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Experience with Leica M adapters for NEX-7?

douglasf13

New member
Voigtlander are my favorite regular adapters, because they are well built and have a very low profile lens release tab that doesn't get in the way of your fingers on the grip.

Metabones are also built well, but have a larger release tab that drives me nuts.

All of this being said, the Hawks Factory helicoid adapters are by far my favorite. They allow you to close focus your M lenses to SLR-like minimum focus distances. The v2.0 of this adapter added a focus tab to the helicoid (this is the one that I currently use.) There is an even newer, v2.5 version of this adapter, but that added a much larger lens release tab, so I'm not interested in it.

I did try a cheapie $20 adapter, and it was wobbly and not confidence inspiring.

FWIW, all of my current adapters focus past infinity. My old v1.0 Hawk's adapter didn't with most of my lenses, but, because it wasn't built with a little extra forgiveness, a few of my M lenses didn't quite reach infinity. My newer v2.0 works with everything. It seems most adapter companies have compromised by allowing focus a little past infinity with most M lenses, because there is some variance in lens tolerance.
 

bcm

Member
I've only used the Hawk's, but they are well made and the ability to change the minimum focus distance is well worth the price. I'd buy one again if I lost the one I own for some reason.
 

JimBuchanan

New member
This is a post I made on Fred Miranda about M-NEX adapters:

So I finally got a NEX7 delivered and have been able to fine tune the Metabones M-NEX adapter. I have 3 or 4 reference M lenses that I used with the Leica M8 that all gave excellent infinity focus and rangefinder focus accuracy. I have used these to calibrate the Metabones NEX adapter with use of the NEX7.

As it turns out, the thickness of the adapter of .381", allowed focus past infinity with degraded sharpness, with all lenses. I removed the M bayonet from the adapter and thru trail and error, came up with a round brass shim of .004" thickness that gave the sharpest hard stop infinity image at wide open apertures. This gave an over all adapter thickness of .385".
 
N

nocavat

Guest
just got the HAWK'S, got a defective copy, the release button doesnt work or allow the lens to seat, he was great, will send a new one, just have to return mine first, which is a drag, they should be tested better...
 

ashwinrao1

Active member
Have and enjoy the Novoflex adapter. IT seems to do fine with close and infinity focus. Well built and confidence inspiring when hanging fancy glass off a nex body.
 

Shane Phillips

New member
just got the HAWK'S, got a defective copy, the release button doesnt work or allow the lens to seat, he was great, will send a new one, just have to return mine first, which is a drag, they should be tested better...
I'm in the same exact unfortunate situation with my recently received defective HAWK adapter. Am considering fashioning some sort of wedge to hold the lock into place as I'm not sure I want to be without it. The idea of it making it back to Taiwan and then a new one to me is a 1+ month commitment. :(
 

douglasf13

New member
This is a post I made on Fred Miranda about M-NEX adapters:

So I finally got a NEX7 delivered and have been able to fine tune the Metabones M-NEX adapter. I have 3 or 4 reference M lenses that I used with the Leica M8 that all gave excellent infinity focus and rangefinder focus accuracy. I have used these to calibrate the Metabones NEX adapter with use of the NEX7.

As it turns out, the thickness of the adapter of .381", allowed focus past infinity with degraded sharpness, with all lenses. I removed the M bayonet from the adapter and thru trail and error, came up with a round brass shim of .004" thickness that gave the sharpest hard stop infinity image at wide open apertures. This gave an over all adapter thickness of .385".
The problem with this is that not all of my M lenses are calibrated to the same infinity point, so a couple of mine wouldn't reach infinity if I shimmed my adapters. I don't find the ability to focus past infinity a big deal, since I can just use magnification to focus.
 

Woody Campbell

Workshop Member
I've got the Hawks, Novoflex and Voigtlander. The close focus capacity with the Hawks is very handy. The Hawks release button is the poorest of the three in terms of ease of use. The Voigtlander has the best release button and is beautifully made. The Novoflex is also beautiful.

They all seem to hit infinity focus, but the Hawks has a little less certainty in this respect because you have to keep track of where the close focus ring is.
 

kit laughlin

Subscriber Member
I have a Hawk's adapter on the 5N; I am completely happy with it. I can't see any version identifier on it, but it is a couple of weeks old, so I assume the latest. Its unlocking tab is not as precise as the Sony one (or the Voigtlander adapters I have for the GXR) but the close focus ability more than makes up for that. Infinity focus looks fine.
 
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