Your channel is simply amazing and inspiring. I appreciate the concise approach to your video content and lens reviews. Yours is one of the few YT channels that I anxiously wait for the next video. Keep up the great work 👍.
I finally found a Mansfield camera at estate sale for $6! I’ve been hunting around since seeing this video last year. Can’t wait to adapt the lens to my mirrorless camera and play! Thanks for doing such a great job with your DIY ideas. Fun stuff! I just missed the Konica 3… so my quest is ongoing, but I’ll find one eventually.
That’s awesome you were able to find the Mansfield camera! Really exciting!! Have fun adapting it and if you have any questions let me know. It’s a great little lens! Enjoy!!
This Super glue photographic channel is sooooo addictive! Run away if not yet trapped. For me two thumbs ups now and waiting for the next does or dissection / reunion!
Another great video. I had the Honeywell camera back in the 1960s and it took really good photos, wish I still had it! Now after watching this, my next stop is e-bay.......... really enjoying the postings and the DIY segment at the end is so helpful. Now when I work on it I won’t be throwing things at the wall. Lol Regards, Jimp
Thank you so much! That’s so cool that you had the Honeywell camera back in the day! I’m always amazed what these cheap rangefinder lenses can do when they are adapted to digital! I hope you’ll enjoy the lens if you end up trying it on digital. And if you have any questions about adapting it or if anything is unclear in the video, don’t hesitate to ask. I’ll be glad to help. Im always excited when people try these DIY projects. Take care!
I really enjoy your videos man. You opened a new chapter in photography for me. I had no idea about vintage lenses before I discover your channel. Thanks for the valuable information you share!!
Thank you for your kind message. It makes me so happy to know that these videos are helping people with their photography. Vintage lenses are so much fun and I want to share my experience with others who want to try this unconventional path to image making. Take care.
You are welcome. It's an amazing little lens for sure! It's so unusual and full of character!! I am so glad I adapted it and I hope others will enjoy it as well.
That looks like a fun little lens! I'll have to keep my eye out for this or something similar. I'd always written off the fixed lens cameras thinking I couldn't adapt them to my a6500, but you proved otherwise. Well you proved it earlier with the Konica 45mm 1.8, a lens I've had my eye on for a few years. Again, great video!
Thank you so much! Glad you enjoyed it. Yeah adapting fixed lenses is a lot of fun!! I actually enjoy it more than regular lenses. :) I think the fact that so many fixed lenses haven't been tried on digital is what excites me. I don't know of anyone else who has tried this Mansfield lens on digital. So it was really exciting to see what it can do. And the challenge of solving the puzzle on how to make it work is also fun.
Another really interesting lens that no one has heard of (well, I hadn't heard of it anyway). Love the unusual square bokeh when stopped down. I'd like to use lenses from non interchangeable lens cameras like this but I know what would happen - I'd buy the donor camera and then not want to dismantle it for the lens and I'd just end up with another film camera that I never use!!!
Thank you! To be honest, I couldn't find anyone else who has adapted this lens to digital. Probably because it doesn't have a fancy name attached to it nobody is interested in it. But I love weird brands from the 60's. The lenses were so unusual. The square bokeh of this one is really special! I love it.
Square bokeh king is the russian zenitar 50mm f1.7. Some meopta lenses like the 50mm f4.5 produced square bokeh or rodenstock or magnifying lenses. Greetings from Germany 📷
Great channel, I love your content. It's so much fun adapting old forgotten lenses to mirror less cameras, it seems the options are endless. Have you tried using Voigtlander lenses using a similar method described in this video? Some Vito bodies can be had very cheap on eBay keep up the good work
Thank you so much!! I agree with you that adapting old forgotten lenses is a ton of fun! They are super cheap and can produce amazing results! I haven't tried any fixed Voigtlander lenses yet, because I still haven't bought any of their rangefinders, but I would love to try them at some point. Have you adapted any? Cheers!
@@VintageOptiks I haven't tried yet but watching this video has inspired me to give it a go, the old Voigtlanders look very similar so they may work. I'm on the Fuji system so the crop factor may not show the full beauty of the lenses but it's an interesting idea. Cheers👍
@@MrTallpaul67 Yeah I'm very curious how the old Voigtlanders would perform. I have so many broken rangefinders waiting for me to adapt their lenses, but eventually I'll try some Voigtlanders. It's amazing how many cameras and lenses are leftover from the film days! It's a treasure trove!
Great video!! Since watching this I've joiined the flickr group showing this and purchased a Yashica Half 17 EE Rapid. Hopefully I can adapt this Yashinon lens. Rather than helicoid I'm hoping it works well on my Fotodiox Pronto adapter which is in the post too ;-)
Count me in to try DIY. Just purchased the camera on eBay for $20 and the step up ring. I have to figure what to get for the focus helicoid; I’ve got two focal reducers a) M42 to Micro 4/3 & b) Nikon to Micro 4/3. Any suggestions for the focusing helicoid?
@@VintageOptiks I'm still using Panasonic GH4. I even picked up a second one recently. Really having a great time with vintage lenses on a no budget feature I'm chipping away on. Tearing apart an old camera for the raw lens is next level. It'll be fun no matter what happens. I'll see what happens on the M42 to Micro 4/3 focal reducer. It's the Pixco one. Not getting a focusing helicoid til the first part actually works.
Hi! I’m not sure if you’ll be able to find the necessary helicoid for your camera. The issue with a lot of these lenses is finding the right helicoid for your camera that will allow you to focus to infinity. Another thing that you also have to take into consideration is the flange focal distance, which is different with different camera systems. The reason why I adapt these lenses to Sony is because there are a lot of parts made for Sony E mount that work well with these DIY projects. I know that others have had a hard time finding helicoids that work for their camera systems such as Panasonic and Fuji. I hope you can find something that works for your camera. Good luck!
@@VintageOptiks Points to ponder. I saw an M42 to M42 helicoid. That could fit. Not sure if it would give the right focal distance, but worth a shot. All in all it's affordable fun even if there's a snafu here and there.
@@MartinBlasick Yeah the main challenge is finding the right helicoid that would allow to focus to infinity. Hopefully this M42 to M42 will work. Good luck and have fun!
