NikonGear'23

Gear Talk => Other => Topic started by: richardHaw on February 15, 2021, 12:37:54

Title: Ameyoko Camera!!!
Post by: richardHaw on February 15, 2021, 12:37:54
https://richardhaw.com/2021/02/15/shopping-ameyoko-camera-ueno/

a hidden gem :o :o :o
Title: Re: Ameyoko Camera!!!
Post by: David H. Hartman on February 15, 2021, 18:24:55
I miss going to a camera stores. There are none where I live today. I'd have to drive to Hollywood to get to one now. Back in the '80s I had an open account at two camera stores: Gayson's Camera in Glendale CA and Lee-Mac Camera and Video in Pasadena CA. I could call Lee-Mac and place special orders where most customers had to pay in advance. Lee-Mac would call me when the item came in and I'd pick it up the same day or next.

Dave
Title: Re: Ameyoko Camera!!!
Post by: MEPER on February 15, 2021, 19:06:05
https://richardhaw.com/2021/02/15/shopping-ameyoko-camera-ueno/

a hidden gem :o :o :o

Which item did you end up with?
Did you find a Nikon One in the "junk"?
.....or maybe some rare "black paint"?
Title: Re: Ameyoko Camera!!!
Post by: richardHaw on February 16, 2021, 02:32:53
16/3.5 Auto :o :o :o
Title: Re: Ameyoko Camera!!!
Post by: Jack Dahlgren on February 16, 2021, 02:47:45
16/3.5 Auto :o :o :o

I use that lens often!
Title: Re: Ameyoko Camera!!!
Post by: richardHaw on February 16, 2021, 02:56:54
I use that lens often!

it's nice but mine wasn't calibrated properly in terms of focus, maybe it's made like that :o :o :o
Title: Re: Ameyoko Camera!!!
Post by: MEPER on February 16, 2021, 07:18:49
Fisheye?
Can software make this a "super-wide"?
Title: Re: Ameyoko Camera!!!
Post by: richardHaw on February 16, 2021, 07:22:44
yes :o :o :o
Title: Re: Ameyoko Camera!!!
Post by: Erik Lund on February 16, 2021, 15:05:17
it's nice but mine wasn't calibrated properly in terms of focus, maybe it's made like that :o :o :o
I recall having used several tries at adjusting the focus on Jakovs 16mm f/3.5 - sometimes it would render the scene less sharp than other times,,, especially with Infra Red captures.
The adjustment of the lens elements of the rear cell seems to be very tricky to get right,,,
Fisheye-Hemi can be quite useful for de-fishing or partly de-fishing an image - However care must be taken when shooting, be aware of the huge amount of cropping de-fishing causes,,,
I once used it for a 200 person event capture

But it's lightweight super Wide ;)
Title: Re: Ameyoko Camera!!!
Post by: richardHaw on February 16, 2021, 15:31:02
The adjustment of the lens elements of the rear cell seems to be very tricky to get right,,,

But it's lightweight super Wide ;)

that's probably why :o :o :o
Title: Re: Ameyoko Camera!!!
Post by: pluton on February 16, 2021, 20:44:23
it's nice but mine wasn't calibrated properly in terms of focus, maybe it's made like that :o :o :o
After 4 visits to 2 different repair shops, my 16/3.5K/Ai still hits infinity focus at the 5 meter mark.
Title: Re: Ameyoko Camera!!!
Post by: Jack Dahlgren on February 16, 2021, 21:00:42
After 4 visits to 2 different repair shops, my 16/3.5K/Ai still hits infinity focus at the 5 meter mark.

Just checked mine - Pre-K sn 273168.
Looks like it does the same.
Never noticed though because I think I probably never focused it at infinity, and if I did, I used the viewfinder not the scale.
Title: Re: Ameyoko Camera!!!
Post by: Roland Vink on February 16, 2021, 22:16:11
After 4 visits to 2 different repair shops, my 16/3.5K/Ai still hits infinity focus at the 5 meter mark.
Is the inbuilt filter installed? On the AI and AIS 16/2.8 if the rear filter is removed, the lens will focus a little closer but it no longer focuses to infinity. I wonder if the same occurs with the 16/3.5?
Title: Re: Ameyoko Camera!!!
Post by: Birna Rørslett on February 16, 2021, 23:54:55
The 16/3.5 has the filters in an internal turret. Thus, they *usually* are present :)
Title: Re: Ameyoko Camera!!!
Post by: richardHaw on February 17, 2021, 00:23:16
After 4 visits to 2 different repair shops, my 16/3.5K/Ai still hits infinity focus at the 5 meter mark.

