Is the market going back to lenses that fit all mounts? I think so!
Sep 25, 2024
David Prochnow
Our resident “how-to” project editor, David Prochnow, lives on the Gulf Coast of the United States in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. He brings his expertise at making our photography projects accessible to everyone, from a lengthy stint acting as the Contributing How-To Editor with Popular Science magazine. While you don’t have to actually build each of his projects, reading about these adventures will contribute to your continued overall appreciation of do-it-yourself photography. A collection of David’s best Popular Science projects can be found in the book, “The Big Book of Hacks,” Edited by Doug Cantor.
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You’ve got to admit, Doctor Leonard McCoy, chief medical officer of the starship USS Enterprise (OG Star Trek TV series), never hid his emotions regarding his opinion of his job status. Whenever he felt that his talents as a surgeon were in question, he’d speak out about this injustice.
For example, in “The Devil in the Dark” first season, episode 25, there is an injured beastie, called a Horta, that requires “medical” attention. Captain James T. Kirk orders McCoy to render aid, ‘Doctor, here’s your patient.’ Whereupon, an indignant chief medical officer famously replies, “I’m a doctor, not a bricklayer!”
Similar to McCoy’s insistence for acknowledgement of his medical skillset, certain lens manufacturers have attempted to design a viable “one-lens-fits-all” product. Any photographer owning more than one camera mount knows all too well that, “Dadgummit, it’s a Nikon Z, not a Pentax K mount.” In order to achieve this universal camera mount parity, the lens mount adapter concept was born.
Lens manufacturer names like Sigma, Soligor, Spiratone, Tamron, and Vivitar made significant inroads into the acceptance of the one lens, multiple lens mount adapters product line. In fact, while the Adaptall and Adaptall2 mounts have been discontinued, the T mount (also known as T2 mount) still remains popular today. There are inexpensive lenses from Opteka, Tokina, and Vivitar that can be purchased for use with the T mount system:
- Opteka 500mm f/6.3 Mirror Lens for T Mount $139.95
- Tokina SZX 400mm f/8 Reflex MF Lens with 2x Extender Kit (T-Mount) $299.00
- Vivitar 500mm f/8.0 Telephoto Lens for T-mount $79
Remarkably, the T-mount lens system is not the sole universal camera mount option today. In an odd nod to the halcyon days of 35mm cameras, TTArtisan has initiated an entirely new (old) spin on the lens mount adapter…the M42 universal thread mount. Say what? Isn’t that the same lens mount used on vintage Honeywell Pentax Spotmatic cameras? Yes, it is. And TTArtisan has stumbled onto a pretty smart interpretation of the lens mount adapter concept. See here:
Rather than manufacturing lenses with oddball proprietary adapter mounts (like Adaptall and T2), TTArtisan has begun making lenses with an actual camera mount that, likewise, has an abundance of available lens conversion mount adapters. Therefore, each lens can be used natively on any M42 camera body, as well as modified with inexpensive lens conversion adapters to digital mounts like Nikon Z and FujiFilm X.
Quoting TTArtisan, “…the M42 lens mount allows the lens to be easily adapted to all mirrorless cameras, including Sony E, Canon RF, FujiFilm X, Nikon Z, and Leica L.” Curiously, in a very roundabout manner, but arriving at the same goal, Meyer-Optik Gorlitz offers a Version II lens series that also features an M42 mount. Although not specifically marketed as a convertible lens mount, these lenses could be adapted to modern mirrorless cameras in the same manner as the TTArtisan lenses. As an example, see here:
- Meyer-Optik Gorlitz Trioplan 100mm f/2.8 II Lens for M42 (Black) $999
What was old is wonderfully new again. Yet the choice of using M42 as a universal lens mount adapter makes this old/new concept a relatively easy manufacturing decision. Or, more specifically, in the immortal words of Dr. McCoy from “Spock’s Brain” third season, episode 1, “…Of course. A child could do it…”
Enjoy.
David Prochnow
Our resident “how-to” project editor, David Prochnow, lives on the Gulf Coast of the United States in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. He brings his expertise at making our photography projects accessible to everyone, from a lengthy stint acting as the Contributing How-To Editor with Popular Science magazine. While you don’t have to actually build each of his projects, reading about these adventures will contribute to your continued overall appreciation of do-it-yourself photography. A collection of David’s best Popular Science projects can be found in the book, “The Big Book of Hacks,” Edited by Doug Cantor.
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One response to “Is the market going back to lenses that fit all mounts? I think so!”
Or you can just buy some of the great vintage glass with M42 mounts. You’ll save a lot of money and get some great lenses.