This $20 vintage lens is out of this world! DIY project.
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- Опубликовано: 23 авг 2020
- Today we are taking a closer look at a vintage rangefinder lens from Konica - the Hexanon 45mm f1.8
This lens is absolutely incredible and can fit everyone's budget. It's crazy sharp, compact, lightweight and has great colors. One of my all time favorites!
Parts mentioned in the video:
Konica Auto S2 camera with 45mm f1.8 lens - ebay.us/yTmL5B
M42 to M52 Step-up Ring - amzn.to/2VsF0VJ
Super Glue - amzn.to/2VqM3hR
The M42 to NEX 13-18mm focusing helicoid is currently sold-out everywhere, but you can use these two parts which make up the same helicoid:
M42 to M42, 12-17mm focusing helicoid - ebay.us/bWMe8g
M42 to NEX slim 1mm adapter - ebay.us/hRlFmd
Attach the slim adapter to the helicoid and you have a 13-18mm M42 to NEX helicoid!
My camera - amzn.to/3DeiF2W
My video lights - amzn.to/2WoI3ls
My video monitor - amzn.to/3Dfqfdz
My microphone - amzn.to/3rVvQki
My studio lights - amzn.to/3r0R0OJ
My dry cabinet for storing lenses - amzn.to/2Wjih2a
Favorite SD card - amzn.to/3sOidn3
The links above are affiliate links, which means that I get a small percentage if you make a purchase, but it doesn't cost you anything extra. This will help the channel with the costs associated with creating new content. Thank you.
If you want to adapt this lens to digital you should check out this great Flickr group that has wonderful step by step instructions on how to go about it. Here is the link: www.flickr.com/groups/2877726...
Special thanks goes out to Matt for putting the instructions together.
If you would like to donate to the channel you can do so here: www.paypal.com/paypalme/vinta...
Thank you for your support!
Find me on Instagram - / vintage_optiks
For who just got this lens and want to keep the shutter open (the forum with the explanation has been deleted)
-set to bulb
-rotate the cylinder that charge the shutter until a lever clicks
-activate the lever that just clicked and keep it open
-insert a piece of paper to keep it open
-done :)
Clever adaptation and a great story for a still great lens. Hexanons were generally very good lenses.
Thank you! Yeah, Konica made a ton of great lenses. I’m a huge fan of their optics. Cheers!
~ One of my favorite lenses is the 40mm f1.8 Hexanon ~
Good to hear! I love this lens as well!
That caterpillar shot 🏆🙌🏾
Thank you!
Wow!! This is AMAZING!!
Kevin Newsome Thank you!!!
This lens is incredibly special and I've wanted to do this sort of conversion for years. Maybe someday. But for now I just take out my S2 once in a while. Honestly it always surprises me how great it renders when I get the images back. Every time.
Amazing lens for sure! One of my favorites!!
Fascinating video. Just discovered this channel a week ago. Looking forward to watching more vintage lens reviews.
Thank you! Glad to hear you are enjoying the videos. I appreciate the feedback.
From time to time yt is recommending some good channels. Lucky that I found you. I'm new to photography and your channel is very helpful.
Subscribed!!
Vaios Kouzoufis Thank you! Glad to hear that the channel is helping other people with their photography adventures! Thank you for subscribing. I appreciate it.
Truly valuable content! Thank you!
You are welcome. Glad you enjoy the content.
Your channel is great, good idea. Happy birthday for one year. I like vintage lenses because every is special
Thank you so much!! I agree - there are so many wonderful lenses from the past and each gives you something special! We are very lucky to be able do adapt them to our modern cameras!
Great video, great idea for adopting :) keep it up!
Thank you so much!
I love this lens on my Konica S2 Auto. Some of my best photographs have been taken by that camera. I love this project; I will have to try it myself.
It’s great to hear that you are a fan of the Konica Auto S2! It’s an amazing little camera and the lens performs great on digital!
wow, fantastic. I will definitely be trying this out. well done.
Thank you! Would love to hear your opinion once you adapt it to your camera. Enjoy!
@@VintageOptiks will do.
The video itself had such character! Really cool!
Thank you so much!
You take some amazing photos - whatever the lens
Thank you so much!!
Quality vid as usual, great lens, fortunately my still works (Auto S-2)
Thank you. Yeah film or digital, this lens is absolutely amazing. Enjoy the Auto S2.
Very inspirational !
Thank you!!
Awesome, I want one of those lenses - I'll get looking on ebay. Love your videos too.
Yeah it's a fantastic little lens. And so easy to adapt. Glad you are enjoying the videos. Thank you.
I have a couple of S2 Autos. Might give this a go.
Totally impressive...
Thank you! Amazing little lens for sure!
I have a C35 and an S3. Both are my go to rangefinders for street stuff.
Nice! 👍
Great style. 👌
Thank you so much!
