm third party factory mount lenses?

I have extensive experience in *not* doing this. (or doing it once in a while.) I have, in fact, linked your site for info on the subject!!! (see my link list)

Sometimes there are special cases where this is practical where one expensive lens needs to be fitted for some special application. This work can easily cost several hundred dollars, even in the case that it is doable at all.

I always suggest the first and cheapest solution to use a specific lens is to go out and buy the camera body intended for it!!. For example: I want to use a Nikon lens on my Canon -- The cheap solution is to simply purchase a Nikon camera body.

Trying to cob up some wrong lens onto an unsuitable camera is almost *never* a way to save money. There must be a compelling reason to spend some real dough to accomplish this.

Parts ordering, especially for some kind of inter brand swap can be a nightmare of dealing with companies ::( lets face it, a job in the Service Dept is not on the fast track to anywhere in any company ) So you wind up dealing with people who send you a lens cap when you order a lens mount. This is even worse dealing with aftermarket and store brands which probably are fairly easy to convert if the parts were accessible, but most are low overhead operations with no interest in complex transactions (meaning anything other than the sale of a main product).

It gets real easy for any professional at this to just say no when the inquiry starts out "I got this lens at a yard sale and....."

SKG

S.K. GRIMES -- FEINMECHANIK -- MACHINE WORK FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS

+ Lenses mounted into shutters.
+ Shutters repaired, restored.
+ For more info-- http://www.skgrimes.com.
(updated 6-20-98)
-----Original Message-----
From: Robert Monaghan rmonagha@post.cis.smu.edu
Newsgroups: rec.photo.misc
Date: Thursday, July 09, 1998 1:20 AM
Subject: Swapping Lens Mounts on 35mm third party factory mount lenses?

>Greetings,
>
>I have experience with swapping out lens mounts on systems such as the
>Tamron Adaptall mounts (see http://www.smu.edu/~rmonagha/bronmounts.html)
>But I have gotten questions on swapping out factory installed lens mounts
>for high $$ lenses that I can't answer, so I am looking for y'all's help!
>
>I am interested in learning more about swapping out lens mounts on third
>party lenses, where the same lens comes with various mounting options,
>but these are installed usually by the manufacturer at the factory. The
>lenses are the same optically/mechanically, except the lens mount differ.
>Main interest is mechanical mount lenses with autodiaphragm (vs autofocus).
>
>I have heard that a very few third party lens factories would provide a
>conversion for $35, some years ago - but this service is no longer
>available, and obviously only applied to that one lens line (Tokina).
>
>Can anyone confirm if the lens mounts elements for say a Tamron factory
>installed Nikon mount can be readily replaced by similar elements from a
>Tamron Canon mount, as one example?  Can a service repairman do this?
>
>Is the swapout limited to lenses of the same type, e.g., just mounts from
>a 400mm f5.6 Nikon mount for a similar 400mm f5.6 Minolta mount, say, or
>can you take a Tamron Nikon mount from say a 28mm f2 and use it to
>convert a Tamron Pentax mount 400mm f5.6 lens to use with a Nikon F3?
>
>Naturally, I am primarily looking at older mechanical mount lenses rather
>than the more complex autofocus lenses, but can autofocus lenses mounts
>also be interchanged? Are the lenses different enough that third parties
>have to customize their lenses or mounts so they can't interchange?
>                                                 
>Can service techs order such parts, and make this conversion? Is it simple
>enough that mechanically inclined user/owners could do it, or are there
>special optical or other tools required? Has anyone had a service tech do
>such conversions, where, and at roughly what cost?
>
>Thanks for the info and sharing your experiences in advance ;-)!!
>
>regards to all - bobm 

Date: Wed, 8 Jul 1998
From: Richard Mendales rmendale@law.miami.edu
Subject: Re: Adapter for Nikon use of Canon lens

Robert,

Canon FD TS lenses can be adapted for use on Nikon bodies; you can find ads for adapters of this kind in some of the big display ads in photo magazines such as Popular Photography and Shutterbug. On the other had, the more recent TS lenses designed for Canon's EOS cameras don't have mechanical diaphragm controls (they're designed for Canon's electronic system) and can't be adapted to Nikon bodies. If the available FD lenses don't fit your needs, you may want to do what some other Nikon users have done, and take the (gasp!) heretical move of buying one of the cheaper EOS bodies to use the TS lenses in the EOS series.

If you're willing to spend more, Horseman builds what they call a "View Camera Converter" that will let you use view camera optics to tilt and shift, to a greater degree than the TS lenses will allow, on Nikon bodies. You can find a description of this beastie on B & H's Web site. Zoerkendorfer in Munich builds a similar device, which is described on their Web site (which, I think, is www.zoerk.com). Finally, there are rumors flying about new Nikon optics, so the best move might be to wait to see what shows up at Photokina this fall.

Hope this helps!

Richard Mendales
University of Miami

From: stormin@lifengen.com (Stormin)
Newsgroups: rec.photo.misc
Subject: Re: Swapping Lens Mounts on 35mm third party factory mount lenses?
Date: Sat, 11 Jul 98

It's not generally practical to swap the mounts as the cost of the parts and labor are fairly intense. It will require "precise" readjustment of the back focus on most lenses to obtain good focus and the diaphram lingages often have to be changed and recalibrated in order for them to work correctly.

Very few (if any) third party lense makers offer this service since it is just about as economical for them to sell another lense instead. Remember you bought it at retail and they sold it at wholesale and probably in a large batch.

Yeah I know it sounds simple but it is really a fairly complex matter to actually accomplish. Of course this varies dramatically from lense to lense and I won't say it can't be done on all lenses but it's not common. Only if you have lense of an unusual nature would it normally be practical to do.

Vivitar used to swap the mounts and diaphram linkage on some of the early series one lens but I haven't heard of them doing it for anything recent. AS for the interchagability,,,, umm well some are gonna be harder than others. The biggest problem is how the apperture is operated. The connecting and control linkages are sometimes just too different and may require the complete changing of the diaphram assembly to accomplish. This may also result in having to replace a lens group mounting tube as well.

If you would like I may be able to find some old parts diagrams from the original Series ! 70-210 that shows just how many parts would be different in say a Canon vs Nikon.

>I have experience with swapping out lens mounts on systems such as the
>Tamron Adaptall mounts (see http://www.smu.edu/~rmonagha/bronmounts.html)
>But I have gotten questions on swapping out factory installed lens mounts
>for high $$ lenses that I can't answer, so I am looking for y'all's help!
>
>I am interested in learning more about swapping out lens mounts on third 
>party lenses, where the same lens comes with various mounting options,
>but these are installed usually by the manufacturer at the factory. The
>lenses are the same optically/mechanically, except the lens mount differ.
>Main interest is mechanical mount lenses with autodiaphragm (vs autofocus).
>
>I have heard that a very few third party lens factories would provide a
>conversion for $35, some years ago - but this service is no longer
>available, and obviously only applied to that one lens line (Tokina).
>
>Can anyone confirm if the lens mounts elements for say a Tamron factory
>installed Nikon mount can be readily replaced by similar elements from a
>Tamron Canon mount, as one example?  Can a service repairman do this?
>
>Is the swapout limited to lenses of the same type, e.g., just mounts from
>a 400mm f5.6 Nikon mount for a similar 400mm f5.6 Minolta mount, say, or
>can you take a Tamron Nikon mount from say a 28mm f2 and use it to
>convert a Tamron Pentax mount 400mm f5.6 lens to use with a Nikon F3? 
>
>Naturally, I am primarily looking at older mechanical mount lenses rather
>than the more complex autofocus lenses, but can autofocus lenses mounts
>also be interchanged? Are the lenses different enough that third parties
>have to customize their lenses or mounts so they can't interchange?
>
>Can service techs order such parts, and make this conversion? Is it simple
>enough that mechanically inclined user/owners could do it, or are there
>special optical or other tools required? Has anyone had a service tech do
>such conversions, where, and at roughly what cost? 

rec.photo.equipment.35mm
From: joe-b@dircon.co.uk.com (Joe Berenbaum)
[1] Re: HELP! Weird filter thread size!
Date: Tue Jul 21 14:03:59 CDT 1998

check@bottom.of.message (Ben Syverson) wrote:

>I have an adapter with a really weird filter size, so I'm trying to find a
>way to fit it to the lens. The rear filter thread on the adapter is 54mm,
>and my lens has a 52mm thread. I know it would be virtually impossible to
>find a step up ring from 52 - 54, but maybe I could find a step up ring to
>fit OVER the entire rear of the adapter - it's 64mm. Can anyone help me
>out?
>Thanks,
>Ben Syverson

If all else fails there is a company in the UK that specialises in selling or custom making adapters of various kinds. I've had several weird and wonderful adapters made. They could make whatever it is you need. Ask for Mr Broomhead. Their catalogue makes interesting reading.

SRB Film Service, 286 Leagrave Road,
Luton, Bedfordshire, LU31 1 RB, U.K.
tel: + 44 (0)582 572471 fax: +44 (0)582 572535

Joe B. (remove ".com" for email)

From Nikon Digest:
Date: Sat, 1 Aug 1998
From: "Willem-Jan Markerink" w.j.markerink@a1.nl
Subject: Re: Lens mount adapters/admin remark

PS Andrew Donkin: the digest is once again too large to fit in my editor (Pegasus) when I hit reply....

> Date: Fri, 31 Jul 1998 22:52:06 -0400
> From: "Michael A. Covington" 
> Subject: Lens mount adapters
>
> I would like to hear from anyone with actual experience using the
> Olympus-to-Nikon or Pentax-screw-to-Nikon lens mount adapters that are
> marketed by Cambridge Camera Exchange (and others?).  I understand the
> Olympus adapter contains a weak teleconverter (1.1x??) but the Pentax one
> contains no glass.  I also understand that I would lose diaphragm coupling
> and have to operate the lens in manual stop-down mode.  And I'm well
> acquainted with Cambridge Camera Exchange.
>
> My question is, with the Olympus adapter, what can I expect optically?  Is
> it available anywhere other than CamCam?  (Zorkendorfer, perhaps?)

Most converters with optical elements seem to center around a conversion factor of 1.26x.

That said, the M42 screw adapter (aka Pentax/Praktica screw) *must* contain optics, as the registers show a negative difference, 45.5mm for M42, 46.5mm for Nikon.

For more data on this check my homepage:

http://www.a1.nl/phomepag/markerink/mainpage.htm

Btw, are you sure they don't confuse M42 with T2 screw? The latter is by far easier, glass-less by default, with a register of 55mm.

- --
Bye,

Willem-Jan Markerink

The desire to understand
is sometimes far less intelligent than
the inability to understand

w.j.markerink@a1.nl
[note: 'a-one' & 'en-el'!]

Date: Thu, 03 Sep 1998
From: S K CHAN skchan@globedirect.com
To: Robert Monaghan rmonagha@post.cis.smu.edu
Subject: Camera Lens adaption

Dear sir,

Thank you for your response for the Kodak Medalist lens adaptation message. Apart form medium format cameras lens adaptation, do you have and discussion forum on lens for 35mm cameras also?

As a matter of fact, I have been using different lenses on my Canon Fd camera bodies, among them are: Leica R, Rolleiflex sl 35, Exakta, M42, Contax slr. Somebody I know even converted a Canon FD body mount in a Zeiss Contarex mount, a Pentax 67 in Hasselblad mount, mounted a Voigtlander Bessa II Color Heliar lens into the standard Pentax 645 AF 75mm lens helical and achieved AF function !!!

For my case, I can directly compare lenses of different manufacturers using the same camera body, under similar conditions, using the same film and can probably different characteristics of those lenses. For this adaptation, no modification to either the camera body or the lens is made.

Let me know if anybody want to further discuss this subject.

Good shooting....

From: Gary Warren garyw@gwtc.net
Newsgroups: rec.photo.marketplace,rec.photo.equipment.35mm
Subject: Re: T4 and TX Mounts Interchangeable?
Date: Tue, 08 Sep 1998

They are not interchangable. The Pentax K TX mount operates the diaphragm in the reverse manner of the T4 mount. The TX mount will fit but not operate the diaphragm without modification. You can do the modification easily, though. I've done it with two Vivitar lenses. In the back of the lens (where it mates with the mount. you will see a curved slot at the outer edge of the lens. You need to remove this metal plate (3 screws, I think) and extend this slot with a grinder (I used a Dremel) so that the the diaphram lever can move to it's opposite limit. As I said, I've done this with two lenses and Pentax K TX adapters and they have worked perfectly.

From: William Lowe wlowe@erols.com
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.35mm
Subject: Re: Minolta to Nikon mount adapter
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1998

Alex Shneyderman wrote:

> I have couple of good old fixed Nikon lenses and recently bought Minolta
> Maxum body with 28-85 zoom. Does it make sense to use Nikkor lenses with
> new Minolta Maxxum equipped with mount adapter. What will I loose/gain?
> does anyone have experience?
> Thanks for your opinions/advice.
> Alex  (ashneyderman@lucent.com)

If the adapter exists, you'll lost AF, matrix metering (it will act like centerweighted metering), program mode, at least one stop of light and some image quality. I haven't used such an adapte for a Nikon, but I have used one for MD lenses on my 650si, and it did fine, without much image degredation. You can use aperture priority and manual modes, but you obviously have to control the aperture on the lens. If your lenses are good quality and you want to keep them for a while, an adapter might not be a bad idea if you can find one for Nikon.

rec.photo.equipment.medium-format
From: Charles F Seyferlich cfscnw@worldnet.att.net
[1] Re: NIKON/KIEV Adapter
Date: Sun Oct 25 01:04:53 CST 1998
Gary H. Kitmacher wrote:

> Where can I find an adapter to put Kiev 88 lenses on a Nikon ?
> Can I use such lenses on an AF Nikon such as the N50 ?
> GK

You might try Brooklyn Camera Exchange http://www.brooklyncam.com/ - they often have adapters like this.

From: cwood7000@aol.com (CWood 7000)
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.medium-format
Subject: Re: Pentax 67 lenses on 645
Date: 22 Oct 1998

>Does anyone have experience with Pentax 67 lenses on the Pentax 645?
>

Yes, I use 55, 105, 200mm from my P67 on my 645n. I am hard pressed to discern any difference in sharpness although my 105 is noticeably less contrasty and warmer than the other lenses. The only drawback, in my opinion, is the size and weight of the 67 lenses as compared to the dedicated 645 lenses.

I get noticeably sharper images from the 200mm on the 645 than when used on the 67. My middle age eyes aren't able to precisely define when proper focusis achieved on the 67 viewfinder whereas the 645n gives a visual and audible infocus indication. A very useful feature for those of us with older eyes!

rec.photo.equipment.35mm
From: "Michael Covington" mc@ai.uga.edu
[1] Re: What is the lense mount Petri and Mamiya Sekor?
Date: Fri Nov 13 14:14:13 CST 1998

Many Petris and Mamiya/Sekors used the "M42" or "42-mm universal" or "42-mm Pentax-Praktica" screw mount. This is a screw mount 42 mm in diameter with a pin at the bottom for actuating the diaphragm.

I think some later Mamiya/Sekors used bayonet mounts.

As you guessed, Petri had a reputation for unreliability; so did the Mamiya/Sekor 1000 DTL before an engineering change was made to its shutter around 1970.

