Hawk Peng helicoid adapter is awesome

mabelsound · 09-30-2011

On Robert's recommendation I contacted Hawk Peng and ordered his $170 M-NEX adapter with built-in focusing helicoid. This allows you to close-focus with Leica lenses. The results are incredible--it is like magic. The adapter is lightweight, strong, and smooth, and functions very well as a normal adapter. And it gives new life to all your M lenses.

v3 Summicron:

Fun with the Hawk Peng helicoid adapter-1 by mabel.sound, on Flickr

Canon 50/1.2:

Fun with the Hawk Peng helicoid adapter-7 by mabel.sound, on Flickr

ZM 28/2.8 (this lens is practically a macro with this adapter, as it already focused quite close):

Fun with the Hawk Peng helicoid adapter-14 by mabel.sound, on Flickr

Fun with the Hawk Peng helicoid adapter-9 by mabel.sound, on Flickr

segedi · 09-30-2011

How does it work for normal photos? Is there a switch that puts it in the close focus mode? Considering one of these to put on the NEX 7 that I haven't considered buying just yet

bigeye · 09-30-2011

great idea.

(It also reminds me that we need a couple more barred rock.)

digitalintrigue · 09-30-2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by segedi

How does it work for normal photos? Is there a switch that puts it in the close focus mode? Considering one of these to put on the NEX 7 that I haven't considered buying just yet

There is a helical on the adapter...a quarter turn for close focus, turn it back for normal focus.

Here's a 40/2 Summicron-C mounted on the adapter. First shot is with the helical extended for close focus; second image is normal position.

Bruin · 09-30-2011

When I first heard about it I was reluctant to pay $180+ for an adapter when I already had a cheap one, but I bit the bullet and found it very much worth the advantages:

1) Close focus on my 28/2 Ultron is now around 12cm from front element.

2) Infinity focus is SPOT ON. That means all the DOF marks on the lens are useful again!

Mine has been solid, with no wobbles even with a Nokton 50/1.1 mounted. The M-mount release is also the lowest-profile of any adapter I've seen (it also functions as the helicoid stop). It's really the best M-NEX adapter on the market right now.

douglasf13 · 09-30-2011

Yep, this is certainly my favorite accessory purchase for NEX.

digitalintrigue · 09-30-2011

Thanks to Douglas for mentioning this on another forum.

north country rich · 09-30-2011

Where exactly can you purchase the item?

mabelsound · 09-30-2011

I just sent him a message on ebay through the hawks-factory page, and he sent me a paypal invoice. I got the adapter a few weeks later.

mabelsound · 09-30-2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigeye

great idea.

(It also reminds me that we need a couple more barred rock.)

They are sweet birds--steadfast and reliable. They seem to get sick less than our other breeds.

In that photo, she had hopped up on the fence and suddenly realized it was really uncomfortable. And she couldn't hop down because I was standing in the way--so she got very nervous.

dbm · 09-30-2011

I read that there are several types of these. Each with a different helicoid depth?

So one adapter might range from 17-31mm, another from 12-17mm, and so on. Which is the right one? Does it depend on which lenses you are adapting? Or does it depend on how close you want to focus?

Lets say I'm using LTM lenses. And I want to retain infinity focus, but be able to reduce MFD. What adapter(s) do I need to get?

digitalintrigue · 09-30-2011

As far as I know there is only one Leica M adapter with helicoid from hawk.

Jamie Pillers · 09-30-2011

Is there any technical reason why something like couldn't be made for micro four thirds cameras?

sevo · 10-01-2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jamie Pillers

Is there any technical reason why something like couldn't be made for micro four thirds cameras?

Register depth might be an issue - on the E-mount there already does not seem to be space for much helicoid travel, and MFT would leave even less space for it.

Checking up on the figures, it seems it can't be done unless the helicoid can be recessed into the MFT mount, which would in its turn depend on the rear width of M mount lenses, which I can't locate specs on - it would be a very tight fit, if possible at all.

