I am seriously committed to switching Leica M6 TTL from Nikon F3, but am short of cash to buy all of the lenses I would like. While I save for Leica lenses I was hoping to use my Nikon lenses(28, 35 & 135), is this possible, and if so who would be the best contact? Thank you for you help and insight.

-- Brooks (bvonarx1@home.com), June 05, 2001

Answers

Have a look there: http://www.cameraquest.com/adaptnew.htm

(I still don't know how to create a link in this system. Fall asleep before reaching the end of the explanations. Sorry Tony...)

-- Xavier Colmant (xcolmant@powerir.com), June 05, 2001.

You can purchase expensive adapters to mount them, but you will haveto guess the focus distance, as they will not work with the rangefinder. You'd be better off picking up some of the less expensive Voiglander lenses in my opinion.

-- Andrew Schank (aschank@flash.net), June 05, 2001.

If you are seriously committed to switching to an M6, then don't start off by using Nikon lenses. One of the joys of using an M6 is using the rangefinder system. By using Nikon lenses with an adaptor, you will have to guess focus. My suggestion would be to get an M6 and one lens. A 35 or 50 summicron pre-asph are relatively inexpensive (or get a voigtlander lens).

-- richard le (rvle@bellatlantic.net), June 05, 2001.

Brooks, I hope you don't mind me piggy backing onto your question.. I'm pretty much in the same boat with most of my Nikon equipment stolen recently. I do still have one Nikon body and a few lenses but am thinking of going M6 for environmental portraits, people pics and PJ style weddings. Would like a fast lens and am wondering it would be better to start with the 50 lux or the 35? I can't afford both either. BTW: I've never even seen the M6 in person living in rural SC. Can someone tell me how Leica is pronounced? "Leeka", "Lecia", "Lika"?

-- JLee (jlee@sccoast.net), June 05, 2001.

J Lee

Leica... pronounced as in "I'd (like a) piece of cake."

-- Al Smith (smith58@msn.com), June 05, 2001.

Thanks for the prompt responses. I guess I am going to have to be patient and forgo the urge for immdiate gratification. This is probably a good thing since I will have time to learn and appreciate the Leica system as it should be. M6 TTL .72 w/ 35 summilux seems to be the practical way to start, say the wise sages of this group.

-- Brooks (bvonarx@home.com), June 05, 2001.

As others mentioned I would pick up a Voigtlander lens. They are rated as good as all but the latest generation Leica lenses. In fact the 50/1.5 is rated equal to or better than the current "Lux" by some. Depending on which focal length and f-stop they can be had for between $250-500 new. When you have enough $$$ to buy a Leica lens you can sell the Voightlander for about 80-90% of the orig cost. I have a 25/4 Skopar I am impressed with.

-- Gerald Widen (gerald@sfa1.com), June 05, 2001.

I agree with other posters ... except for the very short end of the range, you will want proper RF coupled lenses. I'm thinking of getting the Nikkor lens mount adapter for the sole purpose of using my Nikkor 20/3.5 AI-S, one of the last two pieces of Nikon gear I own and an old favorite of mine. I used to scale focus it even on the Nikon SLRs so that's not much of a change.

When I bought my M6TTL, I went with a 35/2 over the 35/1.4 because I liked the imaging character of the Summicron just a hair more than the Summilux *and* its price allowed another $1000 towards the 90/2.8 ... The one extra stop of lens speed just wasn't that important to me.

The Voigtländer lenses are quite good at very reasonable prices, if you desperately need another lens and can't afford the Leica version right away. I use the Heliar 15, very satisfying and a killer deal.

Godfrey

-- Godfrey DiGiorgi (ramarren@bayarea.net), June 05, 2001.

I have one of Stephen Gandy's Nikon adapters at home sitting in a closet. I thought it would be the answer to using a Nikkor 24 on my M6, but it wasn't. I like using wide angles up relatively close, and the lack of rangefinder coupling killed me. I never got a shot I was happy with, either from focussing problems or framing problems. Like others, I'd suggest looking at the Voigtlander lenses.

-- Paul Chefurka (paul_chefurka@pmc-sierra.com), June 05, 2001.

I have used the cameraquest Nikon/M adapter; it works. The combination is clunky. The already large Nikkor wideangles I've used (20mm AF and 24mm AIS) seem even larger. The adapter adds an extra half inch to the length of the lens. This is an option only for those too cheap or too poor to buy the Leica equivalents. Voigtlander lenses, on the other hand, are junk and I won't have them on my Leica. :)

-- Suetonius (suetonius@netzero.net), June 05, 2001.

http://gallery.consumerreview.com/photography/viewfinder/pictures/oldb luecar.jpg

-- Gerald Widen (gerald@sfa1.com), June 05, 2001.

http://www.imx.nl/photosite/japan/indexj.html

-Erwin Puts, a respected authority on leica optics, assesses some of the Voigtlander and konica alternatives here..... ..................

-- david kelly (dmkedit@aol.com), June 05, 2001.

JLee asked earlier, and I would like to answer, that investment in a 50/1.4 Summilux would NOT be a wise investment for those of you agonizing over getting started with the M. There are too many better lenses to invest in, and the 50 lux is a rather old design. If you must have a 50 I think you would hear a resounding recommendation on this site to go with the 50/2 Summicron, old or new, as a starting point.

-- Ken Shipman (kennyshipman@aol.com), June 05, 2001.