Thread mount SLR lenses for M39x1 rangefinder cameras

I have two adapters for thread mount SLR lenses. Both are serial products, both are for mounting on M39x1/28.8 cameras.

First (on the right) is the rare adapter for the popular M42x1/45.5 SLR mount. Its length is 16.7mm.

Second (on the left) is an adapter for the much less popular M39x1/45.2 SLR mount (lenses made in the USSR for early Zenit cameras). Its length is 16.4mm.

Theoretically, there could be an adapter for the M40x1/44 SLR lens (for the old Praktiflex cameras) with a length of 15.2mm. But I have never seen a serial product (without 3D printing etc.). I use a combination of different adapters to mount these lenses on the M39x1/28.8.

See also related notes:

• M42x1-M39x1 adapter (16.7mm) (2024-03-20)
• Praktiflex M40x1 lenses on modern cameras (2023-08-25)
• M39x1/45.2 (SLR) lens list (2023-08-05)
• Использование объективов M39x1 на цифровых камерах (2022-05-18)

Image albums:

• Lens accessories

Five Star 500/8: Samples [1] - FF - f/8

Photos taken with the Sony a7c (FF, 24MP) and the Five Star 500/8 at f/8.

See also related notes:

• Таир-3C и Five Star 500/8 (2022-05-26)

Image albums:

• Five Star 500/8

Takumar 105/2.8 series: 4/4 vs 5/4 designs [1]

There are two optical designs in the Takumar 105/2.8 series. The older one is 4 elements in 4 groups (Takumer Pre-set I, Auto-Takumar). The later one is 4 elements in 4 groups (Takumar Pre-set II, Super-Takumar, S-M-C Takumar, and Pentax K 105/2.8).

I have both types: the Auto-Takumar 105/2.8 (4/4 design) and the Takumar Pre-Set II (5/4 design).

I wanted to compare them to see if the older 4/4 design is better, as is sometimes said?

I expected to find a small difference between images taken with the lenses. But the difference is noticeable when you compare images side by side.

The 4/4 design lens has a slightly wider angle of view than the 5/4 design lens. And the 4/4 design lens has a barrel distortion, while the 5/4 design lens has a pincushion distortion.

1. 4/4 design:

5/4 design:

2. 4/4 design:

5/4 design:

3. 4/4 design:

5/4 design:

I usually prefer a wider angle for the same focal length. But the pincushion distortion of the 5/4 design may be better for real-world photography.

Also, when using a lens with an adapter, the preset aperture control is more convenient than the direct aperture control of Auto-Takumar. Especially when shooting movies.

See also related notes:

• Takumar 105/2.8 series: 4/4 vs 5/4 designs [2] (2024-07-24)

Image albums:

• Auto-Takumar 105/2.8
• Takumar 105/2.8 (II)

Defective tripod plate (Arca Swiss style mount)

A Chinese tripod plate with an Arca Swiss style mount. When I tried to mount the plate, I found out that it is defective:

As you can see, the angle of the bevels is not correct (wrong profile).

For comparison, another Arca Swiss style plate:

It is ok. So the problem is with the defective tripod plate, the clamps have the correct profile.

See also related notes:

• Штативная площадка с держателем (подобно "Arca Swiss") (2022-08-25)
• Штативная площадка (почти подошла) (2016-06-25)

Image albums:

• Tripod

Staeble-Werk Choro R 35/4.5: Samples [1] - APS-C - f/4.5 - "color shift"

Photos taken with the Samsung NX2000 (1.5x crop factor, 20MP) and the Staeble-Werk Choro R 35/4.5 at f/4.5.

Despite the lack of some controls, the Samsung NX2000 is very similar to the Samsung NX300/NX300M. And there's the same bug when the camera doesn't recognize the change of the electronic lens to a non-electronic (manual focus) one. In this case, the left part of the image usually has a green cast, while the right part has a magenta cast due to wrong vignetting correction.

Even if you work around the bug, there is a 20MP sensor with its color vignetting ("color shift"). In this case, usually with wide-angle lenses, the left part of the image can have a magenta cast, while the right part can have a green cast.

The Staeble-Werk Choro R 35/4.5 on the Samsung NX2000 shows this 20MP sensor problem.

See also related notes:

• Staeble-Werk Choro R 35/4.5: Samples [3] - M4/3 - f/4.5 (2024-07-18)
• Staeble-Werk Choro R 35/4.5: Samples [2] - APS-C - f/4.5 (2024-06-13)

Image albums:

• Staeble-Werk Choro R 35/4.5

33910-79K00: Suzuki N32A engine control module

This is a Suzuki 33910-79K00 control module:

The module for the Suzuki N32A (V6 3.2 liter) engine, Suzuki Escudo TDB4W (JDM) or Suzuki Grand Vitara JB632W (Worldwide).

