Thursday, January 24, 2013

Using a Focusing Helicoid as a Lens Adapter

One of the most annoying problems with old manual focus lenses, is that over time, some of them would fail to attain infinity focus, due to wear or misalignment. The Vivitar 24mm f2.8 TX lens I looked that the other day was an example. The normal course of action is to get it repaired/adjusted, but this could get expensive. Worse, sometimes after a lens repair, it would have other issues like de-centering or other problems. The solution is to use a focusing helicoid in place of a lens adapter.

Helicoid as an adapter on NEX-5N. Click for larger.

My focusing helicoids were originally purchased to be used with odd ball lenses that don't have focusing mechanisms of their own, like enlarging and projection lenses, but they are equally good, and often better, when used as a lens adapter, because a focusing helicoid would make the lens focus closer than its minimum focus distance, but at the same time allows the lens to focus past infinity. The 18-35mm Yeenon helicoid is just slightly thinner than a dedicated NEX to M42 adapter when not extended. This means all M42 lenses mounted on it will focus pass infinity. This solves the problem for lenses that can not focus to infinity by itself.


Allen Garden - NEX-6 & Vivitar 24mm f2.8 TX & Yeenon Helicoid. Click for larger.

Currently, I can only use M42 lenses on the Yeenon Helicoid, as the helicoid has an M42 mount when fitted with a 52mm to 42mm step-down ring. In actual use, there is almost no different than using just a lens adapter, except you focus with the focusing helicoid or the focusing mechanism on the lens. When using the lens for close-ups, you can rack out the focusing on both the helicoid and the lens to simulate the effect of  an extension tube to achieve macro magnification.

So yes, the helicoid is a very flexible tool.

True Love Cafe - NEX-6 & Isco-Gottingen Westagon 50mm f2 & Yeenon Helicoid.

4 comments:

  1. I like my Yeenon 13.5mm-NEX Helicoid with 10mm Pentax m42 extension tube for M42 lenses, including DKL-m42 adapted lenses. With even shorter 7mm (instead of 10mm)m42 extension tube, I can even mount some of 50mm enlarging lenses. The fun part is to set up to very closed to infinity focusing of the lenses to be adapted and keep good looking.

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    Replies
    1. Yup. The Yeenon adapters are very well made. So far it's been great.

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  2. Hi all.. do you know where i can find an helicoid shorter than 12mm, Something about 9mm or so, for an enlarging lens (63mm)? Thanks

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  3. Hi all.. do you know where i can find an helicoid shorter than 12mm, Something about 9mm or so, for an enlarging lens (63mm)? Thanks

    ReplyDelete