Then, after 2005 I started to test and use them with digital cameras of different sensor sizes (Micro Four Thirds, APS-C and 24x36mm "Full Frame")
In my case, the cameras I want to use with manual lenses are the Sony A7 (A-Mount), Panasonic GX85 (Micro-Four-Thirds), Pentax K3-II, Fuji X-T1 (Fuji-X), Sigma SD15, SD1, and Canon EOS 5D.
There are several lens mount types, from very obscure and rare to extremely popular. The first thing you have to do is to check if there is a lens adapter to fit the chosen lens to your camera. This has to do mainly with three things:
- The lens to sensor (or film) distance, aka registration distance
- The camera mount size
- The camera and lens mount types.
But compared to the digital camera bodies mounts, the manual lens mounts universe is many times bigger. There are so many lens mount types that it's difficult to name all here.
I'll comment just the ones I use or used. The numbers inside brackets are the flange to sensor distance.
Pentax K [45.46 mm]
M42 "Screw Mount" [45.46 mm]
Nikon F [46.5 mm]
Olympus OM [46 mm]
M39 "L39 Leica Screw Mount" [45.2 mm]
Minolta MD [43.5 mm]
Leica R [47 mm]
Rollei QBM [44.5 mm]
Canon FD [42 mm]
Canon EF [44 mm]
To mount a lens and keep the ability to focus at the infinity, the adapted lens must have a longer flange to sensor (film) distance than the camera's mount.
For example, a Minolta MD lens will not focus at the infinity if mounted on a Canon EOS camera (EF mount), unless the adapter has a focal extender optical group, but such adapters will ruin the image quality.
The cameras will work just in Manual and Aperture Priority modes unless specifically said.
Case 1 - Canon EOS 5D (44mm LTS distance)
I would go for Leica-R, Pentax-K, M42, Olympus OM, and Nikon F. It's up to you.
The Canon EF mount has a subtype, the EF-S. They share the same mount but the EF refers to a full-frame sensor and the EF-S to an APS-C sized one.
Case 2 - Pentax K3-II (45.46 LTS distance)
This is a no-brain choice. Stick with Pentax K (manual or automatic diaphragm) or M42.
KA lenses will work in all modes.
KM lenses will work in Aperture Priority and Manual.
Leica-R lenses can be mounted if you use a Leitax custom lens mount. It makes a phenomenal combination.
Case 3 - Micro Four Thirds bodies (Panasonic and Olympus)
Almost everything will work, due to the very short LTS distance of the native mount of 19.25 mm
Be advised of the 2x crop factor.
The sensor is about the same size as a 16mm film photographic frame. This opens the possibility to use some very interesting C-Mount (17.52 mm LTS) high-quality movie lenses. The C-Mount to M4/3 adapter is a special case because it allows the lens to be mounted below the camera mount distance.
Case 4 - Fuji X
The Fuji X LTS distance is even shorter than the Micro 4/3, with 17.7 mm, but the crop factor is more generous, about 1.5x.
Case 5 - Sony E mount (Alpha 7, Alpha 9, Nex)
The LTS distance is also very short, 18 mm. The short distance and a reasonably large mount diameter allow the use of practically all mounts.
Like the Canon EF mount, the E mount has two possible sensor sizes, APS-C and full-frame.
Case 6 - The Nikon Nightmare
Nikon has a very long LTS distance and a not very generous mount size. This makes the use of manual lenses from other mounts almost impossible.
To complicate things even more, the Nikon system has severe limitations depending on the camera and lens model, even the lenses being of the same Nikon F mount. More about this in this post.
It's possible to use Leica-R lenses on a Nikon body using a Leitax custom lens mount, but I would not recommend it. The light metering will not work.
I'll comment just the ones I use or used. The numbers inside brackets are the flange to sensor distance.
