Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2015/04/03
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Hi Luggers, I reported awhile back on using the Nikon F to Fuji X Metabones adapter and offer this rather long followup. I liberated my Leica R 28F2.8 with Leitax N bayonet from my son-in-law?s dry box and here is a snap of me taken at Shogun Camera in Tsim Sha Tsui where I bought the adapter. <http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/HK2015/HCShogun28R.jpg.html> The problem with the Metabones adapter is that the springs are too strong and make mounting the lens too stiff. If you go to the Metabones website they offer the following reason and suggest a correction: "Why is the mount so stiff? It is hard to attach the lens! Your Metabones? adapter is optimized for video work, and one very important requirement is for the mount to not wobble or move while the zoom and focus rings are operated. This means lens mounting is tighter than OEM. Unfortunately this leads to a slight inconvenience when mounting and dismounting the lens. You may want to disassemble the mount ring on the adapter and weaken the 3 leaf springs underneath using a plier if your application is still photography and you prioritize ease of use over solid mounting.? Adjusting the springs is easier suggested than accomplished because Metabones uses special screws for which I did not have the proper screw driver. So I took the adapter back to Tommie at Shogun and he sent it to his workshop. It came back over night and I took the R 28 over to try it. It mounted smoothly with a click and Ricky took the picture which I have posted. When I got home - I tried to mount a Nikkor AF AIS lens (the older ones - not G - with an aperture ring) and it would not click into place. I twisted it hard, thinking the springs were still too tight, and when I took the lens off - one of the springs was crushed out of shape. So it was back to Shogun at opening yesterday and Tommie took the adapter in for a second adjustment and repair. He had another F to X adapter in the shop with adjusted springs and that one would not accept the Leitax mount at all - although my adapter would - so obviously there are variations in the tolerances. Late yesterday Tommie phoned to say that the Metabones distributor would give me a new adapter after the Easter Holidays so we will see if the difficulties are resolved. I am posting this long winded explanation because earlier I recommended the Metabones adapter for using N mount lenses on the Fuji X cameras and I just want everyone to know that it is not as straightforward as I first thought. Howard