Interchangeable lens mounts for vintage super tele lenses

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Hi there, l'm sure l discussed this before, but previously the thread died when i attacked the rear of my lens with a hacksaw, thinking the smoth terminal was removable.

Well, it isn't.

It's 49mm wide and the actual mounting surface needs to slot onto it, with tiny screws securing it to that featureless 49mm rear end of the lens.

So, what do l google to get these vintage interchangeable mounts?
 
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I wonder if what you want is even possible, we would need to know the lens mount you have removed and the one you want to fit, it doesn't sound possible from what you have said.
 
Hi there i removed a Canon FD mount. It screws onto the 49mm diameter rear end of the lens.

Thing is, the mount doesn't screw into actual holes in the barrel. There are tiny set screws which dig into the rear end, and thus you add the new lens mount to the lens. You can't make this up!

And it's not only possible: it seems par for the course with the old vintage analogue super tele lenses. So, what l'm after is a slew of interchangeable mounts that work like this. Preferably with the screws included.
 
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If you removed an FD mount by unscrewing it I guess you have a T2 mount lens. If you hackked the thread off your choices narrow. I guess you would need to find another T2 lens and graft the thread mount on the old lens. On the other hand it might not be this at all. Maybe some snaps would help us to help you?
 
Hi there, nope, it really is a 49mm smooth barrel. Smooth except it's got a slight trough around the circumference.

The interchangeable lens mount slots over it, just like that. Not twisting, no screwing.

Only then do you insert the tiny set screws, which go through the 3 evenly spaced holes in the interchangeable lens mount, and thus approach perpendicular to the barrel surface.

They don't screw into anything, they just nestle into that slight trough, and thus graze the surface of the barrel.

That is actually how the mount is mounted onto the barrel! Surprisingly, it works just fine.



So what do you call these mounts?
 
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I would hesitate to refer to such a lens as vintage.....maybe antique is the appropriate 'word'.

The adaptor that you had to resort to sawing off may have been bespoke manufactured i.e. it/they are 100% non standard manufacturing i.e. you will not find a source of off the shelf items.

In my mind's eye I can perceive of what you need......a ring that accurately fits on the rear of the lens and around that ring are equi spaced 3 (or 4?) grub screws for securing the ring in place (NB the grub screws don't perform the role of centering, they are there to secure the ring. The ring needs to be machined to be almost an interference fit...afteral it needs to be light-tight) the other face of the ring is machined to fit the camera body of choice!

IMO you need a specialist optics engineering company, or at least one that might understand your requirements and offer a solution? One that came up in my googling was Edmund Optics.

HTH ?
 
Oh heck noooo.

The thing i tried to saw off turned out to actually be part of the lens. It's the 49mm diameter end of the lens. Its got a slight groove around the circumference.

The groove is seen in cross section.

The actual mount adaptors slot on over it. Then the 3 grub screws dig in via their holes in the mount adapter, and so into the groove around the 49mm diameter end of the lens barrel.

It seems bizarre but it works just fine.


Please see the attached diagram. It's not a good diagram but with modern art programs it takes a whizzkid to draw a simple arrow.lens mount.png
 
The ring fits loosely. The grub screws do the real work of making the fit nice n tight.

Because the lens will be mounted on a tripod it doesn't require a feat of engineering to make the fit. It's only seen on very long super tele (400mm+) lenses l think.

It's not a one-off or rare, i've seen quite a few of these, they are seen on many vintage lenses. You know the sort, Palar, Dufay, etc. etc.
 
Ok your drawing illustrates that I read the connection right......but mis-read that the ring is still the interface rather than the mount itself. So not quite heck no ;)

My thoughts and advice are purely that so take it FWIW. 50 years ago I had access to a machine shop and created a some repair items including a fine taper pivot bearing in silver steel to restore a turn of the century telegraphers relay.

I still say......talk to a specialist manufacturer!
 
Maybe not the exact one.....but this one seems to be plain i.e. place on lens & retain with grub screws NB there is evidence of the grub screw holes on the periphery!



PS based on brands you mentioned above ~ I take your point re: age of lenses being more vintage than antique ;)
 
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Yes that's the sort of thing i want. Thanks. I'm not sure if it's the exact thing though.

I had a Russian friend tell me it's called a "Swallows Tail" fit, but Google doesn't agree.

This is the link he gave me: http://www.club-nikon.ru/forum/topic/91347-адаптер-кп-ан-иили-т2-nikon/ [moderators: feel free to remove the link if you don't think it's safe]

As you can see, it's quite cheap, but you'd probably have to buy a thousand to get them at that price.

