Nikkor 50mm f/2 HC LTM owners - do your index marks line up?

[Robert Lai]

I recently purchased a Nippon Kogaku Tokyo Nikkor-HC (red C) 1:2 f=5cm lens from a fellow RFFer. Serial number 6178xx. It had a dented filter ring (notable flat), and some haze, but otherwise the body looked in excellent condition. Front and rear lens surfaces looked perfect.

So, I sent the lens to DAG, who overhauled it. The lens came back with the filter ring all round again, glass and aperture blades are clean. He also found that the lens was not properly focusing at infinity, and adjusted that. While it was with DAG, I had him mill the lens mount so that the RF cam can couple to 0.7m. Now that its back, I discovered that my IIIF will RF couple to 3 feet instead of the typical 1m (3.3 ft).

The only thing that I noticed is that the focus index and the aperture indices are not lined up. The focus is at the 11:00 position (as you hold the camera for shooting), and the aperture index is at 1:00.
I asked Don about this, and he said that he doesn't know enough about the early Nikon lenses to know if the indexes vary in their position.
I've tried to see pictures of this lens on line to see if other lenses don't "line up" the focus and aperture indices.

So, I ask those of you who own this lens to please let me know if this is typical for this lens. If all your indices line up, then I'll send the lens back to Don to try to get them to line up.

 

[farlymac]

Like on this one?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/RARE-Nikon-...60587980?pt=Camera_Lenses&hash=item3a8c3811cc

PF

 

[Robert Lai]

Thanks for responding, but that's a 25mm lens with the aperture setting at the front of the lens. Mine is a 50mm lens with a separate aperture ring on the lens body. I just needed to know if mine was OK, or needed to have an adjustment.

 

[Dez]

Hi, Rob,

That strange arrangement seems to be standard. When I re-lubed the focus mount of your lens, I tried to find a way to change the aperture position, as it seemed to make more sense to have the aperture scale centered on the top of the lens or against the focus index mark, but I couldn't find a way. The optical unit has a keyway locating it in the focus mount, and some significant surgery would be required to change it.

Here is another 50 I recently acquired, with the same positioning.



Also, here is a 1.4. Note that the 1.4 aperture mark is aligned with the focus mark, with the f2 mark off to the side in the same position as it is in the f2 lens. Maybe that is of significance.



When you consider that it is the index rather than the scale which moves with these lenses, the positioning seems very strange, but that's the way they built them. Hopefully someone can enlighten us as to why they did it this way.

Cheers,
Dez

 

[farlymac]

Thanks for responding, but that's a 25mm lens with the aperture setting at the front of the lens. Mine is a 50mm lens with a separate aperture ring on the lens body. I just needed to know if mine was OK, or needed to have an adjustment.

I couldn't find a photo of the 50, but thought it interesting that the 25 was the same way. And Dez is on to something with the two fifties he has.

PF

 

[Mackinaw]

My Nikkor 50/2.0 LTM is exactly like that shown in Dez’s picture.

Jim B.

 

[John E Earley]

My Nikkor 50/2.0 LTM is exactly like that shown in Dez’s picture.

Jim B.

Likewise here on mine.

 

[Robert Lai]

Well, that's a relief!

Thanks, DEZ for letting me know that they're basically all like that.
It saves me from sending it back to DAG unnecessarily.
It has become one of my favorite lenses. It is small, but quite dense. I love how it can focus so closely.

I'm planning on comparing the Nikkor HC to my collapsible Summicron that DAG also overhauled. This Summicron happens to have a perfect front element.

 

[Pioneer]

Mine is the same. I have a collapsible Cron and the Nikkor. The Cron is a bit more portable but I prefer the Nikkor's image rendering. The Nikkor is certainly a heavy, solid lens. However, since we are discussing 60 year old lenses then your copies could be completely opposite from mine.

 

[johannielscom]

I have a Tanar H.C. 2.0/50mm LTM, which is a close copy of the Nikkor H.C. So close, I'm thinking it is simply rebranded...😕

My focusing index and aperture index do not line up, when the lens is set to 2.0, the focusing index mark is between 2.0 and 2.8.

I'm set on selling the lens but took it out today to test shoot it and it is kinda nice...🙄

 

[Erik van Straten]

My Nikkor 50/2.0 LTM is exactly like that shown in Dez’s picture.

Mine (714364) too, but it lacks the screw that is visible on Dez' f-stop ring.

Erik.

 

[Robert Lai]

Erik,
Mine has two screws on the ring, located about 90 degrees and 180 degrees from the f/2 location.

I am also amazed at how "fast" the focusing is. From infinity to 3.3 feet takes only 100 degrees of rotation of the focusing ring. From there it is another 180 degrees to 1.5 feet.

 

[computer controlled]

I recently got a copy of this lens, and mine is the same way.

 

[Alberti]

Opening an old thread.
I got one, and the difference is only a few "minutes": it is almost lined out. Also see this all chrome offer.



By the way mine is a "last" version, scale starts at 50-30 feet, has a chrome coated thread and slim/unribbed front ring; the older version starts with 50-25 ft, bronze thread, ribbed front retaining ring. So as far as I have seen there are at least two versions. Mine is sometimes called 'black belt'.

While it was with DAG, I had him mill the lens mount so that the RF cam can couple to 0.7m. Now that its back, I discovered that my IIIF will RF couple to 3 feet instead of the typical 1m (3.3 ft).

I will do this too: the back of the lens protudes, and hinders the RF wheel. It will not go beyond about 1m (just before the 3ft line; there is a slight recess in the focussing there) & I will have to take out a mm or so of the ring so it will engage to 2 ft. The L-M adapter has a bigger recess.

I am thinking of doing it myself. Mark the RF wheel spot. Just take out the file after taping up the back opening. Whay do you guys think. Is it doable on your own?​

 

[Robert Lai]

The vibrations could ruin your alignment inside the lens, and the filings may get into the helicoids. I would say to do the job properly, you need to do it as DAG did. That is, remove the lens mount flange, mill it, then reinstall it.

To do it yourself would make very ugly your otherwise pristine lens.