Repair: Nikkor-P 105mm f/2.5 Auto

17 Apr 2017 28 Comments

by richardhaw in nikon,lens repair,lens maintenance,nikon repair,, Nikon,museum,classic lenses,, Uncategorized

Hello, everybody! I am currently very tired and stressed from work and all this repairs and camera blogging thing that is a huge part of my life. We all strive to perfect ourselves with practice and research. Nobody was born a master and we must all pass through these hardships in order to reach our goal. While we can argue that nothing is perfect, we can all agree that there are many things which we can consider to be near-perfect. I know a Nikkor lens family that can claim to be that and that is our subject this week, a lens family that’s close to perfection that it has become a timeless classic.

Introduction:

Today, I’m going to introduce to you the amazing Nikkor-P 105mm f/2.5 Auto lens! This is spectacular and it’s one of my favorite lenses, I don’t know why it took me so long to write this article. This lens is the stuff that dreams are made of, how it renders a photo is fantastic, it’s sharp, exquisite and smooth where it needs to be. I’m going to use plenty of superlatives to describe this and I am sure that many of you who are familiar with this lens will agree.

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This is one of the legendary Nikkors of old, if you are into collecting Nikkors then I assume that you already have this in your collection. If not then you should go out and buy one, you’re collection is nothing without it.

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Report: Nikon 100th Anniversary (Part 1)

13 Apr 2017 9 Comments

by richardhaw in Uncategorized

Hello, everybody! I am going to start a new series today about Nikon’s centenary! Unlike most of my readers, I am living here in Tokyo where most of the actions is and I am able to go to places and attend events that will otherwise be inconvenient or impossible for some of you to experience. I do care about my readers a lot so I am making extra efforts to present these to you in my blog.

There are few companies that stay in business after 20 years and there are even less of that amount for those that will see their 50th year in business. Nikon is celebrating its 100th anniversary this 2017 and it is a very special once in a lifetime event for many of us who follow everything Nikon!

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Repair: Camera Foam Seals

09 Apr 2017 9 Comments

by richardhaw in nikon,lens repair,lens maintenance,nikon repair,, Nikon,museum,classic lenses,, Uncategorized

Hello, everybody! The weather is starting to get warm here in Tokyo and I have plenty of backlog that I need to fix! These do not only consist of my own gear but also from friends who’s lenses need fixing. I have to slow down in the colder months so I’m really going to be busy in the coming months!

One of the things that I had to fix is my Nikkormat. Yes, another damn Nikkormat! I hated working on these cameras but it can’t be helped because I really love them a lot. I usually get these from the junk boxes and so they need plenty of cleaning before I can use them. They would usually need a thorough cleaning and have all of their corroded foam seals replaced. This week, I will show you the easiest way I know. This technique is popular in Japan due to it’s simplicity and I take it that the manufacturers used this method,too.

IMG_3744Here are some of the tools that we need! Be sure you are comfortable with using a sharp knife; a steady pair of hands is also essential. More

Repair: W-Nikkor•C 3.5cm f/3.5

02 Apr 2017 11 Comments

by richardhaw in Uncategorized

Hello, everybody! I like listening to the oldies, I have the Beach Boys, Elvis, the Beatles and some other artists that kids these days haven’t even heard about. Their sound is clean, pure and fun without having to result to shock, sex and swearing. It takes me back to my childhood days when things are a lot simpler and filled with common-sense. Do you remember using a phone with a cord or even having to pay for it just to call for a few minutes? Your girlfriend is late to your appointment, all you can do is wait? These do not sound fun but I sometimes miss those days. Those hassles are great teachers because they taught us the value of patience, something that we do not have these days, we can hardly stay-still until we reach for our phones and check social media to see what Richard Haw has uploaded or if the models we are following has uploaded a new picture. Let me take you back a few decades as we talk about something really old, it’s one of Nikon’s original consumer lenses that was made in the immediate years after World War 2 and like the oldies, they are still a lot of fun for those who appreciate a good time while not having a lot of clutter to begin with.

Introduction:

The W-Nikkor 3.5cm f3.5 is a little gem, this is compact and unobtrusive so your subjects won’t be intimidated when you shoot them. This is also the cheapest 35mm lens as far as S-mount Nikkors go. It’s pricier siblings go for almost 2x the price for one of these and for that price, you get a faster f/2.5 or f/1.8 upgrade. Those do not really matter much to me so I am more than happy with it. This has a special place in every Nikon aficionado’s collection as it is historically-significant. It’s one of the few Nikkors sold together with their original series of cameras right after the war. You’re correct to say that this is like a mini time-machine as it takes you back several decades ago to the early years of Nikon each time you use it. It sounds like I’m tripping but I really do feel that way when using this as this connects me to Nikon’s rich heritage.

The design of this lens is so old that you have to change the aperture using a ring at the front of the lens. This is inconvenient but you will soon get used to it. It will prevent you from checking it often and that will leave you with more time to think about the shot. The really early version don’t even have aperture click-stops because they weren’t even the norm in those days. This is as old as it gets when it comes to 35mm Nikkors for the “kleinbild”, it’s the dinosaur of Nikkors!

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