Cdouthitt Loc: Traverse City, MI

This was my copy:

Bridgeman Loc: Missouri

[quote=JPL]

I recommend you forget about using those lenses on your Canon 1ds and buy a mirrorless Sony or Fuji or Oly or Pentax crop sensor or full frame cameras with focus magnifier and focus peaking to use for those lenses.

Thanks for the reply!
I appreciate the information. Could you give me a list of 4 or 5 specific cameras that you recommend? I don't know how far I will go with this, but I will check out your recommendations. THANKS!!! Don

Cdouthitt Loc: Traverse City, MI

[quote=Bridgeman]

EM1
EM5ii
GH4
GX8
G7
A6000
A7ii
XT1
XT10
XPRO2

JPL

[quote=Bridgeman]

Well, I can recommend the A7r because I have been using it a lot with manual focus lenses of various kind. Also the Sony A7, A7II, A7rII, A7s would all do the job as they have the same mount and focus peaking and magnifying as my A7r. The Sony A7II and A7rII are even better as they also have in camera stabilizing that makes it easier then with older models to shoot at slower shutter speeds. I am not going to recommend any cameras that I have no experience with so I can not point out specific models from Panasonic, Fuji or Oly, but I know some cameras from them are said to be just as good as Sony for this purpose.

I am waiting for the Sony A5000 I bought yesterday to arrive, and when I have tested that one I can tell you more about how good it is for those manual lenses. I am told they work basically the same way as the full frame A7r I have for this purpose and I hope that is true. I am also told that older Sony Nex models, which the A5000 to A6000 are siblings to, also handle the old manual focus lenses nicely.

marki3rd Loc: Columbus, Indiana

Yes!! There is a big difference in the M39 versus M42 lenses suitability for use with adapters on a canon EOS Camera and for reasons I will explain, you probably should avoid the M39 lenses for that purpose.

The problem is the mounting flange to sensor/film plane distance.

The M39 lens has a flange to sensor distance of 28.8mm
The M42 lens has a flange to sensor distance of 45.46mm

The Canon EOS requires a lens with 44mm Flange to sensor distance.

Therefore, the Canon EOS Cameras will focus perfectly all the way from close up to infinity distances with M42 lenses mounted with an adapter because the adapter adds just enough offset distance.

There are M39 to Canon EOS adapters, but they have a lens built into them to make them work, and this lens will degrade optical performance significantly and I do not recommend them.

If you really want to get a Russian Camera to play with Zenit Cameras are available that use M42 Lenses and you could probably find one with a Jupiter 9 Lens.

One last comment. IMHO you can ignore anyone who tells you that Canon EOS Cameras are not suitable for manual focus operation. It takes a little care to focus, but it can certainly be done, and depending on shooting circumstances you can use live view to make it easier. So, don't rush out and buy a Sony for the sole purpose of easier manual focusing. Dumb suggestion.

Bridgeman Loc: Missouri

I want to thank you, and everyone else that responded to my question. After reading the replies and doing a little more research, I came to the conclusions that you just mentioned. If I decide to get a Jupiter-9, or any other older lenses, the will have a m42 mount. Also, I checked out some of the other cameras mentioned, and for what I will be doing, I can not justify the cost.

I just like the different look some of the older lenses have, and thought I would like to try them out. So, if I proceed, it will be with some decent, but not expensive lenses. I'll see what I can do with them on my Canon. Thanks again!!! Don

marki3rd Loc: Columbus, Indiana

If you think you might like to try older manual focus lenses on your Canon, there are other options besides Russian M42 Lenses that are excellent options that don't cost an arm and a leg, are optically excellent and superior build quality.

Older Pentax M42 screw mount lenses are very high quality in every way. In addition, older Pentax K Mount Bayonet lenses have the same flange to sensor distance as the M42's and therefor work just as good with the appropriate mount adapter. I have been using both M42 and K Mount lenses of many focal lengths with adapters on Canon Digital cameras for years with great results.

RWR Loc: La Mesa, CA

Glad I didn't get back sooner, marki3rd saved me a lot of typing! I'll add that my adapters with correction lenses are Fotodiox (M42 and Exakta to Nikon), and the loss of image quality with either is negligible. For an M39 to Canon, though, a correction lens would be stronger and may very well be unsatisfactory.
My most used lenses are manual diaphragm, Leica-R with Nikon mounts, and I agree you should have no problems focusing with your Canon, though it may take a little getting used to. I stop down to meter, open up to focus and compose, then stop back down to shoot. Of course, this is better suited to stationary subjects.
Good luck with which ever way you go!

