Hacked-into-Leica-mount lenses

[haempe]

Thanks for the explanation.
A lot of effort, worth only for exceptional lenses, I guess.
More time for such things should one have ...

[archive59]

I seem to have developed a magnetic attraction to lens/leaf shutter hack jobs. I have just received this 1963 Zorki-4 with Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar 2.8/50 and Vebur shutter assembly grafted onto a collapsible RF coupled mount. All for the grand sum of £36.50. Everything seems to work correctly. After a bit of research I think the shutter/lens assy comes from an early '50s Belca Beltica model II 35mm folder. I do not recognise the collapsible mount but assume it is FSU (I am not familiar with the style of infinity lock).

[Brian Sweeney]

That is beautiful.

I did that with a Kodak Anastigmat Special in shutter, grafted it onto a Nikon S-Mount.

To work properly, best to have a "T: setting on the camera body, then use the leaflet shutter. Also- to use in focal plane mode, have "T" on the lens-shutter.

[archive59]

Originally Posted by Brian Sweeney

That is beautiful.

I did that with a Kodak Anastigmat Special in shutter, grafted it onto a Nikon S-Mount.

To work properly, best to have a "T: setting on the camera body, then use the leaflet shutter. Also- to use in focal plane mode, have "T" on the lens-shutter.

Thanks Brian

Do you still have that Kodak Anastigmat conversion? If you do, is there any chance of seeing it here? Although I suppose it would be slightly off-topic for this thread.

Cheers

Mark

[Brian Sweeney]

I'll look for some pictures- I ended up disassembling the optic, will probably make into LTM.

[jsrockit]

Originally Posted by charjohncarter

And second an Instamatic lens hacked to a LTM:

How do I get my hands on something like this... without having to DIY?

[batterytypehah!]

^ Thanks for re-running this one, I wanted to find out more back when it was first posted but forgot.

charjohncarter, looks like it covers 24x36, what's the aperture? (Fixed, I presume?)

[shadowfox]

Originally Posted by archive59

I seem to have developed a magnetic attraction to lens/leaf shutter hack jobs. I have just received this 1963 Zorki-4 with Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar 2.8/50 and Vebur shutter assembly grafted onto a collapsible RF coupled mount. All for the grand sum of £36.50. Everything seems to work correctly. After a bit of research I think the shutter/lens assy comes from an early '50s Belca Beltica model II 35mm folder. I do not recognise the collapsible mount but assume it is FSU (I am not familiar with the style of infinity lock).

That is indeed beautiful.
This thread makes me want to cobble something out. I do have at least one busted FSU lens that I can use as a base.

How do you guys check the focus on these? tiny ground glass taped on the film gate?

[jsrockit]

Originally Posted by batterytypehah!

^ Thanks for re-running this one, I wanted to find out more back when it was first posted but forgot.

charjohncarter, looks like it covers 24x36, what's the aperture? (Fixed, I presume?)

Hopefully we'll get some answers!

[Brian Sweeney]

A Big Thankyou to Dexdog for trading this Jupiter-3 to me. The lens had some damaged glass, made a great donor for a Sonnar conversion.

It now has the 1936 coated Sonnar 5cm F1.5 in it. This lens appears to be from a test batch of coated lenses.

Before....


czjsonnar_sn190_3 by zeiss_sonnar, on Flickr


and after.

This one is convertible: kept the original shim in place for the Contax RF mount, and the module just unscrews from the J-3 mount.


czjsonnar_sn190_5 by zeiss_sonnar, on Flickr

This might be the oldest factory-coated lens in a Leica mount.

[dexdog]

That's a nice-looking Son-iter you got there, Brian! I like the idea of a convertible lens, too.

[Brian Sweeney]

I left the Contax mounts from the 1938 Sonnar "T" and this one intact with their shims in place. Marked the SN on the inside for easy back-conversion. Many of my left-over Contax mounts get used to convert J-3's for use with the Contax or Nikon. But: you have to file down to the grooved ring. The J-3 optics module is shorter than the pre-war lenses.

[rbiemer]

I just won one of these lenses...now I have to figure out getting it into an Industar mount....
Thanks, I think!
Rob

Originally Posted by buzzardkid

Wollensak for Leica LTM by buzzardkid, on Flickr




Black Paint M3-DS (1955) by buzzardkid, on Flickr

[varjag]

Speaking of conversions, I got a Russar 20mm lens module recently. It comes in an M30 gauge jacket, and when unscrewed has M25 on the bottom part. Any ideas where can I find a fitting helical to hack it in?

[buzzardkid]

BUMP.

Anybody got any new interesting hacked lenses to show?

[Tom A]

Zeiss Tessar 50mm f2.8, someone made a very solid mount for it and turned it into a LTM version - with rangefinder coupling. A friend of mine in Japan gave it to me. Heavy though, the ount feels like it is made from stainless steel rather than chromed brass. Nice lens to use, a bit sensitive to flare and fairly low contrast - but good resolution.

[buzzardkid]

That is a pretty cool lens, Tom!

Real nice conversion, must have been quite an effort to create this since it'll most likely is a one-of.

I'd love to see some shots from that one!

[Tom A]

Bessa R, Tessar 50mm f2.8 - converted to LTM mount. Neopan 400, Beutler 1:8, 11 min.
The guy was preparing the car for a "Burning Man" expedition. The Tercel was covered with carpet - and he admitted that it gained about 200 lbs during rain!

[miatab]

Just saw this old thread and it got me thinking- I have an old Panasonic Leica mirror less "Rangefinder" with a non-removable Vario-Summicron lens. Can it be converted to an M mount, or is it toast?

[raid]

Originally Posted by Tom A

Zeiss Tessar 50mm f2.8, someone made a very solid mount for it and turned it into a LTM version - with rangefinder coupling. A friend of mine in Japan gave it to me. Heavy though, the ount feels like it is made from stainless steel rather than chromed brass. Nice lens to use, a bit sensitive to flare and fairly low contrast - but good resolution.

I used today such a lens in Contax mount on the EP-2 via two adapters. The Amedeo adapter makes it possible.