I love my Hexanon 55mm f3.5 the best and I have most of the lenses except the 15mm. I use them on my Canon EOS M, M3, M50, RP, and now R8.
Glad to hear that you also appreciate Konica's lenses. I am a huge fan! They made so many gems.
Nicely done. Looks like you found a rare gem. Enjoy. Subscribed! :)
timskinnercanada Thank you! Yeah, this one is really special! One of my favorites for sure! Thank you so much for subscribing.
Another great video! Really enjoying your channel! I'm really curious about Konica and hope you review other ones!
Heroa Official Thank you so much!! That is so nice to hear. Yeah, Konica is my favorite brand and I have a lot more Konica lenses lined up for review.
@@VintageOptiks Amazing! I'm looking for a lens that can shoot wide open and still stay sharp (without that usual vintage glow). So far, I've only seen that from Leica R and Contax. Pentax, Nikon, and Minolta aren't able to do it. Really curious if Konica can!
Heroa Official Yeah that’s a tough requirement from a lens. Are you looking for a super fast normal lens that is sharp wide open or just any focal length at any maximum aperture? The Konica 57mm f1.2 is the sharpest f1.2 lens that I have. But it’s quite rare and expensive. And your depth of field is so thin that the area in focus is extremely small. But it’s a great super fast lens!
@@VintageOptiks I've heard great things about that lens but does it have a bit of a glow wide open. I have the Nikkor 58mm 1.2 and it's sharp and amazing but it definitely has a bit of a glow to it. Then again I've never seen a Leica f1.2 lol
@@heroaomedia Yeah it has a tiny bit of glow at f1.2. But very little.
Have you looked into the Canon FD SSC 55mm f1.2 Aspherical? It's expensive and heavy but aspherical lenses are known for great sharpness and contrast wide open. But at the end of the day it's still a vintage lens and it's not going to be perfect wide open. But that's why I like these old lenses - because they are not clinical like modern ones.
I've never tested the 60's Leica Noctilux 50mm f1.2, so I can't say for sure. There is one on eBay now, that is "Buy it Now" for $39,500.00. I guess I'll never get to try it. LoL
Hi. I had a broken Auto S2 so I followed your instructions. I made one mistake and as a result the aperture markings are on the bottom.
Other than that it's been a roaring success, super sharp and really nice colours.
Without your video I would never have thought of doing this. Thanks again. ✅
Hi! That’s great to hear. I’m glad you were able to adapt it and are happy with its performance! Great lens for sure!! One of my favorites!
That Flicker link no longer works. Yes, on Flicker the topic is in the list, but that's all people asking what hapoened to the instructions.
@@sclogse1 I know. One of his other DIY lens videos covered it in detail.
only stumbled on this channel from yt recommends, and i'm glad i clicked on the video, great work! keep it up!
vista Thank you so much! Glad you enjoyed the content. More videos coming soon.
I've been rockin a Minolta MD 45/2 as my main lens on my Sony A7 for years now, quite nice lens but I've always been a bit annoyed by the not so good close focus distance. This looks like an interesting lens to try and see if it can be a good replacement for it. Thank you for a well informed video and good example images :)
Gurra Tell Yeah, I know the Minolta 45/2. I believe the minimum focusing distance is 60cm? This can be quite limiting for sure especially if you want to grab some close ups from time to time. That’s why I enjoy adapting these rangefinder lenses because the MFD becomes very short and you can make it even shorter by adding extensions if you ever have the need. It’s a very versatile system for a 45mm lens. Glad you enjoyed the video and thank you for your nice comment.
Hi. I've really missed your lens reviews lately, especially the DIY ones. I'd love to see you do some more but I understand that it's not that easy.
Thanks again.
Howard, 📷
Hi Howard. Sorry that I haven’t posted any new videos in awhile. I moved away from digital photography and only shoot film now. I’m currently building a new darkroom ( bigger than the one I have at the moment) and I’m excited to get to use it in the future. Sorry for being absent on RUclips, but my photography has moved in a new direction. Maybe once I’m done with my darkroom setup I can start the videos again. Cheers and happy shooting! 📷
@@VintageOptiks Hi, no pressure.
I used to have a darkroom many years ago so I know what it's like to take a photo through from the camera to a print. It can be very rewarding.
Anyhow have fun with your new direction in if at some later stage you create some more videos that will be great.
Cheers, Howard 📷
@@howpow Thank you Howard. I appreciate it. All the best to you!
These images are truly awesome What an amazing lens. The Summicron 40mm is also a really good performer close up with a helicoid adapter.
Thank you! Great little lens indeed!
Thank you for your quick reply! My curiosity is always, is there any way to utilize old RF camera lens with DIY manipulation. Now you showed a good example. I will watch your Verdi and comment carefully, then will try it. I have more than 20 x RF cameras. Some of them, their lenses are big enough size and bright. The older ones have usually very small lenses so I don't think tear out is desirable, instead keep them as collection.
