M39/aps c

[Indeepthought]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Some friends including myself are interested in using a screw thread Leica 50mm on a non Leica aps c body.. Purely for the experience.. All comments, thoughts and views welcomed. Regards 🍷

[Advertisement]

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

[pgk]

Very straightforward. I use an M to (in my case) Sony adapter, and then use LTM lenses via a screw to M adapter. These adapters are pretty cheap on ebay and using both gives versatility should an M lens ever be used too. Many older lenses have their best performance centrally so should give great results on aps bodies (I don't have any).

[mujk]

I have the same combination, but have not used it for years. If you have a collapsible lens, make sure it is never collapsed.

Edited March 10, 2024 by mujk

[spydrxx]

I've been doing that for years, both on an Olympus E-Pl2 and a Sony A7Rii. Overall it has been terrific. Furthermore, not owning a digital Leica, it is a great way to experiment with a variety of both Leica and other mfr's lenses.

[dpitt]

In general I get better results with Leica R lenses on other brands, compared to M lenses. Certainly for wides, with R lenses you get the same look without possible edge issues and at a lower price...

Also, for R lenses you are not limited to the 0.7 or 1m minimal focus distance.
So unless you are after a particular pre-60s look or you have this LTM lens anyway for use on Leica camera's, I would look at the R range first.

[oldwino]

I occasionally use some of my LTM lenses on my Nikon Zfc. It’s fun and gives you a look no modern lens can match. 

[Indeepthought]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Aloha, I really appreciate all the comments and advice. It’s an itch a few of us want to scratch.. Regards 🍷

[alemartinezc]

I have recently  bought a Nikon Z5 and have some LTM and M lenses. I know there are some adapters to fit those lenses on that camera. Do you know about the brands that work better?  What about the focus? How do you set the camera?  And lots of similar questions. 

[Anbaric]

I guess you already have an APS-C body in mind, and it's mirrorless (rather than an SLR, which wouldn't work because of the flange focal distance)? Otherwise there are some pretty reasonably priced full-frame mirrorless bodies where you wouldn't be cropping down the angle of view.

[Indeepthought]

18 minutes ago, alemartinezc said:

I have recently  bought a Nikon Z5 and have some LTM and M lenses. I know there are some adapters to fit those lenses on that camera. Do you know about the brands that work better?  What about the focus? How do you set the camera?  And lots of similar questions. 

I’m new to this, I imagine that Manual set up including focusing is the only way to go. We are a few old fuddy duddies who just want play around and experiment with old lenses and new sensors.. Good Luck.

[Indeepthought]

1 minute ago, Anbaric said:

I guess you already have an APS-C body in mind, and it's mirrorless (rather than an SLR, which wouldn't work because of the flange focal distance)? Otherwise there are some pretty reasonably priced full-frame mirrorless bodies where you wouldn't be cropping down the angle of view.

Thanks for the info, I’m just gathering info, my theory is that the older lenses will be better in the center and therefore considered using APS C. 🍻

[TomB_tx]

I’ve used Leica lenses from the 1930s on a Sony A7 body with good results. Due to the Sony sensor design the edges get color shifts and blurry with wide angles (and some with 50mm) but no issues with longer lenses. The A7 body is quite cheap used. People complain about the menus, but get it set up and don’t mess with the menus and have fun. Cheap adapters easy to get.

[dpitt]

7 hours ago, Indeepthought said:

Thanks for the info, I’m just gathering info, my theory is that the older lenses will be better in the center and therefore considered using APS C. 🍻

It is actually the other way around. Older lenses were not as good as their center performance towards the edges. Newer lenses still are, but to a lesser degree. But even if you compare the center part only, there is an evolution in IQ, both on sharpness and contrast, as well as on distortion and CA.

There is a continuous improvement in the center from the early 30s until the early 80s with the last pre-ASPH lenses. Then there is a clear difference in contrast and DOF with the ASPH versions. Sometimes the pre-ASPH versions render more pleasing to the eye. So, in a sense it can be a matter of preference and taste once you compare the summum of pre-ASPH design with later evolutions.

Also, you can see that the most of the evolution with the fastest lenses. The Summar 50 F2.0 was considered extremely fast when introduced in 1933, and now it is 'only' the norm for primes. So, wide open, the Summar feels to me like the Summilux pre-ASPH designed 20 years later. And my Summilux 35 TL ASPH L mount APS-C (50eq) lens now performs better at F1.4 than any Summicron pre-ASPH at F2.0.

Of course some issues are more pronounced at the edges of FF, which you will crop off with MFT and to lesser degree with APS-C. All these characteristics can be seen on MFT sensor formats, so it is inherent to the design of the lenses.

Edited March 12, 2024 by dpitt

[pgk]

15 hours ago, alemartinezc said:

I have recently  bought a Nikon Z5 and have some LTM and M lenses. I know there are some adapters to fit those lenses on that camera. Do you know about the brands that work better?  What about the focus? How do you set the camera?  And lots of similar questions. 

I have found Metabones to be good but they are not that cheap. For Nikon Z you would need:

https://www.metabones.com/products/details/MB_LM-NZ-BT1 and one or more of the LTM to M adapters:

https://www.metabones.com/products/?c=leica-m-system which will allow you to use both LTM and M lenses.

For focus I 'zoom' in using the focus magnifier function (I'm using Sony and I'm assuming this is available on Nikon Z) and I generally shoot manual for exposure, although its very easy to switch to Aperture Priority and let the camera sort out the exposure instead.

[Indeepthought]

Chose a 35mm Summaron with caps and hood. Urth adapter (L to M39).. 😑

[willeica]

On 3/10/2024 at 10:28 AM, pgk said:

Very straightforward. I use an M to (in my case) Sony adapter, and then use LTM lenses via a screw to M adapter. These adapters are pretty cheap on ebay and using both gives versatility should an M lens ever be used too. Many older lenses have their best performance centrally so should give great results on aps bodies (I don't have any).

I've been doing this kind of thing for years, plus some weird experiments on bellows with pre-Leica Leitz lenses such as the Mikro-Summar which was used on the Ur-Leica.  I've also gone the other way and put early British Dallmeyer and Ross lenses on an M10. You don't do this sort of thing for everyday photography, just for fun and the 'difference'. I would suggest that rear screen focus eliminates any focus issues as you are looking at what the sensor sees. Central sharpness/ Edge unsharpness can be used as 'features' rather than 'issues', as can 'swirly bokeh'. Colour shifts are easily fixed in Lightroom/Photoshop/Color Efex or 'whatever you are having yourself' as we say where I come from.  If it still bothers you, convert to B+W. And, yes, don't collapse a collapsible, lens even if someone else tells you that you can do this. 

Follow those guidelines and have fun!

William 

Edited March 13, 2024 by willeica

[spydrxx]

Just a thought - you commented on manual focus, but there is an autofocus option if you use a Sony A7R series body. There is a Techart autofocus adapter for Leica M lenses (or LTM lenses with an M ring) instead of the regular Leica M or LTM to Sony adapter. I got one out of curiosity and found that it works generally well with 50mm lenses, OK with 35mm and 75-90mm lenses. It relies on either contrast detection or phase contrast (I can't remember which), and you have to make sure your camera is properly set up to work.