Miranda-to-M42 Adapter Question

[leigh_marrin]

I recently found a very clean Miranda C body for $10.00. On eBay I recently bought an adapter for it to use M42 lenses. The adapter mates

to the Miranda with the bayonet mount, but the adapter's bayonet locking latch interferes with all of my M42 lenses. I can't mount any of

them, except for a skinny M42 extension tube. I can remove the locking latch, as the adapter is a tight friction fit on the Miranda body, but

am I missing something obvious? The locking latch simply does not travel enough to mount even a small lens like a Takumar 35mm f3.5.

[paul_wheatland]

<p>That adapter is meant only to mount ancient manual and preset lenses made for early East German cameras, like Praktiflex and other named cameras that did not have provision for automatic stop down when releasing the shutter. Hope this helps!</p>

[leigh_marrin]

Paul, after reading your reply, I tried the adapter with my preset 58mm f2 Helios from a Zenit, and it fits fits fine. Infinity

focus is OK also, so I can at least use it with one lens without busting off the locking latch. So thanks for the suggestion.

[mark_medin]

<p>Is this an OEM Miranda PM adapter, or an aftermarket one? I've seen aftermarket ones that aren't suited for Pentax lenses.</p>

[leigh_marrin]

Mark, I don't know if it is OEM or aftermarket. It is used and only marked "Japan" and seems very well made. I've seen an

identical one selling on eBay for a BIN price of a whopping $100, but I only paid $20.00. Does the original Miranda adapter

have a brand or part number on it?

[peter_naylor1]

<p>Hi, Leigh Firstly, congratulations on getting a Miranda C body for only ten bucks - that's quite a find. I still wince at how much I had to pay for my various early Mirandas, especially the 'C'! ....</p>

<p>OK, regarding the M42/Miranda adapter ID'ing, AFAIK the kosher item should read 'PM MIRANDA JAPAN'. Well, it certainly does on the two of them in my collection. I fitted one of these to my Miranda C's body, and both an M42 Zeiss Biotar and a KMZ Helios then fitted without any fouling problems - and focussed just fine too.</p>

<p>ID'ing a genuine Miranda lens adaptor compared to an after-market OEM item is not as easy as it should be, maybe because the Miranda Camera Co outsourced them. So, for example, the two 'Nikon-Miranda' adaptors I have - both in original Miranda blue boxes, by the way - look totally different. One is all-chrome with only 'Japan' for identification, and has an M44 screw-thread for the Miranda body, but t'other is in black and chrome and has 'NM Adapter Japan' with a female Miranda bayonet mount. </p>

<p>Just for laughs, I fitted the latter lens adapter to my c. 1956 Miranda T's body, and hooked it up with the Nikkor 28mm F3.5 from my c. 1970 Nikomat FTn. It fitted and focussed perfectly! I've also fitted an Exakta-Miranda adapter to my Miranda C in the past, and hooked it up to the Zeiss Biotar from a VX11a - once again, with no focussing problems. However, Craig Holmes from the Miranda Historical Society warns of possible troubles with aligning this or that lens, especially when their ages differ. So it might just be that your Takumar is one of the ones that don't wanna play ball .... (Pete In Perth)</p>

[leigh_marrin]

Peter, thanks for the reply. With your Miranda "PM" adapter can you mount modern M42 lenses without its locking latch

jamming against the lens body? Thus far I can only use a preset Helios with my "JAPAN"-marked adapter. While my Miranda C body is in great shape, it does have the wrong viewfinder. The finder is from a later Miranda FtV, and has a klugey uncoupled CdS meter. Another question: on the Miranda A-F series, are the unmetered finders essentially identical? I'd like to find the correct finder for my Miranda C.

