[Leica] Fitting R lenses on M bodies..... Especially the 3 Cam and ROM versions.

[bmwred735i at gmail.com (Frank Filippone)]

I am writing this so no one has to do repeat my research.

The idea is to use Leica R (Leicaflex) lenses on a Leica M body.

With the advent of an EVF ( sometimes called a Visoflex ) and the 
digital Leicas ( M240, M10? and later models and variants) it is more 
practical to use these legacy lenses on a modern body.

Yes, there is NO electrical connections between lens and body.

Yes, there is NO MECHANICAL CONNECTIONS.? You pretty much must use the 
EVF or back LCD or zone focus to get correct focus. Setting the F-Stop 
is a manual process.

Yes, there is NO AF.

So how do you accurately? focus?? Through the camera onto the digital 
sensor and through the EVF or LCD.

Now how do you adapt your R lenses to fit on? your M body?

There are cheap Chinese adapters.? They probably work.? But I have some 
reservations about ROM lenses.

There is a Novoflex adapter.? I do not have this adapter to answer the 
obvious question.? Does this fit 3 Cam and ROM Lenses?......

There was a Leica 22228 and 22228/500934 adapter that was made for the 
Leicina movie camera.? This will work with comments and exceptions.

 ??? All NON ROM lenses, with 1 or 2 cams will fit and work and focus to 
infinity.? Some lenses will vignette ( or so goes the online info.) 
Which Lenses?? Mostly the LONG lenses.

 ??? Why? Because the throat inside the 22228 adapter is not very large 
in diameter.? Long lenses will cause vignetting with these lenses as the 
light rays come in almost parallel to the sensor plane..... And thus, 
vignette.?? The adapter would work

 ? ? fine with the same lenses on a Super 8mm film movie camera because 
the film is so small.? (roughly 4x6 mm.)

See this for some additional info:

 ? ?? " A note about the Leica #22228 R-M rings: they were all made 
prior to the introduction of 3rd cam lenses, so they do not work with 
3rd-cam only R lenses! The reason? Recent R lenses, because they only 
have the 3rd cam, have a small collar

 ????? added to the lens mount ring to prevent you from trying to mount 
them onto older (1st cam) SL and (1 & 2 cam) SL2 R bodies. The presence 
of this "collar" unfortunately also prevents you from mounting these 
lenses onto the #22228 adapter ring

 ???? as well! The only work-around it to machine a flange into the 
front of the #22228 lens-mount ring (not too hard or expensive to do)."

 ? ?? 3 Cam and? ROM lenses will NOT WORK.? They will NOT FIT. No, the 
ROM is not the problem.? The 3 cam and ROM lenses have a step towards 
the center of the the mounting ring that prevents these lenses from 
fitting.

 ?? You need to have both a ROM lens and a non ROM lens? next to each 
other to notice this.

So now what?

In the supplied description of the problem is part of the solution.... 
The 22228 adapter can be modified to accept 3 Cam and ROM lenses. Don 
Goldberg does the mods, and charges a very reasonable $35 fee for the 
work and return shipping. Today is Spring 2021,? and I have sent my 
22228 to him for the mods.

( It took me over 2 hours to figure this story out)

Finally, and made for the job is the adapter called the *R-Adapter M* 
model # 14642 that was meant for this job, and has a 6 bit code ( BBWBBB 
) that brings up a special list of R lenses that will allow you to 
manually key in the lens for the EXIF file.? It is not terribly 
expensive, about $450.? It SHOULD take all R lenses.? Any number of 
Cams, ROM or not.? ( There will be exceptions.)

This was written for those who ask the question of what works with what, 
and to save folks the problem of buying the wrong part.


-- 

Frank Filippone
BMWRed735i at gmail.com