Hello, everybody! Do you believe in the “Leica glow“? It is a legend taught by the “Leica church” which has been described as something ethereal, akin to angel dust. Some will say that it was done intentionally but I see it as just an excuse to justify the high cost of a poorly coated optic, if at all. It’s like a ghost, it is there or not depending on what you believe in. Today, I’ll show you something that exhibits something similar. I do not dare say that it’s the same thing but I will let you decide the matter for yourself. Believe it, or not?
Introduction:
The Nikkor 5cm f/2.8 was produced for a very short time, somewhere between 1936–1940 about the same time as the Seiki Kogaku Kwanon and Seiki Kogaku S. Seiki Kogaku (Canon) could not manufacturer their own lenses at that time so Nippon Kogaku (Nikon) had to do that for them. It is one of the first Nikkors for the consumer market because at that time, Nikon concentrated its production for the Japanese military. It did not stay for long probably because the faster Nikkor 5cm f/2 made more sense. Both were only made to fit the unique bayonet mount (by Nikon) for the earliest Seiki Kogaku cameras mentioned before. This mount has no official name to my knowledge so people call it the Hansa-mount, or Seiki-mount for me.
The whole thing is made of metal apart from the glass and the felt lining at the mount. It is heavy since everything is mostly made from brass. The workmanship is better than many Nikkors that were made in the years right after the end of the war, or the MIOJ (Made in Occupied Japan) series. The fit and finish is nice even to this day and even after being stored poorly for decades under undesirable conditions.
Hello, everybody! I sometimes wonder why Nippon Kogaku manufactured the bayonet mount and maybe even the rangefinder mechanism of the very early Seiki Kogaku cameras. Is it because Nippon Kogaku is a specialist and the best optics company in Japan at that time? Or perhaps Seiki Kogaku did not know how to do them properly because they lack experience in optics? If it’s just optics then why didn’t they make the helicoid and the rest of the bayonet mount themselves? These are the questions that we’ll never know the answers to, but we will definitely examine every part of the Seiki KogakuS here in this series.
Introduction:
Why is this camera called the Seiki Kogaku S? That S used to mean “最新” or latest model, it was changed to stand for the name “Standard“. Some people even believe that it stood for “Slow” because it has a slow speeds compared to the previous model (Seiki Kogaku Hansa) which has none. I do not think the name is that important in this context because we’re more interested in restoring this camera. I only mentioned it because some people may be curious about what the name means.
It is interesting to note that there’s a hole at the center of the pressure plate and in the shell underneath this. That hole is plugged with a disc that you can unscrew so you will have direct vision through the hole for peeping. This is used for adjusting the flange distance of the camera. You insert a frosted paper inside the camera as you would do with a sheet of film and then you begin adjusting. I’m very sure that they use something made of glass instead of frosted paper for the adjustment at the factory.
Hello, everybody! I had a dream a few nights ago about a girl that I was infatuated with when I was young and impressionable, I think I was in my early teens at that time. She felt out of reach to me, as if I was not good enough for her affection. It’s a feeling that many teenagers know very well and it’s part of growing up, feeling insecure and unsure of the future. Today, I’ll introduce to you one such idol of mine from some years ago. Back then, I was not sure if it’s the right equipment for me and I couldn’t afford it at that time. I wanted it so bad but it was never meant to be. Just like my crush from many years ago, time caught up so she doesn’t look that pretty anymore and so this lens isn’t so imposing anymore. But unlike that girl, this lens eventually became mine and using it definitely reminded me about why it was so special for me back then. Please read the whole article to know why this lens is so special.
Introduction:
The AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8G was made from 2003 to 2022, a long time for a DX Nikkor. I can even find some old-new stocks as of writing, that’s how recent its end-of-production is. It was Nikon’s flagship normal-zoom at a time when they could only manufacture and fit APS-C sensors for the cameras they were making. For film, Nikon had the AI AF-S Zoom Nikkor ED 28-70mm F2.8D (IF) instead. This lens was hailed as an engineering marvel at that time, both mechanically and optically, a real flex. Since Nikon is known more for optics, they had given everything they had on this lens. Nikon’s cameras were amazing but at that period, the rival’s cameras are better in terms of tech, so they played their best card.
