Nikkor 5cm 1.4. To file or not to file?

[ferider]

Great job, Krosya !

You sure have noticed already, but if you leave the bracket off you loose the 1m "bump". No other function put pushing a little ball into the helical.

For anybody new to this: mark the location where you need to file with the M/LTM adapter on.

Cheers,

Roland.

 

[naruto]

The Nikkor 5cm F1.4 was optimized for F1.4 and close-up. I've got a test of it done in '91 by Pop photo. Interesting results, probably explained by the shift. F1.4 did better than F2, but by F4 all settles down. But, you have to enlarge quite a bit to see it.

In real life, it's never been a problem for me. I've used them for a long time.

Brian, do you have a scan of the article that you could put up?

Also, anyone has a link to the Nikon site for this lens? Do they have a page similar to Canon Camera Museum ?

I cannot wait to try out this lens. 🙂

 

[ferider]

Brian, do you have a scan of the article that you could put up?

Also, anyone has a link to the Nikon site for this lens? Do they have a page similar to Canon Camera Museum ?

I cannot wait to try out this lens. 🙂

Plenty of data on your lens, Ashwin 🙂 :

http://ferider.smugmug.com/gallery/2196270_eVajg

Cheers,

Roland.

 

[naruto]

Plenty of data on your lens, Ashwin 🙂 :

http://ferider.smugmug.com/gallery/2196270_eVajg

Cheers,

Roland.

Thanks Roland. 🙂

what's the size of the lens? I assume it's close to the Canon 50/1.5 in length? I am looking for a camera bag that will carry the M6TTL w/the canon or nikkor and some rolls of film.

 

[ferider]

Thanks Roland. 🙂

what's the size of the lens? I assume it's close to the Canon 50/1.5 in length? I am looking for a camera bag that will carry the M6TTL w/the canon or nikkor and some rolls of film.

It's tiny. Just a little bigger than the Canon. A little shorter than your DR Summicron. 43mm filter size. See the M3/Barnack photo in the gallery. The original hood reverses.

Cheers,

Roland.

 

[naruto]

It's tiny. Just a little bigger than the Canon. A little shorter than your DR Summicron. 43mm filter size. See the M3/Barnack photo in the gallery. The original hood reverses.

Thanks Roland. I think I will go with a crumpler or a similar shoulder bag. 🙂

 

[Krosya]

After playing with my newly adjusted to coupled close focus Nikkor 5cm/1.4 I had another pleasant surprise. I dont have any other LTM lens that focuses coupled down to .7m, so whenever I used Canon 7 I always assumed that this body only focuses down to 1m. Well, after putting the Nikkor on it (after modification) I was happy to find out that on Canon 7 it still focuses down to .7m COUPLED! So very cool. I'm so glad I took a chance and modified my Nikkor!

 

[tarullifoto]

Whats the best way to make sure that mounting thread will be intact after filing, so lens still will mount Ok? - any special technique?

Prayer and fasting, I'd expect... Man, you guys are way more brave than I am... 😉

 

[Krosya]

It really is easier than it sounds, I think. But not for everyone, I suppose. Yet well worth it.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

After playing with my newly adjusted to coupled close focus Nikkor 5cm/1.4 I had another pleasant surprise. I dont have any other LTM lens that focuses coupled down to .7m, so whenever I used Canon 7 I always assumed that this body only focuses down to 1m. Well, after putting the Nikkor on it (after modification) I was happy to find out that on Canon 7 it still focuses down to .7m COUPLED! So very cool. I'm so glad I took a chance and modified my Nikkor!

I've wondered about that myself- and I'm betting the Canon P and others do the same. As it is, one of mine follows the Nikkor 5cm f2 in to about 0.85m. It's wheel is a bit lower than the others.

I'm going to mod the J-3 for close focus, leave the nikkors though.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

That's why I like the J-3 Mod. The Helical can be removed from the mount, do the filing, clean it, then put the helical back in.

I have a spare 5cm F2 mount with bad (etched) optics. I will file that one before hacking an optics module from "something" onto it.

 

[Burlap Jacket]

My Nikkor 5cm/1.4 is currently with my repair guy (David Yau in Toronto) for a CLA. I'm still contemplating this mod. He says he could do it and even suggested that the RF would couple down to 1.5ft. Does that sound right? I tried to find some reference to the minimum focus distance for my M6TTL but haven't found anything.

Another issue a friend brought up is the liklihood of inaccurate framing through the vf due to paralax at close distance, something I hadn't considered.

 

[ferider]

My Nikkor 5cm/1.4 is currently with my repair guy (David Yau in Toronto) for a CLA. I'm still contemplating this mod. He says he could do it and even suggested that the RF would couple down to 1.5ft. Does that sound right? I tried to find some reference to the minimum focus distance for my M6TTL but haven't found anything.

Another issue a friend brought up is the liklihood of inaccurate framing through the vf due to paralax at close distance, something I hadn't considered.

Hi BJ,

if you let him do it, 2.3 ft is enough, that's as far as any Leica can do.

Reg. framing accuracy, on any Leica like the late M4p or younger, the 50mm framelines are calibrated for .7m min. focus (like with a newer Summicron). ZI and Bessa 50mm framelines are even smaller. If you use an M3, you can use the inner corners of the "slide frame", for anything closer than 1m. You will still feel the 1m bump, unless he explicitly disables it.

Thanks,

Roland.

 

[monochromejrnl]

It really is easier than it sounds, I think. But not for everyone, I suppose. Yet well worth it.

Congrats on the successful modification. Could you post two photos taken with your 'new' lens of the same subject focused at 1M and then focused at 0.7M to demonstrate the difference offered by this modification?

 

[Burlap Jacket]

Hi BJ,

if you let him do it, 2.3 ft is enough, that's as far as any Leica can do.

Reg. framing accuracy, on any Leica like the late M4p or younger, the 50mm framelines are calibrated for .7m min. focus (like with a newer Summicron). ZI and Bessa 50mm framelines are even smaller. If you use an M3, you can use the inner corners of the "slide frame", for anything closer than 1m. You will still feel the 1m bump, unless he explicitly disables it.

Thanks,

Roland.

Actually that bump was already disabled when I got the lens some time last year, unfortunately.

Thanks for the info on the minimum focus distance of the RF.

Like Monochromejournal I'd love to see comparisons with the lens wide open at 1m and .7m.

 

[Krosya]

Ok,
I did a quick shoot with Nikkor 5cm/1.4 at 1m and .7m. All handheld, so may not be all that sharp, as I was leanning back and forth with lens set at each distance to achieve focus for these. Some bokeh there as well 😉
Hope this helps:

At f1.4 and at .7m:

At f1.4 and 1m:

 

[Krosya]

Another version:

at .7m and f1.4:

and at 1m and f1.4:

 

[Krosya]

another set - both at F2 (as it was easier to nail the focus)

at .7m:

at 1m:

 

[Krosya]

More I play with this lens - more I like it and I'm glad I got Nikkor and not Canon 50/1.5 - not that Canon is a bad lens, but the fact that Nikkor can be adjusted to focus closer is really a HUGE benefit. Well at least to me.:

 

[naruto]

Thanks to Roland for the lens 🙂

here are a few test shots at f/1.4 and minimum focussing distance. using M6TTL and Arista 400 Premium in Xtol 1+3. forgive the poor scans, my scanner is just not up to it...

office essential tolls for working. 🙂

crop of point of focus

a self shot