best lens adapter for GH1?

N

Nicholas Natteau

Veteran
Does anyone know what the best lens adapter for the GH1 would be?

Someone happened to mention the Voigtlander F-adapter.

Has anyone used it? Is it hard to order? I haven't found it on BH Photo Video or Amazon. Not sure where to get it.

Any help much appreciated.

- Nick
 
A photography store examined my Novoflex MFT/NIK adapter and they concluded that it wasn't very good for attaching Nikon lenses. But Voigtlander F adapter seemed to have no problem with Nikon lenses.

The strange thing is I had no problem attaching my Zeiss lenses to the GH1 with the Novoflex MFT/NIK. The problem is with the Nikon lenses. That's what I don't understand, because the Novoflex adapter I have is specifically for Nikon lenses: it says "MFT/NIK".

- Nick
 
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Nicholas Natteau said:
A photography store examined my Novoflex MFT/NIK adapter and they concluded that it wasn't very good for attaching Nikon lenses. But Voigtlander F adapter seemed to have no problem with Nikon lenses.

The strange thing is I had no problem attaching my Zeiss lenses to the GH1 with the Novoflex MFT/NIK. The problem is with the Nikon lenses. That's what I don't understand, because the Novoflex adapter I have is specifically for Nikon lenses: it says "MFT/NIK".
Click to expand...

Can't help you with that specific adapter but the Novoflex MFT/SONY adapter works very well indeed.

What kind of Nikon lenses are you trying to attach? MF or AF lenses? If Zeiss in Nikon mount, it should be MF lenses... lots of pretty good adapters on eBay that DON'T cost a bomb (unlike the Novoflex, but then again, it provides me with aperture ring control for my Minolta/Sony AF lenses so I really can't complain as it's the only game in town).

You need to know what lens mount you have, even though it's Nikon lenses as the adapters are subtly different. The Novoflex adapter is specifically for Nikon AF lenses.
 
I'm trying to attach manual Nikon lenses. My Zeiss lenses are also manual. No problem with Zeiss but oonly with my Nikon lenses. My Zeiss lenses are ZF and my Nikon manuals are F mount lenses. Thanks for your help.
 
Let's be clear that we're talking about the new Novoflex adapters. Everything I've been able to find is somewhat confusing because of the different descriptions on various sites:

The Novoflex site describes the MFT/NIK this way, "With integrated aperture control ring. Therefore also for use with lenses that are not equipped with an aperture control ring anymore (i.e. Nikkor G-series)."

Adorama says, "Novoflex MFT/NIK Adapter Connects Nikon Lenses to Micro Four Thirds Camera Bodies ("G" & All Other Non-G Lenses)"

And these specify it for F lenses:
http://www.dpreview.com/news/0909/09091101novoflex.asp
http://photo.blorge.com/2009/09/11/novoflex-launches-adapters-for-micro-four-thirds-mounts/

Seems weird that it would be fine for Zeiss with ZF mounts and not work with Nikon F lenses.
 
That's exactly the one I have. No problem mounting Zeiss ZF lenses to it, my only problem is mounting manual Nikon lenses to the MFT/NIK adapter.

When I took it to Newtonville Camera, near Boston, they looked at this adapter and didn't think very highly of it. Then they pulled out a Voigtlander F adapter and mounted the nikon manual lens with no problem. I'm thinking of returning my MFT/NIK adapter and getting the Voigtlander instead.
 
Nicholas Natteau said:
That's exactly the one I have. No problem mounting Zeiss ZF lenses to it, my only problem is mounting manual Nikon lenses to the MFT/NIK adapter.

When I took it to Newtonville Camera, near Boston, they looked at this adapter and didn't think very highly of it. Then they pulled out a Voigtlander F adapter and mounted the nikon manual lens with no problem. I'm thinking of returning my MFT/NIK adapter and getting the Voigtlander instead.
Click to expand...

Seems like the number one reason to get the Novoflex over another Nikon adapter is so that you may use Nikon "G" lenses on the GH1, and adjust their apertures. If you aren't using Nikon "G" series lenses, the Voigtlander (or others) may be a better choice. If you can return the Novoflex and get the Voigtlander, that's probably the best course of action - now that you know for sure that the Voigtlander will work, and the Novoflex won't (for that nice 50mm f1.2 you've got), there doesn't seem to be much reason to keep it, especially if you aren't planning to use "G" series lenses.
 
Nicholas, one thing maybe you should check with the Voigtlander is if it focuses to infinity with your lenses. That's supposed to be another selling point of the Novoflex.

This is probably a stretch, but did you do the following, "On adapters with aperture control rings, the control ring needs to be rotated to the fully open position (clockwise for Nikon, counter-clockwise for K and Alpha mounts), before a lens is mounted. From this point, rotating the ring stops-down the aperture."
 
Hi Kerplunk. Thanks very much! Problem solved! But it looks like the Voigtlander would be easier to detach with the bigger knob on the side. Does the Voigtlander not focus to infinity?
 
Glad to hear that solved your problem!

I don't know whether the Voigtlander will focus to infinity or not. The knock on some adapters is that they don't, so I was just suggesting it might be a good idea to verify that the Voigtlander does focus to infinity with your lenses.
 
I see. I was just wondering why the Novoflex MFT/NIK has the blue ring? When you turn it to the left, you can't control aperture on the attached manual lens. When you turn to the right, you can. I'm just curious why they would have put the ring there. Why have the option of not being able to adjust aperture on the attached lens. I'm sure there's a valid reason. Just wondered whether you might know. Thanks again very much for your help.

- Nick
 
Some of the Zeiss primes have manual aperture rings that are very tight to the camera body when used without an adapter. I'm hoping the Novoflex will help some in that regard too.
 
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