However, you can still get an adapter (with no optical elements) to use these lenses on Nikon or Minolta bodies. I still have several screw mount lenses -- in fact at the moment I'm repairing a slightly flood-damaged 135/2.5 SMC Takumar. I also have a screw-mount Zeiss Jena 35/2.8 wide-angle.

--
Michael A. Covington - Artificial Intelligence Center - University of Georgia
http://www.ai.uga.edu/~mc http://www.mindspring.com/~covington

From Medium Format Digest:
From: Thomas R. Young tryoung@jrec.net
Subject: Response to Kiev 88 Lens VS. other camera lens
Date: 1998-11-25

To all that have contributed to this, just another bit of info- "Photo Arsenal" of Germany offers a lens adaptor ring that allows using standard Kiev 88 lenses on cameras with the Pentacon mount, such as the KIev 60. Their website is www.arsenal-photo.com Hope that this info is usefull. Cost is about $40 plus shipping. BY the way, I have two Kiev 88 bodies with cloth shutters and interior flocking from KIevUSA that work great with a good selection of lenses. Thanks, Tom Young

[Ed. note: why few folks put medium format lenses on 35mm...]
From: zanekurz@ix.netcom.com (Zane)
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.medium-format
Subject: Re: Using MF Lenses on 35mm Cameras
Date: Tue, 22 Dec 1998

Nathan Dayton nathandayton@netscape.net wrote:

>Since this question comes up regularly, I must be missing something. Why
>would I want to use my medium format lenses on my 35 mm camera. All that
>I can see are negatives
>       The lenses are huge compared to the equivalent 35 mm lens and
>weigh a ton. I would be concerned about the stress on the lens mount of
>the 35 mm.
>       Second the norm is for MF lenses to have lower resolution. I can
>not see wanting lower resoloution on a smaller negative.
>       Third most MF owners only have 2 or 3 lenses at the most and one
>of these is the normal lens. The cost of the adapter has got to exceede
>the cost of a couple of second hand lenses for 35mm.
>
>Can someone tell me what I am not seeing here?        
>Nathan Dayton

Sounds to me like you're seeing things pretty clearly.

Zane

From: ACE SR71@USAF.ORG
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.medium-format
Subject: Re: kalimax lenses: how important is multicoating?
Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1998

J. Scott Hobson wrote:

> What lenses do Kalimax make for the M645???
>
> Thanks,
>
> Scott

kalimax sells an adapter that allows mounting lenses designed for the Exacta 66 (or Kiev 60 or Praktisix) to the M645

Ace

Date: Fri, 19 Feb 1999
From: "Mark S. Holden" msholden@mail2.nai.net
To: rmonagha@post.cis.smu.edu
Subject: Your lens mount adapter web page

Hi

Your web page on lens mount adapters is outstanding.

I noticed you didn't include adapters for the Alpa models made in Switzerland.

Because Alpa had the shortest back focus, you could get adapters to let you use many lenses on Alpa, and some were automatic.

The Automatic ones were:

Autobag - M42 lenses
Aut-Nibag - Nikon lenses
Auto-Contabag - Contax lenses

Manual ones included:

exabag - Exacta
Praktibag - M42
Leibag - Leica reflex
Nibag - Nikon
Contabag - Contax

There was also an Alpa si3000 made in Japan. This used a K mount.

Anyway, thanks for having your page on the web.

Mark

rec.photo.equipment.medium-format
From: Steve camera@alloymail.com
[1] Re: Need adapter
Date: Sat Mar 13 10:27:34 CST 1999

Re: Need adapter

mpx@mpex.com wrote:

> >I have a couple of off-the-wall questions:
> >
> >1.Is there an adapter made to use Kiev 60/ Exacta 66 mount lenses on  the
> >Pentax 67?
> >
> >2.Is there a T-mount made for the Kiev 60/Exacta 66 mount (I have a
> >500mm lens I want to experiment with - I know that it probably won't
> >fully cover the image area).
> >
> >Thanks
> >
> >Steve
> Steve...good questions, you stumped me....I am not aware of either.  Good
> Luck!

Well, I got some answers to our question: There isn't an adapter available to use Kiev lenses on the Pentax 67, as it would make the lenses too far from the film plane, and the adapter would become a macro tube. Guess it would be OK for closeups, but not much more!

However: there is a fellow who will remove the Kiev 60/Exacta 66 mount from the lens and install a Pentax 67 mount to it. The auto-diaphragm will no longer work, so it becomes a "pre-set" lens. He charges $250 per lens for this service - he advertises on eBay.

He also won't convert anything smaller than a 120mm (and he charges extra for the 120mm conversion, so much so that it is actually cheaper to buy an actual pentax 67 120mm lens). However, it becomes cost effective when you want to use a 500mm lens made for the Kiev 60...a new 500mm lens is $750, the conversion is $250, so you get a brand new 500mm lens for the Pentax 67 for $1000. Not cheap, but quite a bit less than the least expensive Pentax 67 500mm (used ones go for about $1500).

The 500mm covers 6X7 quite well, and is very sharp.

I have discovered an even better lens for the Kiev 60 and the Pentax 67: The Zoomar 600mm f/5.6. Made back in the 60's, it is as sharp as lenses costing $10,000+....and one just sold on eBay for $600. Adapters were made by Zoomar for this lens to fit everything from 8mm movie cameras to Exacta 66 . A pentax 67 mount was never made, but you can get a machinist to make one for about $250 or so, from a solid piece of 6061 aircraft aluminum. It's a pre-set lens anyway, so you don't have to worry about losing auto-function.

Zoomar is still in business, but they only sell to the government now, not to us mere mortals.

Hope this feeds your curiosity!

Steve

From Hasselblad Forum:
Date: Wed, 20 Jan 1999
From: Tom Hellwig thellwig@att.net
Subject: Re: Telescope attachment

Somebody who knows more than I do may be able to respond better, but isn't that the purpose of the "Lens Mount Adapter" (40037)? Check it out on page 206 of Nordin. I have been interested in this because I have a similar telescope. If you used it for astrophotography (i.e. with the clock drive running, using a guide scope for any extended exposure) you could just use the lens cap for a shutter. That would be tough for terrestrial work unless it was a long exposure under low light. Astrophotography I know; I'm still working on my first Hasselblad purchase (side note: I visited W Schiller in St. Louis today and was very pleased with the staff. I think I'm going to rent a 503CW plus some lenses and accessories from them soon as a pre-purchase trial!).

Tom Hellwig

From: "bbb" bbb@bbb.ca
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.35mm
Subject: Re: mount adapters Re: Pentax Screw-mount lens on Contax/Yashica?
Date: Wed, 31 Mar 1999

An adapter does exist, and it does allow you to focus to infinity. It fits inside the lens mount, very similar to the 42mm mount to Pentax K adapter. I have one which I found in a camera store's old stock, but I don't know where you might find an other. Try older camera stores (i.e.: not the one at the local plaza), or the mail-order stores.

Good luck,

Bernard

rec.photo.equipment.35mm
From: "Michael N. Robillard" robi@ultranet.com
[1] Re: Some questions about a Canon FTb
Date: Thu Apr 22 22:05:48 CDT 1999

I wouldn't plan on using the FD to EF converters to utilize old lenses... There are two EF (camera) to FD (lens) converters. The first is actually a teleconverter (around 1.2x if I recall correctly). You lose a bit of light (little less than half a stop) but it allows for infinity focus. It is useful if you have an expensive FD mount telephoto lens. The second doesn't allow for infinity focus. It was built to allow the EF cameras to use the macro bellows and other FD accesories that weren't replicated in the EOS system. I don't really think you would be happy with either setup.

I faced the same problem and solved it by migrating to the EOS system.

Good luck.

Mike

martini13@my-dejanews.com wrote in message

>-Lenses: When I step up to a current camera, I'll want to be able to use my
>old lenses. The canon website says there are FD to EF mount converters
>available, but I cannot find any. How much do they cost, do they degrade the
>optical quality, where would I get one, etc...

From: "Shinichi Hayakawa" shaya@gol.com
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.medium-format
Subject: Re: Pentacon/Exacta/Kiev 60 to Pentax 6x7 adaptors
Date: Wed, 26 May 1999

>Any chance someone makes an adapter that will fix a Pentax 645 for the Pentacon
>lenses?

Zoerkendorfer http://www.zoerk.com/Pages/Products_Special_mounts.html makes such an adapter.

Shinichi

From: "Ron Walton" Ronk@tima.com
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.35mm
Subject: Re: T4 & TX mounts: How to Identify?
Date: Sun, 1 Aug 1999

doregan@ibm.net wrote

>TX mounts have a rotating ring around them with various common aperture
>scales. If you find a TX mount that will not fit on a lens you can
>remove the ring. The T4 mount is mechanically the same - just does not
>have this ring. Some old T4 lenses will accept the TX mount; others will
>accept it once the ring is removed. I had to take the ring off a Minolta
>TX mount to fit the mount on a Soligor 250mm f1:4.5 lens.
>
>Dennis  

I can see a mount that uses a tang to engage a meter arm may have a rotating aperture scale but this doesn't hold true for all TX mounts. I would imagine TX mounts for Nikon lenses are like yours also.

Ron Walton
Visit the BPC http://www.bpc.photographer.org

>Ron Walton wrote:
>>
>>      The TX mount I have has the letters "TX" on it.  These
>> letters are recessed and painted silver so the shouldn't wear off.
>>       I don't know the actual physical differences.  

From: ernreed@aol.comjunktrap (ERNReed)
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.35mm
Subject: Re: Help Pentax screw to K adapter
Date: 27 Sep 1999

>> Hi,
>>
>> Just bought a Pentax SM 300/4 lens and a screwmount adapter for it. I
>> placed the adapter in my K mount body (Super Program) and then screwed the
>> lens into the adapter. When I went to unscrew the lens the adapter came
>> off with it. I cannot now get the adapter off the lens. Efforts using a
>> cloth/twist by hand didn't budge it. Preliminary attepts with a
>> cloth/channellock pliers didn't move it either though I was fairly gentle.
>>
>> Is there any reason the adapter shouldn't simply unscrew?

There is a spring pin on the adapter which needs to be pressed with "some pointed aid" (quote from Pentax -- they illustrate with a ballpoint pen) and that enables removal of the adapter from the body.

You should have been able to unscrew the lens, leaving the adapter in the body -- but I seem to recall that I have sometimes managed to remove lens and adapter together and had to then separate them. Look for the spring pin and see if fiddling with it will help you.

May I suggest that before cutting the adapter off, you email Pentax Customer Service and see if they can offer advice or send you the directions for the adapter? (I was referring to the instruction manuals for a couple of K-mount cameras, but perhaps there's a leaflet for the adapter itself available). ER

[Ed. note: a warning about M42 screw mount lens issues!]
Subject: Re: Tell me about Mamiya screw mount
From: "Jim Williams" jlw@nospam.net
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.35mm
Date: Sat, 02 Oct 1999

>Pentax SMC Takumars are the ones to look for.  Super Takumars
>are also really good but I'd pay a little extra for SMC.

Watch out, though, for the late ones with the signal pin for full-aperture metering on the Spotmatic F. When used on non-Pentax cameras, this pin can drop into a screw hole on the lens mount and lock the lens to the body! You have to check against your particular camera body, as the location of the screws varies.

From: ejkowalski@aol.com (Ejkowalski)
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.35mm
Subject: Re: Questions on screw mount lenses
Date: 22 Oct 1999

>>Are all screw mounts compatible or are there differences from one
>>brand to another (Leica, Contax to Pentax etc..)?
>>
>>Joe
>
>
>They are different.
>
>Victor

Some are compatible, some are different.

Leica 39mm screwmount is compatible with many screwmount rangefinders.(Zorki, other Leica copies, and I think Canon Rangefinder.)

Pentax 42mm screwmount for SLRs are compatible with screwmount later type Zenit, screwmount Mamiya-Sekor, Ricoh, Praktica, and many others.

The early Asahiflex screwmount is not compatible with later Asahi 42mm Pentax.

Leica 39mm is not compatible with Zenit 39mm because the registry (distance between film and mount) is different.

EJKowalski

From: w.j.markerink@a1.nl (Willem-Jan Markerink)
Newsgroups: rec.photo.marketplace
Subject: Re: Wanted: Reverse T-mount adapters for the following mounts:
Date: Thu, 04 Nov 99

allinx@concentric.net wrote:

>I am looking  for reverse t-mount adapters (not reverse adapters) to fit
>the following brand lenses:

To avoid confusion: you want to mount lenses of brand-X to an adapter, after which you have *male* T2-thread, right? And not an adapter to mount T2 lenses to a camera brand-X, right?

Or, IOW: EOS->T2, not T2->EOS (the latter is very common).

>Canon EOS (I know there will be no aperture control)

This one does not exist currently, and probably has never existed. Once talked to Danubia....after some confusion of 'will be produced again soon' it appeared it was never produced, and would never be.

>Canon FD
>Leica 39mm screw mount

At least FD was once made by Danubia (most of the brands/mounts from 1-2 decades ago....not sure about M39....however, there are quite a few adapters that go from M39 to brand-X, including very basic ones like M39->M42. So once you have a reverse adapter for FD, you can find a M39->FD adapter, and basically have a T2-reverse for M39.

>Any other mounts or adapters which will allow using different types of
>equipment on an EOS camera body.

That's the normal collection of adapters, including T2->EOS, M42->EOS, M39->EOS, Nikon->EOS, LeicaR->EOS, and I believe even Olympus->EOS. Contax/Yashica is also possible, but I have never seen a commercial adapter for it....but it can be done, even while keeping the register intact for infinity-focus.

For an overview of mounts & registers, see my homepage:

http://www.a1.nl/phomepag/markerink/mainpage.htm

(or mounts.htm directly)

--
Bye,

Willem-Jan Markerink

From: "Victor Bazarov" vbazarov@dnai.com
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.35mm
Subject: Re: Canon FD Lenses on EOS Cameras !!!
Date: Thu, 14 Oct 1999

wprrp@hotmail.com wrote...

>Hi,
>
>Can anyone out there let me know what kinda of Canon FD lenses are
>compatible with a Canon EOS Camera?  I have a Canon EOS Rebel XS camera
>and a Canon FD to EOS adapter ring.  I  know that you will loose AF
>when the adapter is used.  My point is this, I would not hesitate to
>use a nice FD lens on my EOS Camera, if the lens optics are good. I
>read somewhere tha wide angle and standard FD lense cannot be used with
>the adapter on a EOS Camera?  Is that  true??  I also read that if you
>want to use  a Canon FD lense with an adapter on a Canon EOS CAmera,
>then only FD lenses with Focal Length greater than 200mm can be used is
>situations like this.  Anything less than 200mm FD lense will be
>useless. Is that true?? Please shed some light on this aspect.

That is partially true. However, if you already have the converter, doesn't its manual say which lenses can be used?

>From one of my previous posts:

"Canon lists the following lenses as compatible: New FD 200 f/1.8L; New FD 200 f/2.8RF; New FD 300 f/2.8L; New FD 300 f/4, New FD 300 f/4L; New FD 400 f/2.8L; New FD 400 f/4.5; New FD 500 f/4.5L; New FD 600 f/4.5; New FD 800 f/5.6L; New FD 50-300 f/4.5L; New FD 85-300 f/4.5; New FD 150-600 f/5.6L."