GaryLH · 10-01-2011

Wow nice...

Gary

dbm · 10-01-2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by digitalintrigue

As far as I know there is only one Leica M adapter with helicoid from hawk.

Ah. I must have been confusing the M42 adapters. Which would not work with LTM lenses as the registration difference is larger on M42 than M39.

But the M->NEX adapter with an LTM->M adapter would seem to work for the LTM lenses.

I have a NEX-7 on pre-order, and previously bought one of the Fotodiox M39->NEX adapters to test with when the NEX-3 and 5 first came out. But I might consider this setup as an alternative to do some macro work with the lenses.

segedi · 10-01-2011

Emailed him through ebay and got a message back asking to wait a month... so new adapters should be ready just in time for the NEX 7 launch. Wish I hadn't waited though.

douglasf13 · 10-01-2011

Just to be clear, this helicoid adapter doesn't really turn M lenses into macro lenses. In order to still be able to maintain infinity focus, the helicoid doesn't extend out all that far. Think of it more like usual DSLR-type minimum focus distances, not true macro.

ampguy · 10-01-2011

How much extension does the helicoil provide? I'm guessing about a mm since my 28mm LTM's only need that much extension to get to ~12cm focus, like the 28/2 Ultron above.

If you use LTM lenses, and know you are going to do close ups for a while, you can put a 1mm shim in between your lens and your LTM adapter and get about .3 meter closer with a 50mm, and .7m closer with a 28mm LTM lens.

However, your far distance is now 8 or 10 feet, until you take the shim off.

Seems like a great idea and product if you often need to shoot closer than min. focus distance and only have M-mount lens.

artur5 · 10-02-2011

According to the data provided by Hawk, the max. extension of the adapter is aprox. 5mm.
1 mm. only wouldn't be of much use, specially with longer focal lenses.
There is something wrong with your maths. ampguy. With a CV Ultron 28/2 which normally focuses down to 70 cmtr. , adding 1 mm. of extension, the min. focus distance goes down to 40 cmtr.
To reach 12 cmtr. you'd need 15mm. of extension !
( We're talking about the distance from the subject to the focal plane, not to the lens front )

uhoh7 · 10-02-2011

I finally got one of these just the other day

nothing fancy, but here is my summicron 50 v4

quality is good.

Design is good for what it is trying to do. Weight is the same as the 20USD rainbow.

What I would like on all my adapters is infinity tuning with a small lock, as find some of my stuff will fall just short of infinity---very close, but not quite there.

Also, in general, almost all the adapters are too heavy. This one is perhaps the only exception, since of course it does have the helicoid.

I think we may start to see more serious adapters with the release of the nex-7

ampguy · 10-02-2011

I'm thinking 12" and my 1mm isn't exact, it's a cut out credit card shim.

Quote:

Originally Posted by artur5

According to the data provided by Hawk, the max. extension of the adapter is aprox. 5mm.
1 mm. only wouldn't be of much use, specially with longer focal lenses.
There is something wrong with your maths. ampguy. With a CV Ultron 28/2 which normally focuses down to 70 cmtr. , adding 1 mm. of extension, the min. focus distance goes down to 40 cmtr.
To reach 12 cmtr. you'd need 15mm. of extension !
( We're talking about the distance from the subject to the focal plane, not to the lens front )

kshapero · 10-02-2011

Dang, went to the Ebay site this morning but decided to think about it, went again just now and the adapter is sold out. Dang

uhoh7 · 10-02-2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by kshapero

Dang, went to the Ebay site this morning but decided to think about it, went again just now and the adapter is sold out. Dang

Best to just message him on Ebay and request he bill you via paypal with ETA on shipping.

I did that after about a month of trying to catch his auctions.

douglasf13 · 10-03-2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by uhoh7

...I think we may start to see more serious adapters with the release of the nex-7

I'm still surprised that someone hasn't come out with a better built, smallish, smoother Contax G to NEX adapter. I'd probably pay over $200 for one.