Thank you for the nice review 😊 Some models of the USSR M42 lenses like: helios 55mm f2 and Zenitar 50mm f1.7 have only 2 aperture blades, making square bokeh, and it is also swirls... While 2 bleded Helios are extremely rare and there are many fakes, or modifications of the original ones, Zenitar's 2 bleded design was original for all lenses straight out of factory, plus Zenitar is multi-coated and delivers better contrast and colours, less swirly bokeh though...
@@VintageOptiks You are welcome;) Just a question: do you know what is optical formula for this Mantisar? By the bokeh rendering it looks like Tassar, 4 elements in 3 groups?
@@VintageOptiks Thank you 👌👌👌👍👍👍in fact I just compared rendering to my Fujinon 100mm f3.5 AE shot on GL690 medium format, and to Carl Zeiss Tessar 50mm f2.8 shot on Nikon Z7, bokeh character looks exactly the same on fully open, also Domiplan 50mm f2.8 seems to be in the same team, only a bit softer and less contrast... So it is or Cooke Triplet, or Tessar... It is crazy to realise, how simplest and oldest designs can deliver one of the best performance... In contrast with huge elements counts for the modern lenses... I wish some of the modern brands will realize it and will make some classic line of the lenses, for their modern system, with AF an all those funky coatings and glass... So far it didn't go further than Carl Zeiss Sonnar 50mm f1.5 for Leica...
@@PrentisRyanSnead I got mine on eBay. Here is a link: www.ebay.com/itm/Lens-helicoid-ring-for-Carl-Zeiss-Pentax-Schneider-Rolleiflex-m42-13-18-Sony-nex-/183957386538?_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49292
Really enjoy your logical approach to explaining vintage lenses. However, I would like to know how you sand down the adaptor to fit, if you wouldn’t mind please.
The step-up ring is very easy to sand down. I use some medium grit sandpaper, I place the step-up ring on it and then with circular motions I proceed to sand it down. No machines necessary. This one had to be sanded down about 1mm to reach infinity. I'll advise to try the step-up ring first by taping it with some electrical tape to the lens before gluing it. This way you can check if you can definitely reach infinity and if not it needs more sanding. I had to check a few times before I had reached it. Glad you are enjoying the videos. Let me know if you need any other help.
Btw. The diy video is super helpful and I hope we will see more of that! :) I found camera with Meritar (?) 48mm 2.8 lens and it needs a diy so I might give it a try. It will be my very first experience so it will not gonna go great for sure 🤣
Thank you! Glad that my videos are helpful to others. Yes, there will be many other DIY projects coming up in the near future. Stay tuned. :) Good luck with the Meritar lens. I hope it goes well.
Thank you so much! The Yashica Electro 35 GSN is very different from this camera. Unfortunately it's a lot more complicated and quite difficult to adapt to digital. It's definitely possible, but not nearly as easy. Take care.
Hi! Unfortunately there is no M42 to Fuji X slim (13-18mm)helicoid adapter that I know of. There are only regular M42 to Fuji X adapters that will not allow you to reach infinity. I wish I could help you but unfortunately I can’t find any parts that will work for you.
Any tips for adapting to an older blackmagic cinema camera? I have one with an EF mount and one with an ARRI PL. I sanded the step up down a bit more than you did but can only get it to focus at a super close macro level... Thanks!
Hi, the problem with both of the mounts you are trying to adapt this lens to is that they both have quite long flange focal distances. EF is 44mm and PL is 52mm. In comparison, Sony E mount (the one I use in the video) is only 18mm. That's why you can only focus in extreme macro situations. Unfortunately there is not much you can do as long as you are using these mounts.
Hello, I'm purchasing vintage lenses for my Fujifilm XT-20, I found a medium format lens option (Bayonet 60 Pentacon 6), there is some restriction on using a lens that was designed for medium format in an aps-c as is the XT -20? does it impact images / functioning? Congratulations on the great content on the channel! Thank you so much
Hi, no worries about using medium format lenses on APSC. They work just fine. You won't be able to use the full image circle of the lens but that's not an issue. People use them often with a tilt-shift adapter, because of the extra large image circle. Enjoy your lens and thank you for for your nice comment.
Hi. I enjoy your videos. and now I want to try DIY as you did. but I have different mirroless camera. I have Panasonic S5 and I am afraid is it possible to use this lens for my lumix camera. I think step-up ring M42-M52 is necessary and easy to get it. but focusing helicoid adaptor for Panasonic S5 doesn't exist I guess. Is it right?
Hi! Glad to hear that you are enjoying the videos! Thank you! Regarding adapting this lens to Panasonic S5 I don’t think a helicoid exists that can work for you. I believe your camera has Leica L mount, and I wasn’t not able to find any helicoid that can work with that mount. One of the reasons why I love Sony cameras is because there are a lot of parts made for Sony E mount which allow you to adapt almost any lens ever made. Take care.
This is amazing. The question I have on adapting this lens to a mirrorless camera, even though I have an APS-C instead of a full frame mirrorless camera, it's still recommended to sand down the step up filter before mounting it to the focus helicoid correct?
Yes, even with an APSC sensor camera you'll have to sand down the step-up ring. (about 1mm for Sony) Best thing to do is to tape the step-up ring to the lens (with some electrical tape) before you start to sand it down and check if you can reach infinity. If you can't, sand down the step-up ring a bit and check again (by taping it to the lens again). I had to do this 3 times before I was able to reach infinity on my camera. Once you are certain that you have infinity focus, you can super glue the step-up ring in place. Good luck!
Here is a link for the Mansfield Holiday Eye-tronic, which is basically the exact same camera. Not sure how helpful this manual will be for you. It's more of a user manual explaining how the camera works and not really useful for repairs. www.cameramanuals.org/pdf_files/mansfield_holiday_eye-tronic_35.pdf
You can definitely use it on your cameras but you'll need to figure out how to adapt it (depending on the mount you need) and you'll need to see if you will be able to reach infinity (if that's important for you). I've only adapted it to Sony and don't know if this method will work on other camera systems. You can easily use it on your M42 camera, but as I mentioned, infinity focus will be what you need to figure out. If you just want to use it for close up shots, then you won't have any problems.
