M8 and screwmount (LTM) lenses?

[sgilder]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

I'm thinking about getting a 2nd hand M8 approx 6-8 months from now. I'll definitely be getting a film M of some kind at some point as well (thinking CL, CLE, M-4p or m5). I was wondering if anyone has had any luck using screwmount lenses with an adapter on their M8? I know some of the 3rd party ltm lenses are highly regarded, and for the most part are much less expensive than a leica M equivalent lens. Any thoughts? It'd be nice to build up a small collection of lenses that would work well with a film M and the M8. Are there any LTM's that just don't work well on the M8? I'm thinking some of the collapsible versions, but what else? What adapters seem to work best?

Thanks for your advice.

Sean

[Advertisement]

The Leica Q3 is available for pre-order at B&H Photo Video and Adorama

[stunsworth]

Provided the adaptor and lens are within spec, and you are using the correct adaptor for the lens, there shouldn't be a problem - if there is a problem I'd expect it to be with Russian lenses.

 

I've used adaptors by Leica Voigtlander and John Milich. John's adaptors have the advantage that they can be coded to match the lens you are using.

[UliWer]

For adapters: look for the original Leica adapters; people here in the forum say that the Chinese produced cheep ones are not very good.

 

Leica has been producing M-Mount lenses for more than 50 years now and you find at least three older version from each type with bayonet. The 2.8/35mm Summaron is still a lens you can use today if the optics is in good shape (the screw-mount version is much rarer and more expansive).

 

The 28mm Summaron was only produced as screw-mount, and it is one of the smallest lenses you can get for a Leica, and still not bad today Though with an original sunshade it will cost you as much as a good secondhand 2.8/28 asph. - and the Summaron has only f: 5.6...

 

Or the classical 50-Elmar: you get the M-Mount 3.5/50 cheaper than a good red-scale screw-mount, and it goes easier on your findernails, if you want to change the aperture...

 

As much as I like to use old screw-mount lenses with the M8 one cannot really commend them for every day use. A Summar to make some experiments with on the odd Sunday may be fun, but I wouldn't take it for the holidays.

[rjans]

I'm using on some CV lenses the CV type II adapters. These type II adapters have a small recess, just like the latest new CV VM mount lenses and are easy to code with the M Coder kit. Works fine. There are 3 different CV type II adapters depending on the focal op the lens and to bring the correct bright lines up in the viewfinder. Have a look at FOR SALE or Voigtlander Screw to M-Bayonet Adaptor | . Hope this may help you.

Best

[andym911]

as indicated by earlier posts use the original Leica adapters, they work perfectly for all screw thread lenses I have tried.I use the 35 and 50 adapter daily.

I don't however use 3rd party lenses but they should all work fine with the adapter.Maybe someone else can confirm this.

 

I rarely have any other lenses on my M8 other than 35 and 50 mm Elmar LTM and the 28 Summaron.

They are my most used lenses, I can imagine that some people would not use them as their standard lenses as they are technically not up to todays spec, but it is a matter of taste.

 

Most of the older LTM have lower contrast which suits digital capture very very well in my view, post procesing can change the look as you wish.

 

Have fun with the LTM they are a dream on the M8,

 

Cheers

 

Andy

[jsrockit]

I'm using a summar 5 cm with a voigtlander adapter... and it works perfect on my M8. It is silly to say that only Leica adapters work.

[luigi bertolotti]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

3 examples of interesting lenses you can have only in SM :

- 28 Summaron f 5,6 : supercompact fine lens, not too costly, no problem with UVIR

- Summarex 85 f 1,5 : costly, heavy, supertasty, UVIR filter to be found outside Leica.

- Elmar 90 f4 old 4 elements design : dirty cheap, good value, beware of UVIR filter

[bono0272]

Gentlemen I have a question: I have a Summaron 28mm F5.6 screw mount, but with the Voigtlander Type II adaptor does not work with this lens since the lens has an infinite lock.

 

Which adaptor should I use? Is it a Voigtlander Type I or I have to give up inifinite while using this lens?

 

Thanks in advanced.

[Guest mc_k]

I have about the same question...how do you tell the difference between a type I and type II adapter, and why does an infinity lock not work on type II, according to Cameraquest?

[Mark_Schretlen]

It is fairly simple to tell whether your LTM lens needs a "type I" adapter (in CV termiology). Look at your lens from the side as you depress the infinity lock; if the lock moves to at-or-below the screw mount plane, you will need a type I adapter. Fortunately the most common LTM adapter style is the "type I" which has a cutout specifically for infinity locks. Most people keep the lock depressed through the entire length of travel from infinity to near-focus even though only a short travel is required to unlock infinity. With the arrival of the M8 (and M9) the infinity lock cutout of the "type I" adapter also cuts out the portion of the adapter where a lens would be coded. "Type II" adapters don't have the cutout so that they can be hand-coded for the M8 and M9; a groove in the "type II" adapter is designed to make the hand-coding less susceptible to wearing off with constant lens mounting/dismounting.

 

Just because a lens has an infinity lock does not mean that it will not work with a "type II" adapter. If the depressed infinity lock does not go at or below the plane of the screw mount, the infinity lock will not bind when using the "type II" adapter.

 

I have two Nikkor LTM 35s - the 35/2.5 requires a "type I" style adapter while my 35/1.8 works with both "type I" and "type II" adapters as the infinity lock sits about 4mm above the plane of the adapter.

 

There is something most satisfying, perhaps magical, with the ability to use a 50 year old lens on a modern digital camera.

[Guest mc_k]

Thanks very much for the info... apparently I have a type I adapter, as about 2/5 of the way around is cut out.

[Guest mc_k]

...Most people keep the lock depressed through the entire length of travel from infinity to near-focus even though only a short travel is required to unlock infinity...

 

I am a little afraid of bending it on the really old lenses, as you see a lot of bent ones. For me, it's a lot of trouble quick focusing with this type of lens if there is just the infinity-lock tab, and no additional knurled ring. I take it most people use one finger and roll it into position. (?) In portrait mode it's maybe not so easy; I use thumb and index finger.