Nikon 13.5 SM lens in chrome.....

[steve garza]

I may attempt a variation....i.e., going out with one lens at a time and see if there's any effect on my shots.

 

[SDK]

I have been eying the black one myself, after liking the chrome one, and loving my black 85/2.

The Heron was taken in a "voltiere" (not sure if this word exists in English ?).

We have some places here (Oakland) were you can get close enough,
but this one was not free.

Roland.

Salut Roland,

I just got the lens in today and it looks pretty good for a 50+ year old optic. There is just slight internal haze behind the front element. I don't think it will hurt contrast too much. I cant wait to try her out (sorry for the sexism, but the barrel design seems distinctly feminine).

Two oddnesses. First is that the focusing index is off very far from vertical, about 15 degrees clockwise (looking from the front). Can this be adjusted? Second is that the tripod mount on the lens can wiggle a bit from side to side. Should I just tighten the two big screws holding it onto the barrel?

I've not been able to find "voltiere" in the French-Enlish dictionaries on line, but I'm guessing from context perhaps "aviary" is what we might call it. An aviary being a building or large room where birds are kept in a zoo. Am I close?

 

[ferider]

Salut Roland,
I just got the lens in today and it looks pretty good for a 50+ year old optic. There is just slight internal haze behind the front element. I don't think it will hurt contrast too much. I cant wait to try her out (sorry for the sexism, but the barrel design seems distinctly feminine).

I understand, Motorcycles, lenses and Leicas ... 🙂

Regarding the haze: the part of the lens in front of the aperture can simply be unscrewed, by unscreweing counterclockwise the barrel in front of the aperture ring (will require a bit of force). You can then look at the aperture and at the element in front of the aperture (and clean it if this is the dirty one).

Two oddnesses. First is that the focusing index is off very far from vertical, about 15 degrees clockwise (looking from the front). Can this be adjusted?

This is actually normal, SDK. When you look from the front of the lens
towards the camera around 1 o'clock, right ? Somebody once
explained me to me why (Kim, I think) but I cannt find the thread anymore.
All my old Nikkors and Canons do that. I don't think its easily adjustable. Also, the lens's RF tongue should be at 12 o'clock from the same view.

Second is that the tripod mount on the lens can wiggle a bit from side to side. Should I just tighten the two big screws holding it onto the barrel?

Yes. Its a simple piece of metal held to the barrel via those two screws.
I always liked the tripod mount, because I think the lens is just too long
to mount on my precious M3 and have the M3 baseplate take the weight
when on a tripod. And yes, I do use my rangefinders on tripods ...

I've not been able to find "voltiere" in the French-Enlish dictionaries on line, but I'm guessing from context perhaps "aviary" is what we might call it. An aviary being a building or large room where birds are kept in a zoo. Am I close?

Just checked with my better half and you are right. My word of the day 🙂

Cheers,

Roland.

 

[vrgard]

Roland, is that 1 o'clock position so that you can easily see it when peering over the top of the camera from the back while shooting and trying to look around/past an external viewfinder as is commonly used with longer lenses?

 

[ferider]

Roland, is that 1 o'clock position so that you can easily see it when peering over the top of the camera from the back while shooting and trying to look around/past an external viewfinder as is commonly used with longer lenses?

Makes sense Randy. Forgot about external finders ... Thanks,

Roland.