Hello Vintage Optiks I love your channel and finally I tried to adapt mantinar but it's very difficult remove the retaining ring. Did you use any special tool to do it? Thanks in advance
Hello Manuel! Thank you for your message. To unscrew the retaining ring you can use a lens spanner wrench such as this one: www.amazon.com/Neewer-Professional-Spanner-Repairing-Stainless/dp/B00J5F73GA And if you don’t have one, you can try using the tips of some scissors ✂️- it can do the trick. Put the tips in the notches of the retaining ring and then twist. Good luck! I’m excited to hear that you are going to adapt the Mantinar lens!! Have fun!
Glad it worked out! Regarding the M42 to M52 step up ring - you need to sand it down a bit so you can reach infinity. If you use it the way it is you can still take photos of close up subjects, but you won’t be able to focus to infinity. That’s why I had to sand it down around 1mm so I can focus far way.
Really interesting vid ! Would you know what's the flange focal distance of this lens ? I'd love to try to adapt this lens but i dont have a Sony camera. Anyway, I just discovered your channel, I love your videos ! Keep up the good work
Thank you! Unfortunately I haven't measured the Flange Focal Distance of this lens. And even if I did measure it it's not going to be super accurate, but more of an approximation. Whenever I adapt these fixed lenses getting infinity focus is a trial and error game. I have to sand the adapter a bit, then check how it works, then sand it again and so on. It's a fraction of a millimeter kind of game. The great thing about Sony E mount is that it has pretty short Focal Flange distance of only 18mm which is very helpful when adapting these old rangefinder lenses. What camera do you have?
Well, I thought I was home free on a similar project. I found a honeywell camera with this lens (Mamiya Kominar 44mm) and the lens was easy to remove, following your instructions. Unfortunately, I'm adapting it to micro 4/3 and there seems to be only one m42 to m4/3 helicoid size and it is too thick, even without the m42 to 52mm step-up ring. The lens is too far from the sendor. I looked at my various other pentax/olympus/canon, etc. dedicated m4/3 adapters and they are all the same thickness. There are so many different length helicoids for m42 to m42, it's a shame that there only appears to be only one length for m42 to m4/3. All I can think to try is a m4/3 body cap, with a hole drilled through it, that I glue to one of the shorter m42 to m42 helicoids. I could then glue my m42 to 52mm step-up ring to the lens and screw that into the helicoid that is permanently glued to the m4/3 body cap.
Yeah unfortunately these slim helicoid adapters that work with rangefinder lenses are not available for all camera systems. I hope you can find something that works with micro 4/3, so you can try the Mamiya Kominar lens.
@@VintageOptiks What I wound up doing was getting a M4/3 body cap, drilling a 35mm or 38mm (can't remember which, but it's the largest hole that could be drilled) hole in the body cap. then I epoxied an M42 to M42 coupler to the body cap. This allowed me to glue the M42 to M52 adapter to the lens, just as you recommended in the video. The two can then screw together and the lens can be removed, if desired, from the makeshift adapter if I get other rangefinder lenses. The one mistake I made was thinking that this much thinner assembly would allow me to get to infinity, but I didn't check it first (would have been tough with those think pieces) and the adapter is just a touch too fat. I'm going to order another body cap and coupler and try it again, now that I have a process. It's very fun trying all this out and I thank you for the ideas!
@@Part_121 Sounds like a great solution!! I'm sure your description will be helpful to others who are trying to adapt rangefinder lenses to M4/3. I'm excited for you to try the Mamiya rangefinder lens, and also other fun fixed lenses from the past. Once you figure out how to reach infinity, then you can try so many fun lenses! Enjoy!
It's a trial and error process. Since I don't know what the original Flange Focal Distance was of that lens there is no way to calculate perfectly how that same lens will translate to my digital camera's Flange Focal Distance. See this other video I made and you can understand the process better: th-cam.com/video/gGaGTlKvxJE/w-d-xo.html
Looks like a fun lens. Two question about detaching the lens: It seems like you didn't have to remove the leather and the lens board. Couldn't you just unscrew that retaining ring from the back? Also, couldn't you use that same thread that the retaining ring was screwed onto? Again, seems like unnecessary use of glue, just screw an adapter directly onto the thread and a helicoid after that.
Unfortunately you can't access the retaining ring from the back, so the front was the only way. And there is not enough tread on the back to be able to screw an adapter. For me, gluing the step-up ring was the only option.
First I tried the step-up ring by taping it to the lens and since I couldn’t reach infinity I started sanding it down and trying it again a few more times until it was just right. I had to take off about 1mm.
Yes as long as you can attach it to the lens, but I’m not sure if you’ll be able to reach infinity. But if you want to use it strictly for macro work, than no worries.
Sorry, but I’ve only adapted these fixed lenses to Sony cameras because there a lot of parts out there for DIY projects. The Canon systems is a whole other world and don’t have experience with it.
It's actually quite easy. I go in depth about how I sand the step-up ring in this video I made. Go to chapter 3. th-cam.com/video/aURKpaeWuzQ/w-d-xo.html
Thank you! I love playing with vintage lenses but with today's ability to adapt anything to anything, the prices of those vintage lenses just keeps going up! This type of older, fixed lens cameras are cheap. I PAID MORE FOR SHIPPING THAN THE CAMERA COST!!! Camera was 18 dollars, shipping was 30 dollars! LOL Anyway, I'm looking forward to playing with it. I love bokeh & try to make my work stand out from others, this will help. Have the Helios for the swirly stuff, & my Volna 9 gives pentagon shaped bokeh. I'm a little nervous about the sanding, however. Thanks again!
You are welcome!! Unfortunately lots of famous vintage lenses have gone up in price and this is one of the reasons why I love showing people how to adapt these super cheap fixed lenses. They are a lot fun to play with, and they will definitely make your work unique, because very few people have actually used them. That's amazing you got the Mansfield camera for so cheap! Don't worry about sanding the step-up ring. It's very easy. Just get some sand paper, place it on a hard surface and begin to sand the ring with circular movements. You don't need to press too hard - just make sure the pressure is even so its sanded evenly all around. For Sony you need to take off about 1mm to reach infinity. If you have any questions feel free to ask. I am here to help. Enjoy!!
