Adapters with glass elements in them.

[nhodgkinson]

I'm wanting to use Zeiss C/Y lenses of which I have a few and there are some parafocal Minolta zooms I'd like not to mention a few other curiosity lenses but I've a Nikon mount so due to the flange distance non of these lens will fit on.
When I first looked for adapters I noticed that there is a company that makes adapters with glass elements in them meaning that I can use these lenses on my Nikon mount but I never heard of anyone taking about them. It's always said that if it wont fit due to negative flange registry that's it, get a new camera or new glass.
Why is this? Are these adapters with the elements so bad? Dose no one make good ones?

 

[KmH]

The glass element is there to allow the lens to be used at infinity focus.
An adapter for use on a Nikon DSLR/SLR will have a different glass element from the same adapter intended for use on a Canon SLR/DSLR because Nikon and Canon cameras have different Flange Focal Distances.

If the glass element is not a high quality optical element it can cause image quality loss by softening focus, or adding other optical aberrations.

An adapter without a glass element won't be able to be focused at infinity, but with no glass element there is significantly less chance of the adapter causing image quality degradation.

 

[Derrel]

About seven or eight years back, I bought an inexpensive m42 lens to Nikon F adapter, with glass element system in it, from Fotodiox, probably the largest retailers of adapters and step rings in the USA. I tried it with Asahi 135/3.5 and 200/4 lenses and Vivitar 55/2.8 SeriesOne macro lenses. All three of those are very fine imagers, fine lenses by even today's standards. The results were, I guess, about what one might expect for a low-cost adapter.Amazon.com Fotodiox Lens Mount Adapter M42 42mm x 1 Thread Screw Lens to Nikon Camera for Nikon D7100 D7000 D5200 D5100 D3100 D300 D300S D200 D100 D50 D60 D70 D80 D90 D40 D40x N70s D80 D800 D800e D4 D3 D2 D1 Camera Photo

I see on their page that they have a $34.95 Minolta MD lens to Nikon F adapter that appears more substantial, and which might be better in terms of quality. My particular adapter's quality was so disappointing that I used it for exactly one day's testing, and decided it was just intolerable with all three lenses.

 

[nhodgkinson]

Yeh I've seen these adapters, e-bay's full of them for around £30. I thought they would be bad. If you look at a respected company like Metabones their adapters cost in the 100's. I'd be quite happy to pay this if it gave me access to a rage of lenses like the old Minoltas or the Zeiss C/Y's but I guess what I'm looking for dose not exist. Thanks for the heads up, if anyone's come across good quality ones anywhere please leave a note.