Confused about extension tubes

[dant]

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Is this what I get to use M lenses on the M240 for closeups?

 

Novoflex Adapter Set for Visoflex II/III to Leica M LEM/VIS II

[Bill W]

Good question and I am curious myself. I am going to guess this will not accomplish what you are asking about. But I may be wrong.

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[DigitalHeMan]

Basically you just need extension between the lens flange and the lens in order to focus closer. As the description says "In addition, the extension rings of the adapter set can be combined for close focusing with non-Visoflex lenses." However personally I would look at the new Leica macro adapter.

 

Of course anything you do choose to use will have to be used with live view and not the optical viewfinder.

[DMJ]

The Novoflex Adapter Set Visoflex II/III does work & is beautifully made. I have one but have not spent enough time playing with it yet. The whole subject has been talked about earlier this year (need to search) - the discussion was about Leica OUFRO's & then this Novoflex adapter appeared.

 

There is a YouTube review:

 

[luigi bertolotti]

The Novoflex adapter is worth its price only if you want to use (in non Macro range) the Visoflex II/III lenses (65mm and over) , or the Visoflex I lenses too, provided you have also the OUBIO adapter (I have just used it with my Telyt 200).

 

If you simply search extension for standard lenses in macro mode, the OUFRO or chinese copy of it is good, light, stackable and costs less (even in q.ty 2 or 3)

I have a pair of them : very effective with Summicron 50 or Summarit 75.

.

[DMJ]

The Novoflex gives 0.28:1 - 0.84:1 (so not true 1:1 macro but none of the other Leica offerings new or old achieve this - I stand to be corrected) depending on how many of the 'rings' you use. I have played with it with my 50mm Apo Summicron attached & you can get very close shots. It is all on live view & there is no 6-bit recognition, but you can get within a few cms (not just 70cm). The YouTube link I posted sums it up nicely. I paid about £160 in the UK.

[John Black]

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Having used the tubes & adapters, it can be alot of stacking and unstacking to get the right close-up factor and DOF. I cannot imagine trying to do this outdoors with things in moving in the wind as such. I gave up on it. If I were going down that path again -

 

1) I'd looking into the new macro adapter to understand how that works with other lenses.

2) Just buy an SLR macro lens & adapter, then use Live / EVF

 

Either way the EVF or LV is needed, so #2 is probably the most cost effective route. I "gave up" on tubes and now the 75mm Summicron-M APO. With its .7 M focus distance, it has a semi decent magnification factor. Not macro territory by any stretch of the imagination, but generally enough magnification for my needs.

 

It's certainly possible to do macro work with a rangefinder, but the camera is going to make you work to get the shot.

[FlashGordonPhotography]

I have the Novoflex tubes. Yes you can use them for close up work on the M240.

 

A 50mm lens with all the tubes gives 0.84x, so a bit short of life-size. Put a 35mm on there and life-size is easy.

 

I keep mine in my bag just in case.

 

Gordon

[tobey bilek]

Standard lenses have very short subject to front element distances. This makes lighting difficult. Wide lenses are even worse.

 

In addition, being able to achieve focus does not mean top quality will be obtained. The best lenses are 65,90, 135 made years ago or 60 2.8 R or 100 2.8 R. The last is king of the hill.

Add the macro elmar for 1:2 to 1:1 range. Do not use tubes with this lens.

 

Lenses are computed to work best a certain distances and when you exit design range, quality is usually lost.

 

The two element close up elmars are better than tubes and they are computed to work with certain lenses. Do not adapt the series ones such as 7 to E55 lens as the spacing is wrong.

[JohnJWhite]

It will work, but your lenses will be rotated a bit counterclockwise (looking from the front) since the three screw sections are a bit too long. The more sections you use, the more counterclockwise the lens will be.

 

Not a problem really, unless you want to use the Bellows M. Since this item replaces the Visoflex, it's exactly the same thickness with all three screw sections attached. So any lens you could use with the Visoflex will work on the M 240. But when you mount the bellows on your tripod with the bellows horizontal, the camera will be rotated by about 30 degrees or so.

