Do you customize your lenses

[JHutchins]

On another thread there was a picture of a 35 summicron that had been owned by Cartier-Bresson. There focus tab had been modified to look something like the tab/infinity lock on a 50 rigid summicron and it had a red triangle painted near the distance indicator. I've also read that he often put a red dot at four meters as he preferred to have the lens resting at that distance.

I always put a large white mark on my lenses so that it's at the high point of the lens when the lens is fit into the mount but before it's locked in to place. It makes it easier for me, in very dark places, to quickly orient and mount the lens. And I know some people cement end caps together so they can have two lenses back to back as a unit in their bags.

But I wonder if anyone else has any tricks or modifications they make to increase usability or performance?

 

[bayernfan]

this should be fun. i've created some make-shift lens hoods from step-up rings, but i've never felt a need to really mod/customize a lens.

very interested to see what others have done.

 

[Timmyjoe]

I've AI'd four Nikkor lenses from the late 1960's and early 1970's so I can use them not only on my Nikon F but also on all my other Nikon bodies.

Best,
-Tim

 

[Doug]

^Similarly, all my bayonet Voigtlander and Zeiss ZM lenses have gone to DAG for 6-bit coding.

 

[Rob-F]

I grind the cam on 40mm lenses such as the Summicron, Minolta M-Rokkor, and Voigtlander 40/1.4 Nokton, to bring up the 35mm framelines rather than the 50mm. After all, the whole point of using them is to frame with the 35mm framelines, which on the M6, M7, and MP are really 40mm framelines (while the 50mm framelines on these cameras are better suited for 60mm).

 

[rbiemer]

I once made a focus tab for my rigid Industar-50 using Fimo clay. And some super glue.
https://goo.gl/photos/qyNPVvhBrrN8Htgf9

Worked fairly well for about a year. Fell off the lens somewhere.

Rob

 

[seany65]

Do scratches and fingerprints on the glass and dents in the body, count?

 

[bayernfan]

I grind the cam on 40mm lenses such as the Summicron, Minolta M-Rokkor, and Voigtlander 40/1.4 Nokton, to bring up the 35mm framelines rather than the 50mm. After all, the whole point of using them is to frame with the 35mm framelines, which on the M6, M7, and MP are really 40mm framelines (while the 50mm framelines on these cameras are better suited for 60mm).

I had DAG machine the flange cam on my 40 M-Rokkor to bring up 35 lines. I really enjoy using it on my M2 and M4.

 

[michaelwj]

I modify lenses to varying degrees. Hoods and accessories too.
Modified hood;

Modified Leica Summilux 35mm focus tab (with above hood fitted);

I have a soft line that I try not to cross, which is modifying a lens irreversibly. The focus tab above can be removed and the original part fitted if someone wants to bring it back to original spec. I assume it will have a life beyond my use (at least if someone wants it).

 

[Ko.Fe.]

I'm adding plastic tie on lenses which are missing focus tab. If possible. If not possible, I sell them unmodified.

 

[ruby.monkey]

I've taken the infinity locks off a few of my lenses, and added a TAAB to my Canon 50mm f/1.2 (a horrible lens to grip otherwise), but have never really modified anything.

 

[mdarnton]

I had an 85/1.8 RF Canon that I used on my M3s. In order to facilitate mounting, I carefully filed a round notch on the silver back grip of the lens where a red dot would be, so I could feel it in the dark (I was doing a lot of theater shooting at the time).

 

[Calzone]

The only custom lens I own is this one-off I had Frank Marshman build for me by merging together two lenses: one was a Fuji 100/3.5 AE that has multicoated glass; and the other lens was an old silver barreled Fuji 100/3.5. that became a donor for the lens barrel. These lenses are for the Fuji "Texas Leicas," the GL690, and GM670.

The 100/3.5 AE had a dead CdS cell so I got it cheap. It had perfect glass which I had Frank install on the old silver barreled version which I also got for cheap. Understand that only the AE lens has multicoating, and all other lenses for the GL690 and GM670 are all single coated. I have a one of a kind lens.

Cal

 

[radi(c)al_cam]

Certainly, to an extent, yes 🙂

E.g.: A permanent marker («Sharpie», «Edding» or the like) is helping when some figures of the the non-metric scale are too close to the correct scale — but some of you might see it exactly the other way around 😉

 

[Erik van Straten]

As I am far-sighted I make on some lenses (the Summar for instance) a small red mark on the f/stop scale at f/5.6 so I can find that f/stop without my glasses on.

Erik.

 

[Alberti]

I have had a Nikkor-HC adjusted to allow close focus to 75 cm. To do that, a small part of the inner ring needs to be taken out. This makes the lens useful in daily practice as 1 meter is not handsome when taking portraits close up.
I also had an M-rokkor 40mm adjusted for 35 mm frames. Too bad I can't do that on a Rokkor 28 (shows 35 while I want 28; would imply adding some metal. Should ask a dentist 😀 ).

 

[maddoc]

I modified a J-12 in Kiev mount to fit my Nikon S2, to avoid scratching the front of the camera when mounting the lens. I also "adjusted" the focal length of a 53/1.8 Helios-103 to use it with the S2.