Leica to Nikon adapter???

[danielho]

I was talking to a guy in a local camera store. He tells me that

there is an adapter for about $300 that will let me adapt my Leica M

glass for use on a Nikon...with manual everything, of course.

<p>

When hit Google for this, it doesn't look like it is possible.

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Am I missing something here?

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Thanks!

[franklin_polk]

It looks like it would be possible, with the flange to plane distance being .5mm longer for Leica than for Nikon. It does looks like the guy at your camera store is overpricing it though. Cameraquest, usually very expensive, has one for only $175, plus shipping. I would bet that you could find it on ebay for even less.

[GlennS]

I think it only work for lenses that can be used on the Visoflex. This would be the longer focal lengths (>90mm) and may require a special focus mount if the lens head has to be removed. The place with the adaptors is Stephen Gandy's CameraQuest.

http://www.cameraquest.com/index.htm

[vivek iyer]

"Leica M glass for use on a Nikon."

 

NOT A CHANCE!

[SCL]

Here's the deal....you can do it (I have been doing it for a year).<p>HOWEVER, you are limited to either 1) using Visoflex mounted lenses (65mm or greater), or) all lenses but with the inability to focus at infinity (ie only extreme macro). As noted above, Cameraquest does sell a nice adapter for this purpose.<p>

Now the partial good news. Some Nikons will allow you to use the Leica glass and provide metering. For instance my D100 won't, but my F100 will. Both will show me when focus is achieved via the infamous "dot" in the viewfinder. <P>

So, if you already have Visoflex mounts for your lenses and the specific lenses (the ones where the heads detach from the regular focusing mounts) which can be used on Visoflex....you're well positioned. <p> All said and done, I think you're better off using Nikon lenses and wouldn't invest the money to do this unless you already have most of the equipment. The saddest part of this all is that you can't use a Noctilux on a D100. Feel free to contact me offline if you want more info.

[vivek iyer]

The 65mm Elmar is a macro lens. To do macros, it would be cheaper to use nikon bellows and (the not so cheap) the super fantastic macro nikkors which are unmatched by ANY macro offerings from Zeiss or Leitz.

 

If you want infinity focusing and *normal* functions, it is hard to beat the M camera with M lenses. Why mount these on any SLRs?

[SCL]

Vivek - I agree M glass on M bodies is the ideal. But if one already has both M equipment & Nikon gear, it may be advantageous, occasionally, to cross the platform. The other arena I see as potentially useful is if one already long Telyt lenses and wants to use them on a digital camera, one can do so. It is less convenient than an auto-diaphragm, Auto Focus situation, but it allows one to use what one has without burning a second hole in the wallet.

[vivek iyer]

Stephen, Agree on that Telyts! Beg to differ on the M glass.

[mike_tokue]

As mentioned by others it is possible. I occasionaly attach some of my Leica M Glass on my

Nikon Bodies.

Link to a photo of a 9cm Elmar with visoflex focusing helicoid on my D2X.

http://static.flickr.com/32/65841684_c4baa8852f.jpg?v=0

There is also a photo of a Noctilux on the D2x in the gallery above

Mike.<div></div>

[kelly_flanigan1]

<b>The Nikon film plane to lens flange distance is 46.50mm; and 28.8mm for Leica bayonet mount (M-mount) lenses. </b><BR><BR>Thus a Leica M lens mounted on a Nikon F with a mythical zero thickness adapter will have the lens sticking out by 17.7mm too far from the film/sensor plane.<BR><BR>Thus the combo will not focus to infinity, but absurdly close. <BR><BR>The Noct I have here is 00 code on its barrel, thus a 50.0mm focal length. Add 17.7mm to this gives you 67.7mm. Plug this into the lens equation, and the focus distance becomes 191mm; ie 7.6inchs. . <BR><BR>1/50 - 1/67.7 = 1/191.243<BR><BR><BR><BR> Here I just tried the Noct on an old Nikon F; holding body to lens flange. The focus was at 9 3/4 inches from the film plane, which makes sense. Subtract 9.75 - 7.6 and you get about the focal length. <BR><BR>I guess I dont understand why using a Noct or other fast 50mm lens such a close distance makes and sense. It looks real poor even on the groundglass.<BR><BR>Using an old much slower 50mm F2 or F1.8 nikkor for the Nikon F series with a few extension rings would be a radically better lens for shooting photos 9 inches away from the film plane. thus has been done by folks 4 + decades ago, there is no 2000 dollar lens to mess with, or zero thickness adapter to fabricate. <BR><BR><BR>Maybe one could JB weld the Noct to an old Nikon F; and create a 2500 dollar macro rig that equals a Holga? :)

[kelly_flanigan1]

<b>The leica slr R mount is a distance of 47mm</b>. <BR><BR>Maybe some folks are confusing the M mount with the R mount? (Like Daniel's <i>"guy in a local camera store."</i> ?<BR><BR>@FIN

[jonas_yip1]

Well, I've used my Noct on my D1x using a simple homemade adapter. Only macro range as others have mentioned. As to why.. well, why not?

I even put one of the pix on my blog:

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<a href="http://www.jonasyip.com/pixel/index.php?showimage=24">noctilux on D1x</a>

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(For the record, I did it that one time just to try it, but haven't since. I wouldn't *buy* an adapter for this purpose...)

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j

[danielho]

Thank you all for your responses. It has been very helpful. I've done more Googling as well and thinks that my "guy in the camera shop" is thinking about R glass on a Canon body....which is to say, not exactly what I was looking for. :-)

<p>

I think I'll try with the Visoflex coupler that I have around her somewhere. Otherwise, oh well, back to putting Nikon glass on Nikon bodies and M glass on M bodies. Crazy, eh?

[steve_george3]

For those who have Viso lenses which have to utilise an OUBIO (e.g. 200mm and 280 mm Telyts) Fotodiox do an adapter which allows them to be used on Nikons using their screw hread. $89.95 from their website, and I just bought one from EBay for $51.

 

Steve