Nikkor-N 1.1/5cm

Not only the Japanese lens maker published the diagrams, but it looks like some made more effort with patent protection than others. Zeiss has most, LEICA some, Canon less, NIKON and Pentax havn't many patents on lenses. After all you need a lot more information, glass type and stuff, to copy a lens as just diagrams. Even the patent diagrams don't include all information, i.e. hide enlargement of front elements in order to increase edge illumination (less light falloff). 62mm is a good filter size. The Canon has 72mm. Noctilux 1/50 has 60, and light-falloff is quite visible.
 
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Raid: I really liked seeing your test shots from the 1.1. Those are the only shots I've ever seen taken by the lens, other than a few poorly reproduced images from the 1950s. I looks like a marvelous lens.
 
Vince:I was lucky by making a mistake and getting reasonably sharp images out. I left out the Nikon-Contax adapter. Maybe you experts on the history of lenses can tell me whether the Nikkor 50mm/1.1 was ever built in the Contax mount.

Kiu wants his lenses back, and I don't blame him. I will take another good look at the Nikkor before mailing it to him. :)

Raid
 
VinceC said:
That's interesting. I wonder why Schneider-Kreuznach never built and marketed the 50mm f/1.2 lens in this 1930 patent? There was a need for a fast optic in the era of slow films.

Total production of the Nikkor 1.1 was about 3,000 lenses ... it was an expensive specialty optic mainly for professional photographers whose equipment was bought by their companies.

The book "Nikon Rangefinder Camera" by Robert Rotoloni, says the Nikkor 1.1 was first built and sold in early1956 when Nippon Kogaku was "able to produce a lens that would have been impossible just a year earlier. Due to advances in surface coatings and glass technology that allowed for split elements and air spacing, February 1956 saw the introduction of the super fast 50mm f1.1 Nikkor-N."

It sounds as though manufacturers needed to develop new skills, expertise, materials and methods to achieve the ideas presented in the 1930 patent.
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I think the lack of anti-reflective coatings in 1930 was probably another factor. The light losses and internal reflections without them would probably be horrific.
 
Kiu, do you have a diagram of the Olympic Nikkor-S as well ? I read you have the S3-2000. I'm quite tempted by this lens and camera; it seems to me the prices of chrome one have fallen.
 
I'm not sure I've ever seen a diagram of the Olympic Nikkor. It is similar to, but not identical to, the SLR version (smaller rear element, closer to film).
 
I read somewhere it's based on the regular RF Nikkor-S 1.4/50 with one element thickened. If so, it would be a Sonnar type, and Sonnars usually not found on SLRs...

On the other hand, when they made it originally 1964, it would make sense if they have had adopted their latest and best lens of that time, which probably was the newest SLR lens design.
 
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It behaves differently from a Sonnar (I own an actual Sonnar, a classic Nikkor and the reissued Nikkor-2000/Millenneum). I've heard others say it's based on a double-Gauss/Planar design.

Physically, the Olympic/Millenneum is much larger than the Sonnar/Nikkor-S. The rear element is as large as physcially possible within the limits of the Nikon/Contax lens mount, and unlike the Sonnar, it is flat or close to flat. The center of the lens -- halfway between front and back -- is quite "fat" compared to the Sonnar design. The front elements are much further from the film plane. Without disassembling it, the lens really does resemble an SLR Nikkor 50/1.4 ... similar flat rear element, similar front element ... however, it sits closer to the film plane than the SLR lens does.
 
Sonnar2 said:
Kiu, do you have a diagram of the Olympic Nikkor-S as well ? I read you have the S3-2000. I'm quite tempted by this lens and camera; it seems to me the prices of chrome one have fallen.
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Hi Frank,
Unfortunatly I do not, the original version came out as a special release and was only available on very late SP's and the so called "Olympic S3" which was a special release of black S3,with a lotta Nikon F stuff I might add,commemorating the 1964 summer Olympics held in Japan, it was a direct competition to the Canon 7s being sold at the same time.
I have never seen the formula of this revised version anywhere, which is said to be the same formula as the reissue for the millenium edition with modern coating.

Regards,

Kiu

BTW, I have been visiting your website, very very interesting but GAS producing:)
 
Thank you. GAS is a dangerous desease, I know..
A formular of the (1962/ SLR) Nikkor-S 1.4/50mm can be found at the active Malaysian Nikon community: http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/companies/nikon/nikkoresources/50mmnikkor/index2.htm
lens designer Zenji Wakimoto, patent: http://www.google.com/patents?vid=USPAT3560079&id=BMNTAAAAEBAJ&dq=3560079
Gaussian objectives with 7 lenses and *two* cemented groups came out of fashion in the last 25 years, at least with the top lens makers... Nikon changed it later to a more common 7/6 design.
cheers Frank
 
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