Gear Talk > What the Nerds Do
Butchering a Noct-Nikkor 58 mm f/1.2 AI
Bjørn Rørslett:
[ Posted 29 November 2011 - 13:21 Modified and reposted by agreement ]
Today I flew down to Copenhagen, Denmark to team up with the Great Dane (Erik Lund, also known as Dr. Lens). With me, unable to object, was my Noct-Nikkor 58/1.2. It is slated to undergo CPU surgery ("chipping").
This is a documentation of a day in its life which might well be its last. Follow the sequel to learn what happens in near real time.
And, finally, the CPU assembly is completed, fitted into the mount, and checked to see that the read-out is correct.
This seems to come along nicely.
Bjørn Rørslett:
Now, ready for the gruelling Stage Two.
First, cleaning dirt off the assembly.
Then, split the optics at the iris.
Critical phase is trimming the rear lens group. Not only part of the casing has to go, the glass itself has to be cut into. Beer acts as the cooling substance to help complete this operation.
Almost there now .... and well into the two rear elements as well ....
Bjørn Rørslett:
A little later, all parts of the Noct had aggregated again, and only the CPU pins disclose its recent surgery :)
Here they are, the only two known Noct-Nikkor 58 mm f/1.2 Ai [P] lenses. Erik's to the left, mine to the right.
Now, time for doing something else.
Bjørn Rørslett:
In answer to many questions about the Noct:
It's too late in history to get good deals on Nocts now. Sad but basically true. It has turned into a legend deserved or not. Prices have escalated out of control as well.
When I purchased it many years ago, the situation was entirely different. What follows is a true story.
A local shop here in Oslo had a second-hand copy (pristine) sitting at the back of a shelf, collecting dust, for more than 1 year. Perhaps because it was AI in an age where everyone had a frenzy about AiS, who knows? Or too exotic for the lay photographer? One day I commented this and the clerk brightened up and asked if I was interested in buying it. To which I replied "Of course, but I won't pay much". He was pleased to get rid of it and he got what money I could muster that day, which amounted to about $150. Thus I became the owner of a Noct-Nikkor.
It should be added that the photo store later went bust... Maybe I made a small contribution to that outcome ?
Bjørn Rørslett:
After the Noct-Nikkor had been properly dealt with, we continued on other projects.
First out is "chipping" the 85/2 AI Nikkor, thereafter some updates on CPUs for 20/3.5 and a new CPU for the Macro-Nikkor 65/4.5.
Some time was spent modifying an Olympus 35 mm f/2.8 Shift from OM to "F" mount. In doing this lots of sparks flew,...
At a later stage, delicate handiwork was called for, as witnessed by the Lens Doctor at work,
No wonder refreshments were called for :D.
Thereafter, repairing my 28 mm f/3.5 Tilt/Shift Nikkor was a breeze !
Tomorrow we'll go scouting around Copenhagen and environs. List of remaining modifications is now empty (for the time being)
Here are the combined outputs from this "repair & shoot" workshop.
From left to right:
28 PC-Nikkor Tilt/Shift, new focus assembly (old had worn-out parts)
Leitz APO-Telyt 180 mm f/3.4, converted to "F" mount, CPU-modified, infinity calibrated
Nikkor 85 mm f/2, CPU-modified
Novoflex Noflexar 35 mm f/3.5 (original "F" mount, the rare version), CPU-modified, infinity calibrated
Olympus OM 35 mm f/2.8 Double Shift, converted to "F" mount, CPU-modified, infinity calibrated
Noct-Nikkor 58 mm f/1.2, CPU-modified
BR-2 extension, CPU-modified (front right)
E-2 extension, CPU-modified (front left)
Not bad for a few days (OK, so the working hours could be a "little" on the long side sometimes, but we had heaps of fun)
Erik & Bjørn
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