romualdo Posted July 23, 2018 Share #1 Posted July 23, 2018 Advertisement (gone after registration) I'm interested in an Alpa Alnea model 7 with a Kern Switar 50mm f1.8 lens - has become available here I'm wondering if there is an adapter for using the lens on Leica LTM's? I can see there are adapters (Kipon, Metabones) for Leica M bodies (film & digital) Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted July 23, 2018 Posted July 23, 2018 Hi romualdo, Take a look here Kern Switar 50mm f1.8 lens - LTM adapter?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
luigi bertolotti Posted July 23, 2018 Share #2 Posted July 23, 2018 (edited) And indeed Metabones seems to had also an Alpa lens to Leica M adapter… https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/983803-REG/metabones_mb_alpa_lm_bm1_alpa_lens_to_leica.html (no more available, it looks, but some can be around…) Also Kipon looks to have one… but the real availabilty isn't clear… http://kipon.com/en/product.asp?id=83 While FotoDiox apparently lists one regularly : https://fotodioxpro.com/products/fotodiox-pro-lens-mount-adapter-alpa-35mm-slr-lens-to-leica-m-mount-rangefinder-camera-body Surely… not a high volume item… but not surprising that someone has engineered one (*) ; I'd be very curios to see how the Macro Switar (which had a very good fame, at its times) does perform on a digital M. (*) Just to make a comparision… also the Zeiss Contarex to Leica M adapters don't think are sold in thousands… but I have 3 of them, from 3 different manufacturers (Fotodiox, Metabones, Lolli) SORRY: MODS, DELETE… DIDN'T TAKE CARE HE LOOKED FOR LTM ITEMS... Edited July 23, 2018 by luigi bertolotti 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
romualdo Posted July 23, 2018 Author Share #3 Posted July 23, 2018 And indeed Metabones seems to had also an Alpa lens to Leica M adapter… https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/983803-REG/metabones_mb_alpa_lm_bm1_alpa_lens_to_leica.html (no more available, it looks, but some can be around…) Also Kipon looks to have one… but the real availabilty isn't clear… http://kipon.com/en/product.asp?id=83 While FotoDiox apparently lists one regularly : https://fotodioxpro.com/products/fotodiox-pro-lens-mount-adapter-alpa-35mm-slr-lens-to-leica-m-mount-rangefinder-camera-body Surely… not a high volume item… but not surprising that someone has engineered one (*) ; I'd be very curios to see how the Macro Switar (which had a very good fame, at its times) does perform on a digital M. (*) Just to make a comparision… also the Zeiss Contarex to Leica M adapters don't think are sold in thousands… but I have 3 of them, from 3 different manufacturers (Fotodiox, Metabones, Lolli) SORRY: MODS, DELETE… DIDN'T TAKE CARE HE LOOKED FOR LTM ITEMS... Please keep it there, it's still relevant/useful Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
willeica Posted July 23, 2018 Share #4 Posted July 23, 2018 I have never seen an adapter for using another type of lens on an LTM. For example, you can use LTM lenses on an M camera, but you cannot do this the other way around. Arranging correct movement of the rangefinder cam is, presumably, one of the major issues. I am happy to be proven wrong on this, of course. The Visoflex overcame this by using a ground glass screen for focus purposes. William Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gyoung Posted July 23, 2018 Share #5 Posted July 23, 2018 Didn't take 2 mins to find this one: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Kipon-Adapter-Alpa-Kinopik-Angenieux-Schneider-Kern-lens-to-Leica-39-L39/162258690071?hash=item25c75f2017:g:814AAOSwNSxVMg75 There are Alpa to Leica R too, and so you could do it Alpa-R-LTM Gerry 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
willeica Posted July 23, 2018 Share #6 Posted July 23, 2018 Didn't take 2 mins to find this one: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Kipon-Adapter-Alpa-Kinopik-Angenieux-Schneider-Kern-lens-to-Leica-39-L39/162258690071?hash=item25c75f2017:g:814AAOSwNSxVMg75 There are Alpa to Leica R too, and so you could do it Alpa-R-LTM Gerry Thanks Gerry. This seems to have an interesting arrangement for the rangefinder cam. Now for the big question. Are there adapters for using Leica M lenses on LTM cameras? William Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pico Posted July 23, 2018 Share #7 Posted July 23, 2018 Advertisement (gone after registration) I have never seen an adapter for using another type of lens on an LTM. For example, you can use LTM lenses on an M camera, but you cannot do this the other way around. Arranging correct movement of the rangefinder cam is, presumably, one of the major issues. I am happy to be proven wrong on this, of course. The Visoflex overcame this by using a ground glass screen for focus purposes. An aside if I may. Didn't Leica once offer a lens or two in one's choice of LTM or M? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
willeica Posted July 23, 2018 Share #8 Posted July 23, 2018 An aside if I may. Didn't Leica once offer a lens or two in one's choice of LTM or M? I have Summarits and Summarons in both LTM and M mounts. There are other differences, such as minimum focus distance. Also some early M lenses were designed as LTM lenses with an adapter fitted. If this were removed then focus issues could ensue. William 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gyoung Posted July 23, 2018 Share #9 Posted July 23, 2018 Thanks Gerry. This seems to have an interesting arrangement for the rangefinder cam. Now for the big question. Are there adapters for using Leica M lenses on LTM cameras? William I'm sure some chinese workshop with a cnc machine could turn one out but negative register would be a challenge! Gerry Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