So I will choose any good one to break down. But I know its adapter ring must be easily acquired.
Thank you again! You gave me the right example to solve my long years or question! Good luck and Merry Christmas!!!
From Seoul Korea.
In my search to find a donor camera I came across the yashinon dx 45 1.7 already removed from an electro. I had to use a slim fuji x to m42 adapter, a 12-19mm m42 helicoid & m52 to m42 step up ring sanded down slightly for infinity focus.
Sounds awesome! Great work!! I haven’t tried this Yashinon yet. How do you like it?
@@VintageOptiks I like it so far, it would be nice if the sun would come out to see how it handles higher contrast. It definitely needs a hood. This is my second yashica dx lens, the 135 2.8 is a really nice lens.
👏you are the best!!!🤗👍
Thank you!
I miss your videos dude
That’s really nice of you to say. I’m planning on making new videos in the near future.
Awesome videos! Thank you for such a good videos that make us try something new. Do you think you could find a way to adapt Yashica 45mm f1.8 from Yashica 1C Lynx 5000E 35mm Film Camera as well as UVTOPCOR 53mm f2.0 from TOPCON UNI 35mm SLR?
i have used old broken helios 44 or 44-2 as a helicoid, free tip:)
Yeah that’s a great idea! Thank you for letting me know.
@@VintageOptiks. Here in Serbia you can easily find old lenses for few bucks... So i can i find for under. 1,2 dollars broken one and use it as a base for a different lens
@@kainbre Sounds great!
Really enjoyed this video. I now have an "inoperable" (or something like that) S2 on order from keh. Holding off on ordering the tool/adapters until I see the lens. Question... how tight is your 13-18 helicoid setup to reaching infinity? The best I can find so far for my fx connection is either an m52-m42 or m42-m42 10-15.5mm helicoid plus 5mm m42-fx adapter. I figured if I glued the helicoid directly to the lens, I would have a 15-20.5mm focus range.
Andrew Hendrick Thank you! Glad to hear that you liked the video. I hope the lens is in good condition. The set up with the 13-18mm helicoid is pretty tight. I had to sand down the step-up ring a little so I can reach infinity. I’ll advise to tape the ring to the lens and test it before you actually super glue it to the lens. That way you’ll know if you need to sand it a bit or not. Good luck. I hope you’ll get to enjoy this lens.
@@VintageOptiks these vintage lenses are new to me. I just found a flange distance guide that shows your e mount full frame at 18mm and my fx mount aps-c at 17.7mm. I think that means I can add 0.3mm to match up with yours. If I omit the step-up ring, I might be ok. Do you know how much the ring adds to the mounting thickness?
@@andrewhendrick3347 I just measured it and if my digital caliper is correct, the step-up ring adds 3.8mm thickness. I hope this helps and good luck.
This lins is kick ass! Do you know the Konica Hexanon AR 57mm f/1.4 its super.
I do own and love the Konica 57mm f1.4. Fantastic lens indeed!
Thank you for the demonstration. I've got a KONICA S1.6, Is it the same process with KONICA S2?
You are welcome. I am actually thinking of making a video on the f1.6 lens. I've been shooting with it for awhile. Yeah, the process is basically the same. Once you remove the lens, put it on bulb mode, then cock the shutter cocking lever, then push the shutter release lever, put a piece of crumpled paper in the gap and the shutter stays open. Then sand a bit a 42-52mm step up ring
( about 1mm for Sony). Check to see if you can reach infinity focus and when that is done you can glue the step up ring on the back of the lens and you are ready to shoot.
Here is another Konica lens I adapted with some detailed instructions in the later section of the video. The process is very similar with just a few differences: ruclips.net/video/gGaGTlKvxJE/видео.htmlsi=05px_kc9mRrbDnOX
I hope this helps. Cheers!
I totally enjoy your youtube channel, how do you keep the shutter open?
Thank you! Glad you like the content. Opening the shutter is very easy. Check out this other video I made about adapting another Konica rangefinder lens: ruclips.net/video/gGaGTlKvxJE/видео.html
In the last chapter of the video I show the entire process. The 2 lenses are pretty similar.
I'd like to go a slightly different direction and wonder if you could help? I have a few old Konica SLR cameras and would love to use some cheap lenses with therm. My TC-X has a flange-film distance of 40.5 mm. Do you think this could be adapted for it? Would be lovely to use it on film cameras and then adapt it later for digital when I invest in a DSLR for Medium to Large format copying. That would allow me a nice setup (when I have more money to finance it) with my existing Konica lenses :). Keep up your good work. Ps you might like the lubitel 2 lens for bokeh. If you go that route make a post here :-)
Unfortunately that is not going to work because the flange focal distance of your TC-X is too long. Also I don’t know where are you going to find the helicoid you’ll need with a Konica AR mount.
I have this lens attached to its original body and I want to adapt it to my Canon DSLR if possible. The flickr link is dead, unfortunately though. Is there anywhere I could find info on doing this?
