Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/02/10

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Which lenses with what camer
From: jeremy.kime@bbc.co.uk
Date: Tue, 10 Feb 1998 10:58:00 +0000

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>.
 Nick Hunter wrote

3.) Thread mount cameras need LTM lenses. No M. Some after market adapters
might allow SLR lenses of one sort or another to be used but without focus
cam, so this would be for wide angle use. All sorts of stuff might be
adapted to the reflex housings but that's a whole can of worms in itself...
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Just to add a couple of post-scripts...

You can use M lenses on LTM cameras successfully but, bizarrely, only with 
(as far as I know) the Komura 2x converter. This had an LTM mount at one end 
and an M bayonet at the other, with an adaptor ring (like the Leica LTM to M 
ring) to move from front to back depending on whether you were using an M or 
LTM camera. If you leave this ring off, or conversely put an extra ring on 
(both ends) then you can use M lenses on LTM cameras or vice versa. Of 
course, the focal length is doubled but that's the point of it!

Many other adaptors were made for coupling other cameras lenses to LTM and 
indeed M cameras. For instance adaptors to mount M42 lenses on an LTM camera 
(without rangefinder coupling of course) were made plentifully. Canon made 
lots of different adaptors (Canon 'Breechlock' to LTM, LTM to 'Breechlock' 
etc), Steven Gandy's Cameraquest homepage lists these comprehensively.
And Leitz made several mounts, including the scarce 22228 to place SLR 
lenses onto Leicina / M cameras (again with no r/f coupling). These adaptors 
seem to be offerred again with the introduction of the S1 camera. Leica 
mentions mounts to place Leica-R, Niklon, Hasselblad, Canon and probably 
others onto the M-mount of the S1.

Jem