reindeer Loc: London U.K.

I have two lenses which I would like to use on my Nikon d5600(or D850 which I might buy). Two Leica 50 mm f/2 Summicron lenses , one made in Germany and one made in Canada and the other is Canon FD 24 mm f/1.4 L series. All these lenses are in mint condition and very sharp. How can I do that? Will be grateful for suggestions.

ecurb1105

Forget using those lenses on a Nikon boby. The Nikon flange to film distance is too deep. You will never get infinity focus by afding an adaptor. Buy Leica and Canon bodies.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

The Canon FD lens is a non starter. You cannot mount a Canon FD lens directly to a Nikon DSLR that uses an F-mount. A third party adapter would be needed, if one exists for FD-to-F. Canon FD lenses are manual-focus lenses from Canon film bodies prior to 1987. The 24L is still selling for around $900 USD where many are using them successfully via an adaptor to Sony mirrorless digital bodies, but $900 you can buy a superior autofocus lens covering 24mm from Nikon.

The same issue may apply to the Leica lenses. If they're not F-mount lenses, you can't connect them directly to the camera and adapters may / may not exist. And even if an adapter does exist, they may not be worth the price when you could have just shopped for Nikon lenses.

If you're unfamiliar with the various lens mounts, see the details here:

https://kenrockwell.com/nikon/compatibility-lens.htm

RWR Loc: La Mesa, CA

If you can live with stop-down metering and shooting at the working aperture, this glassless adapter will allow Leica R lenses to focus at infinity:
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/995095-REG/fotodiox_lr_nk_p_pro_nikon_camera_lens.html
I wouldn’t recommend trying to adapt any Canon lens.

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

If the Summicron is an M-mount or 39mm screwmount lens, it's for the rangefinder cameras and cannot be adapted for use on a Nikon F-mound DSLR. Rangefinder cameras use a much shorter register (lens flange to film/sensor plane distance), so there is no room to fit an adapter.

If the Summicron is an R-mount lens for the Leica SLRs it might be possible to find a mount. Nikon F-mount has a 46.5mm flange register, while Leica R uses 47mm... so there's a half mm to fit an adapter! Not much, but it might be possible. Leica R-mount lenses also can be adapted to use on Sony and Canon DSLRs, both of which have a bit shorter register (about 44mm) and allow plenty of room for adapters. I know adapters are available for them too.

Canon FD/FL mount uses a 42mm register, making it impossible to mount on Nikon F-mount (or Canon EOS/EF, Sony/Minolta DSLRs) via an adapter without using "corrective" optics which will basically ruin the image quality of the lens.... OR, using an adapter with optics removed for better image quality, but will not allow the lens to focus anywhere close to infinity.

Both lenses can be fitted to modern mirrorless digital such as Sony, Canon M-series, Fuji, etc. Those cameras use a much shorter lens register (commonly around 18mm), so there is plenty of room to add an adapter to the lens. Right now only Sony is offering full frame mirrorless (aka MILC or "mirrorless interchangeable lens camera"). Well, actually Leica is offering FF MILC, too... if you have very deep pockets! I don't know if there are adapters for the Leica FF MILC, though... nor what lens register there are for them.

I DO know there are adapters to use Canon FD/FL, Leica M/39mm, and Leica R on Sony, Canon M-series and Fuji MILC.

repleo Loc: Boston

Try the Fotodiox web site. They have a huge range of adapters, but I think the advice you have been given is probably correct.

olemikey Loc: 6 mile creek, Spacecoast Florida

Fotodiox worked well for me adapting a Yashica AF mount Sigma 400 lens to Sony A-mount - saved it from becoming a paperweight, and seems to work just fine at all focal lengths - They have quite a listing, check out their web site. For some cameras (like my case) it also gives you 1.4X, so my 400 is now a 560 equivalent.

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

The best kind of lens adapter for a Canon FD lens is a mirrorless camera with a flange distance of less than 42mm. If you like Nikon, then we know that Nikon is going to introduce mirrorless cameras, and adapters may become available. Or (gasp, cough, shudder) get a Canon mirroless camera such as the EOS M50 with an adapter.

jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

I wouldn't attempt to do any of those things. First off, the beauty of today's DSLR's is that they have superb autofocus. That said, none of those lenses will autofocus on a modern DSLR even if there are adapters for them. Secondly, if you could use them on a modern DSLR, the only way to focus would be manually and none of the modern DSLR's have a split screen type of focus adjustment to see in the viewfinder so you'd be totally guessing if your focus is right or not just by your own eyes. You'd never get a sharp focus. Yes, those lenses might have been sharp when used on the camera bodies they were designed to be used on, but it won't do you any good on a modern DSLR.

If you do buy a D850, you'll be buying a Cadillac of cameras and it wouldn't make sense to put Volkswagen tires on that Cadillac now would it.

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

That simply isn't correct, at least for Canon cameras. I have several manual focus lenses that I use on my Canon DSLRs, including modified Canon FL/FD/FDn lenses that focus to infinity and provide visual focus confirmation signals in the view finder and audible signals. This can work with multiple brands of lenses.

I can't speak to Nikon cameras, but some of us like manual focus lenses for some purposes, and electronic focus confirmation is very useful in replacing the split screen / microprism functions on older manual focus SLRs.

agillot

see if fotodiox has what you need , got on to use older film era pentax lenses to nikon D300 , it has a correction lens in it , so it focus fine at infinity .you will be loosing some pics quality ??? , but since you start with something good you should be ok .so google fotodiox .was $ 50 .it does not connect the diaphragm to the body , so it is like to shooting with a T mount lens .there are better more sophisticated adapters there that will connect to the body .

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

I'm in strong agreement today's electronic technology is overall better, except the part you said above. I've been recently 'converted' into adding a Sony A7II and metabones adaptor for using my FD lenses. The difference: the Sony provides (and I guess others) an electronic zoom in the viewfinder. You can see exactly where your manual focus is focusing. With no electronics in an FD lens, the lens does not report an aperture to the camera. The photography is manual exposure with the aid of a histogram. Also manual: the aperture control by turning a dial on the lens. I think most people would find this set-up impractical and not well-suited to their photography needs. I've found it interesting where otherwise I would have sold the lenses.

ggenova64

Check out Metabones lens adapters.

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

They're good, but there are some physics problems that are difficult to deal with, such as flange registration distances...

Canon FL/FD/FDn to Nikon is not a good fit. It's tough to Canon EOS. To mirrorless it's a good fit.

BebuLamar

The OP didn't say whether the Leica lenses are Summicron-M or Summicron-R. If it's the M lens it's no way. If it's the R I think it's possible as the Leica R flange distance is more than that of Nikon.