M42 thread lenses

[Imageryone]

Could I also suggest a hunt through the local charity shops? Some real bargains to be found there

[Minniesmum]

Originally Posted by Imageryone

Could I also suggest a hunt through the local charity shops? Some real bargains to be found there

Totally agree Got a Pentacon and a Helios for £1. each recently !

[scrote]

Originally Posted by bredman

I'm impatiently waiting for a good manufacturer to make an M42 focal reducer (i have a few M42s). Pls hurry up Metabones.

Are the Chinese ones from eBay @£60ish not any good? I was about to buy one as that was all I could find..... Cheers

[Jim Ford]

I had a silver Helios on a mid 60's Zenit (non instant return mirror!). It was very sharp, which unfortunately set my expectations for later lenses. The Zeiss Tessar that I had on an Exacta was very poor in comparison!

Jim

[Petrochemist]

Originally Posted by Harold Gough

It's easy to adapt M39 to M42, widening your scope.

Harold

The usefulness of that depends on the M39 lens.

There where at least 3 M39 mounts, with the registration not standardized on the earliest. Leica used 39mm by 26 tpi (LTM) which apparently mounts on a M39x1 metric thread. Canon used a 39mm 24tpi thread for some of their early lenses.
Many M39 lenses were rangefinder lenses which have to be mounted much closer to the sensor than M42 lenses, if you want infinity focus. Dedicated adapters for these are of course available for MFT.

IIRC all my M39 lenses are actually enlarger lenses, so have no focusing mechanism of their own. I use them with bellows or a helicoid to focus. I can manage infinity focus with all of mine via some combination of adapters but they're generally not challenging focal lengths, but the longest one, either 150mm or 210mm (not sure of the mount of the 210) would be extremely unwieldy and might need two sets of bellows for portrait distances.

[Harold Gough]

Originally Posted by Petrochemist

The usefulness of that depends on the M39 lens.

There where at least 3 M39 mounts, with the registration not standardized on the earliest. Leica used 39mm by 26 tpi (LTM) which apparently mounts on a M39x1 metric thread. Canon used a 39mm 24tpi thread for some of their early lenses.
Many M39 lenses were rangefinder lenses which have to be mounted much closer to the sensor than M42 lenses, if you want infinity focus. Dedicated adapters for these are of course available for MFT.

IIRC all my M39 lenses are actually enlarger lenses, so have no focusing mechanism of their own. I use them with bellows or a helicoid to focus. I can manage infinity focus with all of mine via some combination of adapters but they're generally not challenging focal lengths, but the longest one, either 150mm or 210mm (not sure of the mount of the 210) would be extremely unwieldy and might need two sets of bellows for portrait distances.

Interesting. I may have been lucky. I have some current/recent Schneider HM enlarger lenses in M39. The closest I have in Leitz is a Photar with M40 mount.

I use mine for macro, with one or two helicoids*. My 40mm is always used reversed, so the M42 thread of the adapter is just useful for a cap. That lens gives a pretty go image at distance (m4/3 only) and is stellar for macro, mostly used at FOV 6mm wide. Reversed, it gives reflections off the sensor if you don't insert e.g. a x1.5 TC with a curved rear surface.

The 90mm has a medium format image circle, useful on shift or tilt adapters.

* I also sometimes use the OM film system telescopic tubes (one or two), currently allocated to my Printing-Nikkor 150mm.

Harold

[Petrochemist]

Originally Posted by Harold Gough

Interesting. I may have been lucky. I have some current/recent Schneider HM enlarger lenses in M39. The closest I have in Leitz is a Photar with M40 mount.

I use mine for macro, with one or two helicoids*. My 40mm is always used reversed, so the M42 thread of the adapter is just useful for a cap. That lens gives a pretty go image at distance (m4/3 only) and is stellar for macro, mostly used at FOV 6mm wide. Reversed, it gives reflections off the sensor if you don't insert e.g. a x1.5 TC with a curved rear surface.

The 90mm has a medium format image circle, useful on shift or tilt adapters.

* I also sometimes use the OM film system telescopic tubes (one or two), currently allocated to my Printing-Nikkor 150mm.

Harold

Seems I was wrong about my 2 long enlarger lenses neither are M39 (one is M42 the other has both 45mm & 51mm threads I think both will cover 5x4.

In case it's of use:
The zenith M39x1 lenses reputably have a registration of 45.2mm, while the Leica M39x26tpi uses 28.8mm.
I've heard that most enlarger lenses use the Leica thread, but with both threads being so similar they could be M39x1. Their registration varies with focal length. Sadly they all seem to have different filter threads (or none at all) those I've been able to identify the threads on have been very obscure threads like 34.5x0.5 on my 80mm El-Nikkor. This can make reverse mounting them challenging...

[Harold Gough]

Originally Posted by Petrochemist

Seems I was wrong about my 2 long enlarger lenses neither are M39 (one is M42 the other has both 45mm & 51mm threads I think both will cover 5x4.

In case it's of use:
The zenith M39x1 lenses reputably have a registration of 45.2mm, while the Leica M39x26tpi uses 28.8mm.
I've heard that most enlarger lenses use the Leica thread, but with both threads being so similar they could be M39x1. Their registration varies with focal length. Sadly they all seem to have different filter threads (or none at all) those I've been able to identify the threads on have been very obscure threads like 34.5x0.5 on my 80mm El-Nikkor. This can make reverse mounting them challenging...

This may help:

http://www.photomacrography.net/foru...ic.php?t=11710

Harold

[Petrochemist]

Originally Posted by Harold Gough

This may help:

http://www.photomacrography.net/foru...ic.php?t=11710

Harold

I there might be a few there that aren't on my existing tables,

They seem to have the standard filter threads missing from their selection. As in the text most are Mnn X0.75, but smaller ones use 0.5 pitch and they don't have a simple change over. IIRC there is at least a simple cut of for the point where 1mm pitch is used. (Can't remember exactly where I'd guess at ~82mm) I've not yet seen a full listing of threads for the old series filters.

Knowing the correct thread is often on part of the problem finding affordable adapters is stage 2 (not many options around for the El Nikkor 34.5, and none of them were cheap...)

[Harold Gough]

Originally Posted by Petrochemist

finding affordable adapters is stage 2 (not many options around for the El Nikkor 34.5, and none of them were cheap...)

I will leave what you call affordable to you but rafcameras on Ebay has extensive stock and made a thread converter for me for about £25. He is based in Russia.

Harold