If anyone gets the Leicaist adapter for Nikon, the little metal lever that operates the lens release is located in the only position where you could otherwise fit a Novoflex tripod ring! Other Leicaist adapters I've got are fine with the ring.
This means that I can't find a way to mount my Apo-Sonnar on a tripod so that the adapter moves the camera rather than the lens (the Apo-Sonnar at 925 g is too heavy for the TechArt to move safely).
Any suggestions for tripod rings for the Apo-Sonnar folks? When I'm using MF all is fine - I have a Novoflex adapter that the Novoflex ring fits perfectly. But for portrait use I'd like AF......Show more →
I've had mixed results with my Leicaist adapters and the Novoflex ASTAT-NEX tripod ring with the thinner removable plastic "Insert for LEM/LER adapter":
* Olympus OM -> M (works fine)
* Contax C/Y -> M (works fine)
* Konica AR -> M & Minolta MD -> M (both fit but the Novoflex ring when tightened pushes in the lens release pin so the lens doesn't lock into the TAP bayonet; this could possibly be rectified by filing the release pin a little to shorten it)
* Canon FD -> M (adapter diameter is too wide to fit in the Novoflex ring)
* M42 -> M (adapter diameter is too narrow to fill the Novoflex ring
* Leica R -> M & Canon EF -> M (lens release button prevents the adapter from fitting within the Novoflex ring)
It sounds like the Leicaist Nikon F -> M adapter is similar to the Leica R and Canon EF adapters. And, having been through the exercise of checking each of my Leicaist adapters with the Novoflex tripod ring, I can't think of an alternative. All of the tripod rings for various zoom lenses have diameters that are much wider than the Leicaist adapter.
dgurtch wrote:
I have bought many adapters from Rainbow Imaging. They are well made and VERY inexpensive. Has anyone tried them with a TAP?
TIA
Dave
The FAQ contains a list of adapters that are known to work with the TAP. As far as I am aware, no-one has reported success with a Rainbow Imaging adapter.
genji wrote:
I've had mixed results with my Leicaist adapters and the Novoflex ASTAT-NEX tripod ring with the thinner removable plastic "Insert for LEM/LER adapter":
* Olympus OM -> M (works fine)
* Contax C/Y -> M (works fine)
* Konica AR -> M & Minolta MD -> M (both fit but the Novoflex ring when tightened pushes in the lens release pin so the lens doesn't lock into the TAP bayonet; this could possibly be rectified by filing the release pin a little to shorten it)
* Canon FD -> M (adapter diameter is too wide to fit in the Novoflex ring)
* M42 -> M (adapter diameter is too narrow to fill the Novoflex ring
* Leica R -> M & Canon EF -> M (lens release button prevents the adapter from fitting within the Novoflex ring)
It sounds like the Leicaist Nikon F -> M adapter is similar to the Leica R and Canon EF adapters. And, having been through the exercise of checking each of my Leicaist adapters with the Novoflex tripod ring, I can't think of an alternative. All of the tripod rings for various zoom lenses have diameters that are much wider than the Leicaist adapter....Show more →
That's exactly right. ASTAT-NEX worked with my OM and C/Y adapters, so I thought I'd be fine. Should have looked more closely at the images of the adapter. It's just like the Leica R and EF-M with the release button preventing the adapter from fitting. There's nowhere on an APO SOnnar you can fit any lens collar I know of. And there's nowhere on the Teacart either (I really hope than any future model of techart has a tripod foot attachment)
The rainbow imaging adapter that the other poster mentioned seems to have a release tab that *might* allow a collar (if the adapter will even fit TechArt, which we just don't know) But it does bend back a bit over the area the collar might have to fit. In which case the tab might need to be straightened, which would put it at risk of breaking. Might be worth the small expenditure to experiment. But if the release tab broke later, while attached to a hugely expensive lens, it would be sad..
