Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1996/06/05
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Patrick Sobalvarro <pgs@thillana.lcs.mit.edu> writes >I had been familiar with the numbers for Leica M (27.95 mm) and R >(47.0 mm) cameras, which make it clear why you can adapt R lenses to M >cameras but not vice-versa without optical elements in the adapter. >But what I thought was interesting was that the Pentacon mount for 6x6 >medium format cameras has a registration of 74.1 mm. This means it >would be possible to mount the Zeiss Jena medium format lenses on a >35mm Leica, providing one made up a suitable adapter. Medium format >lenses don't typically have the same resolving power as 35mm lenses, >but of course they tend to be better in the center than they are at >the edges and you'd only be using the center. >I don't know quite why I'm interested in trying this -- I guess it's >because I'm a computer scientist and I have an affection for kludges. >Has anyone in the group attempted something like this? Not yet, but very soon. A few weeks ago or so there was a thread about putting lens heads from certain longer Leica rangefinder lenses (90, 135, 200mm) on suitable adapters and using them on a Mamiya 645 body. The coverage was apparently fine and the results wonderful. The difficulty I picked up on (I looked into this for myself and talked to a man who makes custom adapters in the UK) was that each lens would require a focusing mount of some kind in order to permit focusing. This would not be a problem with your intended kludge though, as presumably you would be using the whole lens on an adapter. I am hoping to do the Leica lens head --> medium format slr adaptation myself, but on a Rollei SL66 which has its own built-in bellows. I find the whole idea of doing something like this very exciting. I, for one, would be most interested to hear how you get on with this. -- joe b.