- from a novice. Is it possible by use of any adapter to use a modern M mount bayonet lens (50mm F2.8 Elmar) on a screw fitting 3F body??? Many thanks, Malcolm.

-- Malcolm (pipes@onetel.net.uk), April 16, 2002

Answers

Not that I'm aware of. Possibly SRB could devise something, but a screw-fit lens, whether Leitz or CV would be much better.

-- Tim Franklin (tim_franklin@mac.com), April 16, 2002.

M-mount lenses would not focus to infinity on a screw-mount camera, even if they could be made to fit. The bayonet is larger in diameter than the screw-mount, and the M-body is shallower. Leitz designed it to work the other way: so that older screw-mount lenses could be fitted to the newer M-camera bodies, with the adapter. There are of course dozens (hundreds?) of screw-mount lenses out there, old and new, form many makers.

-- Mark Sampson (MSampson45@aol.com), April 16, 2002.

Malcolm - as noted already, the M cameras were intentionally designed with 1mm less distance from the lens to the film than the screw mounts. With a 1mm thick adapter scrwe lens can go on the M, but M lenses will always be too far from the film for anything but close-up work, and the lens will not connect to the screw-mount rangefinder.

However, if you are looking for 'modern' quality glass to use on a IIIf - Leica did make small production runs of some modern lenses in the screw-mount within the past few years - 35 f/2 ASPH, 50 f/2, 50 f/ 1.4(?) - for collectors to use.

In addition the Japanese Cosina/Voigtlander company makes a full line of quite good 'modern lenses from 12mm to 90mm that are Leica screw- mount, and most of them (except a few ultra-wides, which scale-focus) also couple to the rangefinder.

Some other companies (Ricoh, Minolta) have also made a few screw-mount lenses of modern design within the past decade - but Cosina/Voigtlander has the fullest line and best reputation. Their optics are a notch behind Leica's newest, but on the whole sharper and contrastier than original LEica/Caonon/Nikon screwmounts.

And they make both a compact 50 f/2.5 and a collapsible 50 f/3.5.

-- Andy Piper (apidens@denver.infi.net), April 16, 2002.