Not sure if this has been reported before, but the original Leica R-adapter M Product number 14642 does not fit mechanically on the TAP, so I have ordered one from Techartpro.
John
DavidBM wrote:
That's exactly right. ASTAT-NEX worked with my OM and C/Y adapters, so I thought I'd be fine. Should have looked more closely at the images of the adapter. It's just like the Leica R and EF-M with the release button preventing the adapter from fitting. There's nowhere on an APO SOnnar you can fit any lens collar I know of. And there's nowhere on the Teacart either (I really hope than any future model of techart has a tripod foot attachment)
The rainbow imaging adapter that the other poster mentioned seems to have a release tab that *might* allow a collar (if the adapter will even fit TechArt, which we just don't know) But it does bend back a bit over the area the collar might have to fit. In which case the tab might need to be straightened, which would put it at risk of breaking. Might be worth the small expenditure to experiment. But if the release tab broke later, while attached to a hugely expensive lens, it would be sad.....Show more →
In my previous post I was actually going to express the same hope that Techart releases a version of the TAP with an Arca-compatible tripod foot. But that wouldn't solve your problem with the 925g Apo-Sonnar because the TAP would still be bearing the entire weight of the lens.
But... I've just checked the B&H page for the Apo-Sonnar 135/2 ZF/2 and it gives the diameter of the lens as 84mm. However, that is probably the diameter of the ribbed focus ring section so the diameter of the rest of the lens barrel is going to be less than that. Hopefully, 82mm since that is the interior ring dimension for the Canon Tripod Mount Ring C for the for 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS. The OEM model is USD179.00 at B&H but you can get a Chinese copy for a fraction of that amount on eBay. Might be worth a try.
genji wrote:
In my previous post I was actually going to express the same hope that Techart releases a version of the TAP with an Arca-compatible tripod foot. But that wouldn't solve your problem with the 925g Apo-Sonnar because the TAP would still be bearing the entire weight of the lens.
But... I've just checked the B&H page for the Apo-Sonnar 135/2 ZF/2 and it gives the diameter of the lens as 84mm. However, that is probably the diameter of the ribbed focus ring section so the diameter of the rest of the lens barrel is going to be less than that. Hopefully, 82mm since that is the interior ring dimension for the Canon Tripod Mount Ring C for the for 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS. The OEM model is USD179.00 at B&H but you can get a Chinese copy for a fraction of that amount on eBay. Might be worth a try.
Wow thanks for that suggestion! I had briefly considered such solutions, and rejected them thinking the lens diameter was too large. I *think* I may have an old third party canon Tripod Mount C in my parts box!!!!!! [Edit: sadly I don't seem to have one. But they aren't expensive!]
[extra edit: that part of the lens moves when focussing. Not a deal breaker, because it means you just need to prefocus before tightening the ring, and TAP does the focussing - but a bit of a nuisance]
satijntje wrote:
Not sure if this has been reported before, but the original Leica R-adapter M Product number 14642 does not fit mechanically on the TAP, so I have ordered one from Techartpro.
John
Thanks, John. The first draft of the FAQ listed adapters that had been found NOT to work with the TAP but there was general agreement that this was confusing so the FAQ list now only includes adapters that are known to work.
After a search with no answer and quoting from the thread:
The Techart PRO has a Parking feature which determines what the adapter does when switching from AF to MF mode:
F36 parks the adapter at infinity focus
F40 parks the adapter at closest focus
F45 parks the adapter at the current focus
How repeatable is the F36-infinity focus Park? Is it like a real hard stop infinity where a legacy lens hard stop will give a good infinity every time?
JimBuchanan wrote:
After a search with no answer and quoting from the thread:
The Techart PRO has a Parking feature which determines what the adapter does when switching from AF to MF mode:
F36 parks the adapter at infinity focus
F40 parks the adapter at closest focus
F45 parks the adapter at the current focus
How repeatable is the F36-infinity focus Park? Is it like a real hard stop infinity where a legacy lens hard stop will give a good infinity every time?
