zalmyb wrote:
...can anyone help with an adapter to Sony that is accurate at infinity (ie infinity on the lens is infinity in practice?). I have 2 and both focus past infinity, which makes focusing by distance, zone, or hyperlocal, more complicated than it should be...
With any macro helicoid adapter you can use the helicoid to set infinity to the hard stop each time you mount a lens. All macro helicoid adapters have very stiff helicoid ring movement, so once you set infinity, it should stay there:
– Attach lens and set lens focus ring to infinity hard stop
– Set lens to widest aperture
– Use EVF to zoom in to infinity/horizon
– Without moving the lens focus ring, move the helicoid until infinity focus is perfect
– Don't move the helicoid again and use the lens normally
– Repeat each time you mount a lens and/or after you've used the macro function and moved the helicoid
Another option: Hawk's Factory macro adapters for M lenses have a hardware-adjustable infinity position. I have one for M to Leica L-mount, and it works great. The official Hawk's Factory site should be avoided – they're indefinitely backlogged and your order will just sit there with no contact from the company. I don't see an E-mount version for sale on eBay right now, though.
Some people shim their adapters to get perfect infinity focus, but that's a bridge too far for me – I don't want to risk ending up with a slightly tilted plane of focus.
highdesertmesa wrote:
With any macro helicoid adapter you can use the helicoid to set infinity to the hard stop each time you mount a lens. All macro helicoid adapters have very stiff helicoid ring movement, so once you set infinity, it should stay there:
– Attach lens and set lens focus ring to infinity hard stop
– Set lens to widest aperture
– Use EVF to zoom in to infinity/horizon
– Without moving the lens focus ring, move the helicoid until infinity focus is perfect
– Don't move the helicoid again and use the lens normally
– Repeat each time you mount a lens and/or after you've used the macro function and moved the helicoid
Another option: Hawk's Factory macro adapters for M lenses have a hardware-adjustable infinity position. I have one for M to Leica L-mount, and it works great. The official Hawk's Factory site should be avoided – they're indefinitely backlogged and your order will just sit there with no contact from the company. I don't see an E-mount version for sale on eBay right now, though.
Some people shim their adapters to get perfect infinity focus, but that's a bridge too far for me – I don't want to risk ending up with a slightly tilted plane of focus....Show more →
Thank you!! I have been doing that, but worried it could easily change... but you're right, it is pretty rigid. Not a long term solution (as I'd need to make sure it was "calibrated" before doing important work and that takes time and I'd forget...) but should work for now.
I'll keep an eye out on the hawks factory one.
another thing I realized is that since the lens has floating elements, for optimum image quality I'd have to make sure infinity was calibrated (right?).
zalmyb wrote:
Thank you!! I have been doing that, but worried it could easily change... but you're right, it is pretty rigid. Not a long term solution (as I'd need to make sure it was "calibrated" before doing important work and that takes time and I'd forget...) but should work for now.
I'll keep an eye out on the hawks factory one.
another thing I realized is that since the lens has floating elements, for optimum image quality I'd have to make sure infinity was calibrated (right?).
It’s probably more important to set infinity with the helicoid before shooting serious landscape work (affects corners) and at or near MFD where the floating elements are supposed to be doing heavy optical corrections. It depends on how far off the adapter is to begin with. I’ve had adapters that were only the smallest nudge from letting the lens hit infinity at the hard stop and some that were so far off it was laughable.
rscheffler wrote:
You should see the mid-zone of the 21 Lux. (hint: not good!) Unfortunately (for me) the Lux shows its age. I agree the SEM is a jewel of a lens.
“Liked” for the usefulness and relevance of your information, not because it was what I wanted to read. The Summilux-M 21mm ASPH has been one of my grail-quest lenses, for a while. Thanks for helping to “talk me down.” Better to pay half as much for the SEM, or, if I really need f/1.4, for low light, or the DOF, the Nokton. (Even a pre-owned Summilux-M 21mm ASPH costs twice as much as an SEM.)
RexGig0 wrote:
“Liked” for the usefulness and relevance of your information, not because it was what I wanted to read. The Summilux-M 21mm ASPH has been one of my grail-quest lenses, for a while. Thanks for helping to “talk me down.” Better to pay half as much for the SEM, or, if I really need f/1.4, for low light, or the DOF, the Nokton. (Even a pre-owned Summilux-M 21mm ASPH costs twice as much as an SEM.)
Just get the Nokton. It's a steal for the performance it provides.
If you really like shooting 21mm, get the SEM as well for portability.
Fred Miranda wrote:
Just get the Nokton. It's a steal for the performance it provides.
If you really like shooting 21mm, get the SEM as well for portability.
I have done this, one larger lens for the performance, and another for the portability, in the same focal length, already, at 35mm, so, I could do the same at 21mm, with a rule-the-night lens, and a more-portable lens.
Fred Miranda wrote:
Just get the Nokton. It's a steal for the performance it provides.
If you really like shooting 21mm, get the SEM as well for portability.
Good advice, but, well, what to do with these Leica Serie VIII filters, that I have been accumulating?
RexGig0 wrote:
Good advice, but, well, what to do with these Leica Serie VIII filters, that I have been accumulating?
I found an adapter that holds a Serie VIII filter, and threads onto E72 threads. So, assuming that I never own a Summilux-M 21mm ASPH, I will be able to use my Serie VIII filters, on threaded lenses and adapters. The Leica part number is 14165. I just ordered one, pre-owned, from Roberts Camera.
In my book, Spain ≥ pretty much everyone else, on lifestyle. That says more about me than "everyone else" but I'll fly that flag. It's a great place to live.
I have been following Camera Quest’s evil-bay store, as a way to monitor the availability of the 50mm f/1.0 and 21mm f/1.4 Noktons. I saw the 50mm f/1.0 appear in my feed, several days ago. I saw that there was only one 21mm Nokton remaining, in stock. This morning, rather than continue to struggle with which one to buy, first, I ordered one of each.
(hint: not good!) Unfortunately (for me) the Lux shows its age. I agree the SEM is a jewel of a lens.
, it was 70 degrees and we had tinto de verano every hour..! 
