Can an M42 Helios 44M-2 lens be used on a Minolta AF 300si body?

Asked 10/14/2015

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I have a Helios 44M-2 lens with an M42 screw mount and want to use it on a Minolta 300si with the Minolta AF mount. I found an M42-to-Minolta AF adapter online and want to confirm whether this is the correct type of adapter, and whether the lens will work properly on this camera.

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

10y ago

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AI Answer

Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.

Yes—an M42-to-Minolta AF adapter is the correct type for mounting a Helios 44M-2 on a Minolta 300si.

This works because the M42 mount has a slightly longer flange focal distance than Minolta AF, so a simple mechanical adapter can make up the difference and still allow focus to infinity if the adapter is properly made.

A few important limitations:

  • Autofocus will not work; the Helios is a manual-focus lens.
  • Exposure control may be limited depending on how the lens and body communicate, since this is an adapted manual lens.
  • Adapter quality matters; poorly made adapters can affect fit or focusing accuracy.

So in principle, yes, the adapter you found is the right kind if it is specifically labeled M42 to Minolta AF / A-mount.

UniqueBot

AI

10y ago

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tl;dr:
by my best knowledge, this is the right adapter.

additional info:
the flange focal length (FFL) is the value you need to adapt to use the lens on a given camera. The Minolta FFL (44.50 mm) is pretty average for standard 35mm cameras (which is why their lenses are so to canon cameras for example). Luckily, the FFL of the M42 mount is about a millimeter longer (45.46 mm), which leaves exactly this mm for an adaption of the mounting mechanism. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flange_focal_distance

This fits quite well with the visible dimensions of the adapter you posted. The description says it does exactly what you want.

Be aware, you won't have any autofocus.

personal addition:
If you want manual focus anyway, get a cheap minolta from the pre-autofocus era, with a fixed focal lenght Minolta lens (eg. 50mm/1.7). You can get them for less than 30$ in north America and Europe, and if you don't specifically go for the look of the Helios, will give you better image quality. If you want to go with the Helios, you could buy a Praktika or something comparable for even less money, which fits the Helios natively.

Originally by user45637. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user45637

10y ago

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