Hello all,
I intend to use an old MC Zenitar-M42 fish eye 16mm lens on Nikon DSLR camera F mount. I read about getting an adaptor with glass for infinity focus but I also saw feedback that said it do not work on infinity focus.
Anyone using this lens with the adaptor on Nikon DSLR camera? Any problem with infinity focusing?
One other question is will the mirror (in the camera) hit the rear of the adaptor when the shutter trigger?
Thanks!
If you have bought the Nikon F mount version of Zenitar you would not have this problem.
You probably have not read all the replies or understood the implications of flange focal
distance. Most people would immediately associate focal length with angle of view a lens
can take in but not the focal length that it will focus an image to the film plane/digital
image sensor.The laws of the physics of optical science makes it so.
For old 35mm film format SLR cameras Nikon had the longest flange distance (see wikipedia)
and the shortest are canon and Konica.The digital canon mounts are longer but still shorter
than some.Simply put you need glass optics in the adapters for Nikon and none for the
shorter lens mounts(relative to camera mounts in question).Mirrorless camera adapters don't need optics because their flange distances are only half as short because they don't have the mirror box construction.
Don't forget the 16mm is designed for full frame so for apsc sensors it will only be
16 X 1.5 = 24mm angle of view.Even if you have nikon F mount manual lenses on Nikon digital
bodies there are metering and automatic aperture operation problems as the mechanical
linkages may be missing on digital bodies, it being electronic contacts for the
mechanicals to work.Technically focus at maximum aperture and stopped down for metering?
To enjoy the 16mm zenitar a full frame body is needed.This will be the
Nikon DF which is also designed to use old nikon manual lenses and have the benefit of
exposure metering and auto aperture operation.
Alternative solution will be getting M42 to Pentax PK adapter and buy a used Pentax K30
or older model like KR or sell it in the Pentax BnS and get the Nikon F version of
zenitar but still having the same problems as listed above.
Edit: Full frame alternative: M42 to Sony E mount Nex adapter with A7 digital body.
PS A glass optics adapter should focus to infinity that's the main intention and design goal.
See Fotodiox adapters.Of course there will be image degradation as explained above.
http://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/2944095
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flange_focal_distance
