Minolta lens on a Leica?

[idb]

Hi,

I heard that Leica M - mount cameras will accept Minolta lenses. Anybody know if the this is true?

Thanks.

Ian

[inkista]

What type of Minolta lenses? SLR, probably with an appropriate adapter ring. Rangefinder, possibly, but possibly not. Leica CL/Minolta CLE lenses, definitely; those were also M-mount, and are likely the ones you're reading about.

[idb]

Originally Posted by inkista

What type of Minolta lenses? SLR, probably with an appropriate adapter ring. Rangefinder, possibly, but possibly not. Leica CL/Minolta CLE lenses, definitely; those were also M-mount, and are likely the ones you're reading about.

Thanks. I am talking about Minolta MD lenses for the X-700 SLR and others. I've never heard of Minolta CLE lenses.

Please tell me more.

Ian

[inkista]

All I know is what I've read on the web.

Leica Minolta* CLE
Leica Minolta* CL

Nearly all the camera makers that were around during the '50s-'70s made both rangefinders and SLRs, so a brand name alone generally isn't enough to identify a mount system. That's why we say "Canon EOS" or "Nikon F". Canon and Nikon also made M39 (aka LTM, or Leica thread mount) rangefinders, too, in the day.

[ishootRAW]

OK sorry for been a fanboy here, but why would you want to do that? To me that's like putting a sigma 28-300 on a 1Ds mk4. (at least for there SLR lenses.)

But if you picked up a m7 at a garage sale for $30 and want cheap glass for it, I have heard of adapters for SLR stuff. I cant help you about rangefinder though.

[inkista]

Yeah, but have you seen the prices on Leica M lenses?

A 50mm 'cron (f/2) goes for $2000 new, let alone a Summilux (f/1.4) or Noctilux (0.95). The Noct, iirc, goes for around $10k. There's a reason that folks go with the Zeiss ZMs or Voigtlanders for M glass.

[idb]

Originally Posted by inkista

All I know is what I've read on the web.

Leica Minolta* CLE
Leica Minolta* CL

Nearly all the camera makers that were around during the '50s-'70s made both rangefinders and SLRs, so a brand name alone generally isn't enough to identify a mount system. That's why we say "Canon EOS" or "Nikon F". Canon and Nikon also made M39 (aka LTM, or Leica thread mount) rangefinders, too, in the day.

OK, thanks for explaining. The lenses I have are for Minolta 35mm SLRs and I would like to find a digital camera that will fit.
I know about the Novoflex lens mount adapters you can get and and the Samsung NX10/NX11 cameras.
I was hoping for a camera that doesn't need an adaptor. :-(

Thanks again.

Ian

[idb]

Originally Posted by ishootRAW

OK sorry for been a fanboy here, but why would you want to do that? To me that's like putting a sigma 28-300 on a 1Ds mk4. (at least for there SLR lenses.)

But if you picked up a m7 at a garage sale for $30 and want cheap glass for it, I have heard of adapters for SLR stuff. I cant help you about rangefinder though.

Actually Minolta lenses are quite good but the main thing I want is a digital camera that I can use them on so they don't just gather dust or go in the trash.

I am still using them on my X-700 and XD-70 but some day they will stop working and it's already hard to find decent film for them. Or the batteries may disappear from the stores.

I have a lot of Minolta fixed lenses from 17mm to 500mm and several zooms. It would be such a waste...

Ian

[inkista]

Originally Posted by idb

OK, thanks for explaining. The lenses I have are for Minolta 35mm SLRs and I would like to find a digital camera that will fit.
I know about the Novoflex lens mount adapters you can get and and the Samsung NX10/NX11 cameras.
I was hoping for a camera that doesn't need an adaptor. :-(

You're out of luck, then. The MD/MC mount has no digital equivalent, so you're going to at least need an adapter, no matter what. I think the only manual focus SLR lenses that can be used on digital mounts directly are Nikon F and Pentax K. All the rest involve adapters either for physical fit and/or adjusting the sensor-to-lens-mount "registration distance" to achieve focus to infinity.

However.

You don't have to spend an arm and a leg on the Novoflex mount adapters. There are cheaper options out there. eBay abounds. And there's Fotodiox. When I bought a no-name Nikon F to Canon EOS adapter from B&H, it turned out to be a Fotodiox ring.

Unfortunately, Canon FD/FL and Minolta MD/MC are more problematic than a few other SLR mounts, because the registration distance is shorter than most modern dSLRs, so that's why you have to look at the cameras that don't have mirrorboxes (Sony NEX, Samsung NX, micro four-thirds from Panasonic and Olympus): they've got even shorter registration distances, so using an adapter ring will work. The only easy MD/MC conversion I know of for dSLR is that Leitax offers a lens mount replacement kit for the Rokkor 58/1.2 for Canon EOS (since it's a very popular and relatively simple conversion). But the other Rokkors aren't nearly as popular and can be much more problematic to adapt.

[idb]

Originally Posted by inkista

You're out of luck, then. The MD/MC mount has no digital equivalent, so you're going to at least need an adapter, no matter what. I think the only manual focus SLR lenses that can be used on digital mounts directly are Nikon F and Pentax K. All the rest involve adapters either for physical fit and/or adjusting the sensor-to-lens-mount "registration distance" to achieve focus to infinity.

However.

You don't have to spend an arm and a leg on the Novoflex mount adapters. There are cheaper options out there. eBay abounds. And there's Fotodiox. When I bought a no-name Nikon F to Canon EOS adapter from B&H, it turned out to be a Fotodiox ring.

Thanks for the tip - these certainly are a lot less expensive than Novoflex adaptors. I did not know about Fotodiox.

Unfortunately, Canon FD/FL and Minolta MD/MC are more problematic than a few other SLR mounts, because the registration distance is shorter than most modern dSLRs, so that's why you have to look at the cameras that don't have mirrorboxes (Sony NEX, Samsung NX, micro four-thirds from Panasonic and Olympus): they've got even shorter registration distances, so using an adapter ring will work. The only easy MD/MC conversion I know of for dSLR is that Leitax offers a lens mount replacement kit for the Rokkor 58/1.2 for Canon EOS (since it's a very popular and relatively simple conversion). But the other Rokkors aren't nearly as popular and can be much more problematic to adapt.

If I ever have enough saved up for a full frame Nikon D700 or Canon 5D, one of these little gadgets will make all my Minolta glass worth having.

cheers!
Ian