Interesting - thanks for the video! Looks like the flikr link is broken...
Yeah unfortunately the flikr link no longer works. But I have a video about the Konishiroku 47mm f1.9 where I show the whole process. The 2 lenses have a very similar method of adapting.
How well do the glue joints on these rangefinder project lenses hold up? I'm waiting for my adapter ring to come in for my Mamiya 40mm 2.8, off of a Honeywell rangefinder, to come in to complete my lens based on another of your project videos. Just curious if they hold up well over time assuming they are treated well.
The glue holds up really well. I haven’t had any issues with it. I can’t say how glues from other brands will do, but the one I use is great. I hope you’ll enjoy the rangefinder lens that you are planning to adapt. Cheers!
Great video thank you. I am guessing based on your comment on the Canon camera the safe applies to a Nikon full-frame digital SLR and you can't adapt it for them? That link to the group doesn't work anymore. Thanks in advance.
Yeah, the same does apply for Nikon DSLRs. You won't be able to reach infinity. You can use it just for close ups but not much more. Cheers.
Thank you... Very kind 🙏🏻
Great rainy day project. Or something to keep busy with till the high crime wave passes by...literally.
However, the Flicker page no longer exists. Only a request link to where did it go.....
@Vintage Optiks Quick question: I'm interested in trying a Konica Hexanon 45mm f1.8 lens on my Sony A7R II. Since I already have an M42 to Sony E helicoid adapter (per your excellent recommendation) that I use to adapt an Auto Sears 55mm f1.4 lens to my A7R II. Would I be able to use it instead of purchasing an M42 to NEX 13-18mm helicoid adapter? P.S. I am REALLY enjoying your awesome channel! Thanks for all you do!
Hello! The answer to your question is yes and no. Yes, because you can techincally screw the lens onto a regular M42 helicoid adapter once you have outfitted it with the M42 step-up ring on the back, but you will only be able to use it for close-up shots. And no, because you won't able to reach infinity if you just use a regular M42 to NEX helicoid adapter. The 13-18mm helicoid adapter is much shorter and allows you to reach infinity (but you will need to sand down the step-up ring a bit in order to reach infinity even with the 13-18mm helicoid). These rangefinder lenses had much shorter flange focal distance which is why you need a shorter helicoid.
I show the whole process from beginning till end when I adapted the Konica Hexanon 47mm f1.9. I hope this helps and if you have any other questions let me know. Cheers!
@@VintageOptiks Thanks VO! I will check out the 49mm f1.9 video. Thanks again and most definitely keep doing what you’re doing!
💪💪💪
🙏🙏🙏
I have a 12-19mm helicoid. That would seem to overlap the 13-18mm range recommended for the conversion, so it should work right?
Yeah that should work.
Hi, would I be able to do this with my Canon 90D? I have 3 konica s2 two work perfectly and take amazing pictures. Couldn't find info on parts or if even possible thanks
Hi, unfortunately the flange focal distance of Canon EF-S mount is quite long (44mm) and won’t work with these rangefinder lenses. In order for the rangefinder lenses to be able to achieve infinity focus they need to be close to the sensor. Also I don’t know of any focusing helicoids that will work this mount either. The reason I like Sony mirrorless, especially for adapting rangefinder lenses, is because their cameras have a very useful Flange Focal Distance of 18mm and also there are plenty of parts out there for Sony E mount, which makes it easy to adapt almost any lens ever made. Take care.
@@VintageOptiks ah oh okay, thanks for the reply:)
@@kavoovak6646 you are welcome :)
Hi! Will this lens only work with a 13-18 mm focusing helicoid? Will a 17-31mm focusing helicoid work? That's the only one available online in Europe. Closed, the 17-31mm helicoid takes up just 2 cm, which looks like yours in the video. Thanks!
Hello! If you want to reach infinity you will need the 13-18mm focusing helicoid. If you use the 17-31mm helicoid you can still use this lens for close up shots, but you won’t be able to reach infinity. I hope this helps. Cheers!
Great idea. I have a doubt: since the lens now focuses much closer than it's original minium focus distance, does it reach infinity focus?
Thank you. With this set up you can definitely reach infinity focus! But that's strictly for Sony sensors. Not sure about other camera brands since they have different flange focal distances.
@@VintageOptiks I use a mirrorless Fuji.
@@feliperibeiro2440 It shouldn't be a problem with Fuji since the FFD is very close to that of Sony. You might have to sand down the step-up ring a few millimeters, but it will definitely work. It's always good practice to check if you can reach infinity by taping the step-up ring first to the lens with some electrical tape. If you can reach infinity then you can go ahead and glue the ring, and if not sand down the step-up ring a bit until you get there. It's a trial and error type of work, but it's totally worth it! Have fun!
Great video and great lens!! Is it easy to remove the lens from the body?
