Sony E body + M42 lens

COMPATIBLE MF MA SB MAC TS

M42 lenses can be easily adapted to Sony E.

Some quick calculations will show that you'll need a 27.46 mm wide adapter ring with an E-mount and M42 receptacle respectively. The E-mount lock on the frame sticks out on a hole in the right place on the ring.

One thing worth mentioning: some M42 lenses have a small lever which is responsible for operating the diaphragm. On the simpler, older M42 lenses the shutter will react according to the values set on the calibration dial only when this bit is pressed in. Not all adapter rings are fit for these, since there are two versions manufactured: one with aperture ring and one without it (this issue usally comes out with older Helios optics, the newer M42 lenses have an A-M switch, which allows using full manual mode, thus the aperture will be on the set value without having to use a separate bit).

The aperture ring can cause problems in one more case: if the lens has an aperture value feedback mechanic (a small sticking out red lever). This lever may touch the bezel and get the whole aperture control stuck. The SMC Takumar 1.4/50 is also has this feature, which means it needs an adapter without a bezel or you'd need to sand off a few milimeters from it. On the figure below you can see an adapter without a bezel, it's clearly visible why you'd have troubles with the other type.

As for the adapter ring brands, there is a huge assortment of them from noname ones to major manufacturers' solutions.

In most converters, the M42's threaded receptacle is a separate ring within the whole unit, which is fixed by three small bolts. After loosening the bolts, the thread can be turned within the converter, allowing to set the lens precisely, with the numbering on top.

Another extra adapter type is the M42-NEX tilt-shift converter, which is easy to install and operate. Find them over here:

If you're interested in small things, macro adapters are also available. This will move the lens a bit away from the sensor (shortening the near focus point) without interfering with the imaging capabilities of the lens. Some can be found here:

Last but not least, speedbooster adapters come with an extra lens, that shrinks the fullframe M42 image to the APS-C sensor's size (A6000, A6300, A6500) with some loss of quality. AF and manual versions can be found here:

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