Adapter for Minolta Lenses for Leica R Cameras

[mark_morgan4]

<p>Does anyone know if there's an adapter available that will allow me to use Minolta lenses on my Leica R camera (R6)?</p>

[dave_s]

<p>I don't know if such an adapter exists, but there wouldn't be much market for it, and you would probably want to avoid it.</p>

<p>The problem you face is that the registration distance for Minolta (manual and AF) lenses is shorter than the corresponding dimensions of a Leica R camera. This basically means that the lens focuses in front of the film plane, like it's near-sighted. You wouldn't be able to focus the lens on distant subjects like landscapes, although you could take close-ups.</p>

<p>The only way to get around that limitation would be if someone makes an adapter that has a glass lens element in it to diverge the light rays a bit. In practice adapters with lenses in them generally degrade the quality of the image quite a lot.</p>

<p>Your best bet is to bite the bullet and buy original Leica R glass for your R6, and a Minolta camera for your Minolta glass. </p>

<p>Tell us what you end up doing, and welcome to photo.net.</p>

[SCL]

<p>No, but there are adapters for Tamron Adfaptall lenses...that's how I began using Leica R bodies until I could save up for the Leica lenses.</p>

[Gus Lazzari]

<p>I agree with<em><strong> Dave S.</strong></em></p>

<p>Leica R glass has one of the longest 35mm film plane to flange distances. (47mm)<br /> As a result, <strong>R glass</strong> is one of the easiest of the lens units to adapt to other body manufactures. <br /> On the flipside, including for the reasons that Dave already stated, the <strong>R bodies</strong> are the worst to adapt other lens manufactures to.</p>

<p>In fact, similar to a C-Mount, the full frame Sony NEX with 18mm is the easiest to adapt legacy glass.<br /> (There's plenty of room to produce a "tube" adapter)</p>

[mark_morgan4]

<p>Hello Everyone,<br>

Thank you so much, Dave, Gus and Stephen for your insight. <br>

The reason I asked was that I'm a long-time Leica M (an M4 w/35mm and M2 w/50mm) user and got a R6 and a few telephoto lenses in a series of flukes and have fallen in love with the R6 and wanted to add a 24. <br>

The problem is that as of late, the Leica lenses got really expensive for some reason. When I got mine (a 90, 135, 180 and a zoom -- about $300-$400 max each) they were really affordable and they've served me really, really well. But the 24 is super-expensive for some reason. <br>

And I'm a former (30-year) big-city newspaper staffer and the 24 is kind of a standard for me and for years it was a couple of Nikons with a 24 and a 180 and the two Leicas. But that R6 is just one great street camera.<br>

Anyway, thank you very much for the insight.</p>

<p> </p>

[dave_s]

<p>Mark, I hope you stick around. It's always great to have the insight of experienced photographers around here.</p>

[ben_ballard]

Mark, you might like to try a used

Minolta XE-7 or XD-11. They were

developed in collaboration with Leica,

and are probably the best two Minolta

manual focus SLR bodies in terms of

build and feel.