Author Topic: The Nikkor “O” CRT 55mm f/1.2 Lens: A Recipe for Lovely  (Read 15681 times)

Michael Erlewine

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The Nikkor “O,” commonly referred to as the “CRT Nikkor” is a bit of an orphan. The “O” stands for the Greek number “octo” (8), due to their being eight optical elements in its construction. It is also reference to as an oscilloscope lend, because it was designed to monitor computer CRTs. It was not designed for daylight use and if use there produces all kinds of interesting effects. It is not an APO lens either, just the opposite. Yet, in its own way, it’s one of the sharpest lenses out there.

Because of its anomalies, this is a limited-use lens. It does not reach infinity. It has no focus ring. It has an unusual mount and it is only really sharp wide open. And wide-open is stated as f/1.2 and that is fast in my book.

In other words, wide-open the CRT Nikkor is so fast that its depth-of-field is razor thin, good for very little to most photographers. It has, by design, strong curvature to adapt to the curved screens of early computer monitors. Oh yes, and before I forget it, at about $1000 a pop, the lens can be expensive.

And yet, it is one of my most used lenses and has produced what some folks tell me are the most lovely photos I have taken. I have to agree. So, what gives? Why does this oddball lens command so much of my attention?

Aside from the results of this lens having a bit of a random factor, a throw of the dice, so to speak, most users that I have talked with like the quality of the bokeh. A lens that fast has some powerful bokeh, which photographers love. I know that I do. It has 12 aperture blades.

Other problems are its rather narrow reproduction range and the fact that if it is to be used for something more than an atmospheric one-off shot, it has to be mounted on a focus rail and stacked.

While many users of the Nikkor CRT use if for, as mentioned, single-shot somewhat blurry one-shot photos, there is another group of us who use the lens to stack focus because like a painter with a brush, we can paint in focus anywhere on the image, leaving everything else as a very lovely bokeh. As for me, I combine very nice bokeh with very sharp areas in high focus. I find the combination the focus and blurry background to be attractive.

The only problem I personally have run into is that the very fine focusing required to paint focus well (using a focus rail) often takes a great many layers, which is tiresome, even for someone like myself who was brought up on tedium.

As an archivist of popular culture, I created (along with a team) the largest collection of recorded music on the planet. And we did the same for one of the two largest movie and film databases. This included many millions of pieces of information, so I am very familiar with tedious procedures.   

To repeat, my one complaint about the Nikkor CRT lens is how almost painfully long it took to stack enough focus fine enough to produce the effect that I liked about the lens. Recently, with the acquisition of an automated focus rail (StackShot), I found that it could easily stack focus with the CRT Nikkor at the fineness I require and quite effortlessly. 

Although the Nikkor CRT lens has an aperture ring, what is most unique about this lens can be found mostly by using it wide open. As the aperture is increased, the lens accordingly becomes more and more normal and the bokeh effect, of course, is lost. I always use it wide open.

So, my love of the lens came from taking that very, very fast lens (f/1.2) with its razor-thin depth of field and carefully painting it as you would a color, only here we are painting focus. The result is that we have a sea of bokeh with more than one point or area of the image in focus. In other words, one area might be right up front in the image, and others could be here or there in the distance.

This is unlike a traditional photo, where there is a single plane and only the points (usually a single point) on the plane are in focus. Our eyes are directed to that point in the plane most in focus. However, in focus stacking the eye is free to roam and find its own point of focus. If there are many points of focus in stacked photo, we can decide which ones interest us. That is one of the features of focus stacking, this freedom to focus, whether we realize it or not.

In my experience, the CRT Nikkor is not the easiest lens to use, but well worth learning to get what you want out of it, if you like the effects it produces. It took me a while to find how I want to use it.

I first learned about the CRT Nikkor from the great lensman Bjørn Rørslett, who pointed it out to me and then I saw it exampled for me in an atmospheric shot by Akira, a member of NikonGear. I liked what I saw and could see the possibilities for my kind of work. I soon found myself stacking with it and liking it more and more. There are basically two versions of the Nikkor “O” and I have them both. One has some red lettering on the barrel. I can’t see any real difference between the two.

