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leica m to e adapters compared

I performed this test essentially to verify the possibility to calibrate the infinity point of the tri elmar 16-18-21 in order to avoid refocusing after focal change
due to usual tolerances in fixed adapters. I used the fixed Novoflex as a reference
and compared it to Voigtlander and Hawks helicoid adapters.
The helicoid adapters were tuned with the lens indicating the exact distance from
the target, to obtain best focus on the target positioned on center, while, from the same exact distance and the fixed Novoflex, focusing on center was performed with the lens.
Both helicoid adapters required a very small rotation, approx. a pair of millimeters, to reach the calibration point.
First crop is the center target, perfectly focused with the tri elmar at 16 F4 with
the 3 adapters, the other 3 are extreme lower left corner target crops with the 3 adapters.(the corner crops show the vignetting of the tri elmar at F4)
Unfortunately, the results for the helicoid adapters are unsatisfactory.

Center target- focus is identical with all adapters.

center by sergio lovisolo, on Flickr


Novoflex fixed adapter

novoflex by sergio lovisolo, on Flickr


Voigtlander helicoid

voigtlander by sergio lovisolo, on Flickr


Hawks helicoid

hawks by sergio lovisolo, on Flickr


The problem is progressively less evident with lenses of longer focal lens, and is nearly imperceptible from 50 millimeters.

Sergio
 
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philber

Member
Sergio, I have a Hawk's and a Novoflex. While my Hawk's is not decentered, it wobbles, which is a common issue with the earlier ones. That might account for what you are seeing, and can be seen on some of my shots.
 
Philber, yes, the Hawk's wobbles, and I discovered the problem comparing it to the Novoflex,
which is perfect. For this reason, I bought the Voigtlander, which is much better built and is
not wobbling at all. It is really a little mechanical jewel. But it is even worse than the Hawk's when used with a very high quality ultra wide as the WATE. Just a trace of rotation, to calibrate infinity, and you see corners completely smeared. When it is blocked completely closed, with no helicoid rotation it is as good as the Novoflex. The same thing
happens with the Hawk's, smearing appears with just the smallest rotation.
This means that helicoid tolerances are not adequate, at least with wide angle lenses; clearly a question of a few microns...
 

CharlesK

New member
Excellent work! I have suspected the a lot of the variations we see with lenses, is due to adapters tolerances. I now have 6 adapters, 2 Novoflex, 2 metabones and 2 Phigment. I was wanting to send mine to a Camera Clinic in Melbourne, and see if you they could fully calibrate lens and adapter to fully match.
 
V

Vivek

Guest
The problem is not "decentering" (much abused terminology) but rear vignetting. A no name Sony E to Leica M adapter would do just fine. There is nothing special about Novoflex other than its price.
 
We are not speaking of the Novoflex here, which is a standard adapter and shows no defect, as probably many other standard adapters, but of 2 different close focus or helicoid adapters. With both corners are sharp (as with the Novoflex) when completely closed, a position in which the helicoid plays no role, but generate the smearing that can be seen in the crops as soon as they are even slightly rotated (about 2 millimeters of rotation, corresponding to a microscopic extension of the helicoid). I see no other reason that the opposing surfaces of the adapter are no more parallel. Rear vignetting has been reported with adapters designed for APS-C sensors (not the case of the Voigtlander) and with longer lenses.
 
V

Vivek

Guest
I do not have such a problem with the Hawk 2.5 or the Cosina VM-E (or a 10 Euro no name straight adapter).
 

Viramati

Member
Thanks for the explanation. Well if this is an issue with WA lenses then 1 more reason to hang onto to my M240 which nowadays only really gets used with
the WATE and 28 summicron
 
V

Vivek

Guest
The problem is particularly evident because I am doing it with a WATE at 16 F4. But clearly, when using such a lens, you are not much prone to accept resolution loss due to a EUR 150
adapter. Probably you know this article:
LensRentals.com - There Is No Free Lunch, Episode 763: Lens Adapters
From that article.

I’ll point out that we carry only name-brand, fairly expensive adapters, not eBay $29 adapters
It is a rental outfit. Obviously, it makes sense if they only have "name brand" expensive adapters and not no name adapters that cost less than a rental charge. Smart folks. :)
 
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