Contax/Kiev lens at Nikon RF

[Jochen]

I am looking for a Nikon SP2 and would like to use my Helios-103. There are a lot off comments regarding Kiev/Contax lenses to use with a Nikon. Some say "don'I fit at all" and others "only the engravings an the focus-scale is wrong" and anything between this oppinions.

But what is the fact in practical use? Close focus pictures under 3 meters are not necessary for me, and for landscapes I don't use open apertures. Mostly I use 5,6 to 11.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

Do you mean a Nikon S2 or a Nikon SP? Those are available, the SP2 is a rare prototype.

Helios-103: what year is yours? I use and have adapted several for Nikon. Some- I had to file the mount "here and there", but was also required to fit the same lens on a Contax. I found 1981 and 1982 lenses to be the better machined.

At F4- you will not have any issue with focus. At F1.8, used at minimum focus, unloosen the set screws of the mount, unscrew the barrel 1/2 turn, and tighten the set screws. Done.

 

[Jochen]

Sorry, of course I look for a Nikon S2 not SP2.

Thanks for your information. So I can buy a body only.

 

[wlewisiii]

I did what Brian just told you to do and it works a treat on my S2. It's a lovely lens it's just that when you own a Nikkor 50/1.4 it does get a bit outclassed 😉

That said, I'm really really glad that I own it. Being a double gauss rather than a sonnar it has a different look and that is what you want sometimes.

 

[Jochen]

What about the rangefinder? Is it correct?

 

[Sonnar Brian]

What about the rangefinder? Is it correct?

Yes- my RF is spot on. The RF in all of my Nikons are spot on.

I did modify one Nikon S2 for use with Contax lenses, changed the shims under the helical and then calibrated the Rangefinder. BUT- that one is not the one used here.

 

[Jochen]

I wanted to know, if the rangefinder of the Nikon ist correct with a Kiev lens.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

Absolute agreement at all ranges- no.
Good enough for using the lens as you describe, yes.

 

[Jochen]

thank you, but "good enough" is not "good". Will I see misfocus on print upto 30x45 cm?

 

[Sonnar Brian]

These are with the Helios-103 adjusted for the Nikon as mentioned. Back off set screws, unscrew 1/2 turn, tighten- Done.
On my Nikon. Scan of full image, then 100% crop.

 

[Jochen]

Thank you Brian. So I can spend a lot of money for films.

 

[TenEleven]

Just be aware that some Helios 103 are not right out of the box for either Kiev or Contax as well. Obviously adding a Nikon to the mix will not improve things.
A piece of ground glass (an old focus screen) and peeping the focus at infinity should tell you if it's at least ballpark correct.

As Brian stated, don't worry about the small differences on film.
Yes the Nikon Rangefinder has a different gain (set to 51.6mm - the standard Nikon chose over Contax/Kiev 52.4mm as "normal" lens) but at least on my "NikoTax S2" (which I modified similar to Brian by thickening the lens mount shim by about 0.03mm & re-setting infinity to match since the S2 uses a Leica style roller to gauge the extension of the helical VS gears on the Contax) - I have had no issues even with the 85/2 wide open.

Also as a sort of general point of order, even Leitz lenses have some variance as to their accuracy of the RF alignment and how the infinity position is set. It's been 60+ years and it was "good enough" back then and it's good enough now. If you absolutely need to nail focus dead on get an SLR that has been serviced. (And stop down to do the focus.)

I have shot cameras that were quite out of alignment (one was a Leica II (D) someone had taken all the shims out of...not the easiest camera to check focus on either...) before I caught on. And yet, most of my out of focus pictures were user error.

 

[Joerg]

My experience is that 50mm and below will work fine.

Best

 

[maddoc]

I have a Nikon S2 and the Helios-103, did the modification as described by Brian above in the thread. Focus is not much of an issue with my copy, the lens is just not really sharp at any distance. Even my J-12 in Kiev-mount gives much better results with my Nikon S2. Given the cost of film, I wouldn't bother experimenting with that lens but get the H-C-NIKKOR 5cm/f2.0, which is an excellent lens for very reasonable money in S-mount. I have that lens, too, and it is outstanding.

 

[Jochen]

Thank you all.
I ordered now a Nikon S2 body in Japan. If I need topmost quality, I use my Fuji GS645S, which has the same weight as the Nikon, or my Texasleica, which has sadly double the weight.