Nikon G lens to Leica M 240 adapterToday I received the adapter I ordered to connect a Nikon lens, including G lenses, to a Leica M 240 -- combining two of my favorite camera systems. The interesting thing about this adapter is that it allows you to open and close the aperture of the G lens. Since I shoot both Nikon and Leica professionally, having this adapter will allow me to bridge the two systems. I often carry both a Leica and Nikon system with me when I do travel photography.
Adapters like this are readily available on eBay for around $45. Nikon G lenses do not have an external aperture ring. To use them you will need an adapter that can open and close the lens diaphragm. Adapters are also available that do not synch with a G lens. Make sure you have the right one if you plan to pick one up. Note that on the adapter photo below there is an external ring with the words "Lock" and "Open" on it. Turning this ring opens and closes the G lens aperture.
I didn't expect any of the lens data to make its way to the final image, and was surprised to learn that the camera was at least able to figure out the aperture that was used. There are no f/stop markings on the adapter and the control ring moves smoothly without any clicks so you can't use it to count the stops. What I did was rack the diaphragm open, note the shutter speed, and then slowly close the aperture while watching the shutter speed change. Each change in shutter speed indicates a corresponding change in the aperture.
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| The "lock--open" ring on the adapter turns to open and close the Nikon G lens aperture. |
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| The new EVF (electronic view finder) on the Leica M 240 is going to make connections like this possible. I expect to see a flood of such adapters becoming available. |
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| Here is Nikon's latest 70-200mm f/4 G lens adapted to the Leica M 240. Not only does it work, it works well! |
Here are a couple of sample images that show the results you can expect. There is a link below the image to download a high res version.
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| This sort of precise alignment with the sun just peeking out from behind the blossoms was hit or miss using a rangefinder viewfinder. The new EVF finder on the Leica M make it as precise as on DSLR. Taken with the new Nikon 70-200mm f/4 lens. |
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| The new World Trade Center is seen out of focus in the background of these blossoms taken with the new Nikon 80-400mm zoom lens on the Leica M 240. |
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| A new Nikon 80-400mm zoom lens mounted on the Leica M 240. Awesome! |
Conclusion:I suppose the most important thing I can say about this adapter is that it works. It was made in China, not to the most exacting standards. While it fit snugly on the Leica -- maybe even a bit too snugly -- I did detect a bit of wobble on the adapter-to-lens side. This didn't seem to cause any problems with resolution, as the sample photos above will attest, but it is disconcerting. Hopefully, as the new Leica M 240 enters the mainstream, other manufactures will come out with more precisely machined adapters.
I will use this adapter primarily for mounting long telephoto lenses or a macro lens onto the Leica. I don't see much reason for using it with mid-range lenses where a real Leica lens would be a much better option. Of course, that said, I did try it out with the Nikon 24-120mm f/4 zoom, and found it quite handy to carry as an all around lens.
I prefer using the long Nikon lenses on the Leica as opposed to the actual Leica-R lenses because the R lenses rack out much more than the Nikon lenses do beyond the infinity setting. I find this makes the R lenses more difficult to focus on the Leica M 240.
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