Hope it helps.

Victor

From: dherzstein@juno.com (Dave Herzstein)
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.35mm
Subject: Re: Canon FD Lenses on EOS Cameras !!!
Date: 15 Oct 1999

....

It depends entirely on which FD/EF adapter you have:

1) Canon Macro adapter (any lens; no infinity focus)
2) Canon 1.26X adapter (long,fast lenses only)
3) 3rd party optical adapter (???)

At any rate, Canon warns that with an adapter you may not get valid exposure metering with certain bodies (including the Rebel series).

--
Dave Herzstein
dherzstein@juno.com

[Ed. note: B&H; Has a lot of adapters...]
From Nikon Digest:
Date: Wed, 01 Dec 1999
From: Henry Posner/B&H; Photo-Video henryp@bhphotovideo.com
Subject: [NIKON] Re: Practical Photography's Macro Test

At 07:57 AM 12/01/1999 -0700, you wrote:

>B&H; sells one in the US. Costs around US$45. It's not listed on their
>web page - you have to mail them.  If you're buying one, look for one  without
>optics in it.
>
>   | >Actually, you can fit a Nikon mount lens onto a Canon EOS body.

The doodad in question is our SKU GBCACAFN. It has a single element in it - -- w/out the element you lose infinity focus.

regards,
Henry Posner
Director of Sales and Training
B&H; Photo-Video, and Pro-Audio Inc.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com

From Nikon Mailing List:
Date: Thu, 2 Dec 1999
From: Gordon Pritchard gordonp@infoserve.net
Subject: Re: Adapter to use M42 lenses on FM2n or FE2

"Linus" == Linus Tay linusjen@mbox3.singnet.com.sg writes:

    Linus> I was wondering if such an adapter is available

     Yes.  I've attached a review I wrote up for such an adapter,
from July of this past summer.

    Linus> my local camera shop has a decent array of M42
    Linus> screwmount lenses going at very affordable prices.

     My summary:  I would only use this M42 lens to Nikon AI body
adapter if you had lenses already in-hand.  I would not recommend
it as a cost-saving way of getting new lenses.  Two main reasons:

     -I find it a drag to view through the lens with the aperture
      stopped-down.  You can sort of get used to it, but it takes
      a concerted effort to focus, meter, and shoot.

     -some lenses simply aren't going to "fit" right.

    Linus> If available, would this adapter be a mechanical or
    Linus> optical one?

     One glass element.

    Linus> I know I will have to do stop down metering but that's
    Linus> ok....as long as the optics are not compromised by an
    Linus> optical adapter.

The optics don't seem to my eye to be affected. I haven't done lens-resolution tests of any sort, but subjectively, my photos seem to come out as good (at 8" x 12" prints) as they did with these screw-mount lenses on an old Spotmatic.

Since I originally wrote my review, I've had the opportunity to use another lens: a Hanimex 28mm screw-mount. It has the same problem as I noted in my 50mm lens: the rear-element-mount contacts the adapter, and I lose infinity-focus :-(

So, out of 3 lenses, all experienced some "fit" problem. I Dremel'd a bit and got my 200mm lens to fit and operate fine, but the 50mm and 28mm cannot ever achieve infinity-focus.

Anyway, here's my review, from Friday July 23:

==================== Begin Included Text ====================

Subject: Review: Nikon AI-body to M42 screw-mount lens

Just last night I got my screwmount lens adapter, to let me use some screw-mount lenses I have around the place. I have a similar adapter for my MZ-5, mating the screw-mount to the Pentax K-bayonnet.

I bought the adapter from B&H; (I don't want hassles, and I've always had good dealing in the past). It was made by a company called Bower (1-800-446-7244). Bower includes no instructions at all, but it was blister-packed and survived all the shipping fine. The back of the package indicated that they make a whole host of adapters, including a Nikon AI body to Canon lens...

The first thing I noticed once I opened itup , was that there was a glass element in the Nikon adapter. I guessed this was needed to account for different registration-distances. My Pentax adapter has no glass.

The Bower adapter is made of machined aluminum, with a black finish. There is a slender knurled ring which sits just out from the camera body when it's mounted. However, this could be tricky to undo (if stuck), so Bower included a spanner-wrench for removing the adapter.

It installed onto my FM2n without incident, and the lens-lock pin snapped satisfyingly in place.

I tried a SMC-Takumar 200mm f/4 lens, and hit the first problem: the aperture-tang struck the adapter aluminum at apertures smaller than f/8 :-( Of course, since I'd mounted the lens at f/4, and then turned the aperture ring, I'd seriously marred the inner webbing of the adapter :-( No returning it now...

This was a drag, but at least the lens focussed and seemed to operate OK. I reckon I can fix the 1/2 mm of interference with judicious use of a Dremel this weekend.

Then, I tried my SMC 50mm f/1.4 screwmount. This was a disappointment - the rear lens element struck the adapter's element when I focussed out beyond about 15 feet :-( Major loss of long-focus...

However, my intention is to use this 50mm lens with screw-mount extension tubes for close-up. This eliminates the interference, but you also don't get inifinity back.

In summary: Given the age of screwmount lenses, and the difficulties I encounted with two extremely-standard lenses, this adapter is a tough sell. It'd be hard to recommend it to anyone, for any reason. I think I'll be able to make use of this adapter as I had hoped, but not without a bit of work, and some anxiety in the early phase.

From NikonMF Mailing List:
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000
From: "Robert Vidervol" robert.vidervol@email.si
Subject: [NIKON] Canon lenses converted to Nikon mount

I've recently concluded from few sorces that some Canon FD long white! telephotos had ben succesfully converted to Nikon mount by professional service. (most sure non Nikon p. service!) However I have't got any details. Given the fact that Canon lens to film distance is shorter (42canon vs ~46 nikon), I presume that infinity cannot be reached by using converter, but maybe by proper mount changing it is still possible.

Btw1:. Somewhere on the net was (or maybe it is still) one of those horribly expensive Nikkors 300/2. But this one has mount changed (also by professionals) to something like T2. Therefore, it can be used as cine lens (nothing uncommon for this lens) but can be also used on still photography, and (perhaps) retaining all functions on Nikon body. (or with proper T2 on any other body?)

Btw2: Somewhere was also (or maybe it is still) one of those white FD300/2.8L lenss (with almost legendary optical quality) for sale. This one is also converted to nikon mount, with stop down metering (as I understand). But, for unbeliveably bargain price!! (200$).

So, I wonder: Could this mirracle be coupled with Nikkor TC?? Any comment?

[Ed. note: another source for adapters...]
Date: Sun, 02 Jan 2000
From: pkkollas@gorge.net
To: rollei@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
Subject: Re: [Rollei] OT Steinheil lenses

Check with Greg Weber in Nebraska, a long-time advertiser in Shutterbug, for adapters. He usually has some. I also use the P/P and Nikon adapters. paul

Jon Hart wrote:

>      Silly me, I went for Pentax/Practica lenses at
> the time the adaptors were commonly available.
> Evidently, these were the big sellers at the time
> also, per the price differences (when found). I think
> I am gonna go get the Exakta adaptor the next time I
> see one for sale. Maybe I should buy the Nikon, too, 
> just to make the collection more complete, but it can
> wait, maybe forever.

Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.35mm,rec.photo.equipment.misc,rec.photo.misc
Date: Sun, 09 Jan 2000
From: radiojon@means.net
Subject: Help on T-mounts, pre-set lenses

From time to time, I see postings asking about older pre-set and "T" mount lenses. I put an 8 minute streaming audio report on these lenses at www.givemetalk.com. It's all free. This should help those of you who find these lenses (cheap, I hope!) and are not sure how to use them. Go to the site and search on John Stewart or photography.

John

Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2000
From: "Steve Taylor" coach@sheltonbbs.com
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.35mm
Subject: Re: Are there any adaptor for Minolta MD, MC lenses use on Nikon MF body?

Many people told me there were no adaptors for Maxxum body to Olympus lenses. I ordered one today from B&H; photo in NYC. E-mail 'em and ask. They might tell you no, but they can't shoot ya and eat ya!!

Date: Sun, 09 Jan 2000
From: radiojon@means.net
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.35mm,rec.photo.equipment.misc,rec.photo.misc
Subject: Help on T-mounts, pre-set lenses

From time to time, I see postings asking about older pre-set and "T" mount lenses. I put an 8 minute streaming audio report on these lenses at www.givemetalk.com. It's all free. This should help those of you who find these lenses (cheap, I hope!) and are not sure how to use them. Go to the site and search on John Stewart or photography.

John

[Ed. note: several people have noted using adapters to mount mostly Eastern European medium format lenses as telephotos on other bodies...]
From Hasselblad Mailing List:
Date: Sat, 20 Nov 1999
From: BobR38@aol.com
To: hasselblad@kelvin.net
Subject: Hassy Misc.

Kaligar T-Adaptor for Hasselblad 1600/1000F, $20
Waist-Level Finder, $35
Older Flash Holder for 6X6, $25

*Other accessories available for older Hassy as well. Thanks, Bob R.

[Ed. note: possible source of custom mount adapters?...]
Date: Tue, 21 Mar 2000
From: "Roland Smith" roland@dnai.com
Subject: Re: [Leica] lens adapters

For LTM to M adapters, contact Stephen Gandy. He has the set of three that adapts 35mm through 135mm for $100 plus shipping and sales tax applicable to a California resident. LeicaNikon@Earthlink.net.

I am using a set of these aftermarket adapters with great results. They have the appearance of fine quality.

Roland Smith
roland@dnai.com

From Rollei Mailing List:
Date: Fri, 03 Dec 1999
From: Bob Shell bob@bobshell.com
Subject: Re: [Rollei] CZ Jena and Ukranian Lenses -- How Good for MF

Yes, I know them well. Herwig Zorkendorfer loans me his car when I am in Munich!! He also loaned me his daughter, as tour guide and chauffeur, on one visit. His prices being high is our fault, you see he has two sons in college here in the USA and must adjust his prices to cover their tuition!!!

His office/machine shop in Munich is in the same building as Mamiya Deutschland, which is where he worked prior to striking out on his own. Before Mamiya he worked for Heinz Kilfitt, which is where he learned precision machining. It's worth paying a visit to him if you are in Munich. If he has time he will show you some of his one of a kind pieces which he has turned out to keep from getting bored and just to prove it could be done.

Bob

----------

>From: Marc James Small msmall@roanoke.infi.net
>To: rollei@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
>Subject: Re: [Rollei] CZ Jena and Ukranian Lenses -- How Good for MF
>Date: Thu, Dec 2, 1999, 11:50 PM
>
>
> At 11:11 PM 12/2/1999 -0500, John Coan wrote:
>>A company called Zoerkendoerfer is going to
>>come out with a mount for these babies to mate with Contax 645.
>
> This is THE finest adapter manufacturer anywhere in tarnation.  It is a 
> small company:  when you call there, Herr Zoerkendoerfer answers the phone
> himself some of the time.  They do excellent work but are so damned swamped
> that they both are excruciatingly expensive, and inclined to turn out
> odd-lot jobs.
>
> Bob Shell knows them well.
>
> Marc
>
> msmall@roanoke.infi.net

From Rollei Mailing List:
Date: Fri, 03 Dec 1999
From: John Coan jcoan@alumni.duke.edu
Subject: Re: [Rollei] CZ Jena and Ukranian Lenses -- How Good for MF

Actually, Bob is who put me on to them. They say the price will run $150-200 and they sell direct to consumers. I can't wait. I sort of wish the price were lower so I could buy multiple adaptors and just leave them on all the cheap lenses I'm going to get. Hope it is an easy job to switch from lens to lens.

I have in mind: the Arsat 30mm fish eye, something in the 40-60 mm range (Flektogon, perhaps. Any recommendations?), and the Sonnar 180/2.8. All of these together with the adaptor should run less than $1000. Amazing value. Too bad they don't come in shutters so 6000 folks can use them too. There is already an adaptor for the Mamiya 645 out, by the way.

Marc James Small wrote:

> At 11:11 PM 12/2/1999 -0500, John Coan wrote:
> >A company called Zoerkendoerfer is going to
> >come out with a mount for these babies to mate with Contax 645.
>
> This is THE finest adapter manufacturer anywhere in tarnation.  It is a
> small company:  when you call there, Herr Zoerkendoerfer answers the phone
> himself some of the time.  They do excellent work but are so damned swamped
> that they both are excruciatingly expensive, and inclined to turn out
> odd-lot jobs.
>
> Bob Shell knows them well.
>
> Marc
>
> msmall@roanoke.infi.net

From Rollei Mailing List:
Date: Fri, 03 Dec 1999
From: Bob Shell bob@bobshell.com
Subject: Re: [Rollei] CZ Jena and Ukranian Lenses -- How Good for MF

> Actually, Bob is who put me on to them.  They say the price will run $150-200
> and they sell direct to consumers.  I can't wait.  I sort of wish the price
> were lower so I could buy multiple adaptors and just leave them on all the
> cheap lenses I'm going to get.  Hope it is an easy job to switch from lens to
> lens.

I first met Herwig and his family at photokina something like 16 years ago, and have seen them many times since both in Germany and here in the USA. They are really nice people. Herwig's family comes originally from an area that is now in the Czech republic, the home of real Budweiser beer! He's the one who introduced me to the real thing in a small pub in Cologne, and I haven't been able to stomach the fake stuff since.

The adapter he makes is a work of art. It goes on and off the CZJ lenses smoothly and quickly. I also have one which lets me use the medium format lenses on my Canon 35mm EOS cameras, with shift!! And another for tilt. i love all his gadgets. I just wish he could find a good US distributor. Ken Hansen used to sell his stuff in the USA but didn't have much luck, apparently.

> I have in mind:  the Arsat 30mm fish eye, something in the 40-60 mm range
> (Flektogon, perhaps.  Any recommendations?), and the Sonnar 180/2.8.  All of
> these together with the adaptor should run less than $1000.  Amazing value.
> Too bad they don't come in shutters so 6000 folks can use them too.  There is
> already an adaptor for the Mamiya 645 out, by the way.

Yes, I use the M 645 adapter all the time. The November Shutterbug cover was shot with the 50mm Flektagon on my Mamiya. Unfortunately, this was our "hurricane issue" and the cover got royally screwed up between me and the final print run, so it looks far too dark and dingy. But the trannie is as sharp as you could want.

Ah yes, but Rollei 6000 owners can buy an adapter from Zorkendorfer which allows them to use their lenses on Canon EOS cameras with full auto diaphragm!!

Bob

Date: Sun, 31 Oct 1999
From: dearmond@arn.net (doitnow)
Newsgroups: rec.photo.marketplace
Subject: Camera Parts Made!

We make all sorts of close tolerance parts from many differnt materials. Drop us a note with your needs. CNC Digitizing & Milling! Tolerance within .0012!!!! Affordable work!!! Thanks!

From Nikon MF Mailing List;
Date: Sun, 24 Oct 1999
From: "David Bain" dcbain@cwcom.net
Subject: Lens adapters

I had hoped to bring some words of wisdom, but further reading has prevented it. Jessops in Britain (www.jessops.co.uk) used to sell various adapters, but they've disappeared from their catalogue.

