Repair: Cine-Nikkor 50mm f/1.8

28 Mar 2024 Leave a comment

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

Hello, everybody! Do you know Miyako Harumi (都 はるみ)? She is a celebrated Japanese folk singer who is popular from the 1960s up until today, she is an inspiration to many generations of singers. Her voice is very powerful and distinctive, exhibiting a wide range, it’s something that’s hard to match even to today. I think she is one of the best folk singers Japan has ever produced. Another striking thing about her is how small she is, despite her being tiny, she is able to channel such a powerful voice, something unexpected. I will show you something today that is tiny, and like Miyako Harumi, its performance is nothing small. Hear more about it in this article and see if you will agree with my assumption.

Introduction:

The Cine-Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 is a lens that was made for the 16mm format, I dare say that it’s probably the most popular of the C-Mount Nikkors due to its abundance in the used market. I don’t know when it was made but I can speculate that it ran from the late 1950s up until the 1970s judging from boxes and other things such as brochures and literature. There’s not a lot of information about Cine-Nikkors that can be found on the web, even the exhibit at the Nikon Museum about the Cine-Nikkors did not have everything that I need to date these little gems.

The barrel has the standard Cine-Nikkor design but it’s a bit shorter compared to some of its peers. It is a very well-made lens, the all-metal barrel is durable, the orientation of the mount can even be adjusted so you can see the engravings properly, just push the thread in and turn it to match your preference.

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Review: Reflx Lab 100

21 Mar 2024 Leave a comment

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

Hello, everybody! Do you feel like there are days when everything you see looks yellowish? I don’t, but I have heard of some people who do. Apparently, some people who suffer from internal disease will see things with a slight yellowish tint, as if wearing a pair of yellow lenses. It can be fascinating but it isn’t a joke or something to look forward to. The good thing is you don’t need to have this condition in order to see the world differently, I will show you something that will help give your photos a touch of yellow. It’s interesting so please read the whole article and click on the photos see what I mean.

Introduction:

The Reflx Lab 100 is a film that’s respooled by a company in China, which I try my best not to support if I can help it but I have already spent my money so here it goes. The good thing is at least they tell us what film they use, in this case it’s the Kodak Vision3 50D. Most companies that respool film won’t even tell you which stock their products came from so this is something good for the community.

It comes inside a metal canister which you can use to store weed or anything else, I don’t think that it’s necessary because it just adds to the cost of this product. The price is not so bad, in fact, it costs much cheaper compared to its rival.

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Review: Reflx Lab 800

15 Mar 2024 1 Comment

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

Hello, everybody! Inflation is a big problem in this socialist country, the leaders have ran this country into the ground. It is affecting everyone, people skip meals just to get by because the price of basic groceries and shot up the roof. When fuel and food prices go up, everything else follows. In these trying times, it is best to be frugal. This hobby isn’t cheap and those who say that shooting film is cheaper than shooting a digital camera don’t know about economics. The good thing is there are always cheaper alternatives, you just need to know what to look for and where. In my case, it came as a surprise, more like an accident. It’s interesting and I’d like to share my findings with you. I’m not a “cheap-Charlie” but I welcome any form of savings, that’s just called being practical.

Introduction:

The Reflx Lab 800 is a film that’s respooled and marketed by a Chinese company in Shenzhen, I did not know about it at first but doing a bit of research revealed what I need to know about this company. It’s refreshing to see some newcomers into the market and it is interesting to know more about what they have to offer to the community. For this company, it’s cheaper versions of the products made by more established brands. They’re not entirely knock-offs but they have benefited from other people’s idea. In this case, it’s repackaged Kodak VISION3 500T Color cinema film. While the idea to do this is not theirs, I will applaud them for being transparent at least and state which stock their product came from.

It comes inside a metal canister which you can use to store weed or anything else, I don’t think that it’s necessary because it just adds to the cost of this product. The price is not so bad, in fact, it costs much cheaper compared to its rival.

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Repair: Nikkor-N 5cm f/1.1 (External-Mount)

08 Mar 2024 1 Comment

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

Hello, everybody! Do you like watching “Japanese prawn” or “車海老”? I used to be an aquarist and these creatures are amazing to watch, they’re big and their colors are amazing. Needless to say, they are tasty. I know of a few varieties for preparation but my favorite is “tempura”. There are 3 main ways to prepare the meat, tempura, sushi and salt-baked, of the 3 major ways, the most popular one is tempura by far. Today, I will show you something that is also “big”, it also comes in 3 major variations. And just like the Japanese prawns, this is also something that you do not encounter everyday because it’s special, even expensive! It is also something to celebrate, stay a while and listen to my story.

Introduction:

The Nikkor-N 5cm f/1.1 was produced from 1956 to somewhere around 1959. It was Nikon’s fastest lens, only to be replaced by the recent Nikkor Z 58mm f/0.95 S Noct after more than a half-a-century’s time. It’s considered to be a breakthrough for the company in terms of lens design and mechanical engineering. Its reputation is such that it has earned a following over the years because for such a long time, Nikon didn’t make a true successor for it, with the next-fastest one being the Nikkor 50mm f/1.2 Ai. Sure, Nikon made the Nikkor-S 55mm f/1.2 Auto but it isn’t a 50mm “normal” lens, so most people do not consider that lens as a true successor. While the Nikkor-N 5cm f/1.1 was hailed as a breakthrough, it was merely a response to the world’s then fastest lens – the Zunow 5cm f/1.1 which came out a few years earlier. That lens sent a big message throughout the optics industry, and of course, Nikon had to respond.

We are going to look at the “external-mount” version of this lens, it has 3 known variants which we’ll talk about later. The barrel’s engineering is surprisingly modern, it has a focusing unit and the front barrel will not turn as you focus, unlike the internal-mount 50mm Nikkors. The aperture ring is at the front, closer to the tip of the lens, while the focusing ring is situated at the center. The aperture ring is not evenly-spaced, a typical limitation of many older lenses. The attachment ring is 62mm, it’s best to only use Nikon’s filters of the same period because of the threads and position of the glass, using something else may scratch its front element since it’s too bulbous.

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Repair: W-Nikkor 3.5cm f/2.5 (LTM)

02 Mar 2024 Leave a comment

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

Hello, everybody! Do you know what is a “Billiken“? It’s The unofficial mascot of Osaka but with American roots, it was said that rubbing the feet will bring you good luck. His devious smile makes him appear a bit naughty and mischievous, but that’s just how he is. He said to be the god of “things as they ought to be“, helping you accept the trials of life in a more light manner. Today, I will show you a lens that will help you accept things as they are, it has its imperfections but they’re not so bad as to the degrade the photos you take, it’s kind of Zen-like shooting with this lens using a film camera. Read the whole article to know what this lens is all about.

Introduction:

The W-Nikkor•C 3.5cm f/2.5 came in two distinct mounts, one for the native Nikon S-mount and another for the Leica Thread Mount, this article will showcase the latter. This lens family was made from 1952 up to 1959, while the Nikon S-mount version was made with multiple variations, the Leica fit one came in two minor variations, one with a silver focusing ring and another with a black focusing ring, that’s it. These are highly collectible not only because of their importance in Nikon’s history but also due to their practicality. I think this is the most practical W-Nikkor, it’s really good for many things. It’s a very popular lens so these are not rare at all.

The barrel is all-metal, made from top-quality brass, that makes the lens heavy despite being compact. It’s not a big lens at all and you can hide it inside your palm. The engravings are helpful and clear, making the work of focusing much easier.

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