Nikon lenses on CL

[Peter-E]

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I’m just about to click ‘buy’ on a Leica CL! I have an extensive collection of Nikon lenses. Is there a way I can use these on the CL? I can see there are a number of 3rd party adapters available. Can anyone recommend any of these? And how do they work? Many thanks!

[jaapv]

If they have an aperture ring it should be possible. If you want to use the wheel for image magnification you’ll have to use the Leica L-M adapter with an M-Nikon adapter. Otherwise you will have to use the arrow buttons. 

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[Studienkamera]

I used a Micro-Nikkor 2.8/105mm AIS for a while on my CL using the adapter combination Jaap suggested. I did not enjoy it because there was always some small play in the double adapter solution. This probably only matters if relatively large lenses are used with sufficient mass to turn the adapters slightly during focusing. With smaller lenses it should be less of a problem. As a result I sold the Nikkor.

[ramarren]

1 hour ago, Peter-E said:

I’m just about to click ‘buy’ on a Leica CL! I have an extensive collection of Nikon lenses. Is there a way I can use these on the CL? I can see there are a number of 3rd party adapters available. Can anyone recommend any of these? And how do they work? Many thanks!

I mount Nikkor and other Nikon F mount lenses onto my CL using a combination of the M Adapter L from Leica and a Novoflex LEM/NIK NT or Rayqual Nikon F SLR Lens to Leica M Camera Body Lens Adapter.  Both of these are high quality adapters that fit properly with little deviation from nominal lens mount registration and no excessive play. The Novoflex adapter allows aperture control with Nikon G series lenses (that do not have an aperture ring); both of these adapters work well. 

Of course, any 'adapted' lens used on the CL means that exposures modes are limited to M and Aperture priority automatic, you must focus manually, and the lens operates with the aperture stopped down manually only—there's no auto-diaphragm operation the way there would be with a Nikon SLR body, or with native Leica L-mount lenses. Using the Leica M Adapter L as the base to which you adapt other lens mounts means that you have the best experience with the CL's focus assist magnification (it operates via the control dial rather than using the four-way controller) and you have many more choices in available lens mount adapters.

I recommend against using cheap lens mount adapters you find on Ebay for reasons of ensuring proper alignment of the adapted lens and a good, solid fit without excessive play the way a lens ought to be fitted. 

G

[pocholin]

I have adapted my F Nikon lenses to my CL, the only issue is that you must tape the Aperture lever to a set position, none of the Nikon lenses I own have manual aperture ring. Unless you find an adapter with aperture adjustment (I used to have one for my Sony E-mount to the F-Nikon lenses but the CL I found a year ago doesn't have it.

Other than that, the lenses work well, you can still use focus peak and focus zoom manually on the CL. They work well for stationary objects but there's always a softness/blurriness to moving objects.

[tommonego@gmail.com]

I have several Nikon lenses I have used on my CL, love my 105 f2.8 Micro Nikkor on the CL. I use a cheap Fotasy Nikon F to L adapter, my 2 are tight, others have had different experiences. The adapters for Nikon G lenses aren't that good, as you don't know what F stop you are on, they have graphic representation of an iris, but no real data, I have used a fotodiox adapter with a Tokina 11-16, it was frustrating. I have also used a 55 f2.8 Micro Nikkor AF, it is an early AF lens and doesn't have a a decent focusing ring. My 20mm f2.8 also works well, but I have Leica lenses to cover the focal length. I do use it with my M Leicas.

105 Micro Nikkor on a CL

 

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[BillAllen]

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Hi Peter,  got my CL w the 18 a few  months ago. I had the original back in the 70’s, and the new one is my very first digital camera. Absolutely love it. I was hoping to adapt a couple old Nikkors from that era, a 50 1.4 and a 105 2.5, to complete my kit. After checking out a number of adapters, I went with the expensive German option, appropriately enough, and got the Novoflex. Tight fit, fine looking, and even the packaging is classy.Hope you’re having fun w your CL too.

[JHPINLA]

I have various Nikon lenses which I would like to use with my CL.  I see that Novoflex have an adapter (the more expensive one)  that appears to allow Nikon E lenses to operate with some capability including AF-S (but not AF-C) but when you select CL adapters from the website it intimates that this only works for SL not CL.  I do not understand this.  Has anybody used Novoflex adapters  with CL and what functions can they access.

[JHPINLA]

Further to my query above, I wrote to Novaflex in Germany seeking clarification.  I could not understand why the CL might not work with the Novaflex SL/NIK adapter since the SL lenses work on the CL.  I still do not know the reason but for everyone's info please se the exchange. below.

 

Me: 

Web site  https://www.novoflex.de/en/products-637/lens-adapters//adapterfinder-products/camera/leica-sl-t-tl-tl2-cl-mirrorless/objectiv/38.html    shows Adapter Nikon E-type Nikkor lenses to Leica SL camera when I select Leica SL/T/TL/CL, Panasonic Lumix S1, Sigma fp. 

The result showed  SL/NIK en.

  Adapter Nikon E-type Nikkor lenses to Leica SL camera

 

This appears to specify Leica SL cameras only.   

I was specifically looking for an adapter for Leica CL.  Will this adapter work with Leica CL camera body and E-Type Nikon lenses?  If so please advise exactly which functions work for example will Auto Focus Single and Shutter Priority work as well as Aperture Priority?

Thankyou in advance

Novaflex :

Hi John,

 

Thanks for reaching out.

The SL/NIK adapter will only work with the original Leica SL.

It can't be used with the CL, TL, SL2, and other L-Mount cameras.

 

Kind regards

Martin Grahl
(Sales Manager) 

[ramarren]

These are typical foibles of adapters that have to be reverse engineered ... they often only work with the camera that they were reverse engineered with. For complex, third party adapters that support auto focus protocols between makes this seems to be very common. 

 

[oldwino]

I use a "dumb" adaptor for my Nikkor AIS lenses on my CL. Kipon brand. It works fine. The old 55/1.2 is particularly lovely on the CL. Lots of character. 

[JHPINLA]

Hi Oldwino - is that the N/G-SL which shows a ring o adjust aperture on G lenses? 

[oldwino]

5 hours ago, JHPINLA said:

Hi Oldwino - is that the N/G-SL which shows a ring o adjust aperture on G lenses? 

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Mine is the Nikon F to L mount, as I don’t have any of the G lenses, but I think this one would work well, too. 

[tommonego@gmail.com]

I have a Fotodiox for Nikon G mount lenses, it would drive me crazy because I would never know what F stop I was on the adustment ring worked too easilyseemedtomove if you breathed on it. I used it with a 11-16 Tokina, finally replaced it with an 11-23. For F mount I use a Fotasy, cheap Ebay adapter, it has worked well, mine have been tight, others have had different experiences. 

[JHPINLA]

Thanks for the rep[lies above.  Just for info I received a reply from Martin Grahl, at Novoflex in Germany, to my further query.

Me:

Hi Martin,  thankyou for your reply.  That is disappointing.  I do not understand why that should be since I thought that, if SL lenses will work on the CL, then the interface on both bodies would be the same.  Is there some difference which is not obvious?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Martin Grahl: 

Hi John,

  In fact this is not a problem of our adapter, but a problem on the firmware driving the cameras.  Sorry, that I do not have a better answer for you!

Regards, 

Martin So it looks like a "fix" is possible for the E lenses but it would have to come from Leica.

 

Edited August 2, 2021 by JHPINLA