Bridgeman Loc: Missouri

[quote=marki3rd

Older Pentax M42 screw mount lenses are very high quality in every way. In addition, older Pentax K Mount Bayonet lenses have the same flange to sensor distance as the M42's and therefor work just as good with the appropriate mount adapter. [/quote]

I do have a few Pentax m42s ranging from a 28mm f3.5 to a 200mm f4. Although I have a m42 to EOS adapter, I have not used them much on my Canon. I will experiment with them when the weather gets warmer. Question!! I have the newer 50mm f1.4, is the older 8 element worth the price? Also what about a 300mm or 400mm? THANKS for all the info!!!!!!!!!! You guys just saved me over $100.

Bridgeman Loc: Missouri

Thanks again for the info. The majority of my photography is closeup and landscape, so your suggestion will work fine. I do have a couple of EOS lenses with IS, which should serve my needs for action shots. Maybe some day I'll acquire a faster and better L lens or two.
If I get real nostalgic for older cameras, I guess I can pull out my old Yashica Electro 35 that I bought while I was in Viet Nam in 1971. Big change in equipment since then.
THANKS again!!!!!!!! Don

marki3rd Loc: Columbus, Indiana

I have two Pentax Super-Takumar 50mm 1:1.4 8 element lenses as well as 7 element Super-Takumars and Super-Multi-Coated-Takumars. While the 8 element version has a little better collector value than any of the later 7 element versions I doubt that you would be able to see any improvement in overall IQ and possibly more flare potential because of the older tech coating, so for performance issues alone, I don't feel they are worth the extra cost.

There are four (4) versions of Pentax M42 50mm 1:1.4 Takumar Lenses as follows (in order of production):

1.) Original 50mm 1:1.4 Super-Takumar 8 Element.
2.) 50mm 1:1.4 Super-Takumar (7 Element).
3.) 50mm 1:1.4 Super-Multi-Coated Takumar (7Element).
4.) 50mm 1:1.4 SMC-Takumar (7 Element).

I like the Super-Multi-Coated-Takumar version because it has better coatings than earlier versions and because it has 8 aperture blades. Earlier versions had 6 aperture blades.

The SMC-Takumars were cheapened up IMHO with rubber coated bodies and are my least favorite for that reason.

ole sarg Loc: south florida

have you tried the new fujifilm 2ex or sony a6000 as good as a leica

ecommons

In 1967 a friend with the Russian consulate in Athens gave me a Zorki 4 (Zorki means "Hawkeye",with the Jupiter 50 mm Lens. I carried that camera every where and got great images, no problem He also gave me one with the Industrial lens. The Jupiter was the better lens. After many, many years, the Jupiter developed a fungus. I acquired a lens from a Nikon S2 and the lens and camera still work fine. I Also have a Leica 135 mm and it also works fine with the camera (separate view finder, but uses the range finder on the camera to focus

ecommons

In 1967 a friend with the Russian consulate in Athens gave me a Zorki 4 (Zorki means "Hawkeye",with the Jupiter 50 mm Lens. I carried that camera every where and got great images, no problem He also gave me one with the Industrial lens. The Jupiter was the better lens. After many, many years, the Jupiter developed a fungus. I acquired a lens from a Nikon S2 and the lens and camera still work fine. I Also have a Leica 135 mm and it also works fine with the camera (separate view finder, but uses the range finder on the camera to focus

JPL

You are right about the flange distance problem when using m39 lenses on your Canon. I forgot about this in my previous comment. This is another big reason to forget about using those lenses on your Canon camera.

I know you can focus manually with old russian lenses on your Canon, I never said it was not possible. But as you say yourself it is not easy. That was my point too. I said you would find it to be too much work for you to want to do that for a long time. So there was nothing dumb about that statement, it is a simple truth. Another truth is that if you are serious about using manual lenses you should go and buy Sony or some other of the mirrorless cameras mentioned for that purpose. People who find that a dumb idea are just saying they have never tried and there fore never discovered how easy manual focusing can be with the right camera. I would be careful about following advice from people who have not tried what they are claiming to be a dumb idea.