65 Elmar Visoflex lens on Leica M?

[rafael_macia]

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I now have a Leica M, and would like to be able to use my Visoflex lenses on it.

For the 400 and 560 Telyts, I have an R tube which would only need the Leica R to M adapter.

Ok.

But how would I use the 65 Elmar Visoflex lens, in it's focussing mount on the Leica M ?

 

Information is much appreciated !

thanks,

 

Rafael

[k-hawinkler]

Hi Rafael,

 

I believe there are 3 options.

 

1) You could use a Visoflex with mirror in up position.

2) There are two different older Leitz adapters that combined add up to the correct spacing.

3) I have seen somebody on the Internet offering a newly made tube but I forgot the name.

 

Good luck with getting more info.

 

BTW, which version of the lens do you have?

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[ghammer]

I now have a Leica M, and would like to be able to use my Visoflex lenses on it.

For the 400 and 560 Telyts, I have an R tube which would only need the Leica R to M adapter.

Ok.

But how would I use the 65 Elmar Visoflex lens, in it's focussing mount on the Leica M ?

 

Information is much appreciated !

thanks,

 

Rafael

 

The new LEM/VIS adapter made by Novoflex is what you need.

 

Regards

[k-hawinkler]

The new LEM/VIS adapter made by Novoflex is what you need.

 

Regards

 

 

Thanks. That's the one I had noticed before.

[Michael Geschlecht]

Hello Everybody,

 

Welcome to the Forum ghammer.

 

The Visoflex II, IIa & III all have a thickness of 41mm.

 

In order to add additional length to the 16464 & 65mm lens combination you could simply add a 25mm, 16471 extension tube between the lens & the focussing mechanism. The 16464 itself has a focussing mount that adds an additional 25mm when fully extended. Then simply make up the difference of 16mm needed to get to Infinity by turning the focussing barrel. This still leaves 9mm of focussing extension which would allow you to focus to an Image/Object ratio of about 1 : 7 without additional extension tubes. This will give you continuous focussing from Infinity all the way to an about 18cm X 27cm subject. You could then add additional 16471's to get even closer.

 

Another option is to use any "M" mount 41mm extension tube, or combination of tubes totaling 41mm, between the 16464 & the "M" to come up to or near the measured thickness of a Visoflex II, IIa or III. You could then use this with the 16464 focussing mount of the 65mm lens in order to be able to focus from Infinity. If your tube or combination of extension tubes is under 41mm then there is still plenty of room for compensation to come to Infinity since the focus travel of the 16464 is 25mm.

 

If you do not need to begin focus at Infinity then the extension tube(s) can be longer than 41mm.

 

In order to focus even closer, of course, you can add more "M" mount extension tubes of various lengths between the 16464 & the "M" or you can add 16471 tubes between the 65mm lens & the focussing mount. Or any combination of the 2.

 

Best Regards,

 

Michael

[rafael_macia]

Hi Rafael,

 

I believe there are 3 options.

 

1) You could use a Visoflex with mirror in up position.

2) There are two different older Leitz adapters that combined add up to the correct spacing.

3) I have seen somebody on the Internet offering a newly made tube but I forgot the name.

 

Good luck with getting more info.

 

BTW, which version of the lens do you have?

 

Luckily the black version.... it's a kind of special lens.

 

And all other suggestions ......... super interesting !

I have I have 16471 extension tubes. ....... what a great trick! Thanks Michael !!

[henning]

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In order to add additional length to the 16464 & 65mm lens combination you could simply add a 25mm, 16471 extension tube between the lens & the focussing mechanism. The 16464 itself has a focussing mount that adds an additional 25mm when fully extended. Then simply make up the difference of 16mm needed to get to Infinity by turning the focussing barrel. This still leaves 9mm of focussing extension which would allow you to focus to an Image/Object ratio of about 1 : 7 without additional extension tubes. This will give you continuous focussing from Infinity all the way to an about 18cm X 27cm subject. You could then add additional 16471's to get even closer.

 

Another option is to use any "M" mount 41mm extension tube, or combination of tubes totaling 41mm, between the 16464 & the "M" to come up to or near the measured thickness of a Visoflex II, IIa or III. You could then use this with the 16464 focussing mount of the 65mm lens in order to be able to focus from Infinity. If your tube or combination of extension tubes is under 41mm then there is still plenty of room for compensation to come to Infinity since the focus travel of the 16464 is 25mm.

 

Best Regards,

 

Michael

 

The 16464 doesn't mount directly on an M body very well. It does actually mount on the M240 as opposed to most previous bodies where it didn't mount at all, but it still interferes enough with the release button so that it doesn't lock. The easiest solution is to mount a 16469Y between the body and the 16464, but they aren't always that easy to come by.

 

My solution is hardly easier to come by, but it's more versatile:

 

The 65 Elmar mounts on the 16464, that goes on a 16596 (I believe, as it isn't marked) Leica M to Leica Thread Mount adapter, that goes into a Pentax A (Leica LTM to M42) adapter, that goes into a Pentax macro focussing helicoid, that into a Pentax B (Pentax M42 to Leica LTM) adapter and that into a Leica LTM to Leica M adapter. Total thickness from the back of the 16464 to Leica M mount is 39mm, so slightly less than a Viso II or III. This means that infinity focus is readily achievable, and I can focus a lot closer with the two helicoids than with just the 16464. It is also lighter than the 14127 (Viso to Leica R) adapter plus any Leica R to Leica M adapter.

 

Over the last 50 years I have bought and sold many cameras and lenses, but I have never sold an adapter. This pays off over time. :-)

 

I can of course also use the Bellows II instead of the 16464 and focus even closer, but still to infinity.

 

Henning

[elgenper]

…..

 

I can of course also use the Bellows II instead of the 16464 and focus even closer, but still to infinity.

 

Henning

 

 

DON´T ever mount the Bellows II directly onto the M 240 body (or any M body)! It will fit, and lock in place, but will cover the bayonet release button so well that one cannot reach it to release the bellows again! A genuine Moment 22 situation...

[henning]

DON´T ever mount the Bellows II directly onto the M 240 body (or any M body)! It will fit, and lock in place, but will cover the bayonet release button so well that one cannot reach it to release the bellows again! A genuine Moment 22 situation...

 

Of course don't mount it directly. Actually, the M is one of the only bodies that will accept the Bellows directly, but it will not lock. Earlier bodies have the guard ring around the release button too high so that the bellows will not mount, or with film bodies, the release button is too high to allow mounting.

 

There might be differences in the bodies, but mounting the bellows on my M depresses the release button, as it sits higher than the flange or guard ring, and the bellows has essentially only one large flat plane at the back. So while the bellows can be mounted, it can't be locked.

 

Best thing is to use a short extension; whatever is available up to 41mm in thickness. I use the 16469Y extension ring.

 

Henning

[swamiji]

Well you can use the Leica M to R adapter (or the novoflex) and the Leica R to Visoflex adapter (14127 & 14167).

 

That would give you the exact spacing.

[ayewing]

I encountered this problem when I tried to use visoflex lenses on my Ricoh GXR with M mount camera unit in the days before the M240 was released. I had a 41mm spacer specially made and this worked well with the Elmar 65mm lens used with the OTZFO (16464) focusing mount. Now that Novoflex make the LEM/VIS spacer that is the way to go.

 

I hand coded my spacer as a R to M adapter so on the M240 you get the R lens menu which corresponds more closely to the Visoflex lenses than the M lenses. I think the LEM/VIS has been reported as being easy to hand code.