@@VintageOptiks Thank you. Do you happen to know how much I need to sand off for Canon? I'm guessing there is a lot of trial & error involved. I also purchased the Rikenon. Once It warms up I will look local. There are so many of these older, fixed lens cameras sitting in junk shops & salvation army stores for next to nothing because they are useless (or used to be! LOL). Looking forward to attempting. I've got parts coming from all over the world, who knows when ALL will arrive. Will be paying attention to see which old camera you turn into an SLR next. Mike
@@mikethomas1073 Hi Mike, unfortunately I haven't used Canon cameras for adapting old lenses. I've read that Canon cameras have a very short flange focal distance which makes it harder to adapt vintage fixed lenses (especially the ones that require an additional helicoid). That's why I only use Sony cameras because they have a long flange focal distance which works great. If you adapt these lenses to Canon you'll be able to focus up-close, but you probably won't be able to reach infinity (because of the flange focal distance issue). Let me know how it goes and if you need help with anything don't hesitate to ask. Take care.
@@VintageOptiks Hopefully I'll be OK. Been using old m42 lenses, m42 extension tubes, helicoid focusing tubes & adaptors for mounting telescope objectives without problem. Due you use special sandpaper (for metal)?
@@mikethomas1073 I hope you'll be able to adapt them, because they are a lot of fun. Yes, I use sandpaper for metal but the one for wood works fine also. Good luck!
It's simply a trial and error kind of process. First I start by taping the step-up ring with some electrical tape to the back of the lens. This way I can check if I can reach infinity before I glue it and if not, I need to sand it a bit. I had to sand and check a few times before I knew for sure I had reached infinity and then I was ready to superglue it in place. In this case, it was about 1mm to
Oh for sure! You can adapt any lens as long as you can remove it from the camera and find a way to attach an adapter. Also infinity focus can be a challenge sometimes. But I would love to try adapting the lens of the Smena one day! There are so many fun little lenses from old cameras that I would love to try adapting!
@@VintageOptiks Adapting vintage lenses is one of my hobbies aswell, but so far I have just used comercial adapters, nothing made by me (yet) . As a first step I ordered a 17-31mm M42 helicoid but I find that here in Romania there are a lot rangefinder type cameras in the 5-20$ price range. It may be a goldmine I haven't exploited, who knows..
@@invisiblespark Making your own adapters is a lot of fun! And adapting these fixed lens rangefinders is addictive!! I love finding cheap ones and try to figure out how to use them on my digital camera. Sometimes you get some amazing gems!! That’s great that you can find a lot of cheap ones in your country. Sounds like a gold mine to me :)
![ILLSLICK X YOUNGOHM - We're The same [Official Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/yUJNkobYR0E/mqdefault.jpg)
That bokeh! Wide open it's beautiful, and closed down it's fun. I thought the b&w video clip was stunning. Thank you for another great video.
Thank you so much! Yeah, it's a really fun lens! Gorgeous bokeh and colors! And very easy to adapt and still dirt cheap.
Your channel is simply amazing and inspiring. I appreciate the concise approach to your video content and lens reviews. Yours is one of the few YT channels that I anxiously wait for the next video. Keep up the great work 👍.
Thank you so much!! I really appreciate your kind comment. More videos coming soon.
I finally found a Mansfield camera at estate sale for $6! I’ve been hunting around since seeing this video last year. Can’t wait to adapt the lens to my mirrorless camera and play! Thanks for doing such a great job with your DIY ideas. Fun stuff! I just missed the Konica 3… so my quest is ongoing, but I’ll find one eventually.
That’s awesome you were able to find the Mansfield camera! Really exciting!! Have fun adapting it and if you have any questions let me know. It’s a great little lens! Enjoy!!
So happy you included some video samples! Great video.
Thank you! I’ll try to add more video samples in the future.
Very interesting! And thank you for the DIY-info too 👍
You are welcome!!
This Super glue photographic channel is sooooo addictive!
Run away if not yet trapped.
For me two thumbs ups now and waiting for the next does or dissection / reunion!
Hahaha! Run away!! :)
Thanks very much for your help.
You are welcome.
Another great video. I had the Honeywell camera back in the 1960s and it took really good photos, wish I still had it! Now after watching this, my next stop is e-bay.......... really enjoying the postings and the DIY segment at the end is so helpful. Now when I work on it I won’t be throwing things at the wall. Lol Regards, Jimp
Thank you so much! That’s so cool that you had the Honeywell camera back in the day! I’m always amazed what these cheap rangefinder lenses can do when they are adapted to digital! I hope you’ll enjoy the lens if you end up trying it on digital. And if you have any questions about adapting it or if anything is unclear in the video, don’t hesitate to ask. I’ll be glad to help. Im always excited when people try these DIY projects. Take care!
I like a lot how much effort you put into your videos. Great job again.
Thank you!!
Beautiful compositions! Excellent work
Thank you so much! I really appreciate it.
Great video
Thank you.
I really enjoy your videos man. You opened a new chapter in photography for me. I had no idea about vintage lenses before I discover your channel. Thanks for the valuable information you share!!
Thank you for your kind message. It makes me so happy to know that these videos are helping people with their photography. Vintage lenses are so much fun and I want to share my experience with others who want to try this unconventional path to image making. Take care.
This is a lens I would buy in a millisecond !
Absolutely gorgeous !!!
Thank you for showing this gem !
You are welcome. It's an amazing little lens for sure! It's so unusual and full of character!! I am so glad I adapted it and I hope others will enjoy it as well.
@@VintageOptiks it looks like a hard task to do...
Do you know if helicoidal focusing rings M42 to fuji X exist ?
@@colingentile Unfortunately I’ve never seen them for sale.
@@VintageOptiks , maybe this may do the trick ?
fotodioxpro.com/products/m42-fxrf-p-macro-v2?variant=33241015175
@@colingentile It will do the trick for close-up shots but I’m not sure about infinity.
Very cool! I'll keep an eye out for one of those cheap cameras. Thanks!!