Thank you! Yes it’s super easy!
@@VintageOptiks thank you brother!
Konica Hexanon 57mm f/1.4 is cheap and a lens I think you'll love, if you've not come across it already.
Yes, the Konica 57mm f1.4 is an excellent lens! I have a copy and I love it!! Konica produced some amazing optics back in the day. Hopefully one day I'll have all of their lenses reviewed here on the channel.
have you tried it on a apsc sensor like fuji xpro series?
So far I’ve only tried it on my trusty Sony a7III.
The Flickr group's link with the explananing the lens modification doesn't seem to work, can you please add the instructions to your video.
Many thanks.
Just found this site, I always wondered if Rangefinder lens could be used on Digital, I have a Yashica Electro 35 GSN, before I take a screwdriver to it my question is, Can I do the same as your Konica lens for my Olympus Pen Ep5?
Hi, adapting rangefinder lenses to digital is a lot of fun, but different rangefinders have different levels of difficulties in adapting them. Some, as this Konica lens, are super easy and others, such as the Yashica Lynx 14, are quite difficult. I would say that each camera has its quirks and each lens needs a certain approach and parts to have it adapted successfully. I haven't adapted the Electro 35 GSN or the Olympus Pen Ep5 yet and I can't say how easy or difficult they might be to adapt. But for the most part Yashica lenses are not the easy ones. My next video will be on adapting an Olympus rangefinder lens so stay tuned. Take care!
@@VintageOptiks Thank you, will look for your next video.
Does this configuration have manual focus control? Since the lens itself has no focus ring..
Yes it does. I attach the lens to a helicoid and that gives me focusing capabilities. I made another video on a different Konica rangefinder lens and I explain in detail the whole process. Here is a link for that video:
ruclips.net/video/gGaGTlKvxJE/видео.html
just I'm looking for this camera with lens,
Cool! It’s a great lens! I hope you’ll enjoy it!
This project is similar to RF Yashica lenses re-adapted - these old lenses perform very well in the digital era
Yeah I have a couple Yashica rangefinders that I’m excited to adapt to digital. There were so many great lenses from the film era!
@@VintageOptiks Will be selling some ? I may use one on my Sony A7II
@@josephlow1102 First I want to adapt them and see how they perform. Will let you know.
@@VintageOptiks Thanks..I am interested in the 45/1.7 if successful
@@josephlow1102 Unfortunately the 45mm f1.7 and the 45mm f1.4 are a nightmare to adapt to digital and I don't think I'll be working on them anytime soon. I wish Yashica had a more simple approach to building their rangefinders but sadly they went with a very complicated design.
I have a Fujifilm XT3 and a Nikon D850 and I was thinking of buying 2 Konica cameras one lens for each camera mentioned above. What do you suggest in getting both lenses to work well with each of my cameras?? I would really appreciate your help on this pet project.
Hi, unfortunately I've never tried adapting these DIY lenses to Fuji or Nikon. Your main challenge will be the focusing helicoid and reaching infinity. What you can do for Nikon is get an M42 to M42 12-17mm focusing helicoid and then attach that to an M42 to Nikon F adapter ring. It will work great for close ups, but as I said I am not sure about infinity since different cameras have different flange distances. As for Fuji you can also get an M42 to M42 12-17mm focusing helicoid and then attach that to M42 to FX ultra slim adapter, but you most likely won't be able reach infinity. You can do close-up shots with both setups, but infinity will be your challenge. Hope this helps and good luck.
@@VintageOptiks Thank you so much!! What kind of glue you used for this??
@@ol2rap You are welcome! Here is a link for my favorite super glue: amzn.to/3glCV7E
Can i use the adapter m52 to m42 adapter for konica auto S version 1?
Yes definitely. That's for the 47mm f1.9 lens right?
Yes you right. I have 2 camera
This looks like a fascinating project. I've had a quick look and I think I can get all the parts, including the Konica for about £50. But the Flickr link no longer works! Is there anywhere else to get the step by step on how to do this?
Thanks
It's a fun project indeed, and quite easy as well. Unfortunately the Flickr link is gone, but I did make another video on adapting another very similar Konica rangefinder lens and you can see the whole process in Chapter 3. The steps are very similar with just a few small differences, but it should help you a lot. ruclips.net/video/gGaGTlKvxJE/видео.html
@@VintageOptiks that's great! Thanks for the help
@@VintageOptiks I've purchased a non working one of these from eBay to give this little project a go. Sorry to bombard you with questions, but I'm not sure where else to go!
The wind on crank on mine is broken so I can't charge the shutter to take a photo, however I'm not sure whether the aperture should only open when I got the shutter, or whether I should be able to see it open/close as I twist the aperture ring on the lens. Do you know if there's an easy way to tell whether my aperture blades are also stuck?
