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Handmade converter for some lenses and cameras

Theory of lens conversion

After years of photography, and the purchase of analog cameras and different lenses, I should used these parts for digital cameras. A few years ago, I saw someone on the site, had been used from this converters. Of course, I saw many comments about the use of analog lenses on digital cameras. And finally I decided to make this converters for my analog lenses. Most important issue that should be considered for these parts, is the camera flange-focal distance. This value, is distance from the outer lens mount of camera, to surface of sensor or film.

Flange-Focal distance
Flange-Focal distance

The following table shows the flange–focal distance some cameras.

Camera flange focal distance (mm) Ref.
System (mount) Flange focal distance (mm) Note
Sony E (NEX) 18 Mirrorless (Evil) camera
Micro 4/3 (Micro Four Thirds) 20 Mirrorless (Evil) camera
Samsung NX 25.5 Mirrorless (Evil) camera
4/3 (Four Thirds) 38.67 SLR camera
Sigma SA 44 SLR APS-C camera
Canon EF(-S) 44 SLR 35mm and APS-C camera
Sony A / Minolta A 44.5 SLR 35mm and APS-C camera
Pentax K (KA, KAF) 45.5 SLR 35mm and APS-C camera
Nikon F (FX, DX) 46.5 SLR 35mm and APS-C camera
С-mount 17.526 Movie camera 16mm
Leica M 27.8 Rangefinder 35mm camera
Leica m39 screw mount 28.8 Rangefinder 35mm camera
Contax G 29 Rangefinder 35mm camera
Nikon S-Mount 34.85 Rangefinder 35mm camera
Konica F (A/R) 40.5 SLR 35mm camera
Canon R (FL, FD, FDn) 42 SLR 35mm camera
Fujica-X 43.5 SLR 35mm camera
Minolta SR/MC/MD 43.5 SLR 35mm camera
Praktica B 44.4 SLR 35mm camera
Exakta, Topcon 44.7 SLR 35mm camera
m39 45.2 SLR 35mm camera
m42 45.5 SLR 35mm camera
C/Y (Contax/Yashika) 45.5 SLR 35mm camera
Olympus OM 46 SLR 35mm camera
Leica R 47 SLR 35mm camera
Contax-N 48 SLR 35mm camera
Tamron (T2, T-mount, T-thread) 55 SLR 35mm camera
Pentax 645 70.87 Medium format camera
Pentacon Six 74.1 Medium format camera
Hasselblad 74.9 Medium format camera
Kiev-88 82.1 Medium format camera

Selecting the appropriate conversion

Thus, for lenses that This distance is longer than the body, can be used for this converters. For example, this value is 46.5 mm for Nikon lenses. So it could be used, for Canon bodies where this distance is the 44 mm. After reviewing and comparing different bodies and lenses available, Canon body was the best camera for my lenses. Accordingly, I designed and made ​​the following converters.

Nikon lens to Canon body
Pentax (m42) lens to Canon body
Hasselblad lens to Canon body
Hasselblad lens to Nikon body

Hasselblad to canon converter
Hasselblad lens to canon EF converter - Catia software section

But for some lenses, which have a similar flanges-focal distance with canon body, I opened the lens mount, and built a new mount on the camera body for that. For example, i designed and make practika B mount lenses for Canon. For Canon FD lenses, which need to change their mount, design process is not ended yet.

When using this converters, all camera and lens connectors, is cut. Thus all steps shooting must be manually. This pieces are made completely of aluminum alloy metal. That after the precision machining, anodizing with black anti-reflection coating has been done on them.

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