Re: Leica SM to Nikon adapter

[henningw@portal.ca (Henning J. Wulff)]

Grant Wilson wrote:

>Is there a Leica screw mount to Nikon F mount adapter available?  I
>understand that the lenses will not focus at infinity.  I seem to remember
>(from about 1959) that such adapters were once made.  Does anyone have one
>they would care to pitch (for a reasonable price)?  When using such an
>adapter, assuming they exist, is there a problem with the mirror slaping the
>back of  the rangefinder helical mount?

I have a couple of such adapters, but unfortunately they are not identical,
and I still need them both. One looks to have been made by Nikon; the
bayonet mount and the overall standard of manufacture and materials seem to
be theirs. No identification of any kind on it though. It was probably made
by Nikon to mount their 'macro' (Nikon-speak for what everyone else calls
micro) lenses on to bellows and such. The thickness of the adapter ring
(Leica SM to Nikon flange) is about 5mm.

The other is a combination of Nikon T2-mount and a T2-thread mount Leica
adapter, with a T2-thread male thread, with a Leica female thread inside
the ring.

I use these for micro work, as my standard for adapting other lenses (such
as reverse mounted 8mm movie camera lenses) is the Leica thread.

Regular lenses will not, of course, focus to infinity, but Visoflex lenses
can be made to do so. I remember having an old 280/4.8 with the
thread-to-film distance adjusted for the Visoflex I, and I used a Pentax
'A' adapter, the Pentax Variable Close-Up Ring, the Pentax 'B' adapter, and
the Leica/Nikon adapter to be able to use this lens on my Nikons. No
problem with infinity focus; and with judicious additional spacers, close
focussing was enhanced too due to the extension afforded by the Pentax
Variable Ring.


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