Just to upset all those who're looking for one, they did list an M42 lens to Nikon body adapter. I had one, until it was stolen along with the tilt and shift bellows which it was fitted to. The adapter had a lens fitted to correct for the infinity focus problem caused by the different lens-to-film-plane distances.

That's enough non-information, though. I think the place to look now is the Hama catalogue. Your local dealer - yes, I know, for some of you that's 300 miles away! - should have a copy. Perhaps someone else can confirm that they have a web-site?

Good hunting and just think - if you'd asked about non-Nikon kit on the "big list" you'd have had hate mail by now . . . .

BFN
David

From Nikon MF Mailing List:
Date: Sun, 24 Oct 1999
From: "Gordon Pritchard" gordonp@infoserve.net
Subject: Re: OT: adaptor plates

"imagineero" == imagineero imagineero@hotmail.com writes:

    imagineero> What I have is a pentax screw mount 18mm made by
    imagineero> spiratone which is incidentally a brilliant lense
    imagineero> (especially at the prices you can pick them up
    imagineero> for) and I want to put it on a nikon body.  Has
    imagineero> anyone seen such a plate?

I have exactly the adapter you're after. I bought it a couple of months ago from B&H.; In the photo mags, it looks like a few other places sell them too (for $19.99; substantially less than what B&H; was asking).

    imagineero> I thought I could possibly make one myself by
    imagineero> taking a nikon reversing adaptor (which I have)
   imagineero> and putting a male-female thread changer on it



    imagineero> One thing I am converned about is the position of
    imagineero> the lense in relation to the film plane.  Do all
    imagineero> lenses focus at the same point?  Do they all
    imagineero> mount at the same distace from the film?

No. That's the good and bad thing about the adapter. It contains a single glass element, which makes up for the fact that the Nikon-Screw adapter puts the screw-mount lens too far forward.

The bad part about this adapter:

-it's housed within a machined-brass ring, which is thick enough, and far enough forward that it interfered with the rear of 2 out of my 3 screw-mount lenses :-( This occured during mounting of the lens, and the interference was with the aperture tang on the back of the screw-mount lens.

-in a different 2 out of 3 situtations, focus-range became limited with this adapter :-( As you focus, the rear element within the screw-mount lens moves backwards, and strikes the adapter :-( In my 28mm f/2.8 Hanimex, the metal mounting area for the rearmost element contacts the brass element-mount in the adapter. With my Pentax 50mm f/1.4 lens, there is honest-to-God glass/glass contact :-( My Pentax 200mm f/4 lens doesn't have any element near the end of the screw-mount, so it was fine.

The good parts:

-the adapter is well-made and well-finished

-the single element is coated (purplish reflections)

-With some lenses, it appears to work as expected; with others, the interference will limit your ability to focus to infinity. With my 28mm lens, I can't actually focus to infinity, but I can cover up this problem by choosing an f/stop that includes infinity (hyperfocully speaking :-) .

-images "appear" un-altered and un-distorted with this adapter. Non-scientific testing, just my own observations and expectations.

So there you are, Mr. Imagineero. It may work for you. It will likely be fine if you use screw-mount extension tubes. I cured the mounting-interference/aperture fang problem by gently applying a Dremel to the face of the element-mount, and removing a hairs' thickness from the face. 20 minutes, and you'll want to protect (or remove) the glass for this...

In summary: it sort of works. Would I do it again: yes, because it opens a couple of doors (lets me use lenses which otherwise would be collecting dust). Will I stay with this setup for the rest of my life: Definitely not!!

HTH,
-Gord

--
Gordon Pritchard, P.Eng. VA7GP
White Rock, B.C. Canada
gordonp@infoserve.net

From Nikon Mailing List:
Date: Sun, 24 Oct 1999
From: Rodrigo Gimenez rge@adinet.com.uy
Subject: Re: adapters for Olympus Zuiko Lenses

>Along with my beloved Nikon equipment, I also own an Olympus OM with a few
>nice peices of glass. Does anyone know if there is an adapter, *anywhere*,
>that will adapt OM lenses to Nikon bodies (or the other way)? A guy on the
>Oly-list is using an EOS with an OM adapter, so he can use his fast OM
>glass. I thought it would be a good idea for both of my systems.

I was interested with the same adapter because of the specialized Zuiko macro lenses (both types, those who focus at infinity and those which don't, because they are specially made for use in a bellows, with big magnifications), and I asked the same question to B&H;, Cameraworld of Oregon, Smile, Adorama, and they said that they don't have it. But asked to cambridge Camera Exchange and said they have it. I know that they make adapters, maybe this adapter is also made by them, since other big stores don't have it.

[ed. note: it would be easier to use the right bayonet mounts and a negative diopter element (-1.1 or -1.2X?) to shift the lens mount slightly to accommodate the width of the adapters and lens registration differences, similar to what is done with 35mm lenses using similar -1.1 diopter lenses in the lens mount adapters. There doesn't seem to be a market for such adapters, probably due to the minor quality losses, however, and small size of the medium format market?...]
Date: Fri, 10 Sep 1999
From: Chung Wong chungwong@my-deja.com
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.medium-format
Subject: Pentacon/Kiev 6 to Pentax 67 (Optical Adapter)

Hello all,

I was reading Robert Monaghan's lens mount converter faq for the n-th times. I have come across this idea, I would like to share it with you all.

I was told that a conventional adapter is not possible to adapt a Pentacon 6 Lens to Pentax 67 body while retaining the ability to focus to infinity because Pentax's lens to body distance is greater than Pentacon (84.95mm vs 74.10mm). What about an optical adapter?

I understand 1.4x converter(it can double as an extension tube without the lens element) is avaliable for Pentacon lens. At the same time, a 67mm Pentax 67 reverse adapter is available for about $70. In order to make it work, I would need a machine shop to cut about 10.95mm (minus the thinkness of the Pentax adapter ring) off the converter and mount the reverse ring onto it.

It sounds like a workable solution but there are a few problems. The existing of 1.4x converter would decrease the lens performance a notch (not to mention a potential coverage problem). After the converter the lenses would become:

Arsat 30mm F3.5         =>      42mm F4.9
Flektogon 50mm F4       =>      70mm F5.6
Biometar 80mm F2.8      =>      112mm F3.92
Biometar 120mm F2.8     =>      168mm F3.92
Sonnar 180mm F2.8       =>      252mm F3.92

Since, I do not own a 1.4x converter at the moment I have no idea whether it has enough space between the lens mount to the lens element for the modification. The overall cost for the adapter would be about $300 range(my guess for the machine work is $100, cost for converter and reverse ring would be about $200) depends on how much the machine shop would charge for such job. Would somebody be able to tell me the cost for such job?

Ideally, I would want to lesser the magnification power of the converter, I am not sure where I can acquire a coated optical lens to replace the existing lens element. The cost of a custom made lens would just make this adapter too expensive.

I wonder if this is a self defeating project as I am giving up too much performance to mount some cheap quality lenses onto a better body. I would like to hear your opinion. Thanks!

Regards,
Chung

Date: Sat, 11 Sep 1999
From: ari.pesonen@wwnet.fi (Ari Pesonen)
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.medium-format
Subject: Re: Pentacon/Kiev 6 to Pentax 67 (Optical Adapter)

Chung Wong chungwong@my-deja.com wrote:

>I was told that a conventional adapter is not possible to adapt a
>Pentacon 6 Lens to Pentax 67 body while retaining the ability to focus
>to infinity because Pentax's lens to body distance is greater than
>Pentacon (84.95mm vs 74.10mm). What about an optical adapter?

The 84.95 mm is probably for the Pentax's outer bayonet. The inner bayonet lenses have the same distance as Pentacon, 74.10 mm. I know a case where a 500 mm Pentacon lens was adapted to a Pentax 6x7 just by changing the mount. You won't be needing an optical adapter.

Ari P.

From: chucko@best.com (Chuck Fry)
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.35mm
Subject: Re: canon lens mounts
Date: 10 Jun 1999

Canon EF mount is for the newer autofocus EOS series, like your Rebel.

Canon FD mount was used on the Canon F-series (F1, FTb, etc.), A-series (A-1, AE-1, AE-1 Program, AT-1, AV-1, etc.), and T-series (T50, T60, T70, T90). There are two variations of the FD mount, the earlier "breech lock" style with a rotating locking ring, and the later "bayonet" style in which the entire lens is rotated to lock. Both styles are interchangeable, though some photographers prefer the breech lock for ease of use.

The FD mount was preceded by the FL mount, which is compatible with FD mount cameras, with limitations. There's also the oddball AC autofocus mount that was only used on the T80; this camera can use FD lenses, but other FD cameras cannot use AC lenses.

Unlike Nikon's mounts, the EF mount is deliberately incompatible with the FD mount, to the dismay of every owner of FD lenses. Canon makes an adapter with which you *could* mount FD lenses on an EOS, but unless you already own some exotic FD glass, I wouldn't recommend it.

-- Chuck

Just Jake justjake@twcny.rr.com wrote:

>I was looking at some used lenses, and noticed that the lens I was looking
>at had a Canon FD mount, where my camera (rebel 2000), has an EF mount.
>Being pretty new to photography, I don't know the difference. Will one not
>work in the other? Is there an adapter? Which is newer, or are they just
>used on different model cameras? Any other information would be appreciated.
>Thanks in advance

--
Chuck Fry -- Jack of all trades, master of none
chucko@chucko.com (text only please) chucko58@home.com (MIME enabled)

[Ed. note: the future of lens mounts - all electronics?]
From Contax Mailing List:
Date: Wed, 19 Apr 2000
From: "Bob Shell" bob@bobshell.com
Subject: Re: [CONTAX] important info

Well since the cameras and lenses are pure speculation, here is my vote. I think Contax should go with a new bayonet mount which uses only electrical connections and no mechanical ones. This is the wave of the future of how SLRs should work. Rollei invented the all electrical mount for their SLX back in the 70s, so it is long past time for others to come around and realize the advantages. So far in 35mm only Canon and Sigma have such a mount. Contax has it in their 645 and it shows every sign of being a great design.

Now maybe Contax will do what Mamiya has done. The Mamiya 645 AF will accept all previous Mamiya 645 lenses, but there is no diaphragm mechanism coupling so the lenses must be used stopped down to working aperture. And you do not get the automation modes you get with the new lenses. But you CAN still use your older lenses in manual and aperture priority auto modes.

Alternately, Contax may follow Canon's lead with a whole new lens mount and no backwards compatibility. This would make owners of older systems angry, of course, but in the long term it has not hurt Canon at all.

Or maybe they will just have a bunch of new lenses for the 645 and G and leave their 35mm SLRs alone.

Bob

From Contax Mailing List:
Date: Wed, 19 Apr 2000
From: "Bob Shell" bob@bobshell.com
Subject: Re: [CONTAX] important info

No Bonn. If they go the all electric mode then the new lenses might fit the old cameras, just as Mamiya's new AF lenses will fit the older 645 cameras, but you could only use them wide open since there is no way to get the electrically driven stepper motor to close the diaphragm down. So if you want to use your 85mm f/1.4 always at f/1.4 maybe no problem!!!!

However, if they asked me for advice (and they haven't) I'd tell them to scrap the current mount and go for a bayonet with a larger diameter as Canon did. The larger the diameter of the bayonet mount the fewer restrictions placed on lens designers in designing high speed optics.

Bob

From: John Coan jcoan@alumni.duke.edu
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.medium-format
Date: Thu, 29 Jun 2000
Subject: Re: Contax 645 w/ 3rd party lenses

I've had a Zoerk Contax adaptor for a couple months. It was $200 plus shipping. It works well, although my last roll shot with the Sonnar 180/2.8 with spot metering came out severely underexposed. Contax says the metering should work fine. Other reports on the Contax list back me up about spot metering. I haven't had time to investigate further.

The adaptor makes very good sense. Among the lenses available in Pentacon Six mount are the previously mentioned Sonnar for about $350, the Flektogon 50/2.8 for about $300 (both the late multicoated versions), and the Arsat Zodiak fisheye 30/3.5 for a couple hundred bucks.

With the adaptor you focus manually. I focus wide open then stop down to taking aperture. The internal metering works fine (or is supposed to!) and as you change speed or aperture you can see the values changing. Aperture priority exposure works. A final bonus with the Contax is the autofocus remains active for focus confirmation. When you are in focus the little dot illuminates, even with these non AF lenses.

Once you have this lens inventory you can also purchase a second body such as a real Pentacon Six or Kiev 60 for dirt cheap and use all your lenses on that too.

...

Postscript:
One more thing.... I meant to say something about the Zoerk adaptor. It is machined black metal. The bayonet lock ring on the Pentacon mount side has a little knob to help you tighten up. There are "red dots" on both ends to help you mount. It seems to be made with the highest precision and quality.

From: ad607@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (Darrell A. Larose)
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.misc
Subject: Re: Can Anyone Identify this Screw-Mount Soligor Lens
Date: 13 Aug 2000

Tony Spadaro (t__spadaro@my-deja.com) writes:

>   JodoDYang jdy01@hotmail.com wrote:
>> I have acquired this Soligor lens and have no idea which camera it is
>> for.  Can you help?
>>
>> The printing on the front of the lens is:  Soligor Telephoto f=135mm
>> 1:2.8  No. KA103839.  It is a screw mount  Tip to tip measures 4
>> inches, and the screw mount diameter measures (approx) 42 mm..
>> It was made in Japan; an older lens; heavy metal and glass.
>> The aperture ring is near the front of the lens with an 'open' and
>> 'close' ring next to it (apparently used to open to full aperture for
>> focusing and then close down to the desired exposure aperture).
>>
>> Any help will be appreciated.
>>
>   The lens is what was known as a pre-set - you could have the aperture
> set for a quick twist to the proper f stop just before shooting.
>   42mm can be one of two mounts: Universal screw mount or T mount.
> Unfortunately the thread pitch is different between the two so you will
> have to determine which it is before mounting to a camera.
>   T mount uses an adaptor that mates with the camera. With the proper
> adaptor you could mount the lens to just about any 35mm SLR that takes
> interchangable lenses.
>   Universal Screw mount fits old Pentax, and many German cameras of the
> 50s and 60s. There were some other Japanese companies that used the
> same mount but I'm not really sure I can remember which ones -
> certainly not the biggies like Canon or Nikon.

Good answer, the easiest way is go to a shop that sells T-mounts, spin it on. Mount it on a camera, if you have no infinity focus then it isn't a T-mount. The mount should spin on easily, as the M42 (Practika/Pentax) is a different pitch.

As for the M42 thread, SLR's I know of;

Practika & Practina (East German)
Edixa (German)
Zenit (Russian)
Pentax (Japan)
Fujica (Japan, the last Japanese company to switch)
Ricoh (Japan)
Argus/Cosina (Japan)
Cosina (Japan)
Mamiya (Japan)
Voigtlander (German name, from Singapore)
Cambron (Cambridge Photo rebadged Zenit)
Several Private brands rebadged from Cosina and Ricoh

Those are the ones I can recall, anyone can add to the list

Darrell larose
Ottawa, Canada

Date: Sun, 12 Nov 2000
From: "M P Brennan" mpbrennan@hotmail.com
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.medium-format
Subject: Re: where to upgrade from my broken hasselblad copy?