Pentax K [45.46 mm]
M42 "Screw Mount" [45.46 mm]
Nikon F [46.5 mm]
Olympus OM [46 mm]
M39 "L39 Leica Screw Mount" [45.2 mm]
Minolta MD [43.5 mm]
Leica R [47 mm]
Rollei QBM [44.5 mm]
Canon FD [42 mm]
Canon EF [44 mm]
To mount a lens and keep the ability to focus at the infinity, the adapted lens must have a longer flange to sensor (film) distance than the camera's mount.
For example, a Minolta MD lens will not focus at the infinity if mounted on a Canon EOS camera (EF mount), unless the adapter has a focal extender optical group, but such adapters will ruin the image quality.
The cameras will work just in Manual and Aperture Priority modes unless specifically said.
Case 1 - Canon EOS 5D (44mm LTS distance)
I would go for Leica-R, Pentax-K, M42, Olympus OM, and Nikon F. It's up to you.
The Canon EF mount has a subtype, the EF-S. They share the same mount but the EF refers to a full-frame sensor and the EF-S to an APS-C sized one.
Case 2 - Pentax K3-II (45.46 LTS distance)
This is a no-brain choice. Stick with Pentax K (manual or automatic diaphragm) or M42.
KA lenses will work in all modes.
KM lenses will work in Aperture Priority and Manual.
Leica-R lenses can be mounted if you use a Leitax custom lens mount. It makes a phenomenal combination.
 |
| My Pentax K3-II with the superb Leica Vario-Elmar 35-70 F4 Macro The lens has a custom Leitax mount |
Case 3 - Micro Four Thirds bodies (Panasonic and Olympus)
Almost everything will work, due to the very short LTS distance of the native mount of 19.25 mm
Be advised of the 2x crop factor.
The sensor is about the same size as a 16mm film photographic frame. This opens the possibility to use some very interesting C-Mount (17.52 mm LTS) high-quality movie lenses. The C-Mount to M4/3 adapter is a special case because it allows the lens to be mounted below the camera mount distance.
 |
| Angenieux 75mm F2.5 in C-Mount (I'm not 100% sure if this image was from my cousin's lens, if you disagree please let me know) |
Case 4 - Fuji X
The Fuji X LTS distance is even shorter than the Micro 4/3, with 17.7 mm, but the crop factor is more generous, about 1.5x.
Case 5 - Sony E mount (Alpha 7, Alpha 9, Nex)
The LTS distance is also very short, 18 mm. The short distance and a reasonably large mount diameter allow the use of practically all mounts.
Like the Canon EF mount, the E mount has two possible sensor sizes, APS-C and full-frame.
Case 6 - The Nikon Nightmare
Nikon has a very long LTS distance and a not very generous mount size. This makes the use of manual lenses from other mounts almost impossible.
To complicate things even more, the Nikon system has severe limitations depending on the camera and lens model, even the lenses being of the same Nikon F mount. More about this in this post.
It's possible to use Leica-R lenses on a Nikon body using a Leitax custom lens mount, but I would not recommend it. The light metering will not work.
Now some thoughts...
1) Not always a lens that works perfectly with a 35mm film will perform equally well in digital, especially with high-density sensors.
2) Experimentation is the key.
3) Some "mystical" legacy lenses aren't even close to their fame when used in digital. This is even more evident with ultra-clear lenses. I found the much desired Nikkor 55mm F1.2 really bad wide-open, and the same observation is valid to the Olympus, Canon and Minolta counterparts.
4) Some very neglected "underdogs" proved to be optically much better than their modern "kit" equivalents. An unexpected example was the horrible Sony E-mount FE 28-70mm OSS that is part of the Sony A7-II kit, compared to a $25 old Minolta MD Rokkor 28-70mm F3.5-5.6 Macro. This cheap lens gives a run on the $400 Sony in all apertures and focal lengths. The Canon FD 50mm F1.4 SSC is another choking example.
5) Things don't need to be expensive to be good.
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