UliWer Posted July 23, 2018 Share #10 Posted July 23, 2018 (edited) ... Are there adapters for using Leica M lenses on LTM cameras? ... No, this does not work. We need an adapter which adds one millimeter to the flange to film distance of an LTM lens to use it on an M. So the flange to film distance of an LTM-Leica is one millimeter too long for an M lens. Add an adapter and it will be much too long, so the M-lens would not focus properly on an LTM body. Edit: deleted a wrong assumption. Edited July 23, 2018 by UliWer 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
UliWer Posted July 23, 2018 Share #11 Posted July 23, 2018 Here is a link to a list with flange focal distances of different cameras: http://www.dresdner-kameras.de/objektive/auflage/auflage.html The Alpa has 37.8mm, the LTM-Leica has 28.8mm. So the adapter must add 9mm to the LTM-Leica to fulfill the needs of an Alpa lens. The Leica M has 27.8mm - nothing to add for an M lens on an LTM body. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pico Posted July 23, 2018 Share #12 Posted July 23, 2018 I have Summarits and Summarons in both LTM and M mounts. There are other differences, such as minimum focus distance. Also some early M lenses were designed as LTM lenses with an adapter fitted. If this were removed then focus issues could ensue. William Thank you. I found a beautiful 135mm Hektor in M mount, cheap. I do not see an adapter. Perhaps I'm not looking properly. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
romualdo Posted July 23, 2018 Author Share #13 Posted July 23, 2018 Didn't take 2 mins to find this one: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Kipon-Adapter-Alpa-Kinopik-Angenieux-Schneider-Kern-lens-to-Leica-39-L39/162258690071?hash=item25c75f2017:g:814AAOSwNSxVMg75 There are Alpa to Leica R too, and so you could do it Alpa-R-LTM Gerry Gerry, many thanks - the key must be the search criteria as I tried but was unsuccessful before initially posting I did end up purchasing the camera/lens so it's going to be interesting working with a camera that is BOTH a rangefinder & SLR Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JMF Posted July 24, 2018 Share #14 Posted July 24, 2018 (edited) Hi, I tried an early version of the Kipon Alpa to M adapter with a Kern Alpa 50 1.8 Macro Switar but the combo was not successfully RF calibrated on my m240 at the time. Had the lens converted to LTM by a lens expert and am very pleased by its rendering, on film or digital M bodies. https://www.facebook.com/costuas.bertrand/photos/pcb.1943510125863953/1943507995864166/?type=3&theater Here are a few shots: TriX - Leica M3 - Kern 50 1.8 LTM : street crossing by JM__, on Flickr on the Monochrom v1: Alex by JM__, on Flickr on the M10: à St Jean du Doigt by JM__, on Flickr à St Jean du Doigt by JM__, on Flickr on the SL : une promenade by JM__, on Flickr Best, JM. Edited July 24, 2018 by JMF Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wlaidlaw Posted July 24, 2018 Share #15 Posted July 24, 2018 (edited) An aside if I may. Didn't Leica once offer a lens or two in one's choice of LTM or M? The 50 Summicron V, 50 Summilux III and 35 Summicron ASPH were all available in LTM as chrome/brass special editions in 1999, sold almost wholly in Japan. I have the first two. They were made in tiny numbers, supposedly the 50 LTM Summilux, less than 500 lenses. Oddly the f2 Summicron is heavier than the f1.4 Summilux. These as far as I am aware were the very last LTM lenses made by Leica. Wilson PS Amedeo Muscelli makes a Contax RF to LTM adapter. Edited July 24, 2018 by wlaidlaw Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gyoung Posted July 24, 2018 Share #16 Posted July 24, 2018 I've also said before, that in the late 60s when I worked for a Leica dealer in Montreal, we were offered LTM versions of any Midland made lenses to special order. So 35mm Summicrons and Summiluxs at least I think. I can't remember whether we sold many, its a long time ago and it didn't seem important to me then, I much preferred my M3 to the 'Barnacks', nostalgia hadn't set in yet! Gerry 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
luigi bertolotti Posted July 24, 2018 Share #17 Posted July 24, 2018 I've also said before, that in the late 60s when I worked for a Leica dealer in Montreal, we were offered LTM versions of any Midland made lenses to special order. So 35mm Summicrons and Summiluxs at least I think... Gerry I remember distinctly to have seen a Summilux 35 chrome in LTM... not for sale… in some printed magazine. several years ago... Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wlaidlaw Posted July 24, 2018 Share #18 Posted July 24, 2018 (edited) I remember distinctly to have seen a Summilux 35 chrome in LTM... not for sale… in some printed magazine. several years ago... One like this? Wilson Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Edited July 24, 2018 by wlaidlaw Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/286850-kern-switar-50mm-f18-lens-ltm-adapter/?do=findComment&comment=3560999'>More sharing options...
pico Posted July 24, 2018 Share #19 Posted July 24, 2018 Thanks. I got a 135mm Hektor in M mount (for $35). I guess it was common. A 50mm Summilux LTM would be heaven! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
luigi bertolotti Posted July 24, 2018 Share #20 Posted July 24, 2018 One like this? Wilson Summilux 35mm, not 50 … and clearly of the very first type (I remember it had a "normal" number… 1.6xx or 1.7xxx.xxx) 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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