The description on your link is bizarre by the way. I get the impression it's intended for a microscope? Funny thing is, both my link and yours appear to show the same Nikon adapter.



I think we're back to the original problem: What do you call this type of lens mount. That'd clear this whole mess up, because it has to fit a 49mm barrel, and as such, l'm sure it'd be called something akin to "telephoto lens mount adapter" rather than specified to 49mm.

This is what l got for "telephoto lens mount adapter" by the way: https://www.amazon.co.uk/DOLITY-Lens-Mount-Adapter-Telephoto-Black/dp/B07HJYWV6R

However, what that really shows is something intended to screw onto a T-mount, surely?

Yet, intriguingly, it has the holes for the grub screws exactly where they should be - on the sides. Why, if the thing is to screw onto a T mount?

Rather than buy n try, l'd really need a proper noun, a go-to term, for the exact fitting.
 
Yes that's the sort of thing i want. Thanks. I'm not sure if it's the exact thing though.

I had a Russian friend tell me it's called a "Swallows Tail" fit, but Google doesn't agree.

This is the link he gave me: http://www.club-nikon.ru/forum/topic/91347-адаптер-кп-ан-иили-т2-nikon/ [moderators: feel free to remove the link if you don't think it's safe]

As you can see, it's quite cheap, but you'd probably have to buy a thousand to get them at that price.

The description on your link is bizarre by the way. I get the impression it's intended for a microscope? Funny thing is, both my link and yours appear to show the same Nikon adapter.



I think we're back to the original problem: What do you call this type of lens mount. That'd clear this whole mess up, because it has to fit a 49mm barrel, and as such, l'm sure it'd be called something akin to "telephoto lens mount adapter" rather than specified to 49mm.

This is what l got for "telephoto lens mount adapter" by the way: https://www.amazon.co.uk/DOLITY-Lens-Mount-Adapter-Telephoto-Black/dp/B07HJYWV6R

However, what that really shows is something intended to screw onto a T-mount, surely?

Yet, intriguingly, it has the holes for the grub screws exactly where they should be - on the sides. Why, if the thing is to screw onto a T mount?

Rather than buy n try, l'd really need a proper noun, a go-to term, for the exact fitting.

Yes, some appear to show an internal thread.....the grub screw will be to ensure it does not come loose during use & handling.

At this time I can only surmise that though you have nothing to screw to/onto, provided it is 49mm it will still fit! Though if there is just a single screw, no idea how secure it would be???

They (Edmund Optics) may be open on Monday, do give them a call and have a chat.....I look forward to your update having spoken to folk that appear to be experts on that sort of product. If nothing else you might learn the proper name for the fitting you are seeking ;)

PS did you decide and buy your printer yet?
 
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Hmmmm!

I found this paragraph on the Wiki about T Mount... I have made the bit bold re: a version that is not threaded. Note ~ T Mount have two specific diameters M42 and M48 i.e 42mm & 48mm.....no 49mm!

Some T-mount lenses accept a T-adapter that lacks its threaded inner ring, and simply slides onto the T-mount lens. It is secured only by 3 set screws that match a channel on the lens barrel, such that the barrel is not deformed by the set screws and the adapter can therefore be removed with no damage.

But note ~ all such T Mounts (a bit like, I think others helped you identify the Canon F mount you sawed off) they are all designed with the corresponding camera bayonet mount ready to fit to the camera.
 
a T-adapter that lacks its threaded inner ring, and simply slides onto the T-mount lens. It is secured only by 3 set screws that match a channel on the lens barrel, such that the barrel is not deformed by the set screws and the adapter can therefore be removed with no damage.

Woohoo!!! Result! That's what i wanted. A name for it. I had no idea it was a T mount variant.

But note ~ all such T Mounts ... are all designed with the corresponding camera bayonet mount ready to fit to the camera.
^^^ is that purely your view? I don't think the barrel ending is bespoke for the interchangeable mount that slots over it.



As for the printer - trying to assimilate the info. I cannot have soggy papers hung out to dry. Now i know why they call hi-res inkjets "arty" - it's because people want them for one-offs that are then hung out to dry? May get a laserjet instead - but then i have to think how much load my table can bear. The better lasers that are affordable, are around 20kg.
 
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Hello, I'm very new to this forum and I'm having an issue with a lens mount. If this is the wrong place to ask my question, could somebody kindly point me to a more relevant thread (no pun intended). I have a very old Hanimex 500mm F8 mirror lens with some weird mounting system at the rear end. I always thought it was a T or a T2 mount but I've just taken the mount ring off to use on an astronomical telescope adaptor (that says it IS a T mount) and they are not compatible. Does anyone know what I've actually got, what I actually need, where to get one and/or who to ask?
 
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