[mark_medin]

<p>Peter,<br>

The most amusing Miranda adapter I've gotten was an aftermarket Minolta-to-Miranda adapter. It's 46mm threaded and won't focus to infinity (I knew it when I got it - it was just too thick), but it's nice to have for closeup photos with the extension tubes, as it's not that easy to find the bellows or Miranda macro lenses. The only one I've lost out on consistently is the Nikon-to-Miranda adapter, which everyone seems to want.</p>

<p>Leigh,<br>

The prism you want is the plain one with the Miranda that's not in capital letters. It was used up to the D series, I believe. If you have a T prism, you might be able to trade or sell it, as people with Miranda G bodies like the T prism, though it's been a rare one that worked. They're worse than Nikon F meter prisms for going bad.</p>

[peter_naylor1]

<p>Hi, Leigh and Mark Good to see there's still some of us Miranda collectors and users out there! OK, now regarding the fouling problem with M42 lenses, I'm afraid I don't have all that many of them these days, though I once had a Spotmatic F outfit with several SMC Takumar lenses. That was until I got offered a nice Diax collection in exchange, but that's another story ... The few M42 lenses I do have all work fine without fouling the locking catch on the M42/Miranda adaptor, but that's likely just the luck of the draw as all have narrow throats before widening out for focussing plumbing etc.</p>

<p>I'm just wondering if you might be better off trying to locate one of the M42/Miranda adaptors that consists of an M44 male thread and M42 female thread. These don't have any external lock, of course, so your fouling problems would be solved. I've got one somewhere, but I can't locate it at the moment.</p>

<p>Regarding the 'correct' pentaprism for the 'C', Mark is right that it should be the type reading 'Miranda' and not 'MIRANDA', although both will work equally fine. Avoid the wider ones for the Automex/Sensorex bodies, because they're too wide and won't fit. BTW, I agree with Mark about Miranda metered prisms, whether the earlier non-TTL 'M' type or the later TTL 'T' type. Even if they DO work - and one of mine still does, remarkably - they are virtually impossible to use unless you either have really good close-up eyesight or carry a loupe around, because the aperture and speed scales are so damn small.</p>

<p>Perhaps you should consider joining the Yahoo Miranda Group, which has amassed quite a lot of useful information including IBs for downloading. Here's the link:</p>

<p> <a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mirandacollectors/">http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mirandacollectors/</a></p>

<p>PETE IN PERTH</p>

[max_steinhardt]

<p>I had the same problem with an after market Miranda mount->m42 adapter. The only marking on mine is the word Japan. I ended up taking my adapter apart and removing the clip. I then took the clip and carefully cut off the part that catches on the bayonet with a hacksaw as close as I could get to the pin that holds the spring. Then I reassembled the adapter rings and held the remainder of the clip in place while wrapping the whole thing in electrical tape.</p>

<p>Long story short, it looks terrible but works... sorta (i have to use a key to wedge the clip open and get the adapter off and hold the clip down when mounting lenses). From what I've seen, the OEM adapter (which is labeled Miranda) is a lot nicer because the clip lever is the same width as the adapter and juts out from the side, rather than stick out on top. Unfortunately, The OEM adapter is rare and usually goes for way too much money.</p>

[leigh_marrin]

Mark, Peter and Max, thanks for all the information. I'll look for a plain prism finder for my Miranda C with the lower case letters. Max, I've

been considering grinding off the offending tab on my adapter, so I may follow your example. Miranda adapters have really gotten pricey!

One of the eBay stores is selling the original Miranda "PM" adapter for $150, so I'll happily make do with my aftermarket adapter. FWIW, I

really am impressed with the fit and finish on my Miranda C body, although its incorrect F-series finder does not quite seem so well made. It

also has a very quiet shutter and mirror. And I'll join the Miranda Yahoo collectors group; thanks for the link.

[walter_degroot]

<p>I was going thru boxes looking for my PM adapter.and to try it with a m42 auto lens.<br>

My memory is that the adapter I have has the sideways button. I have a NM black and chrome.<br>

and a XM? exacta adapter. i always wanted an AXM adapter but wonder if the xm adapter will work with auto exacta lenses.<br>

I also have a black miranda body flange. I made flash brackets as I could not afford them.<br>

Someone who didn't know what he had sold a SB 135mm and bellows.<br>

it turned out to be a Miranda T mount so it can be used on other bellows as well.<br>

and an adapter to use 39mm enlarger lenses.<br>

There WAS a Miranda bayonet t adapter sold by spiratone.</p>

<p> </p>