Hawk Peng helicoid adapter is awesome

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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
 
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 ;)
 
segedi said:
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 ;)
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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.

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6198596468_baa3774e06_z.jpg
 
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.
 
bigeye said:
great idea.

(It also reminds me that we need a couple more barred rock.)
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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.
 
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?
 
Jamie Pillers said:
Is there any technical reason why something like couldn't be made for micro four thirds cameras?
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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.
 
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M39->M->NEX should work

M39->M->NEX should work

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