Contact RF mount lenses on Q

gilwu · 02-29-2016, 09:20 AM

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Hi All,

I am a newbie to the Pentax Q World and this forum. I have been using micro 4/3 cameras (Panasonic GM1 and Olympus OMD-EM1) with modern m4/3 lenses and legacy lenses like Nikkor and Voigtlander lenses with Contax RF mount, some great lenses in Old 4/3 mount, Exakta mount, C mount, and D mount. All the legacy lenses work fine with m4/3 bodies with the exception of those D mount lenses which I just cannot focus to infinity.

Having learnt about Pentax Q's ability to work with D mount lenses and the 5 times crop factor Q could offer, I just bought myself a Pentax Q with a number 1 standard prime. The Q body is very much the same size as my Panasonic GM1 but the lens is smaller than all the micro 4/3 lenses I have. I can see why Pentax named this model "Q" with its small lenses very much proportional to the Q body; very cute indeed.

My apologies if what I am looking for has been asked many times in this forum before. My question is how to setup the Q properly to work with Contax RF mount lenses (Nikkor-Q.C 135mm f3.5 and Voigtlander S Skopar 50mm f2.5) and perhaps any other legacy lenses? I set the aperture and shutter mode to M with ISO set to 400, using manual focusing with peaking (I've upgraded the firmware to the latest 1.14 for Q). So far I could only take pictures of objects around 2 to 3 meters away with stop down to f22. I just cannot focus distanced objects with infinity. Is this all Pentax Q can do with Contax mount lenses or is there something else I can set?

Many Thanks.

Kind Regards,

Gilbert

**crewl1** · 02-29-2016, 09:30 AM

Look for similar lenses in the adapted index https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/136-pentax-q/209474-adapted-lenses-tested...ce-thread.html

Then PM the post author if there is not enough info about how they adapted.

**pacerr** · 02-29-2016, 10:31 AM

Welcome to the PF world.

I seems as though your lens adapter is acting like an extension tube.

The Q has a focal distance (FFD) of 9.2mm. Your adapter should add the FFD of the specific lens less 9.2mm to properly position the lens for infinity focus. I.e., the adapter should fill the distance from the camera mount to the base of the lens less the 9.2mm from the Q body mount to the sensor.

It's interesting to note that the Q has one of the shortest FFDs of any popular camera allowing for adapters that accommodate almost ANY lens with all due consideration for the crop factor involved (~4.5x or 5.5x) as the sensor 'crops' the normal image projected by the lens (as designed) on the sensor plane. Yes, that makes it hard to find wide angle lenses!

Attached is an FFD chart for most popular bodies/lenses.

stevebrot · 02-29-2016, 12:50 PM

Originally posted by dcshooter

It sounds like your adapter is too wide to allow infinity focus. If it is a very cheap one, that might be the cause. A decently-built one should allow you to focus to infinity.

The model by Fotodiox is $25 on Amazon and claims to allow infinity focusing:
https://www.fotodioxpro.com/lens-mount-adapters/lens-adapter-nikon-rf-lens-t...es-camera.html

Even that adapter may not work with all lenses. The Contax/Nikon S/Kiev mount has two bayonets. The outer bayonet (visible in the product shot) is used for lenses having their own focus helicoid. Those include all but the normal lenses (50mm) for those cameras. The normal lens uses an internal bayonet with focus being provided by the mount itself. If one wants to use any of the classic Sonnar, Nikkor, Jupiter-9, or Helios 103 normal lenses (50mm or 53mm), they will require an adapter with inner bayonet support. The same is true of the more recent Voigtlander Heliar S 50/3.5, S Scopar 50/2.5, and S Nokton 50/1.5

Aperture is fully manual as is the norm for all rangefinder lenses.

Steve

Last edited by stevebrot; 02-29-2016 at 01:00 PM.

stevebrot · 02-29-2016, 01:12 PM

Originally posted by gilwu

Voigtlander S Skopar 50mm f2.5

Requires adapter with inner bayonet support. You may be able to use something like the Kipon Contax-L39 adapter in combination with a L39-Q adapter.

Contax RF Lens to Leica L39 Body Mount Adapter

Or one of the very nice ($$$) Amadeo adapters to L39 or M mount:

http://www.amedeo.muscelli.net/
http://www.ebay.com/usr/amedeo.m

Steve

gilwu · 02-29-2016, 06:30 PM

Thank you All for the quick and informative responses. My adapter is a Fotodiox Contax RF (Nikon S) to Pentax Q adaptor; the only adaptor I could find on the market for Contax RF to Pentax Q. Both my Contax RF lenses use the outside bayonet. I use these lenses on my Micro 4/3 bodies with a Nikon S to M4/3 with good results including infinity focusing. Perhaps I should contact Fotodiox and hear what they say about their adapter. I still have a few other adapters (OM, C/Y, C and D) on order to try my old lenses with Pentax Q. Looking forward to that.

gilwu · 03-02-2016, 05:42 AM

I contacted Fotodiox. They are very helpful. They are going to send me another Contax RF to Pentax Q adaptor in case my adaptor is faulty. By the way, my Vivitar 80 to 200mm arrived today and used it with my Pentax Q through Fotodiox's adapter. It just works fine albeit with the help of a solid tripod. I input 80mm into the manual lens dialog on the camera and it seemed to work fine. I wonder what the proper figure we should put in for zoom lenses like the one I have? Or does it matter at all?

