M42 lenses on a newer body?

TimSandhu

TimSandhu

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Has anyone used old M42 mount glass on a new body with one of the M42 adapters and got good results?

In a fit of nostalgia I was cleaning up my dad's old Praktica LTL and lenses this weekend. Must have been bored or something. The kit was in a pretty grubby condition but once the grime had been wiped off, the optics looked great. Initially, I was going to grab some film and get all retro but then stumbled on something called an M42 adapter. I'm now wondering how they will fare on digital kit?

The lenses are MF of course but the optical adapter is less than a tenner and means that I get to use two Zeiss primes that had been gathering dust since the early 80's :)
 
Assuming that the Zeiss lenses have remained clear then it'll be just fine. I've got a couple of M42 macro lenses that I use and the results compare very favourably with the modern stuff.

Bob
 
You can get excellent results. Just have to MF and generally use Aperture or Manual mode setting the aperture on the lens in either case.
 
Thanks for the replies. Now just have to wait for that adapter to arrive. Got to be worth a try for £9.
 
Yep, got a CZ Jena Sonnar 135 for my 450D via an adaptor and it's a nice bit of glass. Some adaptors [for Canon at any rate] come with focus confirmation chips too.

Here's a snap I took with it earlier in the year:

3320924934_c940570d1e.jpg
 
I've not discounted that entirely joxby, but I'd need to research what film and where to get it from, where to develop it properly etc etc..

After spending so much on digital kit, film would just be an indulgence now. And a costly one at that.

Digital is the lazy person's plaything. I'm lazy :)
 
Yeah, I have an adapter for M42 -> Nikon and find I get some nice stuff from my M42 lenses on my DSLR, despite the need for an additional optic in the adapter (which is supposed to help the lens reach infinity focus with the longer flange distance of Nikons, but actually it doesn't quite work :p)
 
I use a Zeiss 2,8/50 Tessar It's a lovely lens the only things you'll have to watch out for is not focusing to infinity and the aperture, you'll have to stop it down manually.
 
Dom said:
I use a Zeiss 2,8/50 Tessar It's a lovely lens the only things you'll have to watch out for is not focusing to infinity and the aperture, you'll have to stop it down manually.
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That's good to hear as that is the one I have along with the 2.8/35mm. Shame about the infinity thing. I got the adapter with the optic but as Mustanir pointed out it may still not actually focus to infinity. Oh well.
 
With cheap \Zeiss lens and Pentacon lens. Some have a manual and auto switch for stopping down. If it doesn`t you are up the creek as the auto is a weird system.
 
I use a few of them along with the M42- Eos AF confirm adapter, I find its close in terms of when it think its in focus but rarely 100%.

I love my Jupiter 9, 85mm f2, 15blade circular aperture = bokeh heaven lol
 
Mustanir can you tell me where you got your Nikon adapter with an optic from

Cheers

Peter
:thinking:
 
Been doing it for yers,have a look at these on a 350D and the lenses are
Praktica 50mm
Carl Zeiss 28mm
Soligor 135mm
Vivitar 300mm

Its also really fun to just take your time and do everything manually again
 
I have several lenses in M42 mount and they work like a charm on my K10D.
The focus feels great although it might be tricky to get good focus some times.
The glass you have is great, I'm guessing its a sonnar and a tessar, those are the most common.
The results from thosee lenses are well worth the effort of MF.
 
Just received my "new" Vivitar 28mm f/2.8 that I got off eBay for the princely sum of £12.

I had a quick play in the garden this afternoon and here's a couple of samples.

First off a view, wide open, down the lavender:



Secondly, a 100% crop of a bee close up (this lens focuses very close despite not being a macro lens):



Looks a little soft wide open [aren't most lenses?!] but looking forward to more of a play with it over the next few weeks.
 
Remember when you are talking Zeiss lens that are cheap. They are east German lens not the now official Zeiss lens. They are quite good though. A bit better than the Pentacon lens. I had a weirdo Pentacon lens, it was sharper around the periphery of the lens than in the centre.
 
Oh my word - you guys have just introduced this newbie into a whole new way into getting more glass for my 400d!

I'm gathering that I need to get an M42 adaptor.....is there anything else that I need to consider, and does anyone have any good links to places I can read more about this area?

Thanks! (although other half may not think so when I find more reasons to be surfing ebay!!)
 
my local Oxfam shop has a very nice helios 44-2 (58mm F2) which I've looked at twice. I just cannot justify having another 50(ish)mm lens, let alone another 50mm Helios. LOL!

Yes, klc, you need a m42 > EOS adapter. I would get one with an AF confirm chip as it's not easy to get perfect focus on a 400D. And probably one without the stopdown flange. But any will work.

For advice, I would look at:
http://forum.mflenses.com/ and http://forum.manualfocus.org/.

