Yashica FR1 and M42 lenses?

<p>New here, just had a simple question...<br>

First off, Amateur alert...<br>

I bought an adapter so I can mount M42 lenses onto my Yashica FR-1 camera which has a C/Y mount. The M42 lenses I have are older Yashinon and Tamron lenses. Before I use anything, I want to know if these would work properly together. The aperture range indicator in the FR-1 viewfinder does not function with the M42 lenses attached but the light meter still appears to work.<br>

Thanks</p>

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<p>They should work properly in the sense that they should focus properly to infinity and you will need to determine proper exposure by stopping down the lenses to your shooting aperture, unless you plan to both meter and shoot wide open. I've used lots of old M42 lenses via adapters on C/Y mount bodies.</p>

<p>First off, does the adapter depress the aperture control pin on the back of the M42 "Auto" lenses so that the aperture can be controlled by rotating the aperture ring when the lens is mounted on the camera? Some older M42 lenses have a manual/auto switch which bypasses this requirement, and the old pre-set lenses are obviously OK. It would appear that your adapter is unable to act as a replacement for the mechanism that stops the lens down immediately prior to exposure, so you'll have to focus and then stop the lens down manually. As you'be observed, the camera cannot "read" the apertures on the M42 lens.</p>

<p>When it comes to metering with the FR1, I've not discovered a "stop-down" metering mode. In manual mode the camera continues to meter as intended with readings at full aperture, "reading" the pre-set aperture from the rear of the C/Y lens and indicating a suitable shutter speed. (Obviously, you can alter the aperture to gain a desired shutter speed.) Stopping down the lens by using the depth-of-field preview button during metering produces wildly inaccurate readings. Someone may know a way around this, but I suspect you may have to resort to using an external light meter and setting both aperture and shutter speeds manually on the camera.</p>

<p>Thanks for the replies<br>

Rick,<br>

Yes, I can adjust the aperture of the M42 lenses using the ring when they are attached to the adapter and camera. It only allows the aperture to fully open or close while the lens is set on the Manual mode.<br>

Also, looking in the viewfinder of the FR1 while adjusting the aperture of the M42 lens appears to have the same effect of holding down the DOF preview button when I have a C/Y lens on, in that the view "lightens" or "darkens" depending on how I have the aperture set. With the C/Y lens, it does not do that unless the DOF preview is held down. <br>

Interestingly, despite what I said above, the C/Y lens and the M42 lens show the same meter readings when the two lenses were set at the same aperture. It's handy that I was using almost identical lenses for the experiment (Yashica/Yashinon 50mm), one obviously being older and the mounts different. </p>

<p>I would not expect an on-camera depth-of-field preview button to do anything useful with an adapted lens -- but you can do your own preview by simply stopping down the lens with the aperture ring. You should see the viewfinder darkening, etc. as you do this, you may need to toggle that auto/manual switch Rick mentioned if it is not darkening.</p>

<p>I would have thought that absent a C/Y lens telling the body how to stop down it would have metered the light it sees, disengaging the aperture simulator. It would be the photographer's responsibility to stop the lens down before shooting. It may meter OK in aperture-priority mode, though you'd probably want to open up the aperture for focusing, then stop down, check for acceptable shutter speed, then take picture.</p>

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<p>Some of the off brand adapters can be difficult to use. I have one which seems OK. In the early 1970s Mamiya made an interesting adapter for its Auto XTL camera. It was called the P adapter and allowed the use of M42 lenses on the bayonet mount Auto XTL. In addition to allowing for correct infinity focus it allowed stop down metering as well as auto diaphragm operation. Mamiya kept the bar which pushes forward and presses against the aperture pin on the M42 lenses even though the bayonet mount lenses don't make use of it. This means that you can use any M42 lenses with a stop down pin even if there is not Auto/Manual switch. When I use M42 lenses with a Y/C or Minolta or Canon adapter, they must have an A/M switch or have pre-set or fully manual aperture mechanisms. </p>