Nikkor 5cm/2 collapsible

[dexdog]

I recently acquired a Nikkor 5cm/2 collapsible on eBay. Lens is in pretty good shape, a few light scratches on the front lens surface, but nothing major. Good contrast, nice color rendering, but would not win any awards for resolution. Serial number is 811 series. Several pics posted. I used this lens on a Canon P that I know to be a good performer, with a spot-on rangefinder. Bright sunny day using Fujicolor 200, exposure for most of the roll is 1/500 at f8 or f11. I will probably hang onto the lens because it would be great for portraits, or other situations where sharpness is not paramount. BTW, the posted pics have been sharpened using unsharp mask, radius 2.0.

Is this typical performance?

 

[Sonnar Brian]

Are those wide-open? I've got some shots scanned, on another computer. Will look for them.

Check the surfaces in front and back of the aperture for haze. 5 minute job. My collapsible Nikkor, same series as yours, is every bit as good as the late black-rim version that I have.

 

[dexdog]

not wide open, mostly at f8 or f11. Maybe a little haze on the element behind the aperture, when observed in a certain light. Any instructions that you could provide as to opening the lens up would be appreciated. I am fairly timid about discombobulating a lens, without clear instructions.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

The front group comes out using a rubber cork. rear group needs a special tool. But you can get to the surface after the aperture blades with the front section out.

 

[David Murphy]

Nice shots! Educate me, is this a Nikon-RF mount lens or LTM? Is it rare?

 

[dexdog]

This particular lens is LTM, and I believe that it is fairly uncommon. The lens was attached to a non-functioning Nicca 3S, which I will probably give away, or simply toss. The camera needs a new shutter and is not worth the investment to fix it up. Also, I have way too many cameras as it is.

 

[Highway 61]

Maybe a little haze on the element behind the aperture, when observed in a certain light.

Only the "stronglight test" (a Maglite closely pointed into the lens from the front when you look at the lens from the rear) in subdued environmental light can tell for actual haze in a lens.

This is sometimes a very scary experience because of what you may see - be prepared to sweat... :angel:

 

[Sonnar Brian]

My collapsible Nikkor did not require a strong light test to show the haze: readily apparent from the Ebay photo. It was close to opaque. Nikon started hard-coating lenses early, and it cleaned off perfectly. It was worth the gamble.

 

[Highway 61]

I wanted to say that only the Maglite test can tell that there is no haze in a lens.

Doing this I have seen terrible haze (which no other inspection method had shown) in a friend's Summicron 50/2.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

I was only trying to make clear that haze on a Nikkor will often clean up. On a Canon lens, often not so lucky.

I started using a super-bright LED flashlight for detecting haze. Took a pre-war uncoated Sonnar 5cm F1.5 apart yesterday, haze on all interior surfaces.

Cleaned up beautifully.
CZJ 5cm F1.5 Sonnar, wide-open on the M8, after cleaning.


Dexdog is sending the Nikkor to me, I'll post back after cleaning.

 

[splitimageview]

I've always wanted to pick up a Nikkor collapsible. My dad brought one back from Japan on an MIOJ Nicca and Kodachrome slides from that era are fantastic. Nice samples of this lens are very pricey.

 

[Highway 61]

I once had to use Miror to clean-up heavy haze on the rear elements of a CZJ Sonnar 50/2 T because nothing else could do the job - that haze was very, very, very sticky.

Worked super but removed the coating - with no photographic consequences, the lens performed absolutely superb after cleaning.

One of the advantages of uncoated lenses when it comes to vintage (and very often hazy) ones - you can remove haze by all means without any concerns re. the coatings.

Nice shot Brian.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

Just put this lens back together- indeed some splotchy, thick in places, haze on the surface behind the aperture ring. The hollow rubber cork grasps the serated rim of the front optics cell and it comes out easily. Some ammonia based eyeglass cleaner on lens paper wrapped around a Q-Tip did the trick. Some slight residual marks on the coating, visible shining a bright LED light through and viewing off-angle. A quick test on the EP2 looks good, I'll post a few test shots with the lens. This SN of this lens is just over 100 higher than mine; my lens came on a Nicca III, this one was on a IIIS. Probably one of the last collapsible Nikkor lenses made.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

Wide-open on the EP2

100% crop.

 

[furcafe]

I've only used mine wide-open or close to it & it seems fully comparable w/my rigid 5cm/2 Nikkor-H (although the collapsible is more flare-prone due to some cleaning marks) or any of my CZ or CZJ 50/2 Sonnars.

Don't have many examples scanned, but here's 1 (1/8th sec. @ f/2):

http://www.flickr.com/photos/furcafe/4962663344/

I recently acquired a Nikkor 5cm/2 collapsible on eBay. Lens is in pretty good shape, a few light scratches on the front lens surface, but nothing major. Good contrast, nice color rendering, but would not win any awards for resolution. Serial number is 811 series. Several pics posted. I used this lens on a Canon P that I know to be a good performer, with a spot-on rangefinder. Bright sunny day using Fujicolor 200, exposure for most of the roll is 1/500 at f8 or f11. I will probably hang onto the lens because it would be great for portraits, or other situations where sharpness is not paramount. BTW, the posted pics have been sharpened using unsharp mask, radius 2.0.

Is this typical performance?

 

[furcafe]

Brian:

Mine seems to collapse if you even look @ it the wrong way. Do you have any thoughts on how I might tighten up the lens so it doesn't collapse so easily?

Thanks, Chris

Just put this lens back together- indeed some splotchy, thick in places, haze on the surface behind the aperture ring. The hollow rubber cork grasps the serated rim of the front optics cell and it comes out easily. Some ammonia based eyeglass cleaner on lens paper wrapped around a Q-Tip did the trick. Some slight residual marks on the coating, visible shining a bright LED light through and viewing off-angle. A quick test on the EP2 looks good, I'll post a few test shots with the lens. This SN of this lens is just over 100 higher than mine; my lens came on a Nicca III, this one was on a IIIS. Probably one of the last collapsible Nikkor lenses made.

 

[dexdog]

Wide-open on the EP2

100% crop.

Wow, that looks great, Brian. Hardly seems like the same lens.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

It's amazing what internal haze does to a lens. I bought two Summarits really cheap, cleaned the haze out, like night and day. My Nikkor was "really Bad", looked like Wax Paper. Cleaned up beautifully, as did yours.

 

[dexdog]

It's amazing what internal haze does to a lens. I bought two Summarits really cheap, cleaned the haze out, like night and day. My Nikkor was "really Bad", looked like Wax Paper. Cleaned up beautifully, as did yours.

Brian, do you clean haze on the lens surface behind the aperture on a collapsible Summarit by unscrewing the front lens group and opening the aperture all the way for access? I have a really nice 1950s example with a slight amount of haze, and while it actually delivers decent pics as is, it would be good to have the small amount of haze cleaned.

 

[dexdog]

a couple of pics from my newly cleaned 5cm/2 collapsible Nikkor. The shots were taken in early afternoon, 1/500 at f4, el cheapo Fujicolor 200. Straight scan from the LS-50, no sharpening or contrast applied, just some cloning to remove the scratches caused by the local Target one-hour lab (some small marks from crap on the negatives still visible). First one is the normal size, second one a 100% crop of the center of the first pic. Yes, the colors were really that intense- a somewhat drizzly, overcast day.

Not bad for a lens made in 1948.