Body for Leica screw lenses: Contemplating getting a digital body that will accept my Leica screw lenses, without an adapter, and give me infinity focus. Just to give me a lighter...

Pablo8 Loc: Nottingham UK.

Contemplating getting a digital body that will accept my Leica screw lenses, without an adapter, and give me infinity focus. Just to give me a lighter carry around, and make better use of the quality optics. Any recommendations. Have used with adapter on Nikon DSLR, but only close-up images. Is there such a body / system?

delkeener Loc: SW Rhode Island, USA

The Russians once made some nice Leica imitations. I think they took the Leica screw mount lenses too.

delkeener Loc: SW Rhode Island, USA

Look for a used soviet FED 1 which is said to use the M39 mount lens. Looks quite a bit like the Leica III rangefinder. See Amazon here : <https://www.amazon.com/Soviet-Union-Russian-Leica-camera/dp/B00YK9YJ90?SubscriptionId=AKIAIKBZ7IH7LXTW3ARA&&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B00YK9YJ90&tag=wwwbookcompar-20&ascsubtag=5b90ec56eba0c90f68b5c8f6#customerReviews>

Pablo8 wrote:

Contemplating getting a digital body that will accept my Leica screw lenses, without an adapter, and give me infinity focus. Just to give me a lighter carry around, and make better use of the quality optics. Any recommendations. Have used with adapter on Nikon DSLR, but only close-up images. Is there such a body / system?

Pablo8 Loc: Nottingham UK.

delkeener wrote:

Look for a used soviet FED 1 which is said to use the M39 mount lens. Looks quite a bit like the Leica III rangefinder. See Amazon here : <https://www.amazon.com/Soviet-Union-Russian-Leica-camera/dp/B00YK9YJ90?SubscriptionId=AKIAIKBZ7IH7LXTW3ARA&&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B00YK9YJ90&tag=wwwbookcompar-20&ascsubtag=5b90ec56eba0c90f68b5c8f6#customerReviews>

I am looking for a Digital Body. I have the Leica 111c body which is for film.

rjaywallace Loc: Wisconsin

Pablo8 wrote:

Contemplating getting a digital body that will accept my Leica screw lenses, without an adapter, and give me infinity focus. Just to give me a lighter carry around, and make better use of the quality optics. Any recommendations. Have used with adapter on Nikon DSLR, but only close-up images. Is there such a body / system?

Pablo - Why not buy Leica cameras designed for Leica M39 mounts? KEH Camera in Georgia currently lists nine Leica M39-mount cameras, all in a range between $499 and $218. Those aren’t exactly ‘break the bank’ prices? I continue to be highly amused by the number of UHH members who insist on using lenses from Company “A” on bodies designed by Company “B” for Company “B” lenses. Yeah, it’s cheaper. It’s cheaper not to wear shoes, too, but at the end of the day your feet get awfully sore. — Ralph

rjaywallace Loc: Wisconsin

Pablo8 wrote:

I am looking for a Digital Body. I have the Leica 111c body which is for film.

So you want to use a “Ferrari” lens on a digital “1979 Chevy”
(probably with some really clunky ineffectual adapter by Ford)?

Pablo8 Loc: Nottingham UK.

rjaywallace wrote:

So you want to use a “Ferrari” lens on a digital “1979 Chevy”
(probably with some really clunky ineffectual adapter by Ford)?

I do not know if any such body is made. That is why I asked. Perhaps one of the multi Digital camera manufacturers does make such an item. I just do not know. Looking to make more use of the Leica lenses.

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

Pablo8 wrote:

Contemplating getting a digital body that will accept my Leica screw lenses, without an adapter, and give me infinity focus. Just to give me a lighter carry around, and make better use of the quality optics. Any recommendations. Have used with adapter on Nikon DSLR, but only close-up images. Is there such a body / system?

No digital body takes screw mount lenses, period. Simple fact, sorry. Digital requires way too much communication for screw mounts to be effective. Screw mounts disappeared way before autofocus even because of this fact.

RWR Loc: La Mesa, CA

Pablo8 wrote:

Contemplating getting a digital body that will accept my Leica screw lenses, without an adapter, and give me infinity focus. Just to give me a lighter carry around, and make better use of the quality optics. Any recommendations. Have used with adapter on Nikon DSLR, but only close-up images. Is there such a body / system?

There are no digital cameras with an L39 mount that I’m aware of, but your lenses will fit and focus at infinity on any of the Leica M digital rangefinder models with an L39-LM adapter ring:
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?ci=3420&fct=fct_camera-body-mount_1595%7cleica-m%2bfct_lens-mount_1596%7cleica-screw-m39&N=4077634486&

Pablo8 Loc: Nottingham UK.

MT Shooter wrote:

No digital body takes screw mount lenses, period. Simple fact, sorry. Digital requires way too much communication for screw mounts to be effective. Screw mounts disappeared way before autofocus even because of this fact.

Got information that the lenses can be used on the Fuji X-Pro 1 body.( think an adapter is needed @ £3.99.) Any advice on the Camera Body? Thanks for your first reply. I do not fear going fully manual, I did that pre-Digital. Regards...

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

Pablo8 wrote:

Got information that the lenses can be used on the Fuji X-Pro 1 body.( think an adapter is needed @ £3.99.) Any advice on the Camera Body? Thanks for your first reply. I do not fear going fully manual, I did that pre-Digital. Regards...

Your request was for a digital body that would mount them without an adapter and that was what my reply addressed. WITH an adapter they could be used on several bodies. All you need to do is get that adapter, some of the older M4/3's bodies can be had VERY cheaply.

Quinn 4

Why buy a Russian made camera, it none but junk, give it to one of yours kids or grandkids as a toy. Go find a Leica camera or Japan copy of the Leica made in the 1950s. Those Japan's cameras are equal to the Leica or better and cost less.

Pablo8 Loc: Nottingham UK.

Quinn 4 wrote:

Why buy a Russian made camera, it none but junk, give it to one of yours kids or grandkids as a toy. Go find a Leica camera or Japan copy of the Leica made in the 1950s. Those Japan's cameras are equal to the Leica or better and cost less.

I'm looking for a DIGITAL body. I already have a Leica111c FILM body.

Pablo8 Loc: Nottingham UK.

MT Shooter wrote:

Your request was for a digital body that would mount them without an adapter and that was what my reply addressed. WITH an adapter they could be used on several bodies. All you need to do is get that adapter, some of the older M4/3's bodies can be had VERY cheaply.

Thanks , appreciate what you had posted, that lenses would not fit directly to a digital body. With the influx of Mirrorless cameras I was not sure what fittings they all supported. Google searching threw-up the Fuji and Sony items, as possible solutions. Thanks again.

Quinn 4

Ok, my mistake, sorry. I have a Leica IIIb with 50mm Leica Lens and a 90mm Leica Lens.