I don't want to sound like a broken record (as I've made this recommendation before) but a cheap way to get into medium format with a reliable, high quality camera is to buy an old Mamiya M645 or M645-1000S (don't bother with an M645J) and buy some Kiev lenses (Pentacon/Kiev 60 mount) from KievCamera.com

You'll need an adapter to make them work with the M645, but you can buy the adapters at KievCamera.com as well for about $30.

The Ukrainian glass is quite good and the older Mamiya bodies are very reliable and reasonably priced. If you upgrade to a brand new Mamiya body, you can take your film inserts and Ukrainian lenses (with adapters) with you.

You can also buy adapters that will let you use your Kiev 88 lenses with your M645, but I'm told that the quality is not nearly as consistent as for the adapters from Pentacon/Kiev 60 to M645. If you use a Kiev 88 lens and an adapter to M645, you may find that you lose infinity focus if you get a bad adapter.

For this reason, I would stick to the Pentacon/Kiev 60 lenses and the appropriate adapter.

-Mike

perkowitz@my-deja.com wrote

: a few months ago i picked up a salyut, my first medium format SLR. i
: found i really like the waist-level SLR style and i like square format.
: unfortunately, the salyut jammed and i haven't been able to fix it
: myself. i'd like to continue with this kind of camera but can't decide
: where to go from here. my budget is certainly more than the $130 or so
: i spent on the salyut. i could conceivably save up for a $1000 system
: or so. i don't need a metering prism or anything. a basic 80/2.8 lens
: is fine for now, though it would be nice to be able to eventually get
: something like a 150 and a 50. i don't want to plunk down more money
: than i have to get a nice user, but i don't want to spend money on
: something that's just going to break again. some of the options seem to
: be:
:
: - try to get the salyut fixed. probably cheap, but maybe just sinking
: more money into something that will break again
: - buy another salyut. similar problem
: - kiev 88. i'm not sure these are any more reliable than an old salyut,
: and they're more expensive and uglier. i could be wrong
: - an older bronica (S2 or similar). are they reliable?
: - an older hasselblad (not sure which). still pretty pricey
: - more recent bronica (SQ-A, SQ-B)
:
: suggestions/hints?
: mike
:
:
:
: ----------------------------------------------------------------
:    mike perkowitz                     www.perkowitz.net/photo

[Ed. note: see Lens Manufacturers and Import Labels listing for Japanese lenses etc....]
From Rollei Mailing List:
Date: Tue, 28 Nov 2000
From: "John M. Niemann" jniemann@ivy.tec.in.us
Subject: Re: [Rollei] Re: Lenses to fit

Here is the list:

M42 Praktica/Pentax universal thread lens mount

The following cameras/lenses utilize the M42 Practica/Pentax universal thread mount . Bold face indicates cameras. (There may be more lenses and cameras which use the M42 universal thread mount that are not listed here.)

1. Alpa Si 2000

2. Argus CR-1, CR-2, CR-3

3. Beck (after market Japanese lens manufacturer)

4. Braun

5. Carenar (after market Japanese lens manufacturer, see Exacta)

6. Cavalier 5000 (Pentax clone)

7. Chinon CE II Memotron, CXII, CS

8. Contax D and S

9. Cosina (see Exacta)

10. Edixa Prismaflex, Reflex, Reflex B, C, D, Edixaflex

11. Exacta Twin TL42, (also advertised as Carena MSTL), Exakta TL 1000 Exakta FE 2000

12. Focal

13. Fujica ST 701, ST801, ST 901, ST 605, ST705 & ST705W

14. GAF L-ES-/2, L-CS, L-CM (formerly Agfa)

15. Hanimex

16. Icarex TM Zeiss lenses
25mm /4 Distagon rare: $150 - $225
35mm /3.4 Skoparex $75 $100
50mm /2.8 Tessar $50 $75
50mm /1.8 Ulton $90 $130
135mm /4 Super Dynarex $90 $130

17. Juplen (after market lens manufacturer)

18. Kamero (Tokina mfd? after market Japanese lens manufacturer)

19. Makinon (after market Japanese lens manufacturer)

20. Mamiya/Sekor (universal mount)

21. Meyer Optik (aftermarket lens manufacturer)

22. Pentax (Asahi, or Honeywell) S, S2, K, H2, S3, Spotmatic F, SP 1000, ESII (see list of Takumar lenses)

23. Petri FT-1000, FT-500, Micro MF-1

24. Practica L2, LB2, LTL3, PLC2, VLC2

25. Ricoh Auto TLS EE, Singlex TLS, Singlex II, SLX 500

26. Sakar (after market Japanese lens manufacturer)

27. Sears

28. Soligor (after market Japanese lens manufacturer)

29. Spiratone (after market Japanese lens manufacturer)

30. Suntar (after market Japanese lens manufacturer)

31. Tokina (after market Japanese lens manufacturer)

32. Tower 26 (Sears brand name for Asahi Pentax)

33. Vivitar 250/SL, 220/SL, 450/SLD, XC/3

34. Yashica Pentamatic, Penta J, Penta J3, J5, TL-Electro, TL-Electro X, Electro X ITS

35. Zenit (Russian lens and camera manufacturer makes copies of various cameras.

It will be necessary to make certain lens in question has a M42 mount)

Flange-to-film distance for 35mm interchangeable lens cameras utilizing the M42 universal-thread mount is 45.5mm.

see What Lens Works with What 35 , Rothschild, Norman Popular Photography January 1978 pp. 79-86

see also McKeowns Guide to Antique and Classic Cameras 1996

jmn (11-27-96)

[Ed. note: Source for optical and mechanical mount adapters...]
From Nikon Mailing List;
Date: Fri, 17 Nov 2000
From: Henry Posner/B&H; Photo-Video henryp@bhphotovideo.com
Subject: [NIKON] Re: Nikon-Canon adaptor

you wrote:

>A while back the L.L. Rue online catalog had an adaptor that allowed use of
>Nikon lenses on Canon bodies.  It was purely manual and all lens-body
>communication was lost.  I don't see the adaptor on their web site anymore.
>Does anyone know where I could get such an item, or even better, one that
>does allow at least aperture indexing with the N-C matchup.

We have generic 'EOS body to Nikon lens' and 'Nikon body to canon FD lens' adapters. They're 100% mechanical, but do contain a single element to retain infinity focus. Another source for adapters is Novoflex. See http://www.novoflex.com/html/index_e.htm

- --
regards,
Henry Posner
Director of Sales and Training
B&H; Photo-Video, and Pro-Audio Inc.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com

From Nikon Mailing List:
Date: Fri, 17 Nov 2000
From: John Albino jalbino@jwalbino.com
Subject: Re: [NIKON] Nikon-Canon adaptor

Joe Austin wrote:

>A while back the L.L. Rue online catalog had an adaptor that allowed use of
>Nikon lenses on Canon bodies.  It was purely manual and all lens-body
>communication was lost.  I don't see the adaptor on their web site anymore.
>Does anyone know where I could get such an item, or even better, one that
>does allow at least aperture indexing with the N-C matchup.

Novoflex for one makes such adapters, but they don't do any info passing from lens to camera so essentially you are able to do is focus (manually) properly. Depending on the specific combo, you might be able to do stop-down metering. See www.novoflex.com for details.

- --
John Albino
mailto:jalbino@jwalbino.com

Date: Thu, 7 Dec 2000
From: "Q.G. de Bakker" qnu@worldonline.nl
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.medium-format
Subject: Re: Hasselblad lens to Nikon 35mm camera

jjs wrote:

> Hasselblad lens to Nikon (Nikon F) adapters.
>
> Finding one has been difficult, and there appear to be more than one
> manufacturer (possibly different distributor names?). Are there
> adapters to be avoided? And where do you find them (please, not ebay),
> and anticipated price?

Novoflex (http://www.novoflex.de) makes quite good adapters to mount Hasselblad lenses on various 35 mm cameras. They are a two part affair: one taking the Hasselblad lens, and a second part to adapt to the 35 mm camera mount. Priced, as a pair, at about US$ 150.

I do have a Z�rkend�rfer (http://www.zoerk.com) adapter to fit Hasselblad lenses to 35 mm cameras as well, but they are not that good. This too is a two part affair: the Z�rk Hasselblad adapter and a T-2 adapter to make it fit any 35 mm camera.

The Z�rk Hasselblad adapter needed some additional machining to make it fit (it was way too tight!), and it has a lens release "button" that, quite literally, is a pain to use (just a sharp, bent metal clip). And well fitting T-2 adapters are hard to find.

I like the Novoflex combo far better.

rec.photo.equipment.medium-format
From: "eMeL" badbatz99@hotmail.com
[1] Re: Hasselblad lens to Nikon 35mm camera
Date: Fri Dec 08 11:10:32 CST 2000

Check

http://cameraquest.com/index.html (For Sale and Lens Adapters)

They seem to have a boatload of odd lens adapters.

Michael

From Minolta Mailing List:
Date: Tue, 2 Jan 2001
From: "Marko B." marko.b@email.si
Subject: Re: Re: Manual Focus Lens Adaptors to Auto Focus Bodies

I found the same :)
Another big + for Minolta!

----- Original Message -----
From: Jiri Kvarda
To: minolta@egroups.com
Sent: 2. januar 2001
Subject: [minolta] Re: Manual Focus Lens Adaptors to Auto Focus Bodies

Magnus, I have made the test and I found that you were not rigth. The Minolta metering is not linked with the AF system (as it is at Nikon).

I checked MF lens with M42/MAF converter on Dynaxes 600si and 7. I made tha test in A mode - body showed aperture -- and reported exposition time. If I composed the frame so, that bright part was off the center, the exposition of all modes - spot, weighted center, 14- zone - was different.

Jiri Kvarda

  > --- In minolta@egroups.com, "Magnus Wedberg" mw@9... wrote:
  > > There is no reason for 14-zone metering not working as soon as the
  > > light goes through the lens. :-)))
  >
  > Unfortunately, there is. The 14-zone system is linked to the AF
  > system with its focus points. If my memory serves me right the
  > camera will default to center-weighted metering as soon as you
  > go to manual focus mode, too.

[Ed. note: thanks to Joe for passing on this tip...]
Date: Tue, 1 Jan 2002
From: Joe Lacy jmlacy1@home.com
To: Robert Monaghan rmonagha@post.cis.smu.edu
Subject: Well, that answered that question...

Joe,

we have only adapters for Pentacon Six lenses on Pentax 645,Mamiya 645, Contax 645 camera body. On pentax 67 is not possible with adapters.

Regards
Zoerk Phototechnic

[Ed. note: you may have to call B&H; to get part number on adapters etc.]
From Minolta Mailing List:
Date: Tue, 02 Jan 2001
From: coach@sheltonbbs.com
Subject: Re: Adapters to fit other lens types to Minolta Auto and Manual Focus cameras

About a year ago I bought from B&H; an adaptor for Olympus to Minolta AF (800si). I couldn't find any mention of one in their catalog, so I called a product specialist there, and they told me the part #. It was about $40. Material and fit/finish are fine AFAICT. I haven't been satisfied with the metering from it however, but after reading some of the posts about theis the last few days, I think I'll give it another chance. Steve

From Minolta Mailing List;
Date: Thu, 28 Dec 2000
From: Peter Blaise Monahon peterblaise@yahoo.com
Subject: Manual Focus Lens Adaptors to Auto Focus Bodies

Marko B. marko.b@email.si wrote:

    >  ... do you know if this SRB CO at
    >  http://www.srbfilm.co.uk has anything that would
    >  allow me to use MF M42 screw mount lenses on
    >  Minolta AF body??  ... I mailed them cause i can't
    >  find any info on their web page ...

Marko,

        SRB Film in England  =  AdaptOr Heaven!!!
        SRB Film Service
        286 Leagrave Road
        Luton, Bedfordshire, England LU3 1RB

        Tel: +44 (0) 1582 572471
        Fax: +44 (0) 1582 572535
        E-mail: enquiries@srbfilm.co.uk OR weborder@srbfilm.co.uk 

but I used SRBFILM@aol.com

YES - they have an adaptor to fit everything to everything. If they don't have it, they can probably make it and charge you. They are NOT fast, but they are GOOD, and quite knowledgeable, and helpful, and kind, and sweet - I guess I fell in love with Ms Jane L. Broomhead there!!!

I got adaptOrs (in England they are NOT adaptErs!) for the following

FROM T-mount, 42mm screw, 49mm reversing and 55mm reversing all TO Minolta AF Minolta MF MC/MD

... and FROM MC/MD (with an adaptor with an internal lens, adding about +60% to the focal length) TO Minolta AF

I also got 49mm and 55mm lens coupling rings, and a filter ring for the reversed Minolta MF MC/MD lens - neat! I can easily add diopter closeup lenses to a reversed or coupled lens!

I don't have time to take any damn pictures - I'm playing with all these damn gadgets and writing these damn emails!

SRB Film's web page is AWFUL - they prefer to send you their obtuse but informative catalog, and let you order from there. IF you order over the internet, be aware that they have TWO email addresses, only ONE of which do they read (I'm serious!) - I got through on SRBFILM@aol.com and weborder@srbfilm.co.uk but they really only know how to read SRBFILM@aol.com (someone must have set up their web page for them and left them not knowing how to use it!). Try them all and ask them which email address they really prefer you to use?!?!?

Alternatively, you can search for other adaptor sources. I found SRB competitive with other sources, and some of their adaptors are from common sources Asia. I wish I could speak Mandarin because I found some wonderful lens adaptor web sites in Taiwan!

--
Peter Blaise Monahon

Date: Fri, 12 Jan 2001
From: "M P Brennan" mpbrennan@hotmail.com
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.medium-format
Subject: Re: Which MF for a newbie?

"Ron" rgans@nospamNyc.rr.com wrote

> I woud like to ask you more about adapters: I've been told that I can  get an
> adapter for Zeiss lenses to use on a Mamiya. Does the adapter void a
> warrenty? Is there any kind of degradation either to the lens or the image?
> Is the lens only manual focus? Are there other negative impacts? I'm sorry
> to pepper you with so many questions but the adapter seems to answer a lot
> of objections.

I can't speak for the factory but I can't imagine that they could possibly void a warranty because you used a lens that had an adapter attached to it. Besides, how would they know?

All the adapter is, is a ring that attaches to a non-Mamiya lens to give it the same bayonet mount that the Mamiya lenses have. You would then attach and unattach the lens/adapter assembly from the camera in the same way as you would with any Mamiya lens. The adapter is not a permanent part of the camera.

Ideally, you would have one adapter for each lens (for convenience), but I've got 2 adapters for 3 lenses and I share them around (they only take a few seconds to attach to another lens).

The only negative to using a lens with an adapter is that you lose auto stop-down of the aperture. Normally, when you look through a camera, the lens is wide open to give you the most light to focus with. When you depress the shutter it automatically stops down to the aperture that you selected for your exposure and then opens right back up again to compose and focus the next shot.

When you use an adapter, you manually turn the aperture ring to it's most open position. After you compose/focus you would manually turn the ring to the aperture desired for the exposure. So, basically, using a lens with an adapter adds one small step to the process.

I have found that, in most situations, I have sufficient light to focus even at around f/8. Therefore, I usually don't bother to open up/close down unless I'm shooting f/11 or beyond.

