The GetDPI Photography Forum

Great to see you here. Join our insightful photographic forum today and start tapping into a huge wealth of photographic knowledge. Completing our simple registration process will allow you to gain access to exclusive content, add your own topics and posts, share your work and connect with other members through your own private inbox! And don’t forget to say hi!

Sony A7/A7r with old lenses

jotloob

Subscriber Member
Hello

I am new to SONY A7 cameras and fascinated by using old lenses on that camera .
I have a question here . Can I use a collapsible LEICA 50mm (Elmarit , Summarit or Summicron etc.) with an M39 adapter on a SONY A7 camera ? Does the collapsed lens collide with the sensor ?
Looking very much forward for your answers and thank you in advance .

Jürgen
 

pegelli

Well-known member
Hello

I am new to SONY A7 cameras and fascinated by using old lenses on that camera .
I have a question here . Can I use a collapsible LEICA 50mm (Elmarit , Summarit or Summicron etc.) with an M39 adapter on a SONY A7 camera ? Does the collapsed lens collide with the sensor ?
Looking very much forward for your answers and thank you in advance .

Jürgen
My collapsible Elmar 50/3.5 can't be fully collapsed. Theoretically the distance of the lens to the shutter/sensor doesn't change, but the shutter assembly as well as some other internals are in the way. On a NEX/A6000 you'll hit a baffle without too much damage, but on an A7 series you might touch the actual shutter and do real damage.
 
Last edited:

jotloob

Subscriber Member
That sounds very logical . Yes .
Thank you very much . Your answer helps a lot .
I will get a collapsible KONICA HEXANON 2,4/50mm .
Not really very old but very nice .

Jürgen .
 
V

Vivek

Guest
Does the collapsed lens collide with the sensor ?


Jürgen
Yes, it does!

Pieter's logic does not apply as the shutter is much closer to the rear of the collapsed lenses in a Sony camera than in a Leica one.

You can use the lenses but do not collapse them all the way (use a spacer- bicycle tube).
 

jotloob

Subscriber Member
Uuuuuups . Thanks .
The lens is on its way to me . I will carefully check .
What do you mean by spacer - bycicle tube ? ? ?
 

pegelli

Well-known member
Vivek's post made me do another check and he's right :eek:, I probably mixed it up with the collapsing Voigtlander 40/2.8 Heliar, which is perfectly fine (fully collapsed it doesn't touch anything inside) . The Leica M39 Elmar 50/3.5 cannot be fully collapsed or it will start touching some internals. I'll amend my post above accordingly.

What he means with bicycle tube is that you can put a small rubber ring, cut from a bicycle inner tire tube, around the collapsing barrel of the lens and prevent the lens going in too far. That way you can collapse it partly/safely and make it physically impossible to push it in too deep.
 

codocee

Member
Rubber Band- preferably like blue wider one that has smaller diameter but a bit more durable-Double looped
 
Last edited:

jotloob

Subscriber Member
A question to all posters in this thread .
How old must a lens be to participate in "old lens" contest ? :banghead:
 

Annna T

Active member
A question to all posters in this thread .
How old must a lens be to participate in "old lens" contest ? :banghead:
I think it is left to the appreciation of the poster. But in any case : orphaned legacy glas that can't be mounted on digital bodies without an adapter. Plus older lenses from Canon (FD lenses), Nikon (Ais etc.), Olympus (Pen F or OM lenses) etc.. that were designed for film SLRs or range finders.
 

jotloob

Subscriber Member
Vivek's post made me do another check and he's right :eek:, I probably mixed it up with the collapsing Voigtlander 40/2.8 Heliar, which is perfectly fine (fully collapsed it doesn't touch anything inside) . The Leica M39 Elmar 50/3.5 cannot be fully collapsed or it will start touching some internals. I'll amend my post above accordingly.

What he means with bicycle tube is that you can put a small rubber ring, cut from a bicycle inner tire tube, around the collapsing barrel of the lens and prevent the lens going in too far. That way you can collapse it partly/safely and make it physically impossible to push it in too deep.
I have received the KONICA HEXANON 2.4/50mm collapsible lens . Its like new . A wonderful lens .
The images are very sharp for all apertures , but softer at F16 . The sweetspot is , as expected , at F5,6/F8 .
I found , that the collapsed lens tube just goes one (1) millimeter beyond the rear of the NOVOFLEX adapter .
Just to take no risk , I use a thin 25mm diameter rubberband and that is perfect .
 
Top