Repair: Carl Zeiss Jena 50mm f/1.8 Pancolar

13 Apr 2024 1 Comment

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

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.

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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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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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Nikkor-H•C 5cm f/2 (Leica Thread Mount)

18 Feb 2024 1 Comment

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

Hello, everybody! Do you remember Ziggy? He is a popular cartoon character from several decades ago, with a toy line that many people collect. He came in various costumes, making Ziggy fans collect them all. It’s a harmless hobby with many collectors and you will be surprised at how much these toys can go for. I used to collect them, too. Remembering Ziggy takes me back to my younger years where things are much simpler and happiness came in smaller packages. Today, I’ll show you something that’s just as collectible, I can say that it’s exciting to complete the collection, but unlike Ziggy toys, it’s a hobby for the truly devout followers of the way of Nikkor.

Introduction:

The Nikkor-H•C 5cm f/2 is one of Nikon’s most prolific designs because it came with many variations and it was produced for a long time, from immediately after the war to about 1962. You can say that this lens is just as influential as the original Nikon camera is when it comes to its significance for the company and the Japanese optics industry, too. While many of you are familiar with the Nikkor-H•C 5cm f/2 in S-mount fit, this one is the first version with the rigid barrel for the Leica Thread-Mount. The next iteration of this is the Nikkor-H•C 5cm f/2 with a black band, affectionally called the “Blackbelt Nikkor” by collectors. Both of them were preceded by the collapsible Nikkor-H•C 5cm f/2. All these variations makes this lens attractive for collectors and hoarders.

This is the first rigid-body Nikkor-H•C 5cm f/2 for the Leica-mount if I am not mistaken, every design that came before are all collapsible such as the rare Nikkor-H•C 5cm f/2 (collapsible). This is the earliest sample that I have of the rigid-type, the later version is the Nikkor-H•C 5cm f/2 (blackbelt) with a black ring. These look similar, but you will find out later that they have differences internally.

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