If you buy a Mamiya, you'll probably end up with a mix of Mamiya lenses and Ukrainian lenses. Think of those adapters as converting the *lenses* rather than converting the camera and that should put your mind at ease. Use of a properly made adapter will not impact your image quality at all. If it is not properly made you won't have infinity focus, so you'll be able to tell immediately.

Nearly all medium format cameras are manual focus so, in the case of the Mamiya, the adapter will have no bearing on whether or not that feature is available.

Hope this helps.

-Mike

From Leica Mailing List;
Date: Thu, 11 Jan 2001
From: Jem Kime jem.kime@cwcom.net
Subject: [Leica] Re: Canon Fish-Eye for M- Camera

Roland,

With Canon FD lenses you are almost 'home and dry'. There's an adapter that Canon made called the 'Lens Mount Converter B', this puts Canon (breechlock) lenses onto (Canon)/Leica screw mount bodies at the right distance for correct scale focusing. Add a screw to bayonet adapter and away you go.

As for 'finders, I made one from a security door viewer. they come in dfferent angles of coverage. Check to see if you need 150 or 180 degrees, (etc.) and then mount onto an old / cheap / broken accessory finder. If it's full frame you may wish to paint a black rectangle (ratio 2:3) on the front face, if its a circular image, then just leave it alone.

Ain't life fun!

Jem

From Minolta Mailing List:
Date: Sun, 07 Jan 2001
From: "Justin Bailey" red_bailey@hotmail.com
Subject: Adapting K-mount lenses (was: Tamron 180 mm (for Minolta))

Yes, there are adapters out there to allow you to use Pentax-K bayonet lenses on your manual-focus Minolta bodies (and just about anything on anything else). These have optical devices inside to compensate for the length of the adapter (else it acts like an extension tube), and often also the difference between the focusing registers (distance from lens mount flange to film plane) of the two systems. Complaints are often given that the converter construction is of poor quality, besides who wants the associated focal length extension and f-stop loss? On the more interesting subject of glass-less adapters:

The PK bayonet has the same register as the Pentax screw (M42, Praktica, universal screw ), at 45,46mm. Minolta's M-bayonet has a register of lens and Minolta body of that thickness without any optics. Any deeper, and it will need to incorporate a tele-converter to return infinity focus. Significantly, Minolta's own P-Adapter (M42 lens on M-SR body) is a successful match for M42 without additional optics, so why not one for PK, which uses the same register? There are other problems, such as the width of the mount: PK is larger than M42, but is it too large to practically adapt to M-SR?

I think it is possible to make such an adapter (PK lens on M-SR body with no converter), just that demand is low and manufacturers are lazy. Does anyone know of an industrious soul who made the leap? Maybe even one that is just slightly too thick (~5mm), that wouldn't interfere too much with focus on a long lens?

---
Justin "RED" Bailey
red_bailey@hotmail.com

From Contax Mailing List:
Date: Tue, 16 Jan 2001
From: Bob Shell bob@bobshell.com
Subject: [CONTAX] OT: CZJ on Contax

Hi all,

I just got in today's mail something I have been looking for for a long time. It's an adapter which will allow me to put Pentacon Six mount Zeiss lenses on a M-42 screw mount camera with auto diaphragm. I can also use the M-42 to Contax adapter and use my Carl Zeiss Jena lenses on my Contax RTS III. Not with auto diaphragm, but the adapter has a little lever on the bottom that you press to open the lens wide for focusing, and stops the lens down when you let go. Not as convenient, but now I have access to my 80/2.8, 120/2.8,180/2.8 and 300/4 Carl Zeiss Jena MC lenses as well as a 500/4 Prakticar. The last one is too big and heavy, so I most likely won't bother with it.

The adapter was made by Pentacon to allow use of these lenses on the old Praktica screw mount cameras, and apparently conveys aperture information to them electrically. It says "electrical" on top of the adapter, and there are three electrical contacts on the back. I'm not sure just how that part worked.

I've been looking for one of these for years since one was accidentally sold out from under me by a dealer in London. This one turned up at the Leica Shop in Vienna.

Now I gotta find the time to get out and do some shooting with this new gizmo.

Bob

From Russian Camera Mailing List:
Date: Fri, 19 Jan 2001
From: Sam McCracken SMcC@bu.edu
Subject: Re: What mount Exa?

Bill--

The Exakta mount is the original 35mm SLR mount. A narrow-throated bayonet, locked by a pin into a swivelling lever on the front of the camera. It has no built in diaphragm automation, but eventually a very clever external linkage was developed so that lenses made in the early 70s would automate properly with prewar bodies. Although the popularity of the Exakta camera led to an immense variety of lenses being made in Exakta mounts, the mount itself was not imitated by other camera makers save for Topcon. The Soviet Start, which uses a mount reminiscent of the Praktina breechlock, marries it to external diaphragm automation closely based on Schneider's Xenon 1.9/50 in Exakta mount.

Sam

...

From ROllei Mailing List:
Date: Wed, 07 Feb 2001
From: Bob Shell bob@bobshell.com
Subject: Re: [Rollei] lens adapter for SL66

Can't speak for the adapter offered, but Zorkendorfer did make them commercially and may still. Yes, Pentax 67 can focus to infinity on the SL66.

Bob

> From: " " vicmalta@earthlink.net
> Date: Tue, 6 Feb 2001
> To: rollei@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
> Subject: [Rollei] lens adapter for SL66
>
>
> A good friend of mine informed me this afternoon that, he saw
> an ad ,probably in Shutterbug, for a adapter that would allow
> Pentax 67 lenses to mount on the SL66. The price was around
> $175.00. Does anybody out there know if this is a manufactured
> item and not a "homemade". Also, I used to have a table of lens
> -       flange to film plane distances but, I'm unable to locate them.
> Would the Pentax lenses work at infinity on the Rollei?
> Rich Palmer

From Contax Mailing List;
Date: Wed, 17 Jan 2001
From: Bob Shell 76750.2717@compuserve.com
Subject: [CONTAX] OT: CZJ on Contax

Yes, Henry, full infinity focus. The Carl Zeiss Jena lenses I have were made for the Praktisix/Praktica 66/Pentacon 6/Ekakta 66 series of cameras, so there is plenty of room to put the adapter and get infinity focus.

I end up with the bonus of using one set of lenses on two different camera formats. In medium format I can use them on my Praktica 66 or, via Zorkendorfer adapter, on my Mamiya 645 camera. They also fit my Kiev 60 and Kiev 645 cameras, as well as one of my Kiev 88 bodies!!

If I pick up a nice screw mount 35mm SLR, I can use them with auto diaphragm, or on the Contax RTS III with manual diaphragm.

I like playing around with lenses like this.

Bob

From: w.j.markerink@a1.nl (Willem-Jan Markerink)
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.medium-format,rec.photo.marketplace
Date: Thu, 18 Jan 01
Subject: Re: Looking for an M42to L39 adapter

kahheng@pacific.net.sg (Tan) wrote:

>Hi, it should be "M42".
>
>I am trying to fit an enlarger lens to a M42 screw mount.
>
>Thanks!

Novoflex makes M39 adapters in both directions, in nearly every possible mount ever made....it's *the* intermediate solution if film-to-flange-distance isn't critical, it allows adapting nearly every lens to every camera (at least for macro use, or in your case, enlargers).

http://www.novoflex.de

--
Bye,

Willem-Jan Markerink

w.j.markerink@a1.nl
[note: 'a-one' & 'en-el'!]

From Rollei Mailing List;
Date: Mon, 5 Mar 2001
From: bigler@ens2m.fr
Subject: Re: [Rollei] Lens thread question : M42 vs T2

>From Richard :
> ...Is M42 thread

M42 M42x1 diameter 42 mm, thread pitch 1mm

> T-mounts?

T2 M42x0.75 diameter 42 mm thread pitch 0.75mm

To check whether you have a M42 or a T2 you need a comb-shape thread gage. Very cheap in most hardware stores. With this tool it is very easy to discriminate between a 1mm and a 0.75 mm pitch. I would not say the same if you want, with such a tool, to discriminate between a "true" M39x1 and a M39x1/26" (but the latter is so odd, actually this does not exist in the real, sensible, world ;-);-)

--
Emmanuel BIGLER
bigler@ens2m.fr

From Pentax MF Mailing List:
Date: Wed, 30 May 2001
From: Steve Dittmann sdittmann@yahoo.com
Subject: [PentaxMF] Re: Anyone tried the Hasselblad to P645 adapter ?

Ken,

For various Pentax 645 and 67 adapters, see:

http://www.cameraquest.com/inventor.htm

under "2 1/4 Adapt".

But at $275 to $325, I haven't tried them (yet).

Steve

From Contax Mailing List:
Date: Tue, 05 Jun 2001
From: Bob Shell bob@bobshell.com
Subject: Re: [CONTAX] Russian 16MM & 20MM for CONTAX!!!

> From: "Jiawei Ye" leafy@seed.net.tw
> Date: Fri, 1 Jun 2001
> Subject: Re: [CONTAX] Russian 16MM & 20MM for CONTAX!!!
>
> Bob,
>
> I recently bought a Zenitar-M 16mm directly from Russia for $88 but it
> hasn't arrived yet. Which CY->M42 adapter did you use? Is this the one:
> http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item;=1241282593
>
> Jiawei

It looks just like that one, but that eBay price is ridiculous. The adapter is a current item from Dot Line company and has a retail price of $ 12.

I bought mine from someone either on this list or on the Rollei list who is a dealer, but have forgotten who it was. I also bought another one recently for $ 10.

Bob

[Ed. note: comments on K-mount variants with Ricoh SLRs...]
From Manual SLR Mailing List:
Date: Thu, 17 May 2001
From: "JeffW." elox@HOT.rr.com
Subject: Re: [SLRMan] Hello! (?)

Ricoh cameras do use K-mount lenses. To use the Ricoh program settings you need Ricoh Program lenses (K/RP or PK/AR). There is an extra pin for the Ricoh body to read. Causes MAJOR problems when mounted on Pentax AF bodies.

Michael Henry at Michael.Henry@neis.com.au wrote:

>> To my knowledge, there is no K mount camera with spot metering, except  the
>> AF Pentaxes.
>
> The Ricoh XR-X 3PF, XR-X 3000, and XR-M all have spot-metering.
>
> http://www.ricoh-europe.com/product/content/xrx3pf/
> http://www.ricoh-europe.com/product/content/xrx3000/index.htm
> http://www.chem.helsinki.fi/~toomas/photo/ricoh-xrm-review.html
>
>
> As far as I am aware, the Ricoh cameras use an R-K mount, which
> accepts K-mount lenses. (This is something I'd like confirmed).

From Leica Topica Mailing List:
Date: Tue, 12 Jun 2001
From: "Craig Roberts" croberts@zoomtel.com
Subject: An interesting source for adaptors

Hey y'all...

A member of the Olympus list just published the name of a source in the UK for custom, one-off and unusual lens mount and filter adaptors...including some Leica items. They can manufacture, for instance, 39mm screw-in metal lens caps like the old Leitz model.

I thought you might find their site interesting.

http://www.srbfilm.co.uk/index1.html

Craig
Boston

From Kiev88 Mailing List;
Date: Tue, 26 Jun 2001
From: "Cecil Sharps" radiojerk21@yahoo.com
Subject: k88 p-6

i have one.

the arsat 30 won't work with it. stop down pin hits something.

be carefull about putting a kalienar on it.

To get the m645 1000s to work well with k88 lenses i have to use an extension tube.

From Leica Mailing List;
Date: Fri, 29 Jun 2001
From: Stephen Gandy leicanikon@earthlink.net
Subject: [Leica] Accessories for Leica RF's: Adapters, Rear Caps, Hoods, Finders ETC

I am the US importer for a line of adapters:

Use Leica M VISOFLEX lenses on your Leica R, Nikon F, Contax / Yashica, Canon EOS or Canon FD. Use the same lens or M lens head and helicals that you would mount to your Visoflex II or III, and mount it to your SLR instead: $125

SLR Lenses to Your Leica M: Canon FD, Pentax 42, Leica R, Contax / Yashica $125 ea., or Nikon F to M $99.99 (no RF coupling)

SLR Lenses to Your Leica Screw Mount: Canon FD, Pentax 42, Leica R, Contax / Yashica $125 ea., or Nikon F to M $69.99 (no RF coupling)

Set of new Non-Leica Screw Mount to Leica M Mount adapters: 3 for $100, or one for $50

...

all prices plus shipping. If adapter not in stock, can usually be shipped within two weeks

If interested, contact me off list,

Thanks

Stephen Gandy

From Leica Topica Mailing List;
Date: 3 Jul 2001
From: Doug Herr telyt@earthlink.net
Subject: Re: Adapters

Charles Cason wrote:

> Are there adapters that will allow the use of Telyt lens
> made for visoflex on the R6 body.  Excuse my sentence
> structure.
> What is the OUBIO adapter used for?
> Thanks
> Charles

Yes. The 14127 and 14167 allow the use of bayonet-mount Visoflex lenses on any Leica-R camera. OUBIO converts a thread-mount Visoflex lens to bayonet-mount. To use a thread-mount Visoflex lens on a Leica-R camera, use both OUBIO and 14127/14167.

Doug Herr
Birdman of Sacramento
http://www.wildlightphoto.com

From Rollei Mailing List;
Date: Fri, 13 Jul 2001
From: David Seifert dseifert@absolute.net
Subject: Re: [Rollei] OT Retina Reflex lenses on Voigtlander Bessamatic?

Matthew,

I have both systems and just had to take a look! The short answer is that the lens on eBay has been modified. In native trim the lenses from each system will NOT mount on the other. But they don't miss by much. Close examination of the two mounts reveals that they are nearly identical with the exception of some machining on two lobes of the bayonets. Each has a notch machined out of one lobe of the bayonette but not the same lobe. It appears that perhaps a combination mount could be made that would match up on both cameras and would therefore be universal. All the other controls are identical and it appears that register (flange to film distance) is also identical. In fact they are so close that I was able to mount the Voigtlander lenses on the metal mount in the base of the Retina lens bubbles. Interesting cameras, both! I love the feel of those babies.

Best Regards,
David Seifert

----- Original Message -----
From: "Matthew Phillips" mlphilli@hsc.vcu.edu Sent: Friday, July 13, 2001
Subject: [Rollei] OT Retina Reflex lenses on Voigtlander Bessamatic?

> This is a bit off topic and rambling, but I'm sure someone here knows:
> snip
> Anyway, I've been thinking about locating a Voigtlander
> Bessamatic to have access a wider range of fully interchangeable lenses  on
> a leaf-shuttered reflex. While trawling Ebay for Bessamatic bodies I  came
> across this item:
>
> Schneider 50/1.9 for Voigtlander Bessamatic, Item # 1254775459
>
> The accompanying photographs show a Kodak Retina Reflex lens mounted to  a
> Voigtlander Bessamatic.  I found it surprising given the historic  animous
> between Kodak Stuttgart and ZIV concerns, to say nothing of Zeiss
> Ikon/Voigtlander's tendency to whimsically develop a new lensmount
> virtually every time they trotted out a new camera line. Is it possible
> that these two camera lines - Bessamatic and Retina Reflex - share a  lens
> mount with full focus and aperture compatibility, or was this Kodak  optic
> likely modified?
>
> Cheers,
> M.Phillips

From Nikon MF Mailing List:
Date: Fri, 20 Apr 2001
From: Henry Posner/B&H; Photo-Video henryp@bhphotovideo.com
Subject: Re: Leica to Nikon LF adapter

you wrote:

>I recently came across a CRT-Nikkor 55/1.2 which I couldn't resist.
>This is an unusual, rather highly specialized lens designed to
>photograph ossiloscope displays. It has a 39mm Leica thread mount, and
>so I'm looking for an adapter to allow me to use it on my Nikon SLR's.
>Would anyone know if such adapter is still available, and where I
>might find one?