02-29-2016, 09:20 AM	#1
gilwu New Member Join Date: Feb 2016 Posts: 3	Contact RF mount lenses on Q Staff note: This post may contain affiliate links, which means Pentax Forums may earn a small commission if a visitor clicks through and makes a purchase. If you would like to support the forum directly, you may also make a donation here. Hi All, I am a newbie to the Pentax Q World and this forum. I have been using micro 4/3 cameras (Panasonic GM1 and Olympus OMD-EM1) with modern m4/3 lenses and legacy lenses like Nikkor and Voigtlander lenses with Contax RF mount, some great lenses in Old 4/3 mount, Exakta mount, C mount, and D mount. All the legacy lenses work fine with m4/3 bodies with the exception of those D mount lenses which I just cannot focus to infinity. Having learnt about Pentax Q's ability to work with D mount lenses and the 5 times crop factor Q could offer, I just bought myself a Pentax Q with a number 1 standard prime. The Q body is very much the same size as my Panasonic GM1 but the lens is smaller than all the micro 4/3 lenses I have. I can see why Pentax named this model "Q" with its small lenses very much proportional to the Q body; very cute indeed. My apologies if what I am looking for has been asked many times in this forum before. My question is how to setup the Q properly to work with Contax RF mount lenses (Nikkor-Q.C 135mm f3.5 and Voigtlander S Skopar 50mm f2.5) and perhaps any other legacy lenses? I set the aperture and shutter mode to M with ISO set to 400, using manual focusing with peaking (I've upgraded the firmware to the latest 1.14 for Q). So far I could only take pictures of objects around 2 to 3 meters away with stop down to f22. I just cannot focus distanced objects with infinity. Is this all Pentax Q can do with Contax mount lenses or is there something else I can set? Many Thanks. Kind Regards, Gilbert

02-29-2016, 10:31 AM	#3
pacerr Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Paris, TN Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,349	Welcome to the PF world. I seems as though your lens adapter is acting like an extension tube. The Q has a focal distance (FFD) of 9.2mm. Your adapter should add the FFD of the specific lens less 9.2mm to properly position the lens for infinity focus. I.e., the adapter should fill the distance from the camera mount to the base of the lens less the 9.2mm from the Q body mount to the sensor. It's interesting to note that the Q has one of the shortest FFDs of any popular camera allowing for adapters that accommodate almost ANY lens with all due consideration for the crop factor involved (~4.5x or 5.5x) as the sensor 'crops' the normal image projected by the lens (as designed) on the sensor plane. Yes, that makes it hard to find wide angle lenses! Attached is an FFD chart for most popular bodies/lenses. Attached Images Last edited by pacerr; 02-29-2016 at 10:40 AM.

02-29-2016, 01:12 PM	#5
stevebrot Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 42,007	Originally posted by gilwu Voigtlander S Skopar 50mm f2.5 Requires adapter with inner bayonet support. You may be able to use something like the Kipon Contax-L39 adapter in combination with a L39-Q adapter. Contax RF Lens to Leica L39 Body Mount Adapter Or one of the very nice ($$$) Amadeo adapters to L39 or M mount: http://www.amedeo.muscelli.net/ http://www.ebay.com/usr/amedeo.m Steve Last edited by stevebrot; 02-29-2016 at 01:19 PM.

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02-29-2016, 09:30 AM	#2
crewl1 Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Los Angeles, CA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 9,807	Look for similar lenses in the adapted index https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/136-pentax-q/209474-adapted-lenses-tested...ce-thread.html Then PM the post author if there is not enough info about how they adapted.

02-29-2016, 12:50 PM	#4
stevebrot Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 42,007	Originally posted by dcshooter It sounds like your adapter is too wide to allow infinity focus. If it is a very cheap one, that might be the cause. A decently-built one should allow you to focus to infinity. The model by Fotodiox is $25 on Amazon and claims to allow infinity focusing: https://www.fotodioxpro.com/lens-mount-adapters/lens-adapter-nikon-rf-lens-t...es-camera.html Even that adapter may not work with all lenses. The Contax/Nikon S/Kiev mount has two bayonets. The outer bayonet (visible in the product shot) is used for lenses having their own focus helicoid. Those include all but the normal lenses (50mm) for those cameras. The normal lens uses an internal bayonet with focus being provided by the mount itself. If one wants to use any of the classic Sonnar, Nikkor, Jupiter-9, or Helios 103 normal lenses (50mm or 53mm), they will require an adapter with inner bayonet support. The same is true of the more recent Voigtlander Heliar S 50/3.5, S Scopar 50/2.5, and S Nokton 50/1.5 Aperture is fully manual as is the norm for all rangefinder lenses. Steve Last edited by stevebrot; 02-29-2016 at 01:00 PM.

02-29-2016, 06:30 PM	#6
gilwu New Member Join Date: Feb 2016 Posts: 3 Original Poster	Thank you All for the quick and informative responses. My adapter is a Fotodiox Contax RF (Nikon S) to Pentax Q adaptor; the only adaptor I could find on the market for Contax RF to Pentax Q. Both my Contax RF lenses use the outside bayonet. I use these lenses on my Micro 4/3 bodies with a Nikon S to M4/3 with good results including infinity focusing. Perhaps I should contact Fotodiox and hear what they say about their adapter. I still have a few other adapters (OM, C/Y, C and D) on order to try my old lenses with Pentax Q. Looking forward to that.

03-02-2016, 05:42 AM	#7
gilwu New Member Join Date: Feb 2016 Posts: 3 Original Poster	I contacted Fotodiox. They are very helpful. They are going to send me another Contax RF to Pentax Q adaptor in case my adaptor is faulty. By the way, my Vivitar 80 to 200mm arrived today and used it with my Pentax Q through Fotodiox's adapter. It just works fine albeit with the help of a solid tripod. I input 80mm into the manual lens dialog on the camera and it seemed to work fine. I wonder what the proper figure we should put in for zoom lenses like the one I have? Or does it matter at all?