It all seems very manual and mechanic, so I don't understand how when mounting this on a digital camera you're able you take pictures? If the aperture only opens with the shutter is pressed as part of a mechanical procees, how does a digital camera then tell the aperture blades to open?
I'm sorry if they seem like very silly questions! Just trying to make sure I understand the basics before I dissemble my S2
Thanks!
@@northernfocusmcr I wouldn't worry about it if the camera is not working. All the cameras I used for these DIY projects didn't work. Once you take the lens from the camera and you cock the shutter, you'll be able to get it to stay open by inserting a small piece of paper in the cocking shutter spindle. Once the leaf shutter is fully open and stays open you can rotate the aperture and see if your aperture blades are working normally. Sometimes the aperture blades might seem stuck when the camera is still with the lens, but once you dismantle it, the lens starts to function normally again.
Once you attach the necessary step up ring and the focusing helicoid to the lens, you'll be able to use the lens just like any other fully mechanical vintage lens. And that is possible because you'll leave the leaf shutter open, and only the aperture will be used. I hope this makes sense. If you have any doubts about the process, check out my other video I made on the Konishiroku Hexanon 47mm f1.9. The steps are very similar. ruclips.net/video/gGaGTlKvxJE/видео.html
@@VintageOptiks thanks. I watched that link again as soon as I posted my question and realised it should be ok. Just waiting for the spanner, adapter, and helicoid to arrive now and finally give this a go.
I see you're using a FF Sony, so interested to see what it'll produce on my A6400 cropped sensor
I would love to do a similar conversion with the lens of a Sony DSC-F828, my very first camera with a Zeiss lens that offered lovely colors. Would you think this is possible?
I’m not sure I understand what you have in mind. The Sony DSC F828 has a fixed lens. Do you want to take out the fixed lens from the Sony and switch it with another lens?
@@VintageOptiks thanks for your swift reply. No, I would like to remove the lens from the DSC-F828 and convert it to NEX for use with my Sony A7R III. I do realize the zoom lens will be fully manual, but I’m nostalgic for the colors of my very first camera (and the F828 is broken anyway).
@@GlitteratiLive Oh I see. Well that will be an interesting project. I personally never dismantled modern autofocus cameras, so I can’t really say how to go about it. They have a lot of electronics and I would imagine it will be more complicated to take them apart. But if you end up doing it I would love to hear how it went. Good luck and take care!
@@VintageOptiks it is definitely complicated, but not impassible (I have the service manual). Will let you know what happens, once I start.
@@GlitteratiLive Sounds good!
Hi there - great video - watched it a number of times and went out and got a broken S2 just like it. I am in the middle of dismantling the lens and kind of got stuck...so we just basically cut the wires and ignore the wires all together, and also, the copal shutter is now closed up, and the aperture ring is moving the diaphram either...how do we bypass the shutter and restore the aperture ring so it actually can close the iris...? Thank you in advance for more tips on how to continue taking apart the lens from the camera....
Hello! Not to worry, I'll try to help out. Yes, you cut the wires and you ignore them after that. When you pull the lens out, the copal shutter will be closed.
I made another video on the Konica 47mm f1.9, where I show the whole process of how you open up the shutter. The process is very similar. Check it out: ruclips.net/video/gGaGTlKvxJE/видео.html
The aperture on the other hand should work. I never had to mess around with it. If the iris doesn't open or close when you move the aperture ring it means that your aperture doesn't work properly. There might be oil on the blades.
I hope this helps. Take care.
@@VintageOptiks thanks for this! I didn’t know that other video existed. Now I am understand how to keep the shutter open forever ..but my aperture is acting weird ...it opens and closes if you use the finger to adjust the black knob in the back...however the aperture ring itself seems to have lost control of the iris...so turning the Aperture ring doesn’t control the iris only fingering the back knob does...the blades seem good and oil free when I see it ...any ideas? It seem I am very close to finishing this :)
@@elliottong2949 You are welcome. Glad you were able to figure out how to open the leaf shutter. Regarding the aperture though - it sounds like there is some problem. If the lens works correctly you should be able to open and close the iris when you rotate the aperture ring. Otherwise your aperture has an issue and needs to be repaired.
@@VintageOptiks thanks for your reply! Yes I believe so. I am sure the aperture control is broken seems like a super thin black string is not doing it’s job of pulling the know to close the down the iris. Anyway that’s ok. On a separate note, does this lens only work with mirrorless cameras? I try to put it up again a 35’m Film SLR, and it seems the back element need to go in further for it to attain focus...adding a focusing ring would make it go the other way which makes the focus even more off. Any tips on making this lens to adapt to Film SLRs?
@@elliottong2949 You are welcome! Yeah, it sounds like your aperture is not working. Sorry to hear that. I've only used this lens on Sony a7III mirrorless camera and I haven't tried adapting it to any other camera system. You can probably figure out how to mount it on a film SLR, but you won't be able to reach infinity. This is a rangefinder lens and it was designed to sit much closer to the film plane compared to an SLR. And as you noted, it needs to get closer to the film body in order to obtain focus. Since you also need to add a focusing helicoid to it, things get even more problematic. You can still use it for macro work but that's about it.