See http://www02.bhphotovideo.com/default.sph/FrameWork.class?FNC=ProductActivator__Aproductlist_html___37055___NIAELF___REG___

--
regards,
Henry Posner
Director of Sales and Training
B&H; Photo-Video, and Pro-Audio Inc.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com

From Rangefinder Mailing List;
Date: Thu, 01 Feb 2001
From: "Franka T LIEU" Franka_L@Pacific.net.hk
Subject: Re: Lens adapters

I have a couplee of these adapters and both of them seems to work well even when I stack them onto the adapter to both of my 645 ( Pentax and Mamiya ). They all focus to infinity and work just fine ( stop down of course ) Though I would not put the 150 this way.

Regarding those adapters. Are they that hard to get ! At least here in Hong Kong, I just need to haul myself to my dealer and ask for one. He usually sell the K88 to P6 adapter at around US$20 to 25 depending on the type ( different finishing ). Most of the K88 to 645 or to 35mm type adapters are retailing around $50 to $70 ea.

> I've got a question about lens adapters.  Has anyone tried using the
> Kiev88/Hassy 1000 to Pentacon/Kiev 60 adapter?  I've ordered a Kiev
> 60/Pentacon 6 to Mamiya 645 adapter so I can use my P6 mount lenses on
> my Mamiya 645J.  One of these days I'm going to get a Kiev 88 CM but
> for now, the Kiev 60 and regular Kiev 88 will have to do.  I've got
> several lenses for my Kiev 88 and would like to use them on the Kiev
> 60 and possibly on the Mamiya 645.  What I'm wondering about is will
> the Kiev 88 lenses work with two adapters on them; the Kiev88 to P6
> adapter on the lens and the P6 to Mamiya adapter on the adapter.
> Makes me wonder if the focal distance between the lens and the film
> plane will change due to having two adapters.  As an aside to this
> questions of adapters, where can I find a Kiev88 to P6 adapter?  I've
> only seen one offered in English on Ebay (the seller wants $60!).
> I've seen it offered by a German seller for DM 79 but I don't know
> about buying from someone in Germany.
>
> thanks,

From Nikon MF Mailing List:
Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2001
From: madmat@ix.netcom.com
Subject: pentax K compatibility vs nikon Re: Digest Number 1 105

--- In NikonMF@y..., "Hansen, Lars Holst" LHHansen@z... wrote:

{snip}

> When is Pentax' indexing system from? Could they have learnt from
> Nikon's mistake?

I think Nikon learned about max aperture indexing from Minolta. Look at a mid-sixties vintage Minolta MD lens and you'll see where the auto-indexing pin on the aperture ring comes from.

Canon, remember, had FL lenses, that could not communicate maximum aperture to the camera body, so their early TTL metering SLR's like the FT, TL and off-the-wall Pellix could do TTL-metering in a stop- down mode only. This was fixed when Canon introduced the FD lenses, which communicated the lens' maximum aperture so full-aperture TTL metering is possible. Canon did it in a weird fashion, IMHO, by putting a pin inside the lensmount to communicate aperture settings to the body. The Minolta MD, Nikon AI and Pentax systems are cleaner in design.

Although there are a few really strange exceptions (most notably from Fujica and Cosina/GAF), on Pentax screwmount lenses there's no way for a body to figure out what the max aperture of a lens is, so stopdown metering is a must. Pentax fixed it all in one swell foop with the K-mount.

If you want to be really confused, look at the weirdnesses of the Leicaflex R mount, and the various configurations that went through... almost as confusing as Miranda.

There were companies that got it all right to begin with, but died anyway (Tokyo Optical, or Topcon) and lots of others (Miranda, Petri, Practica, Praktina, Voigtlander, Contaflex etc. etc.) that just died. Fujica, Rollei and Mamiya have left the 35mm SLR game, as Olympus seems to be slowly doing.

Kyocera seems to have decided at long last to update the Contax- Yashica bayonet mount for autofocus, rendering past Y/C mount lenses incompatible! (I think the Contax AX was an ingenious solution for making manual focus lenses autofocus that doesn't work very well in practice!) I have a 42mm screwmount Yashica J3 somewhere amidst my collection of old SLR's.

My point in all of this is that nobody got it right in the beginning and stuck with their solution, and managed to live to see this day of auto-focus, auto-exposure, full-aperture metering and auto-diaphragm operation. For us that means the "obsolete" systems are a great bargain to the shooter as well as being curiousities for the collector. Stop down metering is not dead, and a skill that can save you some bucks on optics.

I'm going out to shoot with my Exakta Vx-IIa today... that doesn't have an eyelevel prism, instant-return mirror, built-in meter, or even an autodiaphragm mechanism in the lens. It's technology appreciation time. =)

MadMat

[Ed. note: Thanks! to Henry Posner for sharing this info on B&H;'s optical adapters, providing a reputable source for these items for buyers!]
Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2001
From: Henry Posner/B&H; Photo-Video henryp@bhphotovideo.com
To: Robert Monaghan Subject: Re: optical lens mount adapters, B&H; doesn't sell 'em, right?

you wrote:

>Pentax K to Canon FD body
>Pentax K to Nikon body
>Canon non-AF lens to Nikon body
>Canon FD lens to Nikon body

The two above are identical and we have this. It's our product code GBCANC

>Minolta AF lens to Nikon body
>Minolta MC/MD lens to Canon FD body
>Minolta MC/MD lens to Nikon body
>Olympus lens to Nikon body
>Yashica Contax lens to Nikon body
>Nikon lens to Canon AF body

We have this. It's our GBCACAFN

>Canon FD lens to Canon AF body

We have this. It's our GBCACAFC

>Minolta AF lens to Minolta MC/MD body
>Minolta AF lens to Pentax K body
>Pentax K lens to Minolta AF body

We have this. It's our GBCAMAFP

Regarding the others -- our buyer for this genre believes (and I tend to concur) that CCC's claim that they can provide them will not be borne out. He suggests you try to obtain some and let us know your success.

--
regards,
Henry Posner
Director of Sales and Training
B&H; Photo-Video, and Pro-Audio Inc.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com

From: Bob Shell bob@bobshell.com>
Delivered-To: mailing list camera-fix@yahoogroups.com
Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2001 09:41:28 -0500
Subject: [camera-fix] New US distribution for Z=?ISO-8859-1?B?9nJrZW5k9g==?=rfer

I have just heard from Herwig Zoerkendoerfer that he now has direct
USA distribution for all of his wonderful products.  If you aren't
familiar with his adapters and conversions, check out www.zoerk.com .

The new information is:

 >Zoerkendoerfer US Film + Phototechnic, 1346 W. Broadway, Eugene, OR 97402,

>phone + fax 541-687 5969, e-mail  usa@zoerk.com (Joshua Daniels).




From: jbh@magicnet.net (John Hicks)
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.medium-format
Subject: Re: Macro lens adapter for med format
Date: Wed, 28 Nov 2001 

On Wed, 28 Nov 2001 Stephe Thayer ms_stephe@excite.com> wrote:

>I just finished making an adpater

  Also, fwiw, Schneider sells an adaptor ring by which you can screw
in a standard 39mm thread enlarging lens into a #1 leaf shutter;
enlarger lenses made dandy macro lenses, plus they easy to mount in
the appropriate-size hole and held by the retaining ring.

---
John Hicks


From: bigler@ens2m.fr
Subject: Re: [Rollei] OFF-TOPIC use of a shutter-less view camera lens
To: rollei@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
Date: Tue, 15 Jan 2002 

> > "If it was in a shutter I would have said that in the 
> >ad".
> 
>   Well that sure makes it pretty useless. 

A related topic (but Rollei off-topic ;-) for which the following info
might be interesting to users of view cameras (or any kind of
do-it-yourself photographic experiment), who wish to use a M39,
shutter-less enlarging lens as a regular photographic lens to take
pictures:

I have asked SRB FILM SERVICE, UK
(http://www.srbfilm.co.uk/adaptors.htm) to make special connecting
ring for me. On one side it is a M40x0.75 male, namely the thread used
on shutters #1, to a M39X26tpi female, used on enlarging lenses. So I
mount the enlarger lens in front of a #1 shutter. I found the shutter
as a second and item in Paris. It is a nice prontor-professional
self-cocking with speeds up to 1/125s enough for what I want to do
(close-up). Older compur shutter and all modern shutters have the same
thread mounts if they have the same size # ; for example all #1
shutters have a female M40x0.75 front thread.

Now a shutter-less 150 Symmar can very probably be re-mounted on a
shutter, but the total of (shutter-less lens + shutter + having the
work done) probably exceeds the price of a used "shuttered" Symmar of
the same vintage.

-- 
Emmanuel BIGLER         
bigler@ens2m.fr>
 


To: camera-fix@yahoogroups.com>
From: Bob Shell bob@bobshell.com>
Date: Fri, 30 Nov 2001 08:14:05 -0500
Subject: Re: [camera-fix] Re: Adaptors for M42 lenses on digital cameras -
	was spotmatic battery covers


> From: "Kelvin Lee" kelvinlee@pacific.net.sg>
> Date: Fri, 30 Nov 2001 
> To: camera-fix@yahoogroups.com>
> Subject: Re: [camera-fix] Re: Adaptors for M42 lenses on digital cameras - was
> spotmatic battery covers
> 
> Yes, you can use M42 lenses on EOS bodies. That's how I got started even
> before I had an M42 body.
> 
> The issue is if the EOS D30 is so electronic that it needs the electronic
> coupling to operate.


Nope.  I'm using M42 lenses on my D30 all the time.  No problem at all,
other than dimmer viewing when you stop the lens down.  Some of the shots
I've run in Shutterbug were done with the D30 and my 200mm f/2.8 CZJ.

As soon as my machinist friend has the time to finish it, I plan to begin
using my Zeiss lenses for my RTS system on the D30 with a custom adapter.

This will save me from duplication in my lenses.

Bob



From: "Ken Rosenbaum" kenrosenbaum@accesstoledo.com>
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.35mm
Subject: Re: Pentax K adaptor problem - any ideas?
Date: Tue, 25 Dec 2001 

Tony,
Use a sharp, sturdy object, perhaps a straightened paper clip or a small
screwdriver, to push a little metal tang in the opening on one side of the
mount. Once that tang is pushed, at least on the adapter I have, the whole
thing will release from the mount of the camera just like a bayonet lens The
tang snaps into place and locks when the adapter is installed. Regards!
Ken


"Tony Spadaro" tspadaro@ncmaps.rr.com> wrote 
>   I recieved this email and have no idea what to tell him. Any Pentax users
> checking in on Christmas day?
>
> Tony,
> Sorry to bother you on Christmas Day but I'm not sure what to do.
>
> I bought my daughter a Pentax ZX10 for Christmas. She currently has a
> camera with the Pentax screw mount so I bought the adapter for M42 to
> K-mount. We but the adapter on the lens the mounted the lens on the
> camera. When we took the lens off it will unscrew from the adapter but
> the adapter seems to be locked into the camera. I have applied
> reasonable force but it will not budge, Any ideas.
>


To: camera-fix@yahoogroups.com
From: "stuey63au" madfamily@bigpond.com>
Date: Sat, 29 Dec 2001 
Subject: [camera-fix] Re: P type lens adapter, M42 to Minolta MD.

Hi Stephen,

I don't have one, but if you really want one, a place in the UK has 
many types, including the one you want I believe. For everyone out 
there, they have a large listing of adapters, many to fit M42 lenses 
to various bodies. I don't have an email address.

Keyfoto
Keith and Paul's Camera Shop
53 Ormskirk Street
St. Helens WA10 2SY

Additionally, another crowd in the UK called SRB (they promisingly 
call themselves 'The Adapter Specialist') have loads of adapters for 
all different purposes. They also have a catalogue.

SRB, 286 Leagrave Road, Luton, Bedfordshire LU3 1RB
SRBFILM@aol.com

Regards

Mark 

--- In camera-fix@y..., "aranda1984" stephen@a...> wrote:
> Greetings to all.
> 
> Would anybody have an extra lens adapter to fit a Zeiss lens with 
the 
> M42 thread mount onto my Minolta X-700 and XK cameras?
> 
> Please email me off this forum if you have what I need.
> 
> Regards and best of the New Year to all;
> 
>         Stephen I. Molnar


From russian camera mailing list:
Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2002 
From: Bob Shell bob@bobshell.com
Subject: Re: Using Pentacon-6 or screw-mount Kiev Lenses on a Pentax 645

mlee777rf at mlee777@bigpond.com wrote:

> Good morning from Melbourne, Australia
>
> Has anyone out there used an adapter that does this?
> If so, full-aperture metering and focussing maintained?
>
> Mike


Z�rk makes such an adapter.  Check www.zoerk.com for info.

I use Pentacon Six lenses on my Mamiya 645 using one of Z�rk's
adapters.  You get infinity focus, but the diaphragm is not
automatic.  The meter still works, though.


You can't use screw mount lenses on a Pentax 645 unless you
want to do extreme close ups.  Since the camera body is deeper
than a 35mm SLR it has the same effect as using extension tubes.
I know of no adapter for this fitting.

Bob

from minolta mailing list:
Date: Wed, 12 Sep 2001 
From: "Steven Van Dyke" s_van_dyke@att.net
Subject: Re: T-mount on a Minlta 505si Super

Pulled from a file I pulled down from the CompuServe Photography forum
(which you can get to via www.phototalk.com):
-----------------
USING MAXXUM CAMERAS WITH T-MOUNT TELESCOPES,
SPOTTING SCOPES, MICROSCOPES, AND NON-MAXXUM LENSES




Camera   Procedure

5000, 7000   No preparation needed to use
9000, 3000i,   T-mount lenses.
5000i, 7000i,
8000i

2xi, 3xi  Use of T-mount lenses, microscopes,
Spxi   and telescopes is not possible.


5xi   Press and hold SPOT and FUNC.
   buttons and switch from LOCK to ON.

7xi/9xi   Press and hold AEL and FUNC.
   buttons and move power switch from
   LOCK to ON.

300si   Press and hold FLASH and DRIVE/SELFTIMER
    buttons and move power switch from
    LOCK to ON. (Off appears in LCD panel)

400si
 Press and hold Drive Mode and AV buttons
   and move power switch from LOCK to ON.

600si   Press and hold the LENS RELEASE button and
   FILM SPEED button and move the power
   switch from LOCK to ON. (OFF appears in
   LCD panel)

700si   Press and hold SPOT and CARD buttons and
   move power switch from LOCK to ON.

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

The 505 isn't listed, but I think it's the same as 400.  In any case, 
you've got some things to try.

Enjoy!

