NikonGear'23

Gear Talk => Lens Talk => Topic started by: richardHaw on April 21, 2020, 07:27:42

Title: Micro-Nikkor 5cm f/3.5
Post by: richardHaw on April 21, 2020, 07:27:42
my precious :o :o :o
Title: Re: Micro-Nikkor 5cm f/3.5
Post by: MEPER on April 21, 2020, 08:40:35
It is a M39 version?
Don't think I have seen it before.
They needed to make it a 55mm to work in F-mount?
Title: Re: Micro-Nikkor 5cm f/3.5
Post by: richardHaw on April 21, 2020, 09:01:11
no, it's the original one so 5cm still :o :o :o

this is the LTM version, got it for cheap ::)
Title: Re: Micro-Nikkor 5cm f/3.5
Post by: MEPER on April 21, 2020, 09:32:15
Yes yes......I read that the 5cm was for rangefinder but to be able to make it for F-mount later they expanded the focal length with 5 mm :-)
Don't think this lens is cheap in LTM :-)
I know the first 5.5 cm version for F-mount is not that cheap either.
Title: Re: Micro-Nikkor 5cm f/3.5
Post by: MEPER on April 21, 2020, 10:13:43
Good info here about the 5 cm micro:
http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/companies/nikon/nikkoresources/RF-Nikkor/Micro_RF/index.htm

It looks good in LTM with the black focus ring.
Also there is something about a brass lens rather than aluminium. Brass helicoids are very nice. Like "butter".
Title: Re: Micro-Nikkor 5cm f/3.5
Post by: richardHaw on April 21, 2020, 12:57:49
we'll see in the coming article :o :o :o

one advantage of the LTM is that it can focus much closer than the S-mount version, as shown in the picture.
Title: Re: Micro-Nikkor 5cm f/3.5
Post by: richardHaw on April 26, 2020, 06:27:51
it actually looks much better with a barnack :o :o :o
Title: Re: Micro-Nikkor 5cm f/3.5
Post by: Erik Lund on April 26, 2020, 21:09:30
Very nice on the Leica! Thanks ;)
Title: Re: Micro-Nikkor 5cm f/3.5
Post by: richardHaw on April 27, 2020, 04:40:01
the resolution is pretty good at f/11.

I judging how good a lens' resolution is by looking at bugs' eyes. if it can resolve the individual lenses properly then it's good.

this is going to be a bit of a stretch since its a 1:1 crop but i am confident that it can resolve it even better when i get closer to the fly. :o :o :o
Title: Re: Micro-Nikkor 5cm f/3.5
Post by: richardHaw on April 27, 2020, 07:57:07
cropped to near 1:1 :o :o :o
Title: Re: Micro-Nikkor 5cm f/3.5
Post by: richardHaw on April 27, 2020, 17:20:51
Very nice on the Leica! Thanks ;)

i think i like the ltm version more than the s-mount one :o :o :o
Title: Re: Micro-Nikkor 5cm f/3.5
Post by: Dr Klaus Schmitt on April 28, 2020, 11:23:49
very impressive Richard!
Title: Re: Micro-Nikkor 5cm f/3.5
Post by: richardHaw on April 28, 2020, 11:57:55
very impressive Richard!

this is the sharpest 1950s lens that i have ever used :o :o :o
Title: Re: Micro-Nikkor 5cm f/3.5
Post by: Birna Rørslett on April 28, 2020, 12:31:11
Strangely enough, the F-mount version of the Micro-Nikkor that followed in the early '60s, 5.5cm f/3.5, is good but not up to the standard of the later 55/3.5 Micro. Amongst other issues it has rather more field curvature than one would expect from a Micro-Nikkor.
Title: Re: Micro-Nikkor 5cm f/3.5
Post by: richardHaw on April 28, 2020, 13:14:11
Strangely enough, the F-mount version of the Micro-Nikkor that followed in the early '60s, 5.5cm f/3.5, is good but not up to the standard of the later 55/3.5 Micro. Amongst other issues it has rather more field curvature than one would expect from a Micro-Nikkor.

that is odd because one would expect it to have a flat field since its a macro lens :o :o :o

this one's image quality is quite surprising, is it because its rear element is closer to the film plane? ::)

this one has quite a round rear too...
Title: Re: Micro-Nikkor 5cm f/3.5
Post by: Birna Rørslett on April 28, 2020, 14:48:32
The 5.5cm f/3.5 went all the way to 1:1 without any added extension. Its rear element has a very strong curvature, unlike the 55/3.5 Micro that followed it. The latter also had a less curved rear element.

I finally arranged a makeshift adapter for the 5.5cm f/3.5 to mount on my monochrome NEX-5N. Apparently the images are very sharp, but a lot of testing remains. So far, no close-ups.
Title: Re: Micro-Nikkor 5cm f/3.5
Post by: Erik Lund on April 29, 2020, 07:58:56
Mir has a very informative page on the F mount 5.5cm f/3.5 lens here:

http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/companies/nikon/nikkoresources/RF-Nikkor/Micro_RF/index.htm
The very curved rear optics is depicted in the figure.

Roland states 660 degree of rotation  :o ;) wow
Title: Re: Micro-Nikkor 5cm f/3.5
Post by: Birna Rørslett on April 29, 2020, 10:19:36
Rotation goes on and on seemingly forever. Meanwhile the lens extends in a near obscene manner, and looks strange almost as a hand-made prototype in appearance.
Title: Re: Micro-Nikkor 5cm f/3.5
Post by: richardHaw on April 29, 2020, 11:43:28
yes, the 5.5cm is VERY weird :o :o :o

it was a big step, though ::) I have 3, maybe I will sell one of them that I converted to the F-mount...

on the 5cm this is how much it extends when set to 1.5ft
Title: Re: Micro-Nikkor 5cm f/3.5
Post by: Birna Rørslett on April 30, 2020, 11:48:40
To further underscore the "weirdness" of the 5.5cm f/3.5 Micro-Nikkor, here it is fully extended for 1:1 on my monochrome Sony NEX-5N.  This lens has such a deep and robust flange at its rear that this prevents it from going to infinity on virtually all F-mount adapters. Took me some searching through the various odds-and-ends bins to come up with suitable parts for a makeshift adapter. Howsoever, here it is in its fullest and strange glory. Goes without saying it does infinity focus, too. The clue is to commence with a K3, which is of the same vintage as the 5.5cm lens.
Title: Re: Micro-Nikkor 5cm f/3.5
Post by: richardHaw on May 02, 2020, 16:43:46
https://richardhaw.com/2020/05/02/repair-micro-nikkor-5cm-f-3-5-ltm/

here it is :o :o :o

dont ask me how cheap i got this for ::)