Richard Haw's Classic Nikon Repair and Review

Hello, everybody! I hope that all is well with you. I was not feeling well this whole week and I’m a bit sick as I write this post but thinking about my readers and seeing my page view spike during the weekends because of people anticipating a new post gives me the encouragement to write this. Imagine Hulk Hogan rising up again after getting pinned by André the Giant in Wrestlemania III (after hearing the crowds cheer). I know how it feels now. I also made a Facebook page so that people can follow any updates that I made on this blog as well as serve as a venue for people to ask and talk about Nikkors and their maintenance. Just click on this link and “like” the page.

Introduction:

Today, we are going to discuss the “legendary” lens that started the small mid-range zoom trend, it’s the Zoom-Nikkor 43-86 f/3.5! You can find many reviews on the internet for this lens so I’m not going to discuss its performance here in detail. Besides, that is not the goal of this blog as we’re more interested in the mechanical side of things but I’ll at least show you some sample pictures that were shot with this lens to help illustrate my point and to give you a better understanding of how to use this lens, something that most reviews for this lens won’t show you.

This was designed in the early 1960s to be used with the entry-level Nikkorex cameras as a built-in lens. Later, Nikon decided that this lens was worthy enough to carry the Nikkor  name so it finally debuted as a separate optic for the F-mount. This is said to be the best selling zoom lens of all time and only to be outdone in sales volume by the very popular Nikkor 24-70 f/.8 AF-G  (which I owned) lens several decades after.

People are divided when it comes to this lens, some say that this is the worst that Nikon made while some say that it’s respectable in a way so it deserves more respect. I fall into the latter because it was revolutionary, it’s responsible for pioneering new concepts in photography. Having this alone gave the 1960s photographer the freedom to change focal-lengths without changing lenses. It replaces a 50mm and 85mm lens in your bag and it also didn’t cost a lot, too. This meant that journalists and amateurs won’t lose a shot just because the wrong lens was attached to their camera.

Hello, everybody! I hope that all is well with you. It is starting to get really hot and balmy here in Tokyo as summer approaches. This means that the air will be humid again and we should pay more attention on keeping our glass fungus free!

Today, I am going to show you how to fabricate your own lens spanner with the use of some plastic scraps and a little bit of patience!

There are times when you need to access a retention ring or lens element that is placed too deep inside a barrel or tube and using the lens opener and compass is just out of the question because it may damage the surface of the barrel or it simply just won’t fit ot reach the slots that you want to access. More

Hello, readers. I am going to share something different to you guys this time, I am going to make a pub review! Yes, a review of a pub! But this is not your ordinary pub as you will see soon in the next paragraph.

Today, I am going to introduce you to a very nice place near my house in Tokyo. It is a pub that is inspired by photography and is being ran by a photographer and his partner. The place is appropriately named Tokinon 50/1.4 and the place is in Nakano Station (2 stops from Shinjuku). The place lies in between 2 of the better camera shops there when looking at the map, they are Fujiya and Nitto respectively. It can be difficult to find at first because it is in the back alleyways. In fact, I used to live within 2km of this place and I frequent the area but I would not have known about this place unless somebody had told me about it.

The front of the bar is simple. The only clues that it is a photography related place is the sign which reads “Tokinon 50/1.4” as well as the photographs featured in the front. If you are walking past the place with no intention of looking at the details then you can be sure that you will miss this place. More

Hello, everybody! I like shooting with film. It’s inconvenient, unpredictable, expensive and unforgiving but it gives you memorable pictures that you’re not going to get with digital. It requires more skill to use compared to digital and it requires even more skill to use it properly. Many people ask me why I prefer to shoot film and I always find it hard to justify it, my only answer is usually short – “I love a challenge”. Sure, I can get instant review with digital but it doesn’t feel as satisfying and so the pictures that I made don’t have the same impact as my pictures that were taken with film which is memorable. The inconvenience of taking it makes it more precious and you’ll remember how you took that shot and why. Sometimes, a little bit of inconvenience is a good thing. Today, I will talk about an inconvenient lens to use. It is difficult to use properly but you are rewarded with nice pictures if you managed to nail a shot.