Probably my most useless purchase of 2024. Waste of money. But maybe one day I will connect the module (like I did it with another one) and try to add its (GMLAN) support to SZ Viewer (N32A is not supported by Suzuki protocol).

I already found the pinout.

See also related notes:

• Suzuki N32 (Grand Vitara JB632W) ECM pinout (2024-05-23)

Image albums:

• On-board diagnostics

Samsung NX: SRW and distortion correction

I have already written about the in-camera distortion correction of the Samsung NX. Although there are some NX lenses (e.g. NX 16/2.4, 20/2.8) that always have distortion correction turned on in the camera settings, this distortion correction doesn't affect SRW files anyway.

However, some people think otherwise because they use raw development software that does not allow full control over distortion correction (made by Adobe and so on).

So I would like to demonstrate ART raw development software. Unlike the software mentioned above, ART doesn't deny control over the profiled lens correction.

I used the Samsung NX 20/2.8 on two cameras. The in-camera distortion correction cannot be turned off with these lenses.

1. Samsung NX10

In-camera JPEG:

SRW without profiled lens correction:

SRW with profiled lens correction:

2. Samsung NX2000

In-camera JPEG:

SRW without ART's profiled lens correction:

SRW with ART's profiled lens correction:

It is obvious that the images without profiled lens correction have visible distortion. The images with profiled lens correction look like the in-camera JPEGs (in terms of distortion), but these images have a wider angle of view. This is another reason to use SRW instead of JPEG.

3. And the Samsung NX 16/2.4 with the Samsung NX500 (taken from my archive).

SRW without profiled lens correction:

SRW with profiled lens correction:

Unfortunately there is no in-camera JPEG to compare, but the distortion control is still visible.

Also note that the Samsung NX cameras actually have in-camera vignetting correction that affects SRW files.

See also related notes:

• RawTherapee (2022) и ART (2022-03-30)
• Samsung NX10, NX20, NX300M: внутрикамерное исправление виньетирования (2014-10-01)
• Немного про дисторсию (Samsung NX20, 16/2.4, 20/2.8, 30/2) (2013-04-19)

Image albums:

• Samsung NX 16/2.4
• Samsung NX 20/2.8

Meyer-Optik Helioplan 40/4.5: Samples [1] - FF - f/4.5, f/11

Photos taken with the Sony a7c (FF, 24MP) and the Meyer-Optik Helioplan 40/4.5 at f/4.5.

And a sunstar at f/11:

See also related notes:

• Meyer-Optik Helioplan 40/4.5 (M42x1/45.5): Simple dialyte lens (2024-05-09)

Image albums:

• Meyer-Optik Helioplan 40/4.5

Leica M-M4/3 adapter

I don't want to use the Olympus E-PL1 as an everyday camera. But it is interesting to test it with some manual focus lenses.

So I bought a Leica M-M4/3 adapter (marked as FOTGA):

I chose this adapter type because with additional adapters I have, it is possible to use almost all my lenses. And this adapter was one of the cheapest adapters for M4/3.

The Olympus E-PL1 with the Staeble-Werk Choro R 35/4.5 lens mount with this adapter + the Leica M-M39 adapter + the M39-M39 adapter:

Unfortunately, this adapter is too short. The expected length is 27.8-19.25=8.55 (mm), but the actual length is about 7.8mm. So the focusing is far beyond infinity. I use it as is for testing, but for real-world tasks, the adapter model is not a good choice.

See also related notes:

• Leica M as universal mount (2024-08-01)

Image albums:

• Lens accessories
• Olympus E-PL1
• Staeble-Werk Choro R 35/4.5

Bridge over the Kitoy river, 2005

Renovation of a bridge over the Kitoy river, Angarsk, Irkutsk region. August 2005.

Pentax *ist Ds (1.5x crop factor, 6MP) + unknown manual focus lens

The bridge after its reopening in October 2005. November 2005.

Pentax *ist Ds (1.5x crop factor, 6MP) + unknown manual focus lens

Image albums:

• Angarsk

Pentax M 50/4 Macro: Samples [1] - FF - f/4

Photos taken with the Sony a7c (FF, 24MP) and the Pentax M 50/4 Macro at f/4.

See also related notes:

• Industar-61L/Z-MC 50/2.8 and Pentax M 50/4 Macro (2023-04-15)

Image albums:

• Pentax M 50/4 Macro