Leica M lens coupler... buy or make?

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I looked all over ebay and b&h for an M lens coupler... I like that idea! Couldn't find one.

Anyone ever just epoxied two rear caps together? or is there more to it than that?

Charles

-- Charles (cbarcellona@telocity.com), March 19, 2002

Answers

Anyone ever just epoxied two rear caps together?

Yep.

or is there more to it than that?

Nope.

And IMO it works better than the coupler. The coupler is "open", so the rear element is somewhat exposed whe only one lens is attached. The coupler is also "short", so that some of the newer lenses will "bump" each other when mounted in the coupler.

FWIW, Hexar caps (~~$6) are a cheap alternative for this use relative to Leica caps (~~$18).

Cheers,

-- Jack Flesher (jbflesher@msn.com), March 19, 2002.


ok, just got 5 caps for $30 on ebay, it said Leica, but I'll assume offbrand or Hexar. They're local to me, so I'll call em tomorrow.

Thanks for the snappy reply!

-- Charles (cbarcellona@telocity.com), March 19, 2002.


I got a used coupler for $3, works really fine and doesn't take up much space. I'd recommend that one, but only for less than the price of 2 rear caps. The above poster is right with the disadvantages, but if you use a body cap and two lenses or three lenses I think the coupler is better (body cap + coupler = rear cap and everythink is secured). But this is personal taste.

-- Kai Blanke (kblanke@iname.com), March 19, 2002.

I do that (fasten two end caps together), but use gaffer tape instead of epoxy. The plastic they use for the caps is sort of soft, and the "threads" can strip after a while. If one cap is shot but the other cap is OK, just tape the good cap to a new one and carry on.

-- Chuck Albertson (chucko@siteconnect.com), March 19, 2002.

Fitting two caps together is a great idea, but I think you may want to take the connecting technology one step beyond gaffer tape and glue. To make them replaceable and more secure I would recommend a bolt through the middle, or better still four small bolts around the circumfrence. These can be fitted using a thread lock (or superglue) and therefore won't need over tightening and crack the caps.

-- Steve Barnett (barnet@globalnet.co.uk), March 19, 2002.


I agree with fixing the caps together tightly. When you pick up the lens combo, you normally hold just one lens and the other is hanging on the combined caps. If the connection fails, your #2 lens will fly...

Though I would also be careful about bolting the caps together in the middle, because some lenses have rear elements that extend way beyond the bayonet. I would hate to scratch my rear element on a bolt.

Ilkka

-- Ilkka Kuusisto (ikuu65@hotmail.com), March 19, 2002.


I have the Leica lens coupler and have not really used it that much. The problem is it cannot be used with certain wide angle lens as the real element protrudes too far and would impact the other real element of the other lens. I only use my with the 50mm or longer. The two lens cap idea is great if it would hold together.

-- Bob Haight (rhaigh5748@aol.com), March 19, 2002.

I specifically bought a bunch of hexar caps for that very purpose-- I think they ran $3.70 each from Konica. A little epoxy, and thats that-- have held together no problem, and its much easier than digging for errant caps in the bag.

-- Marke Gilbert (Bohdi137@aol.com), March 19, 2002.

late and probably nobody will read, but a coupler with a body cap on one end makes a deept throated lens cap for some older deep-extending lenses (e.g., the russian 21, the earlier 21 angulons). AS far as coupling, too many of my lenses protruded deep, I could always find a pair, but I wanted to be sure I wouldn't be too concerned about match-ups.

-- Lacey Smith (lacsmith@bellsouth.net), March 20, 2002.

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