mine does the EXACT same thing :o :o :o
Title: Re: Ameyoko Camera!!!
Post by: richardHaw on February 17, 2021, 00:25:02
I wonder if the same occurs with the 16/3.5?
it focuses BEYOND infinity :o :o :o
2m appears to be 1m with mine and infinity is about 5m ::)

PS: unicorn lens arrived this morning, thanks for facilitating this.
Title: Re: Ameyoko Camera!!!
Post by: Jack Dahlgren on February 17, 2021, 00:39:58
it focuses BEYOND infinity :o :o :o
2m appears to be 1m with mine and infinity is about 5m ::)

PS: unicorn lens arrived this morning, thanks for facilitating this.

Like Buzz Lightyear says "to infinity and beyond!"

I think it isn't broken, just built that way.
Title: Re: Ameyoko Camera!!!
Post by: richardHaw on February 17, 2021, 00:47:37

I think it isn't broken, just built that way.

was your lens serviced before? :o :o :o

I suspect that its the alignment of the elements. ::)

modifying it is very difficult, it's imprecise since its not easy to adjust
Title: Re: Ameyoko Camera!!!
Post by: Jack Dahlgren on February 17, 2021, 01:21:42
was your lens serviced before? :o :o :o

I suspect that its the alignment of the elements. ::)

modifying it is very difficult, it's imprecise since its not easy to adjust

It is hard to know, given I didn't own it but for the first 45 years of its life, but I suspect not. The mount seems nearly untouched indicating that it was either permanently mounted, or constantly attached. No signs of trauma to the screws either.
Title: Re: Ameyoko Camera!!!
Post by: Roland Vink on February 17, 2021, 02:47:53
it focuses BEYOND infinity :o :o :o
2m appears to be 1m with mine and infinity is about 5m ::)

PS: unicorn lens arrived this morning, thanks for facilitating this.
Oh yes, infinity at the 5m mark means infinity is beyond infinity :o :o :)
That's better than not getting to infinity at all, but still annoying. The focal length is very short, so the extension needed to focus to a given distance is very small, if it's not calibrated right it could throw infinity point out a lot.

RE: Unicorn lens - that was quick! Look forward to your blog on this one :)
Title: Re: Ameyoko Camera!!!
Post by: richardHaw on February 17, 2021, 03:01:43
yes. it took me 3 hours to calibrate it, all to no avail...very frustrating :o :o :o each time I remove 0.05mm it throws everything off
Title: Re: Ameyoko Camera!!!
Post by: pluton on February 18, 2021, 05:49:35
Just checked mine - Pre-K sn 273168.
Looks like it does the same.
Never noticed though because I think I probably never focused it at infinity, and if I did, I used the viewfinder not the scale.
Since others have confirmed this exact same oddity on their copies, It seems that Nikon deliberately built it this way.  Maybe there is focus shift upon stopping down the iris that Nikon sought to "correct" in common use (stopped down to f/11, typically)?
Title: Re: Ameyoko Camera!!!
Post by: Jack Dahlgren on February 18, 2021, 18:58:15
For those without the lens, I was inspired to use it yesterday and here are the sorts of images it produces:
Title: Re: Ameyoko Camera!!!
Post by: richardHaw on February 19, 2021, 02:11:43
the corners appear sharp :o :o :o

were these shot at smaller apertures? ::)
Title: Re: Ameyoko Camera!!!
Post by: Jack Dahlgren on February 19, 2021, 02:56:26
the corners appear sharp :o :o :o

were these shot at smaller apertures? ::)

Corners are pretty clean at f/5.6, but I think these are likely f/8 - f/11
Title: Re: Ameyoko Camera!!!
Post by: richardHaw on February 19, 2021, 03:07:06
Corners are pretty clean at f/5.6, but I think these are likely f/8 - f/11

that's why. :o :o :o
Title: Re: Ameyoko Camera!!!
Post by: richardHaw on February 19, 2021, 03:08:07
I have even fabricated NEW shims but adjusting the focus just made me lose more hair :o :o :o
since other people are also experiencing this I will just accept this as "normal"
Title: Re: Ameyoko Camera!!!
Post by: Erik Lund on April 16, 2021, 13:09:51
Make sure not to over-tighten the rear most lens cell when mounting it.
No markings on the lens mount screws doesn't say someone with the right tools didn't screw off the lens mount ;)