Thank you!
That looks like a fun little lens! I'll have to keep my eye out for this or something similar. I'd always written off the fixed lens cameras thinking I couldn't adapt them to my a6500, but you proved otherwise. Well you proved it earlier with the Konica 45mm 1.8, a lens I've had my eye on for a few years. Again, great video!
Thank you so much! Glad you enjoyed it. Yeah adapting fixed lenses is a lot of fun!! I actually enjoy it more than regular lenses. :) I think the fact that so many fixed lenses haven't been tried on digital is what excites me. I don't know of anyone else who has tried this Mansfield lens on digital. So it was really exciting to see what it can do. And the challenge of solving the puzzle on how to make it work is also fun.
Great video and channel!!
Thanks so much!
Tu canal, descubrimientos y consejos son geniales!
Gracias y saludos.
Muchas Gracias!
wow!simply
Thank you!
Very cool.
Thank you!
Another really interesting lens that no one has heard of (well, I hadn't heard of it anyway). Love the unusual square bokeh when stopped down. I'd like to use lenses from non interchangeable lens cameras like this but I know what would happen - I'd buy the donor camera and then not want to dismantle it for the lens and I'd just end up with another film camera that I never use!!!
Thank you! To be honest, I couldn't find anyone else who has adapted this lens to digital. Probably because it doesn't have a fancy name attached to it nobody is interested in it. But I love weird brands from the 60's. The lenses were so unusual. The square bokeh of this one is really special! I love it.
@@VintageOptiks I like a lot of the weird lenses you adapt for digital but this one is definitely a favourite of mine.
@@GrumpyTim Same :)
Square bokeh king is the russian zenitar 50mm f1.7. Some meopta lenses like the 50mm f4.5 produced square bokeh or rodenstock or magnifying lenses. Greetings from Germany 📷
Thank you for your message. Yes, there are some other great square bokeh lenses for sure!! Greetings from USA.
Very interesting channel and very well done videos! ;)
Thank you!!
Great channel, I love your content. It's so much fun adapting old forgotten lenses to mirror less cameras, it seems the options are endless. Have you tried using Voigtlander lenses using a similar method described in this video? Some Vito bodies can be had very cheap on eBay keep up the good work
Thank you so much!! I agree with you that adapting old forgotten lenses is a ton of fun! They are super cheap and can produce amazing results! I haven't tried any fixed Voigtlander lenses yet, because I still haven't bought any of their rangefinders, but I would love to try them at some point. Have you adapted any? Cheers!
@@VintageOptiks I haven't tried yet but watching this video has inspired me to give it a go, the old Voigtlanders look very similar so they may work. I'm on the Fuji system so the crop factor may not show the full beauty of the lenses but it's an interesting idea. Cheers👍
@@MrTallpaul67 Yeah I'm very curious how the old Voigtlanders would perform. I have so many broken rangefinders waiting for me to adapt their lenses, but eventually I'll try some Voigtlanders. It's amazing how many cameras and lenses are leftover from the film days! It's a treasure trove!
Very interesting your videos, I will look on Ebay France, because I'm French 😉 it's really beautiful and so different bokeh 😍
Thank you! I hope you find one. Yes, the bokeh is very special!!
Great video!! Since watching this I've joiined the flickr group showing this and purchased a Yashica Half 17 EE Rapid. Hopefully I can adapt this Yashinon lens. Rather than helicoid I'm hoping it works well on my Fotodiox Pronto adapter which is in the post too ;-)
Thank you! Good luck adapting the Yashica lens. These fixed lenses from the good old days are so much fun!!
Count me in to try DIY. Just purchased the camera on eBay for $20 and the step up ring. I have to figure what to get for the focus helicoid; I’ve got two focal reducers a) M42 to Micro 4/3 & b) Nikon to Micro 4/3. Any suggestions for the focusing helicoid?
Hi!! That's great that you want to try this DIY project! What camera do you have?
@@VintageOptiks I'm still using Panasonic GH4. I even picked up a second one recently. Really having a great time with vintage lenses on a no budget feature I'm chipping away on. Tearing apart an old camera for the raw lens is next level. It'll be fun no matter what happens. I'll see what happens on the M42 to Micro 4/3 focal reducer. It's the Pixco one. Not getting a focusing helicoid til the first part actually works.
Hi! I’m not sure if you’ll be able to find the necessary helicoid for your camera. The issue with a lot of these lenses is finding the right helicoid for your camera that will allow you to focus to infinity. Another thing that you also have to take into consideration is the flange focal distance, which is different with different camera systems. The reason why I adapt these lenses to Sony is because there are a lot of parts made for Sony E mount that work well with these DIY projects. I know that others have had a hard time finding helicoids that work for their camera systems such as Panasonic and Fuji. I hope you can find something that works for your camera. Good luck!
@@VintageOptiks Points to ponder. I saw an M42 to M42 helicoid. That could fit. Not sure if it would give the right focal distance, but worth a shot. All in all it's affordable fun even if there's a snafu here and there.
@@MartinBlasick Yeah the main challenge is finding the right helicoid that would allow to focus to infinity. Hopefully this M42 to M42 will work. Good luck and have fun!
Thank you for the nice review 😊
Some models of the USSR M42 lenses like: helios 55mm f2 and Zenitar 50mm f1.7 have only 2 aperture blades, making square bokeh, and it is also swirls...
While 2 bleded Helios are extremely rare and there are many fakes, or modifications of the original ones, Zenitar's 2 bleded design was original for all lenses straight out of factory, plus Zenitar is multi-coated and delivers better contrast and colours, less swirly bokeh though...
You are welcome. Thank you for your input on Soviet lenses with square bokeh.
@@VintageOptiks You are welcome;)
Just a question: do you know what is optical formula for this Mantisar? By the bokeh rendering it looks like Tassar, 4 elements in 3 groups?
I’m not sure what the optical design is, but yeah it’s probably a Tessar.
