Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/03/10

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Subject: [Leica] Re: 50mm f1.5 Nokton question
From: drodgers@nextlink.com
Date: Fri, 10 Mar 2000 10:53:05 -0800

B. D.

>>David - The adapters aren't cheap, but if you get one for each of the
lenses
then you can permanently turn each lens into an M-mount lens and just throw
it on the body as needed, with no fiddling around.<<

What you say is what I would like to do. Unfortunately, I'm weighing
convenience vs cost. (Not really yet, since at this moment I only own the
15 Heliar). But at some point, if I do decide to add the 25 Color-Skopar,
I'll need another adaptor ring; or I'll need to, as you mention, fiddle
with switching the lenses on a single adaptor ring.
I don't want to underestimate the importance of convenience. Until
yesterday, when I broke down and bought another BM lens cap, I had to take
the Heliar off the adaptor to use the rear lens cap (it obviously came with
a LTM rear cap). It was a real pain. I considered the fact that each time I
remove the lens from the adaptor, there's a chance that I'll lose the
adaptor. Then I'm screwed, (or should I say, "Leica Threaded"). Suddenly,
another BM rear cap is worth the cost. (One moment I say the BM rear caps
are overpriced. Then I realize that it's less expensive than buying another
adaptor. There's the convenience factor, too. Add it all up and I have the
rationale to spend more money on accessories).

It's not the cost of lenses and bodies that bug me. It's the cost of all
the little add-ons. As long as I'm venting I'll mention that I'm upset with
the variations in filter sizes among all my M lenses. A fellow luger just
told me over the phone that he just spent $500 for filters for his Leica
lenses, and his lenses are all the latest. It looks like I'll probably end
up doing the same. The filter size thing doesn't bother me too much,
because I'd hate to see a lens made larger just to accomidate a standard
filter. I'm certain that's easier to do in the SLR world, since lenses are
larger to begin with.

In an ideal world, all lenses would take the same filter size. Further,
Cosina would make Voigtlander lenses in BM. How much are the Voigtlander BM
to LTM adaptors, anyway?

David