M42 Screw Mount Lenses (Part 1 - The Basics)

M42 mount lenses are the most popular, affordable, and plentiful film-era lenses to adapt! They are super easy to adapt.
M42 lenses are very versatile. I change camera systems periodically. It's usually quite easy to just buy a cheap M42 adapter and then re-use my existing M42 lenses on my new camera system. For example, I can quickly and easily use all of my M42 lenses on any of the following camera systems: Sony A/E; Canon RF/EF/EF-M; Nikon F/Z; Fuji X; Pentax K; Olympus MFT; and Panasonic MFT.
Click here ( • M42 Screw Mount Lenses... ) to watch Part 2 of my M42 lens tutorial.
In case you're interested, below is a listing of my favorite M42 lenses -
1. Mamiya Sekor 55mm f/1.4
2. MC Helios 44M-7 58mm f/2
3. Meyer Optik Gorlitz Trioplan 100mm f/2.8
4. Meyer Optik Gorlitz Primoplan 58mm f/1.9
5. Meyer Optik Gorlitz Domiplan 50mm f/2
6. Carl Zeiss Jena MC Flektogon 35mm f/2.4
7. Carl Zeiss Jena Sonnar 135mm f/3.5
8. Vivitar Auto Macro 55mm f/2.8
9. Vivitar 55mm f/2.1
10. Vivitar Series 1 90mm 1:2.5 Macro (aka "Bokina")
11. Fujinon EBC 50mm f/1.4
12. Fujinon 55mm f/1.6
13. Voightlander SL & SLII lenses (expensive) including:
a. 58mm f/1.4
b. 75mm f/2.5
c. 90mm f/3.5
d. 125mm f/2.5 Makro
e. 180mm f/4
14. Numerous Pentax (aka Asahi) lenses including:
a. 35mm f/2.3 Auto Takumar
b. 50mm f/1.4 Super Takumar
c. 58mm f/2 Takumar
d. 200mm f/3.5 Takumar
e. 500mm f/4.5 Super Multi Coated Takumar