I hope this helps!
 
my local Oxfam shop has a very nice helios 44-2 (58mm F2) which I've looked at twice. I just cannot justify having another 50(ish)mm lens, let alone another 50mm Helios. LOL!
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these are OK, not brilliant, but ok, not worth any more than a couple of quid though, got a mint (<10 rolls thru it) zenit EM with that helios and a chinon 28 for £6 :)

But yeah, if you can get an adapter, its worth getting. was given a 400m f4 vivitar on m42, £8 of adapter mount gives 620mm F4 equivilent on an aps-c sensor :D
 
Hi Martin
Apologies for the delay in thanking you for your reply - I'm currently on hols in "sunny" Cornwall! Thanks for the links - I'll check them out and can see many hours surfing ebay when I get back!
Cheers
Kristy
 
klc_001 said:
Oh my word - you guys have just introduced this newbie into a whole new way into getting more glass for my 400d!

I'm gathering that I need to get an M42 adaptor.....is there anything else that I need to consider, and does anyone have any good links to places I can read more about this area?

Thanks! (although other half may not think so when I find more reasons to be surfing ebay!!)
Click to expand...

Just a slight word of warning there are some awesome M42 lenses out their not just from the major names but there are also some dogs,you wont pay a great deal in comparison with modern AF lenses but you can still waste a few quid if you are not careful
 
I recently bought a Asahi/Pentax 55mm f1.8 lens for £25 and an adapter for £26. Great fun and i aim to buy more lenses in the future.

TimSandhu: Where did you get you adapter for £9?

Also what would be the recommended makes/names to buy?

Here are 2 pics i took when i got home from the shop!

Pentax04.jpg


Pentax_Callum.jpg
 
TimSandhu said:
. Is it one with an optic?
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It just has a hole and no other lens if that's what you mean. I have one for the pentax 55mm f1.8 and thats the same but i spent £26 on that one :eek:

I really should go to Specsavers!!!:LOL:
 
I just bought two more cameras.......doh......specifically to shoot M42 glass, and I don't even have any...:wacky:
 
joxby said:
I just bought two more cameras.......doh......specifically to shoot M42 glass, and I don't even have any...:wacky:
Click to expand...

:LOL: What did you buy?
 
I ended up weakening and buying the Helios 44-2 in the end. It's a cracking lens for £3.49. Certainly better than the Canon 1.8/50.

Andy West> I also have the 1.8/55 S-M-C Tak and love the way that it renders. They have a unique look which I spotted in your pics and knew it was a Tak before I even read the write up.
 
martinsmith99 said:
I ended up weakening and buying the Helios 44-2 in the end. It's a cracking lens for £3.49. Certainly better than the Canon 1.8/50.

Andy West> I also have the 1.8/55 S-M-C Tak and love the way that it renders. They have a unique look which I spotted in your pics and knew it was a Tak before I even read the write up.
Click to expand...

I have just bought a Helios 44-2 but i had to pay £6.95!!!!!! I hope its as good as you say :D I received 2 canon adapters this morning so have 1 left for a 28mm which will do me for wide angle stuff. Can't wait to test on my new 40D.

I'm trying to get as many lenses as poss before the price goes through the roof!

You're right about the 1.8/55 S-M-C Tak having it's own look and feel. i really like it. I'm thinking of getting a Jupiter-9 85mm f2 as they are supposed to have really good Bokeh but then again so does my canon EF-S 60mm macro. The lens i really want is the Canon EF 50mm f1.4 so am looking for a manual equivalent which will be just as good IQ but gfor pennies!! :D

I do love the old metal lenses, they feel so well made. i'll have to keep my eyes out for lenses in charity shops and boot sales.
 
The bottom image has a strange pattern in the background - is that an artifact of processing or is there more netting behind? It just looks very regular to be a net draped.

Other than that I would say the image quality looks fine.
 
It's the rear of the netting :D
 
ChrisMClark said:
:LOL: What did you buy?
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martinsmith99 said:
Are they Prakticas or Zenits by any chance? You can usually get them for free!
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Already got a Zenit..

Bought a Fujica 605N for a jiver, described as having a load of crap in the viewfinder, so my back-up is a Spotmatic which hasn't come yet.
The Fujica has no crap in the viewfinder, there are marks on the focussing screen, probably from the seals turning to crap, so it needs a re-seal.
Apart from that, its a user..:)

well it would be if I had any lenses..:LOL:
 
AndyWest said:
I'm thinking of getting a Jupiter-9 85mm f2 as they are supposed to have really good Bokeh but then again so does my canon EF-S 60mm macro. The lens i really want is the Canon EF 50mm f1.4 so am looking for a manual equivalent which will be just as good IQ but gfor pennies!! :D

I do love the old metal lenses, they feel so well made. i'll have to keep my eyes out for lenses in charity shops and boot sales.
Click to expand...

That Jupiter 9 will pound your 60mm macro for bokeh, but not sharpness.
It has softness ideal for portraits, and 15 blades.
I'm testing 135's, and the number and shape of the blades is looking like being more important than speed, unless of course you're shooting in a dark hole.
 
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