So, if you can put up with a specialty lens and the time it takes to learn to use it, I very much recommend the CRT Nikkor. And I repeat, what did seem like a very limited lens to me, when used with the StackShot, is IMO a very much more flexible lens.

Some examples are shown here.     
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Dr Klaus Schmitt

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Re: The Nikkor “O” CRT Lens: A Recipe for Lovely
« Reply #1 on: April 11, 2018, 00:03:14 »
Wonderful story, thanks for sharing! You know I have that lens, too (plus two siblings) and like it, too for its sharpness and rendering!

Superb Images!!!

PS: I fear it will soon be $2.000 after you publish your findings and pictures...
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Akira

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Re: The Nikkor “O” CRT Lens: A Recipe for Lovely
« Reply #2 on: April 11, 2018, 02:12:22 »
Fantastic images, as always, Michael!  Your emotional relationship with the CRT is well represented both in your texts and images.

Please allow me to offer one correction: the letter "O" of "Nikkor-O" stands for the Greek numerial "octo", meaning that the lens is constructed with eight optical elements.  Its name follows the nomenclature of F-mount Nikkor lenses.
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"Limitation is inspiration." - Akira

Michael Erlewine

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Re: The Nikkor “O” CRT Lens: A Recipe for Lovely
« Reply #3 on: April 11, 2018, 02:21:51 »
Fantastic images, as always, Michael!  Your emotional relationship with the CRT is well represented both in your texts and images.

Please allow me to offer one correction: the letter "O" of "Nikkor-O" stands for the Greek numerial "octo", meaning that the lens is constructed with eight optical elements.  Its name follows the nomenclature of F-mount Nikkor lenses.

Thanks Akira. Changed the post to reflect your comment.
MichaelErlewine.smugmug.com, Daily Blog at https://www.facebook.com/MichaelErlewine. main site: SpiritGrooves.net, https://www.youtube.com/user/merlewine, Founder: MacroStop.com, All-Music Guide, All-Movie Guide, Classic Posters.com, Matrix Software, DharmaGrooves.com

Dr Klaus Schmitt

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Re: The Nikkor “O” CRT Lens: A Recipe for Lovely
« Reply #4 on: April 11, 2018, 07:19:44 »
Actually, three are just being offered HERE
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Akira

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Re: The Nikkor “O” CRT Lens: A Recipe for Lovely
« Reply #5 on: April 11, 2018, 09:13:34 »
Actually, three are just being offered HERE

Glad to know Vivek is still around!   ;D

Actually I bought my CRT from him.  It was a very good deal.
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Fons Baerken

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Re: The Nikkor “O” CRT Lens: A Recipe for Lovely
« Reply #6 on: April 11, 2018, 09:21:09 »
Vivek is at getdpi.com ;) the nikon pages.

Akira

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Re: The Nikkor “O” CRT Lens: A Recipe for Lovely
« Reply #7 on: April 11, 2018, 10:23:09 »
Vivek is at getdpi.com ;) the nikon pages.

Judging from the number of his post, Getdpi seems to be the most comfortable place for him.  :D

For what is worth, the CRT has a long male thread that is compatible with Leica thread (L39).
"The eye is blind if the mind is absent." - Confucius

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Fons Baerken

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Re: The Nikkor “O” CRT Lens: A Recipe for Lovely
« Reply #8 on: April 11, 2018, 13:43:19 »
Judging from the number of his post, Getdpi seems to be the most comfortable place for him.  :D

For what is worth, the CRT has a long male thread that is compatible with Leica thread (L39).

What type of adapter is recommended for the f-mount and second for panasonic , :)

Dr Klaus Schmitt

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Re: The Nikkor “O” CRT Lens: A Recipe for Lovely
« Reply #9 on: April 11, 2018, 15:16:55 »
What type of adapter is recommended for the f-mount and second for panasonic , :)

Leica-to-M42 ring (thin) plus a short M42-Helicoid plus thin Nikon-F adapter (macro, glassless) OR mft adapter
Rather simple to make
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Akira

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Re: The Nikkor “O” CRT Lens: A Recipe for Lovely
« Reply #10 on: April 12, 2018, 00:14:58 »
What type of adapter is recommended for the f-mount and second for panasonic , :)

Leica-to-M42 ring (thin) plus a short M42-Helicoid plus thin Nikon-F adapter (macro, glassless) OR mft adapter
Rather simple to make

Yes, it is fairly easy, thanks to its rather common L39 thread.  Some other industrial Nikkors have very odd mounts like M53 (yes, fifty three!).

