Help: M42 Mount Adaptor for Exakta lenses

I am bidding on an adaptor (hopefully not against a photo.net colleague) that

appears to screw into an M42 camera such as my Praktica FX2. I hope that it

would allow use of my older Exakta lenses on the Praktica.

 

I found a couple of internet references to the distance between the film plane

and the lens. It leads me to believe that either an Exakta-to-M42 adaptor or an

M42-to-Exakta would not allow focus to infinity for some lenses.

 

I believe that there are pitfalls here beyond my ken.

 

Can anyone advise on any "gotchas" or disadvantages to buying an Exakta-to-M42

adaptor?

 

M

Pentax bodies are a millimeter thicker than Ekakta bodies. Also, the diameter of the lens mounts is almost equal, so an adapter would probably have to be 8 millimeters or thicker. Very macro.

 

There are adapters for both Pentax (M42) and Ekakta for the old Canon breech-lock mount. Canon AV-1's are dirt cheap, fine cameras, and being aperture priority auto-exposure, well-suited for "preset" lenses. The Exacta adapter (Canon Adapter E) is moderately scarce, might well cost more than the AV-1!

 

There's also an Exakta adapters for Minolta and Konica SLR's.

 

Of course, there are also Exakta adapters for Olympus Pen F, and 4/3 System DSLRs. But these both have "serious" crop factors!

Of course...darn it, I didn't think that I must factor in the depth of the mount itself. Thank you.

the old mirandas had 2 exactsa adapters 1- permitted preset lenses

in normal position and did focus to infinity.

the other more rare adapter put the lens in a semi-inverted position so the PAD -external diaphragm lenses would line up with the right hand shutter release on the miranda. miranda had a rh shutter button exacta had thirs on the left side. all these lenses, as well as m42 and nikon f lenses with the now rare adapters, would focus to infinity but were manual diaphragm

there was a rumor that there existed a miranda to m42 auto diaphragm adapter but it was never sold.

the miranda had a large 44mm threaded mount and a shallow 4 claw .

external male bayonet. all mirandas, except the UK m42 and k mount models used the same mount. a sensomat would use stop down ttl metering. the bodies were decent and should be inexpensive. use hearing aid cells not alkaline cells.

Its best to use lenses made for a camera and forget all about adapters! The only adapters that are worth using in my opinion are the Vivitar T4 or Tamron adaptall adapters and for those you need the lenses designed to accept the adapter.

I don't know if I'd agree entirely with that view, David. Sometimes, adaptors are a good way of moving from one system to another. The Canon Eos system, famously, accepts almost every other SLR's lenses with simple adaptors. If, like myself, you have a number of good lenses from another system, adaptors let you use those lenses until you feel ready to buy the 'correct' lenses for the camera.

 

Ivor Matanle, in his book 'Collecting and Using Classic Cameras' recommends the practice, saying "It is advisable not to be a purist about the enjoyment of classic cameras" and illustrates the point by mounting a Tamron 17mm on an Alpa via a Nikon to Alpa adaptor.<div></div>

Interesting question, Mark. There certainly was an Exa that used the M42 mount rather than the usual same bayonet one on Exaktas, but was there an adaptor .......... ? Dunno. Logic suggests that any adaptor that allows lens type A to fit camera mount B, is going to have problems focussing for infinity because of the extra space needed to get such a setup squeezed in to the same space as the original setup.

 

However, Walter D. has already beaten me to the punch regarding Miranda lens adaptors, of which I have two of the Exakta-to-Miranda type plus several M42 and a couple of Nikon-Miranda ones too. (Still looking for the mythical Leica-to-Miranda one, though!). These could give normal infinity focussing on SLRs because of the unique Miranda dual-mount system. In fact, I only recently demonstrated this unique aspect of Mirandas to our WA Cam Coll Club, when I took along a 1959-ish Miranda B along with a similar vintage F2 Zeiss Biotar APD lens from an Exakta VX11a plus one of those miracle adaptors. Trust me, it focussed perfectly but

the Exakta and Miranda semi-auto PAD/APD plumbing connections are on different sides unfortunately.

 

Miranda did also make a range of M42 lens mount "TM" Models, in Miranda, Soligor and Pallas TM guise. I've got the two former - still looking for the last one to finish my collection. The M42 screw thread used is different from the M44 one used in dual-mount Mirandas, and I'm not aware of any adaptors from Miranda made for it. I guess they thought there were already enough M42 lenses around, or they wouldn't have made it in the first place!

 

Thoughts come to mind of using two adaptors, one M42-M44 plus another M44-Exakta, but surely these would then lose the infinity setting because of the extra width used? Good luck anyway!

I see that the price of the Exakta adaptor is now approaching that of an Exakta, so problem solved.

 

Thanks for insights

The M42 Exas did not use any adapters, their mount plate was adopted for direct M42 use.

 

In the world of DSLRs, Exakta lenses can achieve focus to infinity w/o additional optical elements with 4/3 cameras only, thanks to this system's short register distance. Exakta-to-EOS adapters exist, but they are expensive and AFAIK only achieve "99% infinity focus".

 

There's a forum for geeks who like using old manual focus lenses with modern cameras that you may find useful: http://oomz.net/mf/index.php

Mark - was this the one you were talking about?

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300070326815&ssPageName=ADME:B:WNA:US:12

 

These things are rare and sought after, I have been trying to get the Minolta made Exakta lens to a MD body adapter however they also retail well over $100. I have an adapter for Konica FS mount made by Konica however it is not being used now as I did not know that the Konica FS mount was incompatible witht he KONICA AR mount.

Yep, that's the one. I was going to drop a sawbuck on it, I figured. But seventy-five smackers! Wow.

 

M

yes, people have gone absolutely nuts; I saw a kodak 35 go for over 48 bucks, geez.

I wouldn't be surprised if that Exakta to M42 mount adapter on eBay was really the head of an extension tube set. Maybe it's really M42 threads, and maybe it isn't...

I recently found a Minolta-made Exakta to Minolta adapter ina box of misc. parts. Very cool. I'm trying ot out today with a Steniheil 100mm 3.5 Cassarit lens on my X-700.