IS this lens adaptable to say a Minolta XE-7?
Adapting this lens to a vintage SLR camera will be quite a challenge, because of the flange focal distance and also the lack of a helicoid with that mount. I know that some people take the helicoids from vintage lenses but that is a much more complicated process. So it might be possible but I personally have no experience with it.
Is adaptation to Leca L MOUNT possible?
What do I need for adaptation?
Adapting to Leica L39 is possible. The only thing that you’ll need to change is get an M42 to L39 helicoid adapter. I saw that there is a 12-17mm M42 to L39 helicoid adapter on EBay. That would definitely work. The only thing I can’t guarantee is if you’ll be able to reach infinity. I don’t know what is the flange focal distance of your camera compared to Sony. But you can definitely use the lens for close ups and medium shots. And if you can’t reach infinity you might have to sand down the step up ring or add an M42 tube depending on the flange focal distance. You just have to play with it and see what works. Good luck!
@@VintageOptiks Thank you very, very much !
@@VintageOptiks Sony E-mount 18.00 mm ---Leica L -mount 20mm
How did the super glue hold up?
It holds up great!
How did you get the leaf shutter to stay retracted?
Check out this other video I made of another Konica rangefinder that I adapted. I have step-by-step instructions in Chapter 3 on how to open the shutter.
ruclips.net/video/gGaGTlKvxJE/видео.html
@@VintageOptiks Appreciate the info, seems like my copy was in worse shape. Did manage to get it to work though with some finesse.
Glad you managed to get it to work! I hope you’ll enjoy the lens!
Hi! In another video, you suggested a general M42 to Nex helicoid adapter: ebay.us/N0NPc1. Will this one work well with this lens? Thanks!
Hi! For this lens you'll need 13-18mm M42 to NEX helicoid adapter. The M42 to NEX 13-18mm focusing helicoid is currently sold-out everywhere, but you can use these two parts which make up the same helicoid:
M42 to M42, 12-17mm focusing helicoid and M42 to NEX slim 1mm adapter.
Attach the slim adapter to the helicoid and you have a 13-18mm M42 to NEX helicoid!
You'll need to check if you can reach infinity before gluing the step up ring. I usually use some electrical tape to attach the step up ring to the lens. If I can't reach infinity I sand it down a bit. I explain the whole process in-depth in this video in chapter 3: ruclips.net/video/aURKpaeWuzQ/видео.html
Good luck!
So enjoying your videos. Thankyou. Love all the images.
I hate the videos that just go on & on showing you the lens and not how it performs or the ones that don't even speak....why do they bother?
Agree 100%
Diane Cotton Thank you so much for your kind comment. I really appreciate it. I’m glad that you’re enjoying the videos. Yeah I’ve definitely clicked on those videos that you are describing - someone twirling a lens in their hands without saying a word. Not sure what that’s all about. 😁
Too bad my S2 is in such good condition, I may have to find another
You can find them for repair or sold for parts quite cheaply. As long as the lens is in good condition you don't need to worry about the functionality of the camera.
Hey, what would you recommend for adapting it to a Panasonic S5?
Hi, unfortunately there are no parts that I am aware of that will allow you to adapt this lens to Panasonic L mount. One of the reasons why I use Sony cameras is because there are a ton of third party adapters and parts for Sony E mount that allow me to adapt even fixed rangefinder lenses.
@@VintageOptiks it’s ok I figured it out :) I found a slim adapter and then followed the remainder of your instructions. I think there is 1-2mm difference in the flange or both cameras so hopefully it will work the same
That’s great!!! I hope the slim adapter will work out! Good luck!
@@VintageOptiks thank you. Will drop a link here in case anyone else needs it in future
That will be wonderful!! Thank you!!
I tried to follow your video and failed. I could not separate the aluminum board form the helicoid. It looks it was glued together. I totally destroyed the copper screw without separating them. What a pity.😃
It’s just a fancy magnifying glass.
There is nothing fancy about it. You can get this lens for very cheap. It’s simply a fun way to get some macro shots and get very sharp results.
Hi there. lovely video, we are currently making a vintage lens film, would you be happy for us to use a few of these shots? We add the owners RUclips channel in the frame, thanks! :)
Hello and thank you for reaching out. Yeah, I would be happy to participate in your vintage lens film.
@@VintageOptiks Amazing, thank you! Vintage Optics for the handle?
@@BenandJackStudio Vintage Optiks for the handle. (optics should be spelled with a K) Thank you.
Beautiful channel! But I think you downplay the prices a bit. I've found $300 Hexanon lenses for $20 in small vintage stores, but on eBay, everything is priced expensively. The cheapest lenses are the Helios 44M-series and the small aperture Industars, and they go for $30-40 minimum (usually a bit scratched).
