Closer focusing for M-mount lenses on m4/3rds

[Jonathon Delacour]

Jonathon, you should still check out the 20/1.7. It focuses very close, around five or six inches.

Monza is working on a Contax G adapter with a geared (and much larger) manual focus wheel--he posted photos of it on another thread here. I believe he's planning to put it on the market soon.

I agree about the Pen 40/1.4--it's a good one!

mabelsound, I have the 20/1.7 and I agree with you (and Vivek) that it's a great lens.

But, for still-life subjects, I prefer something longer, 40-45mm being ideal. So I'm looking forward to getting and using monza's Contax G adapter. In the meantime, the Pen F 40/1.4 does a fine job.

 

[monza]

Not to get off the subject but the G lenses are interesting when adapted. Due to the nature of the Contax AF system, the lens helical will physically go slightly beyond both limits (close and infinity.) (If you have a Contax, try focusing at infinity; notice the lens will still extend somewhat.) Unlike a manual focus Leica M lens which has a hard stop at infinity, and at close focus.

What this means is that the 0.5m meter close focus of the Contax is limited by the body, not the lens. The lens helical will focus closer, so on micro 4/3 you get a bonus.

 

[Jonathon Delacour]

Not to get off the subject but the G lenses are interesting when adapted. Due to the nature of the Contax AF system, the lens helical will physically go slightly beyond both limits (close and infinity.) (If you have a Contax, try focusing at infinity; notice the lens will still extend somewhat.) Unlike a manual focus Leica M lens which has a hard stop at infinity, and at close focus.

What this means is that the 0.5m meter close focus of the Contax is limited by the body, not the lens. The lens helical will focus closer, so on micro 4/3 you get a bonus.

This caught me out when, wanting to focus the Planar 45/2 quickly on a distant subject, I turned the wheel on my Rong Jin adapter as far as it would go before bringing the camera up to my eye. Much to my surprise the distant subject, rather than being sharp as I'd expected, was completely out of focus.

 

[monza]

Heh he. Yes the physical hard stop on the lens is much beyond infinity. But the cool thing is the hard stop on the close focus side is also closer than 0.5m.