@@VintageOptiks Thank you 👌👌👌👍👍👍in fact I just compared rendering to my Fujinon 100mm f3.5 AE shot on GL690 medium format, and to Carl Zeiss Tessar 50mm f2.8 shot on Nikon Z7, bokeh character looks exactly the same on fully open, also Domiplan 50mm f2.8 seems to be in the same team, only a bit softer and less contrast... So it is or Cooke Triplet, or Tessar... It is crazy to realise, how simplest and oldest designs can deliver one of the best performance... In contrast with huge elements counts for the modern lenses... I wish some of the modern brands will realize it and will make some classic line of the lenses, for their modern system, with AF an all those funky coatings and glass... So far it didn't go further than Carl Zeiss Sonnar 50mm f1.5 for Leica...
Well, here I am immediately ordering a Mansfield Eye-Tronic camera on eBay.
Nice! I hope you’ll enjoy it!
@@VintageOptiks May I ask where you were able to find your focusing helicoid? I’m having difficulty tracking down a 13-18mm one.
@@PrentisRyanSnead I got mine on eBay. Here is a link: www.ebay.com/itm/Lens-helicoid-ring-for-Carl-Zeiss-Pentax-Schneider-Rolleiflex-m42-13-18-Sony-nex-/183957386538?_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49292
Really enjoy your logical approach to explaining vintage lenses. However, I would like to know how you sand down the adaptor to fit, if you wouldn’t mind please.
The step-up ring is very easy to sand down. I use some medium grit sandpaper, I place the step-up ring on it and then with circular motions I proceed to sand it down. No machines necessary. This one had to be sanded down about 1mm to reach infinity. I'll advise to try the step-up ring first by taping it with some electrical tape to the lens before gluing it. This way you can check if you can definitely reach infinity and if not it needs more sanding. I had to check a few times before I had reached it. Glad you are enjoying the videos. Let me know if you need any other help.
Btw. The diy video is super helpful and I hope we will see more of that! :) I found camera with Meritar (?) 48mm 2.8 lens and it needs a diy so I might give it a try. It will be my very first experience so it will not gonna go great for sure 🤣
Thank you! Glad that my videos are helpful to others. Yes, there will be many other DIY projects coming up in the near future. Stay tuned. :) Good luck with the Meritar lens. I hope it goes well.
Can you try the Olympus Trip 35 next?
I bought a broken one not too long ago and need to adapt it and review it! Im excited to see what it can do on digital!! Stay tuned!
@@VintageOptiks oh Very exciting! Will definitely keep an eye out. Thank you.
Congratulations on the excellent work on this channel! Is it possible to do the same procedure with the Yashica Electro 35 GSN? God bless you!
Thank you so much! The Yashica Electro 35 GSN is very different from this camera. Unfortunately it's a lot more complicated and quite difficult to adapt to digital. It's definitely possible, but not nearly as easy. Take care.
@@VintageOptiks good to know, thanks man, wish you only success!
@@yelonhesli You are welcome! Take care and thank you!
Hi ! I'd like use the lens with a M42 to fuji x, adapter....What I've to change from you showed in the video to reach the infnity? Thaks a lot
Hi! Unfortunately there is no M42 to Fuji X slim (13-18mm)helicoid adapter that I know of. There are only regular M42 to Fuji X adapters that will not allow you to reach infinity. I wish I could help you but unfortunately I can’t find any parts that will work for you.
Great vid! sadly focusing helicoids are impossible to find in my country, do you know any other alternative? Thx!
Thank you! Yeah focusing helicoids can be pretty hard to find. Have you checked on eBay? That’s where you can usually find them.
Any tips for adapting to an older blackmagic cinema camera? I have one with an EF mount and one with an ARRI PL. I sanded the step up down a bit more than you did but can only get it to focus at a super close macro level... Thanks!
Hi, the problem with both of the mounts you are trying to adapt this lens to is that they both have quite long flange focal distances. EF is 44mm and PL is 52mm. In comparison, Sony E mount (the one I use in the video) is only 18mm. That's why you can only focus in extreme macro situations. Unfortunately there is not much you can do as long as you are using these mounts.
@@VintageOptiks Yeah thats what I figured. An A7ii would work for landscapes and portrait shots though right?
You glued the adapter to the aperture? I'm thinking of trimming the backing plate & glue a m39 to m42 ring to that.
Yes, I glued it to the aperture ring.
It must be super rare, because I found only two on ebay 😁 I like that square bokeh
Yeah it's quite rare. I love the weird square bokeh too!! :)
Look for the Honeywell version, just picked one up for $15. There were several available
Nice item, can this be modified to m42 mount and put on on DSLR e.g canon5d4 and have the infinity focus? Thanks
Unfortunately if you try to use this lens on your Canon DSLR you won’t be able to reach infinity focus.
Hello, I'm purchasing vintage lenses for my Fujifilm XT-20, I found a medium format lens option (Bayonet 60 Pentacon 6), there is some restriction on using a lens that was designed for medium format in an aps-c as is the XT -20? does it impact images / functioning? Congratulations on the great content on the channel! Thank you so much
Hi, no worries about using medium format lenses on APSC. They work just fine. You won't be able to use the full image circle of the lens but that's not an issue. People use them often with a tilt-shift adapter, because of the extra large image circle. Enjoy your lens and thank you for for your nice comment.
Hi. I enjoy your videos. and now I want to try DIY as you did. but I have different mirroless camera. I have Panasonic S5 and I am afraid is it possible to use this lens for my lumix camera.
I think step-up ring M42-M52 is necessary and easy to get it. but focusing helicoid adaptor for Panasonic S5 doesn't exist I guess. Is it right?
Hi! Glad to hear that you are enjoying the videos! Thank you! Regarding adapting this lens to Panasonic S5 I don’t think a helicoid exists that can work for you. I believe your camera has Leica L mount, and I wasn’t not able to find any helicoid that can work with that mount. One of the reasons why I love Sony cameras is because there are a lot of parts made for Sony E mount which allow you to adapt almost any lens ever made. Take care.
@@VintageOptiks Thank you so much for reply. I need to buy sony camera maybe. But it's hard now. so I can collect camera you mentioned for future DIY.
This is amazing.
The question I have on adapting this lens to a mirrorless camera, even though I have an APS-C instead of a full frame mirrorless camera, it's still recommended to sand down the step up filter before mounting it to the focus helicoid correct?