It turns the adapter into the standard length of any adapter. Whether that will give you a true infinity at the lens' hard stop depends on the interaction between the exact calibration of the lens and the adapter. You might be lucky, you might not, and it will vary from lens to lens.
DavidBM wrote:
It turns the adapter into the standard length of any adapter. Whether that will give you a true infinity at the lens' hard stop depends on the interaction between the exact calibration of the lens and the adapter. You might be lucky, you might not, and it will vary from lens to lens.
You didn't answer my question. I understand the
" Whether that will give you a true infinity at the lens' hard stop depends on the interaction between the exact calibration of the lens and the adapter. You might be lucky, you might not, and it will vary from lens to lens." part.
If I have a properly hard stop calibrated lens on the TAP that is adjusted to give a proper infinity hard stop infinity at the F36-infinity focus Park, will it be repeatable?
JimBuchanan wrote:
After a search with no answer and quoting from the thread:
The Techart PRO has a Parking feature which determines what the adapter does when switching from AF to MF mode:
F36 parks the adapter at infinity focus
F40 parks the adapter at closest focus
F45 parks the adapter at the current focus
How repeatable is the F36-infinity focus Park? Is it like a real hard stop infinity where a legacy lens hard stop will give a good infinity every time?
I haven't tested the repeatability of this, but in my experience, applying the infinity focus setting always requires additional adjustment of the lens away from its inifinty setting - on my ZM 35 I have to set it to around 5 metres, and that raises concerns for me about when floating elements might come into play. For that reason, when doing critical landscape work, I always use my metabones adapter instead.
In addition, I've also found that while focus is almost invariable accurate at close to medium distances with the TAP, if I take a series of shots using TAP's autofocus on a distant object, i.e., infinity, but reset it to focus on something say 5 m away in between each shot, that the supposed infinity focus will vary. I've come to not have a high degree of trust in the TAP for infinity targets if focus is critical. I'm not sure if this also occurs with native focusing lenses, as I don't have one to compare with, but I'd be interested to know if others have encountered this issue.
JimBuchanan wrote:
You didn't answer my question. I understand the
" Whether that will give you a true infinity at the lens' hard stop depends on the interaction between the exact calibration of the lens and the adapter. You might be lucky, you might not, and it will vary from lens to lens." part.
If I have a properly hard stop calibrated lens on the TAP that is adjusted to give a proper infinity hard stop infinity at the F36-infinity focus Park, will it be repeatable?
Time and time again?
I think it will be repeatable; but just because you have a properly calibrated lens in the sense of one that, when mounted alone, focuses at infinity when it is set to the hard stop, doesn't guarantee that you will get infinity on TAP set to infinity (though if repeatable it'll either always be correct or never correct)
Slight sample variation in TAP alone will mean that.
But in my experience, when you set TAP to infinity it always goes the the same place, correct or not. (not surprising, because it goes back to its least extension)
From what I'm hearing, I may or may not be able to rely on the TAP to always go to its F36 infinity Park setting and go to the exact same spot every time. This would be desirable if I wanted to use the TAP as a dumb Leica M to Sony E adapter, and use a manual lens in manual focus mode and have a good hard stop infinity. The manual lens would be custom infinity adjusted to the TAP F36 infinity Park position (BTW).
I'm also concerned about the battery drain issue. . .
Any further comments on this would be welcomed, before I start this $400 experiment!
JimBuchanan wrote:
Thank you, for the 2 responses.
From what I'm hearing, I may or may not be able to rely on the TAP to always go to its F36 infinity Park setting and go to the exact same spot every time. This would be desirable if I wanted to use the TAP as a dumb Leica M to Sony E adapter, and use a manual lens in manual focus mode and have a good hard stop infinity. The manual lens would be custom infinity adjusted to the TAP F36 infinity Park position (BTW).
I'm also concerned about the battery drain issue. . .