If you already have Nikon BR-2 or BR-2A reverse-mount adapter, this would simplify your life:

http://www.customphototools.com/macro/special-adapters

I've bought another adapter from this seller and am satisfied with the product.

Idealistically, Nikon BR-15 (L39 to Nikon F mount adapter, a little rare) and an F to m4/3 adapter of any brand will automatically set the CRT almost at its designed magnification.

If you get a CRT, you should make sure that it comes with its original retaining ring.  Without the ring, the long thread mount of CRT will interfere with the aperture lever of the Nikon body if the lens is mounted only via BR-15.

The attached image shows the CRT, its accompanying retaining ring and BR-15.
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Dr Klaus Schmitt

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Re: The Nikkor “O” CRT 55mm f/1.2 Lens: A Recipe for Lovely
« Reply #11 on: April 12, 2018, 08:40:29 »
That retaining ring is not really needed Akira, screwing it with that thin M39-M42 ring into a M42 helicoid sets it flush to the rear of the helicoid, so no need to fix it. At least what I have working here for my mft camera.
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Akira

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Re: The Nikkor “O” CRT 55mm f/1.2 Lens: A Recipe for Lovely
« Reply #12 on: April 12, 2018, 09:01:35 »
That retaining ring is not really needed Akira, screwing it with that thin M39-M42 ring into a M42 helicoid sets it flush to the rear of the helicoid, so no need to fix it. At least what I have working here for my mft camera.

Klaus, as mentioned, you need the retaining ring to mount the CRT on a Nikon body using BR-15 only, although you can get almost exactly to the designed 1:5 magnification without the ring.

Without the retaining ring, the long M39 thread of the lens protrudes slightly too long and interferes with the aperture lever in the body (D7000 in my case).  If I remember correctly, another NG member (Bruno?) experienced the same issue.

Any adapter thicker than BR-15 should cause no problem with Nikon bodies even without the ring.  I use BR-15 and Rayqual F-to-m4/3 adapter to mount my CRT on GH5 without the retaining ring.  Of course, there is nothing to interfere.
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Bruno Schroder

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Re: The Nikkor “O” CRT 55mm f/1.2 Lens: A Recipe for Lovely
« Reply #13 on: April 12, 2018, 12:18:51 »
If I remember correctly, another NG member (Bruno?) experienced the same issue.

Indeed, Akira. The ring has the right dimension to stay on the safe side but any other kind of spacer will make do, of course.  I went a little too far without it in an attempt to get closer to the nominal specification and realised the aperture level was shaving the mount. I did post pictures and a measure of the maximum protrusion allowance on the old site.

I'm using it with simple Ebay M39 adapters to Nikon FX, DX, Nikon V1 and a Sony NEX 5 to get different framings. Without the retainer and a short M42 helicoid, it goes to infinity focusing on the V1. Maybe also with the Sony but I can't remember if I tested it on the NEX. However, as Michael says, the charm of the CRT 55/1.2 comes from its peculiarities. What's the point of using it like a normal lens ? ...

BTW, it is a bit enthusiastic on that but I like how if flares and ghosts. With a bit of care to not overdo it and correctly position the ghosts, the image retains a special kind of crispiness for its own kind of rendering. A really enjoyable lens.
Bruno Schröder

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Re: The Nikkor “O” CRT 55mm f/1.2 Lens: A Recipe for Lovely
« Reply #14 on: April 12, 2018, 12:44:33 »
Indeed, Akira. The ring has the right dimension to stay on the safe side but any other kind of spacer will make do, of course.  I went a little too far without it in an attempt to get closer to the nominal specification and realised the aperture level was shaving the mount. I did post pictures and a measure of the maximum protrusion allowance on the old site.
 
A really enjoyable lens.

Bruno, thank you for the confirmation.  My poor aperture lever of D7000 scratched the edge of the mount as well.   :o

But indeed it is a really enjoyable lens solely for its unique character!
"The eye is blind if the mind is absent." - Confucius

"Limitation is inspiration." - Akira