In its time, this lens is the best DXNikkor money could buy, it’s the best in its class optically and the build is nothing short of amazing. That makes it an expensive lens so it was never spoken of by the pedestrian photographers who could only afford third-party lenses. Sure, some cheaper brands have better features like vibration-reduction, but optically, this Nikkor reigned supreme. Even rivals from the other top brands fell short in terms of optical performance and that’s not an overstatement on my part, go search online. It has been somewhat of an obsession for me but I am finally able to buy one in junk condition for $50.00! I had to wait for more than a decade for this deal.
Hello, everybody! Do you remember when Hulk Hogan and the Ultimate Warrior teamed up in 1990 for the Survivor Series? I think that is one of the most important events in sports entertainment history. There will be a falling-out between these two not too long after which is very sad because we would have seen the best tag team ever beating everyone else for more years to come. It’s unfortunate, but it gave us this vision of what an ultimate wrestling duo should be. Many great partnerships do not last very long, such as Hall & Oates, Wham! and Modern Talking. The same can be said for this partnership in Japan at a time we now call the prewar years. It was a time when Nikon and Canon joined forces to compete with the world.
Introduction:
The Seiki Kogaku S or S1 as many people call it was made from around 1938 for up to a few years. It has a limited production run so you won’t find many of these. Seiki Kogaku is the company that would become Canon, as Nippon Kogaku would become Nikon. This is the 2nd production model of Seiki Kogaku, the old one is the famous Seiki KogakuHansa. Anything before these 2 designs are considered prototypes so the collectors community don’t even consider them to be commercial models. This is a historically important camera because it’s the first model from Seiki Kogaku that has slow speeds. It also has a few features that make it innovative compared to the older Seiki KogakuHansa.
It has retained the unusual bayonet made by Nippon Kogaku but it now has to film counter dial under the winding mechanism instead of the front. The unique pop-up viewfinder is still there but the top-plate has been replaced with a more familiar shell like what you’ll find on the Leica IIIa. These are the most obvious changes that you will see externally. In this photo, you’ll see that it’s paired with the Nikkor 5cm f/2.8, it is a remarkable lens for its time, even rivaling the original Zeiss Ikon Tessar 5cm f/2.8 that it copied from.
Hello, everybody! I was listening to “Freedom” by Wham!, it is a song about some guy who is so in love with this woman that he would forgive anything she does and basically let her have her way. Have you ever felt like that in your life before? I sure did, but that was many years ago. That feeling also extends to my love of vintage lenses, there is one lens that I have always wanted but I just can’t find a good version of it. Unlike the poor simp in the song, I will not waste my time looking for the perfect lens because there is one lens that is just as good and maybe even better. Do you want to know what lens that is? Read this article to find out more about it.
Introduction:
The Carl Zeiss Jena 50mm f/1.8 Pancolar it’s a magnificent lens, it needs no introduction. There are many versions that were made throughout the years but this is one of the best ones according to experts. I will not go through the complicated and long history of the Pancolar family because people are familiar with it, so it makes no sense for me to repeat what has been said by others. One thing I can say is this lens is a true legend and it deserves every bit of the hype about it. I was looking for a good substitute for a Planar, it has to come with an M42 mount and should be priced reasonably. My search led me to this instead but I am not disappointed at all because everything turned out well in the end.
The barrel is completely made of metal, it’s very sturdy and feels dense in your hands. It has a minimalistic interface, only having a focusing ring and an aperture selector. Finally, you have a little switch at the side. You can see it in this photo barely sticking out from the side of the lens near the left edge of the frame. It operates very nicely, the focusing ring feels very smooth to turn and the aperture ring clicks with a precise and reassuring feeling, something that a lot of Nikkors don’t even have, that’s because it uses a little ball bearing for the clicking mechanism.
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 50mmNikkors. 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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Richard Haw's Classic Nikon Repair and Review 