The Market for Leica Screw Mount Adapters?

[stephengilbert]

Maybe this is an aberration, but a 90cm Leica screw mount adapter that I was looking at sold for $170 on eBay today. eBay: OEM Leitz Screw Mount Lens Adapter 4 Leica M2 / M3 90mm (item 300100463520 end time Apr-17-07 17:51:44 PDT)

Now why is it that I don't want a CV adapter? Are they harder (or impossible) to code?

Steve

[george]

The cv adapter I have for my cv15, and possibly others made by Cosina - has a cutout where the 6 bit codes should go. This cutout leaves half the code sensors exposed. This makes coding the adapter with a marker or by tools impossible. Sorry, I am looking for a Leitz adapter, and a real good way to mount filters on this lens.

[gogopix]

some of the Leitz also have cut outs. The issue is also for collectors, not users . They want the original product, and are willing to pay.

[sean_reid]

Actually, the price is probably driven up primarily by people who are hand-coding adapters. The market price of these used to be about $50. That has increased steadily as more and more people realize their value for the M8 and LTM lenses. I'm sorry to see the prices get so high but its the law of supply and demand.

Cheers,

Sean

[gwelland]

I thought my bidnip at $120 was going to be silly (stupid actually) money on that one but heck I'd like to code my CV15 - I didn't even get a look in. I'm sure Sean is correct that it's M8 folks wanting to code lens vs collectors. Collectors are prepared to wait ... (mostly).

Why do the WA Leitz and CV adapters have the narrower ring along the bottom right anyway?

[nerve]

yes, i was one of those guys!! i went up to 135 $, but the guy who won the bidding already put a high limit 4-5 days ago.. no matter what i did, didnt work, lol!

since the shippment and insurance costs add at least another 100$ Dollars for India,
(i am in Delhi) i gave it up..(wouldnt mind if i were in the US though)

seems like the winning guy is collecting all other old Leitz adapters in ebay as well..

[j. borger]

Just to ease your mind ... i already payed Euro 90 for a LNIB Leica screw to M adaptor some years ago .. some time before the M8 was even anounced.
THat was a very normal price at the time from reputable dealers in 2nd hand Leica gear in Europe ...... E-bay aside ....

[doubice]

Originally Posted by gwelland

Why do the WA Leitz and CV adapters have the narrower ring along the bottom right anyway?

The cut-out dates to the times when Leica (and Canon) thread mount lenses had an infinity lock. As this lock was only on lenses shorter than 50mm, the cut-out was not necessary on the 90mm adapter.

The infinity lock had to be pushed down towards the camera, and the cutout provided clearance. If you owned an old Leitz Elmar 50mm or 35mm (and other lenses so designed), you would not be able to get the lens off their infinity settings without the cut-out in the adapter.

I thought I was a fool when I paid US$85 for one of those adapters on eBay about a month ago....... Fortunately, I'll be able to ride out the price surge - being a pack rat I have about four or five of those 90mm adapters; as was mentioned on this forum many times - never sell a piece of Leica gear unless you absolutely have to.

There are many sellers on eBay who sell these adapters, not just Voigtlander/Cosina. I am surprised that all these adapters still have the cut-out - these guys should realize that the cut-out is not only not needed anymore, it is not wanted. What remains to be seen though is the quality of these new adapters, as they all come out of China.

Just my 2 cents.....

Jan

[doubice]

Originally Posted by j. borger

Just to ease your mind ... i already payed Euro 90 for a LNIB Leica screw to M adaptor some years ago .. some time before the M8 was even anounced.
THat was a very normal price at the time from reputable dealers in 2nd hand Leica gear in Europe ...... E-bay aside ....

Actually, the adapters did indeed sell for close to US$100 up until about five years ago. When Voigtlander/Cosina brought out theirs at a much cheaper price, the selling prices of the original Leitz adapters dropped to about US$50.

That is what they still sell for, the only exception of course being the adapters without the cut-out.

Jan

[finkaudio]

Originally Posted by j. borger

Just to ease your mind ... i already payed Euro 90 for a LNIB Leica screw to M adaptor some years ago .. some time before the M8 was even anounced.
THat was a very normal price at the time from reputable dealers in 2nd hand Leica gear in Europe ...... E-bay aside ....

I bought 4 of the old ones recently and paid max 65€ for the most expensive ones. Lucky me .

But I'm sure, one day we will see new adapter with the correct coding area attached.
If I would have a little bit more time, I would go to China and make good copies of the old adapter with a recessed area for a coding sticker to get around the patent issue.

I was hoping CV would do such an new adapter, but from the 3 or 4 words I got back from Cameraquest I could guess they are not doing anything.

At least that would be a nice support for their own customers using M8.

On the other hands, CV is moving everything to M-Mount more or less, so it's only a question of time that LTM lenses are out of production.

It's funny to read a lot about people asking Leica supporting an "open" coding system, but I read nothing about asking ZEISS or CV offering mounts with a "special" area that could be used as a coding area. You just need the sensor area recessed to give spacce for the Sharpie or a sticker.


Best regards


Karl-Heinz

[nerve]

"..It's funny to read a lot about people asking Leica supporting an "open" coding system, but I read nothing about asking ZEISS or CV offering mounts with a "special" area that could be used as a coding area. You just need the sensor area recessed to give spacce for the Sharpie or a sticker."

this is a very true observation..rather than asking for an "open" coding system, it would be much more pragmatic for us to ask for an extra space on any mount.. nothing is illegal about this afterall, and it will also promote ZEISS or CV lens sales imho..

cheers.

[wlaidlaw]

The original Leica type mounts cannot be that difficult or expensive to make. I would have thought it would an excellent training exercise for Leica apprentices to be put to work, churning a few hundred of these out on a turret/capstan lathe plus milling machine. Leica could then sell them at close to the eBay prices = higher profits for them and a service to Leica users.

Wilson

[Ludwig der 13te]

eBay: Adapterring für Leica 28mm Objektiv an Leica M Kamera (Artikel 130101623997 endet 21.04.07 17:20:47 MESZ)

I payed via PayPal and 7 days later the item arrived in Berlin. We should ask them to leave away the cutout.

Cheers
Ludwig

[gravastar]

Originally Posted by wlaidlaw

The original Leica type mounts cannot be that difficult or expensive to make. I would have thought it would an excellent training exercise for Leica apprentices to be put to work, churning a few hundred of these out on a turret/capstan lathe plus milling machine. Leica could then sell them at close to the eBay prices = higher profits for them and a service to Leica users.

Wilson

I believe the apprentices are employed making the special tools for servicing Leica equipment. Those tools are then sold to the various service agencies. That's why the tools are so expensive for an individual to buy.

Bob.

[mr_big]

$170.00!!! My source was still selling them for $45.00, at least that's what I paid 3 weeks ago. Unfortunately I bought the last of their stock.

[rvaubel]

Fellow self coders
I'm really surprised that some enterprising Chinese sweat shop hasn't started marketing these at a $100 a pop. There must be a pretty substantial market for the no cut out models and they could keep selling them as a standard adapter after that, no reason anyone needs the cut-out. Its hard to believe that someone hasn't jumped on this bandwagon. A little guy with a CNC lathe and a mill could stand to make a couple of thousands of these things.

Rex