Steve :->


From: Anthony Polson acpolson@hotmail.com
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.35mm
Subject: Re: Zeiss lenses on Pentax K bodies?
Date: Wed, 12 Dec 2001

ralf@free-photons.de (Ralf R. Radermacher) wrote:

> Anthony Polson acpolson@hotmail.com wrote:
>
> > These M42-to-K mount adapters were made by several companies.  The one 
I
> > have was made by Asahi Pentax themselves.
>
> Let me add a word of warning against non-Pentax adaptors. I've had to
> have the diaphragm coupling rings in both my P50 bodies replaced.
> According to the local camera repair place they had been broken by using
> a Hama M42 -> K adaptor.
>
> Consequently, I bought an original Pentax adaptor on ebay and the
> difference is obvious: while removing the Hama adaptor required a
> special tool and was a most unnerving experience, the Pentax adaptor can
> easily be removed without any tools.


Thanks Ralf, that is very useful.

--
Best regards,
Anthony Polson


From manual slr mailing list:
Date: Wed, 19 Sep 2001 
From: Gerry Young gerry.young@ntu.ac.uk
Subject: Lenses to fit all


The post from Bill Salati about T mount lenses was interesting, I have a
T mount for Leica screw thread I picked up in a junk box once, no lenses
for it though.... It has no R/F coupling of course.

Another option is the reange of lenses sold as Tamron here in the UK,
they are available in the US as well.  The manual focus ones come with
adaptors for almost anything (including Leica R)and are still being made
with some up to date designs, I have a 28 and a 70-210 zoom which get
used on Nikon and Pentax which are very good lenses.   At the University
where I work we have a whole range of them for the students, 17, 24, 90
Macro, 300 etc. and regularly change mounts over with no problems

http://www.tamron.co.uk/ for UK
and I think there is http://www.tamron.com/ for US but it won't load at
the moment

Gerry Young



From leica mailing list:
Date: Wed, 28 Nov 2001
From: Akhil Lal akhil.lal@bcc.cuny.edu
Subject: Re: [Leica] Mamiya 645 lens on Leica R

Hi Andrea,

I think you will will need the following from Novoflex:

MAMRING + CONTA


Have a look at:

 http://www.novoflex.de/english/html/products.htm

Regards,
Akhil

postscript:


Sorry, it seems that pull down menus on the adaptor page are not
correct.

It should be LEA-R+MAMRING.

Please e-mail Novoflex to be sure.

Regards,
Akhil



From Leica Mailing List
Date: Wed, 28 Nov 2001
From: John Collier jbcollier@powersurfr.com
Subject: Re: [Leica] Mamiya 645 lens on Leica R

Novoflex make an adapter to mount Mamiya 645 lenses onto a Leica R camera.

http://www.novoflex.de/english/html/products.htm

John Collier



Date: Fri, 15 Feb 2002 
From: Jan  jab@bios.de
To: rollei@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
Subject: [Rollei] SM

forgot who was asking what SM stands for, but found out and thought it's worth
telling you!

"Mamiya was founded in 1940 by the businessman Tsunejiro Sugawara and the
engineer Seichi Mamiya.

The stylized SM symbol on older Mamiya cameras stands for their initials and
not for Mamiya/Sekor"

as can be read at
http://eddy.uni-duisburg.de/joerg/allerlei/mamiya/mamiya.html

Jan



From: bachchaconne@my-deja.com
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.35mm
Subject: Re: LEICA M3 & THE EOS-1V
Date: Fri, 08 Feb 2002

Don't laugh so soon, Mr P.  Indeed they do, with full rangefinder
coupling too:

http://www.cameraquest.com/adapter.htm

In fact, Zeiss also made lenses in the Leica thread mount:
http://www.cameraquest.com/zeiss852.htm

The reverse can be done too.  On the cover of a recent Japanese book
about lens adapters, a Leitz Telyt 4/200 is mounted on a Contax SLR
(whichlooks like an RTS III).

Even Nikon lenses can be mounted on EOS bodies with the right adapter,
available in Japan, of course.

Andrew

 Jan jbp@tesco.nospam.net wrote:
>Interesting.  I didn't know Leica cameras would accept Contax lenses.
>

Even Nikon lenses can be mounted on EOS bodies with the right adapter,


from rollei mailing list:
Date: Fri, 22 Mar 2002 
From: Bob Shell bob@bobshell.com
Subject: [Rollei] FS: Contax to EOS lens adapters

I wanted for some time to be able to use my Zeiss manual focus Contax SLR
lenses on my Canon EOS camera bodies.  The only adapter I could fine was
from Taiwan, and was both overpriced and poorly made.

I decided to design my own.  Working with a friend who owns a precision
machine shop I've come up with a very well made adapter.  It maintains
infinity focus, but you use the lens stopped down to working aperture.  On
EOS bodies you can use manual or aperture priority exposure.  It works
on the EOS digital cameras as well.

I'm now taking orders for these adapters at $ 95 each, which includes
shipping to USA addresses.  Shipping to most other countries is $ 5
by airmail.  The first production run will be made at the end of this
month and shipped as soon as possible.  Thereafter we will make production
runs as often as demand justifies.

Payment by PayPal preferred, but will accept checks and money orders. Any
questions, please ask OFF LIST at  bob@bobshell.com  .

Bob Shell


From minolta mailing list:
Date: Wed, 17 Apr 2002 
From: "Carlos (Madrid)" bowman@iespana.es
Subject: Re: Minolta lenses on Leica bodies

xkaes wrote {sniped}:
> But I love my Minolta to Leica adapter.  It lets me use my Minolta macro
> lenses on my large format cameras with the addition of a Leica to Copal
> (shutter) adapter (also rare).

Interesting. Do you have any picture of that configuration, so we can see
how it looks like?

--
Carlos
(Madrid) Spain


From: "Meryl Arbing" marbing@sympatico.ca
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.35mm
Subject: Re: Adaptor for Zeiss lenses
Date: Mon, 3 Jun 2002


Found on the Contax User's Group site at BestStuff.com:

...the Contax lens to EOS body adapter is now ready to ship. The price is $
95 delivered in the USA. This allows you to use Zeiss manual focus lenses
for Contax SLRs on EOS camera bodies.

The adapter is precision machined from aircraft aluminum and black anodized.
A set screw (spare and wrench included) is used to lock the Contax lens onto
the adapter which then mounts onto the EOS body just like a Canon EOS lens.
Full infinity focus is maintained. Diaphragm operation is manual, but works
with aperture priority metering on Canon EOS bodies including the digital
SLRs.

Delivery will begin in two weeks with orders filled on a first come, first
served basis. You may pay by PayPal, check, or credit card (which will be
routed through PayPal, but you don't have to belong to PayPal to use this).

If mailing a check, please place your order via e-mail at the time you
mail the check. Checks should be sent to:

Bob Shell Ltd.
P.O. Box 808
Radford, VA 24141
USA

"Prometheus" thisguysthelimit@hotmail.com wrote
> A week or so ago there was a post with a link to a website that told about
> an adaptor for putting zeiss manual focus lenses onto Canon EOS bodies.
> I have run both a Google and a DejaNews search and could not find it. If
> anyone knows the address could you please either repost it or send it to me.
>
> Thanks.
> El Tea.



From: "David Kieltyka" daverk@msn.com
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.35mm
Subject: Re: Adaptor for Zeiss lenses
Date: Tue, 04 Jun 2002


Prometheus thisguysthelimit@hotmail.com wrote:

> Your post suggests 'locking' the adaptor to the lens prior to
> mounting on the Canon body. Is it possible to 'lock' it to the
> body and then mount whichever of my Zeiss lenses I decide
> to use?

The adapter is quite thin since the difference in register between Canon EOS
and Contax manual focus SLRs is small, no more than one or two mm. I suspect
this is why the adapter is designed to lock to the lens mount. You can ask
Bob Shell himself if it'll work okay the other way. Go to www.bobshell.com
where you'll find his e-mail address.

> It also states that 'full infinity focus is maintained'. Does this
> suggest that anything less than inifinity is not? I was
> expecting full 'through the lens' functionality, being able to
> see what is in focus etc.

No no, you get full focusing capability. Some mount adapters don't allow
focus to infinity and are intended for macro use only. This adapter lets
each lens focus throughout its range.

Here's a direct link to info on this adapter:

http://www.bobshell.com/store/products/g-adapt-01.htm

I intend to get a couple of 'em myself soon.

-Dave-


From hasselblad mailing list:
Date: Tue, 25 Jun 2002 
From: Henry Posner/B&H; Photo-Video henryp@bhphotovideo.com
Subject: [HUG] Re: want to use standard screw mount filters on Hasselblad Bay
60 and 70 lens - Adapters??

you wrote:
>Have a number of screw mount filters that I use on my Nikon system that
>I would like to use on my Hasselblad 80mm CFE f2.8 (bay 60) lens and on
>my Hasselblad 110mm f2.0 FE (bay 70) lens.  Does anyone know of adapters
>that can convert bay 60 and bay 70 lens mounts into screw mounts?

I am aware of the following adapters:
Bay 50->Bay 60
Bay 60->67
Bay 60->77
Bay 60->58
Bay 60->62
Bay 60->Bay 50
E-mail photo@bhphotovideo.com & they'll be happy to assist you.

--
regards,
Henry Posner
Director of Sales and Training
B&H; Photo-Video, and Pro-Audio Inc.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com


From hasselblad mailing list:
Date: Tue, 25 Jun 2002 
From: Evan J Dong evanjoe685@juno.com
Subject: Re: [HUG] Filters - want to use standard screw mount filters on
Hasselblad Bay 60 and 70 lens - Adapters??

J.,

My personal opinion only, but I would reccomend going for the best
adapter that will last you indefinitely.

I had personally used the off-brand adapters and ALSO the original
Hasselblad adapters.

The best choice of adapters would be in the following order:

1. Brass ring adapter from Heliopan (available as stock items from B & H
Photo)
2. Brass ring dapter form B & W ( not a stock item. Requires a special
order from B & H)
3. Hasselblad's version over the 3rd Party Vendors.

         The Hasselblad version is made better and will lineup seamlessly with
the contour of your lens.

        The Tiffen version are a Hit and Miss item. Some of their rings are well
made and others are just plain cheap in appearance and built.

For the Bay 60 filter ring = Use the Bay 60 to 67mm filter adapter.
This will lineup perfectly and WILL NOT VIGNETTE. I tiwll also allow you
to mount your lenshood or ProShade.

For the Bay 70 filter ring = Use the Bay 60 to 77mm filter adapter.
Anything smaller will vignette and bigger will not allow you to mount the
lenshood or the ProShade.

I personally use the Heliopan Bay 60 to 67mm adapter (I have 3 of them.
Expensive, but worth the price)

And for the Bay 70 lenses, I use the original Hasselblad Bay70 to 77mm
adapter.

Hope this helps,
Evan


From contax mailing list:
From: AEatArtsandMedia@aol.com
Date: Wed, 3 Jul 2002 
Subject: Re: [Contax] M42 lenses....... again

- are all M42/Contax adapter similar or i have to look for some special brand
or model?

There are two types of adaptor:

a) a Japanese silver colour adaptor sold as different brands, which has a
flange on the back end. This is OK for most M42 lenses but will NOT fit
Pentax ES lenses. You can buy this adapter and have it modified for free by
www.srbfilm.co.uk. The modification consists of removing the flange in their
workshops. They are the cheapest and most effective choice for M42 adaptors.

b) a greyish 'thin' adaptor without a flange on the back which fits any lens,
including all Pentax. Most of these are German in origin.

With both of these adaptors, note that theoretical infinity is not achieved, 
though in practice most lenses do focus on infinity. I mention this because
one or two if mine don't and some do.
> - which lenses should i look for (best performers)? I have heard that many
> CZ
> Jena are really good as well as some Pentax SMC.

Go for Pentax SMC. The range includes some really oustanding performers. I
personally own and can recommend the 135/2.5 (stunning) 85/1.8 (brilliant)
and 180/4 (very sharp). The standard lenses are excellent. My 35/2 is a bit
soft and has a curious yellow tinge, so it's probably not typical. Do a
google search for the Pentax sites - there's some reviews out there
somewhere. SMC lenses should be mostly under 100 GBP except for stuff like
the 300/4 which I also have and may sell. I have a Schneider 300/5.6 which is
slightly sharper, though of course less bright. The 300/4 is still an
excellent lens - it's just that the Schneider is excellent+ as one might
expect. 

Andy Evans


From: "Q.G. de Bakker" qnu@worldonline.nl
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.35mm
Subject: Re: carl zeiss
Date: Fri, 6 Sep 2002

Ralf R. Radermacher wrote:

> There is no such thing as a common medium format lens or lens mount.
> Each manufacturer has his own mount. The only one which to my knowledge
> can easily be adapted to the Nikon bayonet would be the Pentacon Six
> mount used on Zeiss Jena lenses as well as a number of other lenses made
> by Arsenal of Kiev, Meyer of G�rlitz, Schneider and Hartblei.
>
> This adaptor is available from a number of places, usually the various
> distributors of Kiev cameras, i.e. Mike Foreman, Kaplan, Kiev USA etc.
> U.S. readers should be able to help you with addresses or phone numbers.

Kiev makes two 'Nikon' adaptors: not just one to mount Pentacon Six/Kiev 60
mount lenses on the Nikon, but one that will allow use of Kiev 88 mount
lenses too.

Novoflex makes two-part adaptors that will allow you to use Mamiya 645 and
Hasselblad lenses on your Nikon (and other 35 mm cameras) too.
The choice widens. ;-)


[Ed. note: thanks to Walter De Groot for notes on the missing 85mm lens...]
Date: Tue, 10 Sep 2002 
From: walter de groot wdegroot@ptd.net
To: rmonagha@mail.smu.edu
Subject: fasinating!!!

My experience became INTENSE when Vivitar discontinued  the T-4 lenses and Soligar did not

I purchased several T-4 lenses at bargain prices - new

I later purchased 2 spiratone YS lenses  18? mm and 85mm ( missing from your list)
I had to send the 85 back as the adapter? had no stopdown button and exchanged it for one that did
all for my Mirands Sensorex bodies I am sad that I have been "screwed over" by the lack of px625 mercury
batteries I am upset by the price they want for the adapter to use the
silver-oxide battery ( $24.00 for a 50 cent adapter including a 20 cent diode!)


I looked at this site primarily to see if the T-4 lenses could be
adapted to a K Mount, match pointer body  i see no direct info to that effect
( one that will take an camera that uses an available battery)

I also see that the T-4 lensed will not work on a T-X adapter

As for the 2 YS lenses, I just don't know my inclination is to go to K Mount as my son has a K mount camera
( pentax Me ) and my other son is working on a DEAL  to swap an old pickup ( not running)  for a pentax K-1000 and several lanses. The pentax seems
to use a readily available battery

do you now of any realistlcly- priced sources for the adapter for cameras that used mercury batteries?
if the mirandas had the battery box in the bottom, I would attempt soldering in a shottky diode in the attaching wire
but it is in the top and I am unwilling to mess with that

wdegroot@ptd.net

[Ed. note: I pointed out tips above in postings on converting pentax K in TX mount to use
with T4 lenses; also use of LM317T style regulator with flash batteries to yield 1.35 volts
regulated to camera meter etc.]