Introduction:

Today, we are going to discuss a very unusual, rare and historical lens. This is something that you do not see everyday and as a consequence there isn’t a lot of info on the net about this lens. Many people don’t even know that it exists. The Micro-Nikkor 5.5cm f/3.5 started the popular 55mm line of macro lenses. This lens line was so popular and practical that other manufacturers had to copy this idea and incorporate it into their own products and this all started with this lens.

This is a compact little lens by today’s standards but this was considered to be on the fat side when it debuted. The barrel had to be wide because it can extend to about 2x its length when fully extended. If you want to read more about this lens you can go to Matthew Lin’s great writeup here.

Hello, everybody! I am currently busy studying Unreal Engine this holiday and weekend so I do not have a lot of time to write a lengthy post. My baby is also getting bigger and bigger and she now requires more attention as she is now capable of walking fast! Anyways, a couple of people have talked to me regarding today’s problem and this is how I solved mine.

Introduction:

Today’s topic is the Nikkor 50mm f/1.2 Ai-S. It’s Nikon’s fastest 50mm and it’s still being produced in 2019. It debuted in 1981 as an Ai-S update of Nikon’s first 50/1.2, the Nikkor 50mm f/1.2 Ai and it stayed in production since then. I sometimes wonder if there is an actual demand for this but I remember a few acquaintances who actually bought these in the past 10 years or so. It’s the only thing Nikon has in the ultra-fast normal lens class so I guess that it is one of the reasons why this lens is still being made and sold.

It’s perfect with the Nikon F4, it’s best-paired with a bigger camera since it is heavy. Handling is perfect and I wouldn’t ask for anything more. The bright, big glass is all that you’ll see when looking from the front. It’s a professional tool and it means business.

Hello, everybody! I am craving for some smooth and creamy French blue cheese, the one that smells of feet and with the blue molds. It is one of my comfort foods so I love to spread it on top of bread and saltine crackers for breakfast. I know that this is not good for people who suffer from gout but you have to eat the things that make you happy some times. We only live once and we should live our life to the fullest! Of course, we should never abuse our health so we should take care not to over-do anything. Since we are on the topic of smooth, creamy things, I’ll show you something smooth and creamy that isn’t as expensive as the stinky French cheese that I crave. Read the whole article to find out more.

Introduction:

There are few Nikkors that can match The Nikkor-Q 135mm f/2.8 Auto when it comes to creating smooth bokeh for very little money. These lenses can be bought for as little as $10 to an average of $80 these days depending on the condition. Near-mint samples with those valuable factory Ai-rings can fetch above $120 but seldom more than $150. This isn’t as popular these days due to it being a manual focus lens, the modest f/2.8 speed is turning-off people who crave for faster glass, too. For people who know their thing, this lens is going to be a keeper. Professionals even use these today and I know a few of them (2 actually) who use these as their portrait lens for work.

The Nikkor-Q 135mm f/2.8 Auto debuted in 1964 and was made until 1975. It was then replaced by a similar lens with the same optics design but with an updated barrel. The 135/2.8 line has about six major variants throughout its long production run. The lens family existed up until the DSLR era with the Nikkor 135mm f/2.8 Ai-S being the last version. This shows how this lens line sold very well through the years and across generations. It’s a classic in the sense that it’s never going to be useless even in the decades to come.

Helicoids are essential for focusing a manual lens. While it is a joy to focus with one, it is a big pain to repair for beginners and it can really be a show-stopper if you do not know how and where these things should mate when reassembling a lens.

Helicoids are a thing of the past for the AF (autofocus) generation but for connoisseurs like us who enjoy and appreciate older (or current) manual focus lenses, the helicoid is the soul of the lens when it comes to focusing because this is the one thing that affects us the most as we turn the focus ring left and right.The helicoids are also the source of frustration and the root cause for their lens’ problems for many. Lenses that were poorly kept and maintained will exhibit some form of focusing problem ranging from a seized helicoid to dry focusing sensation.