> I'm thinking of buying one of those cheap Russian-made fisheye
>lenses for fun. I own a Pentax Spotmatic with a threaded M42 mount
>along with my EOS, so the M42 mount lens is the natural choice.
>
> Anyone out there have any personal experience with the M42 -> EOS
>lens adapters?
Yes. I have an adapter wich I use with my EOS 500n with two Pentax Takumar
Lenses, a 50mm f/1.4 (with extension tubes) and a 135 f/3.5.
>I presume they're just the glassless metal ring types
>that (obviously) require manual focus and stop-down metering.
Yes.
> Any
>brand names?
Don't remember the brand name, but there are some of them.
>Do you still get infinity focusing?
Yes.
There are several point to check:
About stopping-down:
In several M42 lenses there is a pin that has to be pushed in order to
stop-down the diaphragm. Not all M42 adapters push this pin (like the one I
have), so you cannot stop-down the lens with such adapters unless you lock
the pin of the lens using glue o something like that.
In my pentax takumar lenses, there is a lever than can stop-down the lens
regardless of the status of that pin, but I know it's not the case in all
M42 lenses.
About mettering:
I know that my EOS 500n metters Ok in stop-down mode if the selected
aperture is f/2.8 or smaller (greater f/ number). Below f/2.4 I need to use
a negative exposure compensation if I don't want to overexpose the pictures.
I also know, as someone in the list has posted, and as I have tried with a
friends camera, that the EOS 30 (Elan 7E) underexposes about 2 stops if you
use a M42 lens.
So I recomend you to check the mettering with your camera if you want to
use a M42 lens or another manual focus lens using an adapter.
Another point is that stopping-down limits the mettering range. My EOS 500n
metters from Ev 2 ISO 100 with a f/1.4 lens, so, as the stop down procedure
limits the light which enters the camera, using stop-down mettering I can
only metter obtaining times of 1/2 or less regardless of the selected
aperture (using ISO 100 film, off course).
About wide-angles:
When you go for a wide angle, check that the rear element dosn't block the
mirror movement. I know that muy 50mm f/1.4 doesn't touch the mirror of my
EOS 500n while it goes up, but is very near to touch while focusing at
infinity.
> - Neil K.
Hope it helps
Vicente
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