While shopping for a Contax RF inner-bayonet type > Sony E/NEX-mount adapter, I came across this Fotofox adapter which claimed RF coupling on Leica Thread Mount (LTM) compatible camera bodies.
The Good
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| Canon P + Fotofox CRF + Zeiss Opton Sonnar |
At about $60 landed in the USA, the Fotofox is a lot more affordable compared to the more deluxe Amedeo or Kipon equivalents. I'm glad to report that my gamble paid off. My Contax/Kiev RF mount 50mm lenses - Zeiss-Opton Sonnar, Jupiter 8M & Helios 103 - mounted successfully on my Bessa R, Canon P and 7s bodies.
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| Bessa R + Fotofox CRF adapter + Jupiter 8M |
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| LTM>M + Fotofox CRF adapter + Helios 103 |
By adding an LTM to M adapter, the Fotofox adapter functioned just as well on my Leica M6 below.
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| Leica M6 + LTM>M + Fotofox CRF adapter + Helios 103 |
Using the appropriate adapter, the Fotofox also mounted the aforementioned Contax and Kiev 50mm RF lenses to my Fuji X-E3 and Sony A7II.👍
The Bad
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| Left: Jupiter 12 + Right: Zeiss Sonnar 135mm f4 |
Sadly, my efforts to make it work with my Kiev RF mount Jupiter 12 and Contax RF mount Zeiss Sonnar 135mm f4, were all in vain. 😔
The Ugly
Zone focusing is out of the question since there's no distance scale and no infinity lock/stop either. 😏
Sample Pics
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| Canon P + Zeiss Opton Sonnar 50mm f2 Ilford FP4+ in Rodinal |
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| Canon P + Zeiss Opton Sonnar 50mm f2 Ilford FP4+ in Rodinal |
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| Canon P + Zeiss Opton Sonnar 50mm f2 Ilford FP4+ in Rodinal |
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| Bessa R + Helios 103 Ultrafine eXtreme 100 in Rodinal + HC110 |
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| Bessa R + Helios 103 Ultrafine eXtreme 100 in Rodinal + HC110 |
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| Leica M6 + Jupiter 8M Fuji Neopan 400 in Kodak HC110 |
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| Canon 7s + Helios 103 Ultrafine eXtreme 100 in Rodinal + HC110 |
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| Canon 7s + Helios 103 Ultrafine eXtreme 100 in Rodinal + HC110 |
Click here for more samples.
Is it worth 60 something bucks? Let your eyes decide.😊
How are you getting from B/W negatives to digital? Your results look a lot better then mine...
ReplyDeleteI use an Epson V550 flat bed scanner with most enhancements off Then I remove dust/spots and tweak levels and curves if necessary using Photos in my MacBook.
DeleteJE
Hi- I'm thinking of getting one of those cheap Fotofox adapters as well- but how is the focusing? I thought those adapters didnt allow for proper focusing? It is accurate and can you focus to infinity? thanks you
ReplyDeletePhoto sample No. 5 (Bessa R + Helios 103) shows it focuses to infinity. There are a few more in my Flickr album which is linked above. The only issue aside from the lack of distance scale noted above is, there's no stop in the helical for infinity.
DeleteI had bought one and it won’t focus to infinity. Did you had to do any modifications to it? You got lucky. I was refunded. I may buy another one
ReplyDeleteI didn’t do any mods. As stated above with samples, it worked well with my 50mm CRF lenses - Helios 103, J8M & Zeiss Opton. But I couldn’t focus outer bayonet mount lenses - J12 & Zeiss 135mm Sonnar.
DeleteHi there- a quick thank you. Off the back of your review I decided to take a punt and get this adapter for my Sonanr 5cm 1.5 on my Leica iiia. It works and focus is accurate (had to slightly adjust as the adapter screws past infinity but it was a 2 min fix on the Leica iiia). Thank you- I saved myself US$400.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad my blog post helped.
DeleteGood light and images!
JE
Hi Dom, how you did adjust it? My adapter don’t focus to infinity.
DeleteGood morning, does it connect to the telemeter? It can be focused like a Ltm39 co. The viewfinder itself and the focus patch of the camera?
ReplyDeleteYes to all! The adapter is RF coupled and I've used it successfully with the Bessa R, Canon P/7s, Leica II and M6 as posted above. There are more sample pictures in my Flickr - https://www.flickr.com/photos/je2a3/albums/72157711255974237/with/49026551872/
DeleteHere's another point of view - https://www.rangefinderforum.com/threads/inexpensive-chinese-contax-mount-to-ltm-maybe-a-little-work-required.4764813/
It's funny because everywhere they say that you can't, but of course with their experience... I don't know if I should risk it
DeleteI took the risk and my pictures show that it was worth taking without spending more than twice more for an Amedeo or Kipon.
DeleteI order one, i hope all ok. Kipon not see in stock. What is this famous amadeo???
ReplyDeleteAmedeo adapters - https://m.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.365428540211318.78984.320352824718890&type=3 - I have no experience with them. But they look like precision machined adapters!
Delete