Yes, even with an APSC sensor camera you'll have to sand down the step-up ring. (about 1mm for Sony) Best thing to do is to tape the step-up ring to the lens (with some electrical tape) before you start to sand it down and check if you can reach infinity. If you can't, sand down the step-up ring a bit and check again (by taping it to the lens again). I had to do this 3 times before I was able to reach infinity on my camera. Once you are certain that you have infinity focus, you can super glue the step-up ring in place. Good luck!
Do you now any webside that have a manual for the Mansfield Eye-Tronic ?
Here is a link for the Mansfield Holiday Eye-tronic, which is basically the exact same camera. Not sure how helpful this manual will be for you. It's more of a user manual explaining how the camera works and not really useful for repairs. www.cameramanuals.org/pdf_files/mansfield_holiday_eye-tronic_35.pdf
Great lens. Can i use it on my m42 film camera? Or canon EF
You can definitely use it on your cameras but you'll need to figure out how to adapt it (depending on the mount you need) and you'll need to see if you will be able to reach infinity (if that's important for you). I've only adapted it to Sony and don't know if this method will work on other camera systems. You can easily use it on your M42 camera, but as I mentioned, infinity focus will be what you need to figure out. If you just want to use it for close up shots, then you won't have any problems.
Hello Vintage Optiks I love your channel and finally I tried to adapt mantinar but it's very difficult remove the retaining ring. Did you use any special tool to do it? Thanks in advance
Hello Manuel! Thank you for your message. To unscrew the retaining ring you can use a lens spanner wrench such as this one: www.amazon.com/Neewer-Professional-Spanner-Repairing-Stainless/dp/B00J5F73GA
And if you don’t have one, you can try using the tips of some scissors ✂️- it can do the trick. Put the tips in the notches of the retaining ring and then twist. Good luck! I’m excited to hear that you are going to adapt the Mantinar lens!! Have fun!
@@VintageOptiks Great I got it :) but I can't understand why "sand it down the stepper ring" ?? Best regards.
Glad it worked out!
Regarding the M42 to M52 step up ring - you need to sand it down a bit so you can reach infinity. If you use it the way it is you can still take photos of close up subjects, but you won’t be able to focus to infinity. That’s why I had to sand it down around 1mm so I can focus far way.
@@VintageOptiks Great :) Thank you so much
You are welcome!!
Do you happen to know the thread size of the inner retaining ring?
Sorry I don’t.
Really interesting vid ! Would you know what's the flange focal distance of this lens ? I'd love to try to adapt this lens but i dont have a Sony camera.
Anyway, I just discovered your channel, I love your videos ! Keep up the good work
Thank you! Unfortunately I haven't measured the Flange Focal Distance of this lens. And even if I did measure it it's not going to be super accurate, but more of an approximation. Whenever I adapt these fixed lenses getting infinity focus is a trial and error game. I have to sand the adapter a bit, then check how it works, then sand it again and so on. It's a fraction of a millimeter kind of game. The great thing about Sony E mount is that it has pretty short Focal Flange distance of only 18mm which is very helpful when adapting these old rangefinder lenses. What camera do you have?
Well, I thought I was home free on a similar project. I found a honeywell camera with this lens (Mamiya Kominar 44mm) and the lens was easy to remove, following your instructions. Unfortunately, I'm adapting it to micro 4/3 and there seems to be only one m42 to m4/3 helicoid size and it is too thick, even without the m42 to 52mm step-up ring. The lens is too far from the sendor. I looked at my various other pentax/olympus/canon, etc. dedicated m4/3 adapters and they are all the same thickness. There are so many different length helicoids for m42 to m42, it's a shame that there only appears to be only one length for m42 to m4/3. All I can think to try is a m4/3 body cap, with a hole drilled through it, that I glue to one of the shorter m42 to m42 helicoids. I could then glue my m42 to 52mm step-up ring to the lens and screw that into the helicoid that is permanently glued to the m4/3 body cap.
Yeah unfortunately these slim helicoid adapters that work with rangefinder lenses are not available for all camera systems. I hope you can find something that works with micro 4/3, so you can try the Mamiya Kominar lens.
@@VintageOptiks What I wound up doing was getting a M4/3 body cap, drilling a 35mm or 38mm (can't remember which, but it's the largest hole that could be drilled) hole in the body cap. then I epoxied an M42 to M42 coupler to the body cap. This allowed me to glue the M42 to M52 adapter to the lens, just as you recommended in the video. The two can then screw together and the lens can be removed, if desired, from the makeshift adapter if I get other rangefinder lenses. The one mistake I made was thinking that this much thinner assembly would allow me to get to infinity, but I didn't check it first (would have been tough with those think pieces) and the adapter is just a touch too fat. I'm going to order another body cap and coupler and try it again, now that I have a process. It's very fun trying all this out and I thank you for the ideas!
@@Part_121 Sounds like a great solution!! I'm sure your description will be helpful to others who are trying to adapt rangefinder lenses to M4/3. I'm excited for you to try the Mamiya rangefinder lens, and also other fun fixed lenses from the past. Once you figure out how to reach infinity, then you can try so many fun lenses! Enjoy!
How do you know how much you have to sand? I want to do this and adapt it to my nikon 7200
It's a trial and error process. Since I don't know what the original Flange Focal Distance was of that lens there is no way to calculate perfectly how that same lens will translate to my digital camera's Flange Focal Distance. See this other video I made and you can understand the process better: th-cam.com/video/gGaGTlKvxJE/w-d-xo.html
That is a sweet lens! Have to watch for one online!
Really awesome lens indeed! And super cheap! I hope you’ll enjoy it.
Looks like a fun lens.
Two question about detaching the lens:
It seems like you didn't have to remove the leather and the lens board. Couldn't you just unscrew that retaining ring from the back?
Also, couldn't you use that same thread that the retaining ring was screwed onto? Again, seems like unnecessary use of glue, just screw an adapter directly onto the thread and a helicoid after that.
Unfortunately you can't access the retaining ring from the back, so the front was the only way. And there is not enough tread on the back to be able to screw an adapter. For me, gluing the step-up ring was the only option.