Any further comments on this would be welcomed, before I start this $400 experiment! ...Show more →
The default parking spot for TAP is for infinity focus. I have not had any issues with this when using a lens that is properly calibrated to hard stop infinity. I use the AF/MF toggle on the A7r2 to go from AF to MF. When I switch to MF, the TAP properly goes to it's infinity (normal) position. All my hard stop infinity lenses, like the Zeiss 35/1.4 M are properly focused at hard stop infinity when this happens and I've duplicated this many times. I've even test this by manually adjusting the lens but I find that hard stop infinity focus is preserved quite nicely and consistently.
JimBuchanan wrote:
Thank you, for the 2 responses.
From what I'm hearing, I may or may not be able to rely on the TAP to always go to its F36 infinity Park setting and go to the exact same spot every time. This would be desirable if I wanted to use the TAP as a dumb Leica M to Sony E adapter, and use a manual lens in manual focus mode and have a good hard stop infinity. The manual lens would be custom infinity adjusted to the TAP F36 infinity Park position (BTW).
I'm also concerned about the battery drain issue. . .
Any further comments on this would be welcomed, before I start this $400 experiment! ...Show more →
The default "infinity park" just retracts the adapter all the way in. At this setting, it works just like any other adapter without close focus ability.
Now, it would be very nice as a new feature if the infinity park setting could be user customized to take in consideration your lens infinity mark. (Basically addressing the issue for lenses with unreliable infinity hard stops)
As far as I know only the Hawks adapter offers this type of infinity stop customization. However, it should not be too difficult for TechArt to offer this feature through a firmware upgrade.
This make sense. I took some landscape shots hand held the other day with multiple Tapped lenses, the ZM 35 D being one of them and all objects at infinity were unsharp, even though I had gotten a focus confirmation in AF mode. I had assumed that with that AF confirmation, I would be in focus, but it appears not so. I had resolved to do some tests and in critical situations to just manually focus distant subjects to be sure.
navmannz wrote:
I haven't tested the repeatability of this, but in my experience, applying the infinity focus setting always requires additional adjustment of the lens away from its inifinty setting - on my ZM 35 I have to set it to around 5 metres, and that raises concerns for me about when floating elements might come into play. For that reason, when doing critical landscape work, I always use my metabones adapter instead.
In addition, I've also found that while focus is almost invariable accurate at close to medium distances with the TAP, if I take a series of shots using TAP's autofocus on a distant object, i.e., infinity, but reset it to focus on something say 5 m away in between each shot, that the supposed infinity focus will vary. I've come to not have a high degree of trust in the TAP for infinity targets if focus is critical. I'm not sure if this also occurs with native focusing lenses, as I don't have one to compare with, but I'd be interested to know if others have encountered this issue.
rji2goleez wrote:
The default parking spot for TAP is for infinity focus. I have not had any issues with this when using a lens that is properly calibrated to hard stop infinity. I use the AF/MF toggle on the A7r2 to go from AF to MF. When I switch to MF, the TAP properly goes to it's infinity (normal) position. All my hard stop infinity lenses, like the Zeiss 35/1.4 M are properly focused at hard stop infinity when this happens and I've duplicated this many times. I've even test this by manually adjusting the lens but I find that hard stop infinity focus is preserved quite nicely and consistently....Show more →
That's an interesting comparison with the same lens as mine, Bob, and very different outcomes - looks like there must be some adapter to adapter variability in the 'inifinity' length. I've a replacement adapter coming to replace the one on which the front plate screws fell out, so I'll be interested to see what it does.
navmannz wrote:
That's an interesting comparison with the same lens as mine, Bob, and very different outcomes - looks like there must be some adapter to adapter variability in the 'inifinity' length. I've a replacement adapter coming to replace the one on which the front plate screws fell out, so I'll be interested to see what it does.
It will be interesting to see what you get. I get this result whether using an M-mount or other lens adapted to TAP IF hard stop infinity is there in the first place.