Astral'o Pithecus Thank you! Glad to hear that you enjoy the channel. Regarding prices on eBay I have no reason to downplay them and I have no control over their fluctuations. Maybe I got lucky because I’m always on eBay (lol) but $20 is what I payed for this camera and lens combo. As I mentioned the camera wasn’t working so maybe that’s why it was so cheap. You can still pick one up for $30 to $40 on eBay as I write this. Of course famous Konica prime lenses with fast apertures are another story. They are becoming more and more expensive every day. That is why I wanted to tell people about this little gem that can be found for pretty cheap.
@@VintageOptiks I didn't mean that you're deceiving us or something. Problem is, I've seen too many people claim vintage lenses are cheap, and they're cheaper than modern electronic lenses...but not as cheap as people make them to be. I live in a small, corrupt, developing country where the average monthly wage is $250-300...perhaps that's why paying a hundred or so dollars for a lens is not cheap from my perspective.
As for eBay, there might be variations there. Since I live in this small European country, most US sellers don't even show up on my searches. Most of them don't offer shipping for Albania, but even when they do, it's over $50-100 for something that costs $20-30...no, I'm not kidding. That's also the reason why we can't buy on Amazon; their shipping costs are atrocious and Amazon will actually advertise free shipping on EVERY page until you reach the checkout. There you'll find a small box where the "free" shipping costs are shown.
Anyway, that might be the reason why I can't find lenses this cheap.Wish you the best and I'm hoping to see a lot more videos from you. Keep up the great work! :)
@@Albanez39 I completely understand your point of view. I was also born in a small corrupt European country (Bulgaria) where the only cheap lenses to be found are Russian lenses from the good old days. Now I live in the US and things are definitely different. I can imagine how frustrating it may be to deal with Amazon's non-existent "free" shipping. Sorry to hear that. And the fact that US sellers on eBay don't show up on your searches must make things very difficult to find some kind of a deal. It's really unfortunate and I hope that things change for the better in the future. Wish you the best as well. Take care.
@@Albanez39 I used to live in a large corrupt North American country, the US, and now live in a small corrupt South American one. I just bought this camera on auction on eBay for $51.50 which includes postage in the US. We have the same problem with Amazon's shipping costs here and a further problem that the postal service here is, for all intents and purposes, nonexistent. I use the services of a person in Florida who trans-ships items delivered to his address to mine at a reasonable cost and which is certainly much safer and less expensive than otherwise.
@@williambolton5679 Hi William, I am glad you wrote this, because I got a notification about your previous comment, but for some reason RUclips has hidden it and I could not reply to you. I can see your comment in my email, but it is nowhere to be found on RUclips. Really frustrating how some comments just vanish and I feel really bad that I can't reply to them. Anyway, glad you were able to find the Konica Auto S2 for a decent price and I am excited for you to try this wonderful lens! Adapting it to Sony E-mount is a breeze! Adapting fixed lenses is a lot of fun!! They render images in a very unique way!! I hope my videos will help others who are not afraid to venture in the D.I.Y world of vintage lenses. Thank you for subscribing! Sending my best.
Hey, I finally got my Konica auto S with the beautiful lens but how do I remove it from the body??
Hey, that's awesome! Removing the lens is easy. All you need to do is open the film door and you'll see the retaining ring that holds the lens attached to the camera body. Now you have to unscrew the retaining ring in order to free the lens. You can do that by using a lens spanner wrench, because you need a tool with 2 points that you can insert in the 2 notches of the retaining ring. If you don't have a lens spanner, you could use the 2 points of woodworking compass tool, which is very similar. Once you have the necessary tool, simply unscrew the retaining ring and the lens comes off. Good luck and take care.
So Do you still believe this is the Best of Best in the class? If not which one is take that #1 place?
Oh it's hard to tell which one is the best of the best. They are all different and fun. I only review lenses that I really like, so it's hard to pick "the best". Also they have different focal lengths and some are faster than others. But they are all great! At least in my humble opinion.
Super glue huh?
Yeah. It holds up well, it’s easy to find and simple to use.
I don't mean to be grumpy but... Is there a lens this guy doesn't like? Every video he just praises the lenses endlessly. You can imagine what impression that makes when I watch 10 videos in a row. Not to offend - I like the videos and I think the production value is very high, but this question is something I have.
Well, the answer is very simple - I only review lenses that excite me and inspire me. I don't see the point of spending all this time in making a video about a lens that I don't enjoy. I'm constantly acquiring and testing different lenses, and only the ones that I find interesting and special make it on my channel. I'm simply sharing my experience with the lenses I enjoy and hope that others will enjoy them as well.
@@VintageOptiks I figured that would probably be it, hope I didn't sound rude. Have a nice day and thanks for replying.
Thank you. Have a nice day as well and happy shooting!
@@VintageOptiks Thanks!