[ayewing]

I think Chris Tribble found a possible solution to this problem http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/leica-m-type-240/326437-close-ups-my-m-240-a-2.html#post2699110

[farnz]

… Not a problem really, unless you want to use the Bellows M. Since this item replaces the Visoflex, it's exactly the same thickness with all three screw sections attached. So any lens you could use with the Visoflex will work on the M 240. But when you mount the bellows on your tripod with the bellows horizontal, the camera will be rotated by about 30 degrees or so.

Warning! Don't mount your Bellows-M directly to your M240 or the base will cover the lens release button and will prevent the Bellows-M from being detached. Detachment in this instance will required the Bellows-M to be dismantled to obtain access to the lens release button accompanied by some unprintable words. (Ask me how I know this … )

 

Pete.

[Desmoprem]

Warning! Don't mount your Bellows-M directly to your M240 or the base will cover the lens release button and will prevent the Bellows-M from being detached. Detachment in this instance will required the Bellows-M to be dismantled to obtain access to the lens release button accompanied by some unprintable words. (Ask me how I know this … )

 

Pete.

 

Pete, I know how you know this as I know it from experience too.  However, when I mounted my M-bellows to my M-10, and realizing what I had just done when I heard it click into place, I found that there was room enough for me to slide my letter opener between the bellows and the lens release button and easily depress said button to remove the bellows.  Needless to say, out of fear of becoming solely a macro photographer, I never mounted the bellows to my M10 again and sold it to avoid all temptation.  Now, for the next trick...finding one of the Leica M-mount macro adapters in stock someplace.

[luigi bertolotti]

Pete, I know how you know this as I know it from experience too.  However, when I mounted my M-bellows to my M-10, and realizing what I had just done when I heard it click into place, I found that there was room enough for me to slide my letter opener between the bellows and the lens release button and easily depress said button to remove the bellows.  Needless to say, out of fear of becoming solely a macro photographer, I never mounted the bellows to my M10 again and sold it to avoid all temptation.  Now, for the next trick...finding one of the Leica M-mount macro adapters in stock someplace.

Sold the Bellows M ? Radical solution...  : indeed any chinese OUFRO-like spacer solves the issue with around 50 Euros cost... for tripod usage, the Bellows M is still a very appreciable set...

Edited December 23, 2017 by luigi bertolotti

[luigi bertolotti]

To illustrate...

 

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(the rotation needed to mount the camera isn't a problem... but you cannot switch to vertical : for this purpose, you must stack spacers or use a "long" tube like Novoflex LEM/VIS or even a TXBOO/TZOON...)

Edited December 23, 2017 by luigi bertolotti

[Herr Barnack]

Is this what I get to use M lenses on the M240 for closeups?

 

Novoflex Adapter Set for Visoflex II/III to Leica M LEM/VIS II

 

Yes, that's what you need.  You will also want to think about getting the Cross Q focusing rack:  https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/379022-REG/Novoflex_CROSS_Q_CROSS_Q_Castel_Cross_Q_Focusing_Rack.html

 

I have the extension tubes and the focusing rack; they are excellent for macro work.  As Flash Gordon observes, a 50mm lens will give you 0.84:1 which is near to life size.  I have used the extension tubes with my 90 Summicron lens and gotten good results. 

 

When you add the extension tubes to the equation, you must use the EVF for focusing; DOF becomes paper thin.

[farnz]

Pete, I know how you know this as I know it from experience too.  However, when I mounted my M-bellows to my M-10, and realizing what I had just done when I heard it click into place, I found that there was room enough for me to slide my letter opener between the bellows and the lens release button and easily depress said button to remove the bellows.  Needless to say, out of fear of becoming solely a macro photographer, I never mounted the bellows to my M10 again and sold it to avoid all temptation.  Now, for the next trick...finding one of the Leica M-mount macro adapters in stock someplace.

 

Hi, Des,

 

My warning was about the M240 (the M10 was still a well-kept Leica secret at the time).  The M10's release button is slightly different from the M240's - you can see see it in Luigi's photo - the M240's has a collar around it which perfectly fills the gap between the body and the Bellows 2 and prevents letter openers or any other lever from being used.  As Luigi mentions, the introduction of an OUFRO provides sufficient space to operate the button.  

 

The collar around the M10's lens release button is much less prominent and, as you pointed out, will allow a letter opener to operate thee button.

 

Pete.

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And there's what appears to be an elevated lens mount on the M10 which makes a nice gap between the bellows and the camera body.