Repair: W-Nikkor 3.5cm f/2.5 (late)

28 Mar 2025 2 Comments

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

Hello, everybody! Do you know about the song “Somewhere Over the Rainbow“? I’m pretty sure you have heard of it in one form or another. The original song came from the “Wizard of Oz” movie in 1939 which has Judy Garland in it. It has since been covered in different languages and by different singers, some are famous while some are unknowns. However, the best known version today is the version sang by the late Israel Kamakawiwoʻole, a huge mountain of a man with a sweet voice and a ukulele. I personally prefer his version over the rest because I felt it has more depth in it despite being simpler. A recent cover is at times better since the original song, it has happened several times. The topic of this article is something similar in the sense that it’s the last known version of a popular line of lenses. It’s also the best in terms of looks and ergonomics as it has benefited from several years of previous refinements. Read this article to know about this beautiful lens.

Introduction:

The W-Nikkor 3.5cm f/2.5 has gone through several iterations, what I’ll showcase today is the last one to come out of the factory. Nobody knew exactly when its production started or ended but this came out in the final years of the Nikon rangefinder era around 1959–1960. The optical formula remained the same, it is the barrel that’s new this time. The design of the barrel looks similar to the W-Nikkor 3.5cm f/1.8 so the aperture values are much easier to see and the barrel is much lighter compared to the older ones since it is now made from aluminum alloy instead of brass. In my opinion, this is the best version of this lens. The ergonomics alone is worth the extra price and rarity of this little gem.

The barrel looks very beautiful and modern compared to the older versions of this lens. It is easier to see the numbers now that the barrel is colored black and the letters are in white. The knurling also helps a lot so your hands will not slip and it also makes it easier to recognize which barrel you’re operating.

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Repair: Nikkor-Q•C 13.5cm f/4 (LTM)

16 Mar 2025 Leave a comment

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

Hello, everybody. Do you listen to heavy metal? My favorite band is Judas Priest, I love their style and the music that they make. It has been several decades since they debuted but their music never gets old. The frontman (Rob Halford) left the band for some time but now he’s back and he is just as metal today as he was more than 45 years ago. His voice became the basis of the metal sound and the guitar work became the influence of so many bands that came after, their legacy lives on each time we listen to young bands shredding and screaming at the stage. Today, I will show you another “heavy metal”, and just like Judas Priest, it has left a lasting influence in Nikkor history.

Introduction:

The Nikkor-Q•C 13.5cm f/4 is part of the original lineup of Nikkors that Nikon made right after the war. It was1946 and Japan was in shambles with most of her industrial base fire-bombed by the Allies down to the ground, literally. Through determination and a lot of hard work, Japan has risen from defeat. A lot of that was fueled by companies like Nikon. Post war dollars had to be earned and Nikon was one of the few companies that had the capability to help. And thus, Nikon was transformed from making optics for the military to a consumer optics company. You can read more about this in my other Nikkor-Q•C 13.5cm f/4 article where I also mentioned the rest of the initial 6 great Nikkors that came out right after the war.

The barrel is made from heavy duty brass, making it a very dense lens when you hold it. It is certainly a lot heavier than it should be. You’ll notice that the workmanship isn’t as good as later Nikkors, that’s because Japan was a covering from a devastating war at that time so materials are scarce and the machines that’s left weren’t up to the task, it’s really a story of struggle and triumph for Nikon.

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Repair: Nikkor-S.C 5cm f/1.4 (Early)

08 Mar 2025 Leave a comment

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

Hello, everybody! Do you know about the Uyghurs? They are a Turkic people living in East Turkistan which is called Xinjiang by the CCP Chinese. They are a proud people with a long and profound history. They are culturally different from the rest of communist China, because they are not part of the Han majority. They are closer to the Uzbeks, Turks and other Central Asians. Their way of life is threatened and many of them have fled to other countries as they are being persecuted, much like the Tibetans. This is to say that not all people who live in communist China are all “Chinese“, some are cultural minorities who have their distinct way of life that’s in danger of being wiped out. Today, we’ll talk of something along those lines. It’s a lens that looks similar the rest of the family, but it’s certainly different in small ways. It is important to make a distinction so we will know exactly what’s in front of us.

Introduction:

The Nikkor-S•C 5cm f/1.4 is one of the lenses that I have covered many times in this site. Many of you got familiar with it through my articles. I did not think that I would ever write another article about it, but here I am presenting you with another one. This time it’s an early version from the first part of 1950. This is the coveted “5005” series, the earliest production of the Nikkor-S•C 5cm f/1.4. This particular lens is from the 2nd batch which has less digits in the serial number, but still valuable compared to common later versions that everybody has. These are valuable because some people consider them as “Made in Occupied Japan“. While it’s technically not an “MIOJ” lens due to the lack of the engraved country of origin, the date it was manufactured should put this together with the other genuine “MIOJ” Nikkors. This is only important for a certain group of collectors, whatever its true nature should be.

The barrel is similar to the more common later version except for a few minor differences such as the different typeface used, along with being somewhat heavier. The last version (in black) is the lightest, it has many parts that are made of a lighter alloy.

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