If so, I'd appreciate hearing how difficult the job is (it doesn't look too bad) and how good the results are. Post me a sample if you have one, please?
I listed my old trusty CY 35-70 for sale, but am now having second thoughts. Seems like it would be a really nice landscape kit as paired with 16-35VR.
I tried and failed.... Someday, I need to take it to someone with both left and right hands.. Apparently, I have two lefts....
actually, the part I messed up was the spring. It easily stretches... Also, the instructions aren't great. I did a 100mm apo Leica and it was simple....
getting the rings off is not easy too. I would pay someone to do it....
Oh, I hate hearing that. I wonder if the spring could just be removed and the lever tied over with filament. I had to do that with my OM21.
I have toe thumbs, so I fully sympathize!
PS Dale - maybe I should try doing 99% of the conversion before buying the Leitax kit since it's the last thing to go on?? Then if I can't get things apart or whatever, I won't need to buy the bayonet kit...
thedruid wrote:
why bother, Nikon has lenses equal in the range with AF....I tired in my 5D days as the 24-70L I had was not very good.
What Nikon lenses are equal in IQ and size and have great macro functionality at the 35mm range?? I can't think of any in Canon's lineup.
I was looking back at my photos taken with the lens, and a good deal of them are macro range. It's such a fun lens to take out hiking, and the images from it are beautiful & have the Zeiss signature look. I can't think of another one lens solution that does quite what the CY35-70 does.
I guess optionally I could keep it as a 'normal' lens for my 7D (Canon kit) and not bother Leitaxing it over. Hmmmmmmmm.
spdntrxi wrote:
the 35-70 is extremely small.. I've had good success with it on my EOSm.. of all things. Really makes for a lightweight combo for hiking.
Makes sense to me - I have many great prints from it on a T3i of all things. The flipping screen was brilliant with the macro feature, and of course on crop it was more like a 50mm macro.
I also had one that I used on my 5D, I looked at the leitax page as soon as I got my Nikon -- just to see how hard it would be. I got to the second part of the conversion and that's where I think I would have difficulties. I decided that put it on the back burner for awhile, since I have a 50 and 85 already. Whether I go back to it depends a lot on what wide angle lens I settle on -- it makes more sense with a 14-24 or 16-28 than a 16/17-35. If I end up with a longer WA, I will just stick with the 50 and 85 with it. The macro was nice but I tended to use longer macro lenses more.
Paul
PeaktoPeek wrote:
I also had one that I used on my 5D, I looked at the leitax page as soon as I got my Nikon -- just to see how hard it would be. I got to the second part of the conversion and that's where I think I would have difficulties. I decided that put it on the back burner for awhile, since I have a 50 and 85 already. Whether I go back to it depends a lot on what wide angle lens I settle on -- it makes more sense with a 14-24 or 16-28 than a 16/17-35. If I end up with a longer WA, I will just stick with the 50 and 85 with it. The macro was nice but I tended to use longer macro lenses more.
Paul...Show more →
Thanks Paul. I think I need to work with my OM21 for a bit and see how I get along with the metering aspect, and everything else and then make a decision. For middle range zoom at the moment I have the kit lens (good copy), which is pretty decent. Definitely looking to upgrade at some point...
I have converted mine to the Nikon mount and believe me it's pretty darn hard! The hardest part is getting the spring to attach in the opposite direction. I couldn't do it myself and luckily I was able to find a technician who serviced old lenses and he did it for me. The picture on the Leitax website is misleading because it's not to scale, the spring is tiny!!
On top of that please keep in mind that the ball bearing can fall inside the lens!! Good luck!
Having said that I absolutely love CY 35-70. The contrast is top notch and it produces perfect light stars!! One example:
snooked123 wrote:
I have converted mine to the Nikon mount and believe me it's pretty darn hard! The hardest part is getting the spring to attach in the opposite direction. I couldn't do it myself and luckily I was able to find a technician who serviced old lenses and he did it for me. The picture on the Leitax website is misleading because it's not to scale, the spring is tiny!!
On top of that please keep in mind that the ball bearing can fall inside the lens!! Good luck!
Having said that I absolutely love CY 35-70. The contrast is top notch and it produces perfect light stars!! One example:
I did it myself. As somebody mentioned, reversing spring is the difficult part. But overall it is not that hard. You just closely follow instruction on Leitax site. I use it on S5PRO and am happy with it.
Post me a sample if you have one, please?
I wonder if the spring could just be removed and the lever tied over with filament. I had to do that with my OM21. 
