Mounting Filters Behind M42 Lens

[colinbm]

Mounting Filters Behind M42 Lens.

 

I have been wanting to be able to mount filters behind M42 lens, as todays cameras have short registration & need longer adapters to mount older lenses.

Now that I have an L-Mount camera, the adapter for M42 is now 25.3mm long

.

There are some filter holders with drawers, but they are for T-mount which is like M42 but has a pitch of 0.75mm. M42 lenses have a pitch of 1mm, they won't screw together.

 

I recently visited the web site of RAFCAMERA & they have some M42 to 52mm filter thread & 52mm filter thread to M24, threaded rings.

With these you can mount a 52mm filter ring between these M42 adapters & they will screw into your camera & lens, tubes or bellows, all very neatly.

With a 'normal' filter ring you will need a about a 6.5mm thick spacer to reach infinity. With one of Reed's filters, these are in rings just a shade under 10mm, at 3/8th of an inch, they will need a 2.5mm spacer.

If you want to use the M42 lens for macro photography, then a helicoid of your choice can be used.

In the example photo below, I have a M42 lens, with Reed's SEU G3 filter, on an L-Mount camera. I found this lens was vignetting, mounted in front of the lens, but, when mounted behind the lens that vignetting is gone.

 

The attachments on the camera, are a lot simpler in a picture, then all the words preceding....

 

[JMC]

Very nice Colin. I use that pair of adapters to put a 52mm filter inside the M42 extension tube for my microscope. Raf does some really good stuff, if you can cope with the delivery times. He can also do custom work if needed.

[colinbm]

Very nice Colin. I use that pair of adapters to put a 52mm filter inside the M42 extension tube for my microscope. Raf does some really good stuff, if you can cope with the delivery times. He can also do custom work if needed.

 

Thanks Jonathan.........we won't talk about the delivery time, but I think Emirates flew around the world enough times that is spun out of control & just happened to land in Australia...

[ulf]

There are another supplier of adapter rings in Portugal.

https://customphototools.com/step-rings-for-filters/

I think this was the one Andrea mentioned somewhere on the forum and have used, but I am not sure.

[colinbm]

I can't see any like these here for M42 lens to 52mm filter ?

Others have T-mount to 52mm filter, but T-mount might look the same it won't fit M42 lens thread.

[JMC]

Thanks Jonathan.........we won't talk about the delivery time, but I think Emirates flew around the world enough times that is spun out of control & just happened to land in Australia...

Yeah even to the UK it is advised that it'll take 2-3 months, so I can only imagine the timings for Australia.

[ulf]

I can't see any like these here for M42 lens to 52mm filter ?

Others have T-mount to 52mm filter, but T-mount might look the same it won't fit M42 lens thread.

You are right Colin.

I did not check for that so my comment do not fit perfectly to your topic. Sorry.

 

Otherwise I think this supplier has more different odd adapters in stock than RAF Camera.

He also makes custom designs.

I think he have a suitable step ring fitting my Milar 100mm. That has been a difficult one to find for me.

I also like that the company is within EU. That can help customs processing when I am buying from them.

[Andrea B.]

.....but I think Emirates flew around the world enough times that is spun out of control & just happened to land in Australia...

 

Col, you get me to laughing !!

 

Thanks for showing this method for filter back mounting.

 

I sometimes think that I have spent more money on rings, adapters, helicoids and extensions of various sizes than I have spent on cameras and lenses. And of course one *never* has the correct size handy. Some strange Law of the Universe I suppose.

 

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I have used the link above to order rings and whatnot. Supplier seems very good so far.