Leica M to Sony E Close Focus Adapters

Introduction

Sony A7s with Leica 90mm 2.0 Summicron M (pre Asph) and VM-E Close Focus Adapter

Classic rangefinder lenses usually spot less staggering minimum focus distances compared to (D)SLR and the latest lenses for mirrorless cameras because of how focusing with rangefinder cameras works. In 2022 several manufacturers are offering close focus adapters. These adapters have their own additional helicoid which allows you to focus your lenses much closer than you could with a conventional adapter. I have used several of these myself, so let’s see which ones are worth the asking price.
Last Update: December 2024

Sample Images

Sony A7rII | 7artisans 28mm 1.4 | f/1.4 | Hawk’s Factory Close Focus Adapter

Sony A7 | Voigtländer Ultron 2.0/28 | f/2.0 | Voigtländer VM-E Close Focus Adapter

Sony A7rII | 7artisans 28mm 1.4 | f/1.4 | Hawk’s Factory Close Focus Adapter

Sony A7rII | Leica Summicron 90mm 2.0 pre-Asph | f/2.0 | Voigtländer VM-E Close Focus Adapter

What is the difference compared to a standard adapter?

In case the adapter is set to its parking/infinity position there is none, they work just like any other M-mount to E-mount adapter. But the close focus adapters double as an adjustable extension tube, thereby decreasing the minimum focus distance and increasing the maximum magnification of your lens. This is what the Voigtländer VM-E close focus adapter looks like with no extension and with maximum extension of 4 mm:

The effect is very strong on lenses with short focal lengths (wide angle lenses) and less so on longer (tele) lenses. In the table below you can see the differences an adapter with 4 to 4.5 mm extension makes when paired with some of the rangefinder lenses I have used:

Here is a comparison shot with the Zeiss ZM 35mm 1.4 showing the maximum magnification without extension and fully extended:

Are there any problems to be aware of?

For most older lenses which have a unit focus design it makes no difference whether you are using the adapter to focus or the lens’ focus ring, image quality will be the same.

For lenses with more complex optical designs (floating elements / internal focusing / rear focusing) this may not be entirely true: these lenses are optimized for a specific flange focal distance and will only show their full potential in case the flange focal distance is correct.

When extending the adapter, you are also using the lenses outside of the scope they have been designed for. I found fully extended most lenses don’t show entirely great wide open performance. The performance usually increases considerably when stopping down by just one stop.

Close Focus Adapters

Voigtländer VM-E Close Focus Adapter

The original VM-E close focus adapter was one of the first to hit the market it is still among the sturdiest and most durable I came across. It is an all brass construction and even after years of (ab)use it worked like new – it didn’t look like new anymore due to severe brassing though.
The problem with this adapter: it is also one of the heaviest at 125g, which is the reason I replaced it with a much lighter Hawk’s adapter.

If you want your close focus adapter to be as sturdy as possible in order not to introduce any unwanted tilt (especially when using heavier lenses) and don’t mind the high weight I can still highly recommend this one.

buy used from ebay.com | ebay.de starting at $100 (affiliate links)

Voigtländer VM-E Close Focus Adapter II

Voigtländer VM-E Close Focus Adapter II

Cosina fixed the one issue with the aforementioned first generation adapter: its high weight. This new version is more than 40% lighter at 72g. Despite the lower weight it feels as sturdy as the original.

If I was looking for a close focus adapter today and money was no object, this is the one I would be buying.

buy from B&H | ebay.com | ebay.de for $309 (affiliate links)

7Artisans Close Focus Adapter

The 7Artisans Close Focus adapter feels solid and also looks sturdy at first sight, but it definitely isn’t as sturdy as the aforementioned Voigtländer adapter. At 87g it is somewhere in the midfield weight-wise but at $59 it is surely one of the cheapest options.

I can only recommend this one if you are on a tight budget and mainly want to use lightweight lenses.

buy from amazon.de | B&H | ebay.com | ebay.de for $59 (affiliate links)

Quenox/Fotodiox Helicoid Adapter

This is easily the worst close focus adapter I ever laid hands on. Compared to all the others its diameter is huge, the operation very unpleasant due to a scratchy helicoid and on top of that it was also wobbly introducing unwanted tilt.

Not recommended.

buy from amazon.com for $65 (affiliate links)

Fotodiox PRO DLX Stretch Adapter

Despite the questionable choice of color and the focusing tab this looks like an exact copy of the Voigtländer adapter. The helicoid operation is also smooth, but the lens sits very wobbly in the adapter (if extended or not doesn’t matter) which can easily introduce tilt and therefore decrease your lens’ performance.

Not recommended.

buy from amazon.com | ebay.com | ebay.de for $110 (affiliate links)

Hawk’s Factory Close Focus Adapter

The Hawk’s Factory close focus adapters were one of the (or maybe the) first to hit the market. Their design has been steadily improved and the lastest version is V5. These are somewhat hard to get in Europe as they are manufactured in Taiwan and have to be ordered (and imported) from there or B&H.
These adapters are the most lightweight at 52g and they offer an unique yet amazing feature: an adjustable infinity hard stop (only on the later versions though).
This feature is what makes them my close focus adapter of choice, but the lightweight construction comes at a price: after a lot of use the helicoid has less resistance and the lenses don’t sit as tight as they used to.

The adjustable hard infinity stop and the low weight are stand-out features, but the long term durability unfortunately isn’t as good as that of the Voigtländer adapter. Still easily recommended for lightweight lenses and people that like actually functioning hard infinity stops.

buy from official homepage | B&H | ebay.com for $189 (affiliate links)

Shoten Close Focus Adapter

There are many close focus adapters I haven’t tried yet. The one I still think deserves to be mentioned here – as I heard/read a lot of good things about it – is the one from Shoten. It also offers the longest extension: 6 mm instead of the more common 4 to 4.5 mm.

buy from ebay.com | ebay.de for $108 (affiliate links)

Techart LM-EA9 Autofocus Adapter

This is not your average close focus adapter as it mainly uses the variable, motor drive extension to turn your manual focus M-mount lenses into autofocus lenses. It can still be used as a close focus adapter though. Best have a look at my review to find out more about this one, as it is too complex an adapter to fully cover in a few sentences here.

buy from official homepage | B&H | ebay.com for $399 (affiliate links)

Conclusion

Being able to use the small rangefinder lenses on a digital fullframe camera was one of the main reasons for me to get a camera from the A7 series in the first place. Their long minimum focus distance was a huge bummer compared to my DSLR lenses (e.g. Nikon AF-S 20mm 1.8G) though, so the Voigtländer VM-E Close Focus Adapter was one of the first accessories I bought for my Sony A7 back in 2015.

Sony A7III | 7Artisans 35mm 2.0 M Wen | f/2.0 | Close Focus Adapter

A lot has changed since then: we can choose from a wide variety of close focus adapters these days with different features and at different price points. What hasn’t changed: I am still using such adapters regularly.

Further Reading

• All reviews of M-mount lenses
• Bokeh explained
• Review: Mr. Ding 50mm 1.1
• Review: Sony FE 85mm 1.4 GM

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