How did you physically determine how much you had to sand off ring?
First I tried the step-up ring by taping it to the lens and since I couldn’t reach infinity I started sanding it down and trying it again a few more times until it was just right. I had to take off about 1mm.
@@VintageOptiks trial and error! thanks
can you use a macro helicoid? I would like to adapt for a fujifilm x mount - cool stuff! thanks
Yes as long as you can attach it to the lens, but I’m not sure if you’ll be able to reach infinity. But if you want to use it strictly for macro work, than no worries.
@@VintageOptiks
Yes I was concerned that I couldn't get infinity focus.
Really enjoy your vids. Thanks a lot 😀👍
@@jmpelton Thank you so much!!
How would I go about mounting this to an eos r?
Sorry, but I’ve only adapted these fixed lenses to Sony cameras because there a lot of parts out there for DIY projects. The Canon systems is a whole other world and don’t have experience with it.
How did you sand it down? I suppose it's not that easy to do it evenly around the whole ring?
Also I would love to see a video with your favourite vintage lenses, or best finds for the price.
It's actually quite easy. I go in depth about how I sand the step-up ring in this video I made. Go to chapter 3.
th-cam.com/video/aURKpaeWuzQ/w-d-xo.html
@@spidermonkey2362 Favorite lenses are very hard to pick and the list is constantly evolving, but I'll try to put something together in the future.
Thank you! I love playing with vintage lenses but with today's ability to adapt anything to anything, the prices of those vintage lenses just keeps going up! This type of older, fixed lens cameras are cheap. I PAID MORE FOR SHIPPING THAN THE CAMERA COST!!! Camera was 18 dollars, shipping was 30 dollars! LOL Anyway, I'm looking forward to playing with it. I love bokeh & try to make my work stand out from others, this will help. Have the Helios for the swirly stuff, & my Volna 9 gives pentagon shaped bokeh. I'm a little nervous about the sanding, however. Thanks again!
You are welcome!! Unfortunately lots of famous vintage lenses have gone up in price and this is one of the reasons why I love showing people how to adapt these super cheap fixed lenses. They are a lot fun to play with, and they will definitely make your work unique, because very few people have actually used them. That's amazing you got the Mansfield camera for so cheap! Don't worry about sanding the step-up ring. It's very easy. Just get some sand paper, place it on a hard surface and begin to sand the ring with circular movements. You don't need to press too hard - just make sure the pressure is even so its sanded evenly all around. For Sony you need to take off about 1mm to reach infinity. If you have any questions feel free to ask. I am here to help. Enjoy!!
@@VintageOptiks Thank you. Do you happen to know how much I need to sand off for Canon? I'm guessing there is a lot of trial & error involved. I also purchased the Rikenon. Once It warms up I will look local. There are so many of these older, fixed lens cameras sitting in junk shops & salvation army stores for next to nothing because they are useless (or used to be! LOL). Looking forward to attempting. I've got parts coming from all over the world, who knows when ALL will arrive. Will be paying attention to see which old camera you turn into an SLR next. Mike
@@mikethomas1073 Hi Mike, unfortunately I haven't used Canon cameras for adapting old lenses. I've read that Canon cameras have a very short flange focal distance which makes it harder to adapt vintage fixed lenses (especially the ones that require an additional helicoid). That's why I only use Sony cameras because they have a long flange focal distance which works great. If you adapt these lenses to Canon you'll be able to focus up-close, but you probably won't be able to reach infinity (because of the flange focal distance issue). Let me know how it goes and if you need help with anything don't hesitate to ask. Take care.
@@VintageOptiks Hopefully I'll be OK. Been using old m42 lenses, m42 extension tubes, helicoid focusing tubes & adaptors for mounting telescope objectives without problem. Due you use special sandpaper (for metal)?
@@mikethomas1073 I hope you'll be able to adapt them, because they are a lot of fun. Yes, I use sandpaper for metal but the one for wood works fine also. Good luck!
How did you determine that it was 1mm to shave off of the step-up adapter?
It's simply a trial and error kind of process. First I start by taping the step-up ring with some electrical tape to the back of the lens. This way I can check if I can reach infinity before I glue it and if not, I need to sand it a bit. I had to sand and check a few times before I knew for sure I had reached infinity and then I was ready to superglue it in place. In this case, it was about 1mm to
@@VintageOptiks so not bad if I sand too much?
@@axtran No, because you can adjust with the helicoid.
There are a lot of Smena cameras everywhere, do you think it that the lens can be adapted to a digital camera?
Oh for sure! You can adapt any lens as long as you can remove it from the camera and find a way to attach an adapter. Also infinity focus can be a challenge sometimes. But I would love to try adapting the lens of the Smena one day! There are so many fun little lenses from old cameras that I would love to try adapting!
@@VintageOptiks Adapting vintage lenses is one of my hobbies aswell, but so far I have just used comercial adapters, nothing made by me (yet) . As a first step I ordered a 17-31mm M42 helicoid but I find that here in Romania there are a lot rangefinder type cameras in the 5-20$ price range. It may be a goldmine I haven't exploited, who knows..
@@invisiblespark Making your own adapters is a lot of fun! And adapting these fixed lens rangefinders is addictive!! I love finding cheap ones and try to figure out how to use them on my digital camera. Sometimes you get some amazing gems!! That’s great that you can find a lot of cheap ones in your country. Sounds like a gold mine to me :)
Does anyone know if this would work on a Canon aps-c sensor?
I don't think so because Canon cameras have a much shorter flange focal distance.
I've carenar 55mm f1.7 lens. Wanted to adapt it. Can you help?
Doesn’t that lens have M42 mount?
@@VintageOptiks it has carena mount. Totally different kind.
I can show you pictures of it. I'm planning to modify it with canon macro reverse ring 😀
How to find exact distance for infinity focus?
Ah ok. Very obscure mount.
Could you please tell what's the song playing from th-cam.com/video/seVzG1cWvUQ/w-d-xo.html
Hi, it’s not a song, it’s just a little audio clip.
@@VintageOptiks what a pity, sounds awesome, like some spaghetti western soundtrack. anyways, thank you