M42 Lens To Leica M Body (Techart Pro LM-EA7) Adapter

pinshape

M42 is a widely used screw thread mount for SLRs, commonly associated with Praktica and Pentax cameras. However, many other brands such as Fujica, Mamiya/Sekor, and Zenit also employed this mount. Its open standard and relatively long flange distance make it an ideal choice for adapting to other mounts, excluding Nikon F. This has led to numerous commercial adapters available for attaching M42 lenses to other mounts, including Leica M. The motivation behind creating a 3D printed M42 adapter is not simply because we can do so, but due to its practical benefits. One reason is that an M42 to M adapter enables the latest Sony E mount cameras to autofocus manual lenses via the Techart Pro LM-EA7 adapter. This is particularly useful since the LM-EA7 has a 700g weight drive limit, making it essential to minimize weight. Another significant advantage of this adapter is its ability to accommodate later Mamiya/Sekor M42 lenses with the aperture ring extending back around the mount flange. Unfortunately, commercial adapters often have overly wide flanges that prevent these lenses from mounting correctly. Moreover, some M42 adapters are too thick on the M side to fit on the LM-EA7, which can cause compatibility issues. The adapter avoids all these problems, making it a valuable solution for photographers seeking to utilize their manual Mamiya/Sekor 55mm f/1.8 lenses with autofocus capabilities. As demonstrated in the last two shots, this adapter allows for seamless autofocus operation when paired with the LM-EA7 and a manual focus lens. The print settings used were as follows: Printer Brand - MakerGear, Printer Model - M2, Rafts - No, Supports - No, Resolution - 0.25mm, Infill - 25%. A high-temp black PLA was employed for this project, ensuring a strong and durable finish. It is worth noting that the printed thread should be slightly tight, requiring some gentle persuasion to fit a lens into place. This can help prevent any shards from being created during the fitting process. Additionally, it is crucial to ensure proper alignment when threading a lens onto the adapter to avoid damaging the metal thread on the lens. This M42 adapter does not feature a ledge to depress the stop-down pin found in most M42 lenses. As a result, the lens must be set to operate in manual mode instead of automatic aperture mode. For detailed instructions on how to achieve this, refer to the provided link: http://www.instructables.com/id/M42-Lens-Aperture-Control-on-Modern-DSLRs/.