Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2007/02/25
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Check medfmt.8k.com for articles on lens hacking. For my modification I didn't even need to hack the 135 Hektor. I had a Nikkor 135mm lens for my Bronica ECTL that was a paperweight due to fungus etching the back of the front lens group. At the time I was attempting to create a 200mm f/4 lens from an old parts lens SMC Takumar 200 f/4. I had both the lenses apart and a host of parts spread about. It turned out that a flange inside the 200mm lens had the exact thread dia. and pitch that I needed to fit to the lens head of the Leica 135 Hektor. I checked the Leica 135 lens head against a ground glass to see the distance from the lens head flange to plane of sharp focus at infinity AND checked to see if this lens had adequate coverage. After removing a few parts from the Nikkor lens, I had the bare locking collar ready to mate with the flange. It turned out the lens on the flange was a little too close to the film plane and I had to shim it out about 1.2mm to achieve infinity focus. I left a little bit of "slop" in the focus giving it the ability to move past infinity just in case the mount registration changed a bit or temperature caused some expansion of the helical. After I got it all fabbed up, I created a jig with a few sets of metal worker's vise grips and a c-clamp. I secured the lens mount inside the jig and JB welded the necessary parts together. I let it sit for the 6 hours necessary & tested focus. It was spot on just as I had planned. Now I have an adapter that will allow me to simply screw on my Leica 135 Hektor which is a LOT sharper than the Nikkor offering that I was used to with the fungus. I still have the ability to put this lens head right back on my RF helical since no modification was made to the lens, only a fabbed up adapter/focusing mount. All you need to do this really is a long focus lens with enough coverage for 6x6 (many older non-retrofocus long focal length lenses for 35mm have adequate coverage for 6x6 when they are freed from their native mounts.) Measure up the registration of the lens elements to the focal plane agains t aground glass & start fabbing up your adapters. If you have a camera that uses lenses in shutter, you'll have to secure a focusing helical and shutter. A lot harder than using a focal plane shuttered camera with modular helical like the old Bronica mount or the early Hassy focal plane shutter cameras. You could always use a lens cap I suppose... Philip -----Original Message----- From: lug-bounces+photo.forrest=earthlink.net@leica-users.org [mailto:lug-bounces+photo.forrest=earthlink.net@leica-users.org] On Behalf Of Rose Scollard Sent: Sunday, February 25, 2007 7:40 PM To: Leica Users Group Subject: Re: [Leica] which medium format? That sounds like fun - how do you do this? David Scollard ----- Original Message ----- From: "Philip Forrest" <photo.forrest@earthlink.net> To: "'Leica Users Group'" <lug@leica-users.org> Sent: Sunday, February 25, 2007 11:16 AM Subject: RE: [Leica] which medium format? > You could also adapt any visoflex lenses to almost any 6x6 MF body with a > shutter like I've done with my 135 Hektor on my Bronica. Works > fabulously, > better than the Nikkor 135 that I was using. > Philip > > -----Original Message----- > From: lug-bounces+photo.forrest=earthlink.net@leica-users.org > [mailto:lug-bounces+photo.forrest=earthlink.net@leica-users.org] On Behalf > Of Steve Barbour > Sent: Sunday, February 25, 2007 1:12 PM > To: Leica Users Group > Subject: [Leica] which medium format? > >> There's been plenty of talk about how cheap medium format stuff is >> right now. >> >> What would you guys suggest as being the camera to get if starting >> from scratch? > > > how about an M8... ? > > > > remember why we are here.... leica people all, wedded to leicas, > 35mm, small, lightweight, available darkness, great glass... > > and all that... > > we've got bodies, lenses out the "wazuuuuu"..... > > and people now seem to be interested in other..... 'cus it's > cheap.... ??! > > > well, duhhhh, there's a reason for that... > > > you don't need to go back, to reinvent the wheel... > > you can get an M8... > > you don't know what to do with your money ? > > ....send your $ to Tina, myself, others... > > we are saving up for a second one... > > :-) > > Steve > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > _______________________________________________ Leica Users Group. See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information