Have a vintage camera you love but cannot find filters to fit the lens? Want to attach a lens hood to your vintage camera but there is no thread to attach a hood?
Consider exploring the world of Series camera accessories. Series accessories were developed pre-WWII and used extensively through the 1970s as a way to cut down on the expense of film camera accessories, especially over a range of non standard camera sizes. The idea was that you could purchase a full set of filters, hoods and other accessories in one series and through the use of adapter rings, adapt them across a narrow range of cameras.
On our website Songofsnow Books & Photo, at www.songofsnow.com, we carry some adapters and filters that are designated as:
In addition to Series designation you will also find thread pitch designation such as M49 to F55 or 42 SO series 6.
Except for rare and unusual vintage cameras, you will not have any problem fitting pitch to camera. Medium pitch fits most cameras and fine is used mainly in smaller set-ups.
Other : For medium format Cameras as Hasselblad, Mamiya RB/RZ and Rollei SLX/SL66, there are some bayonet mount adapters available on a limited basis.
Series 9 filters and adapters are also popular with movie makers and can be quite expensive and hard to find.
What you need to do to fit your camera with a Series Adapter and Accessory:
- If your camera lens is threaded on the accessory end - measure the diameter of your lens by placing a metric ruler across the face of the lens. Select the Series designation closest to your lens diameter.
- If your camera lens is NOT threaded on the accessory end - take a strip of paper and wrap it around the outside of the lens accessory end, mark and measure the distance around the lens, you will need this measurement in both inches and mm
- Use the mm reading to determine the nearest matching series size
- Use the inches reading to look within that series designation for a Slip Over adapter ring size the same or slightly larger than your inches measurement.
- Series FILTERS are threadless so you will need your adapter PLUS a retaining ring to create a filter holder.
- To add a Lens hood you will only need the adapter and the hood. No retaining ring is necessary.