Older F-Mount Lenses on a 100 MP Sensor

[Michael Erlewine]

One thing about my old F-mount lenses is that they can be mounted (with an adapter) to the Hasselblad X2D 100 MP camera. We can’t do that with the Nikon Z lenses because there is no adapter available not apparently will there be.

And so, while I am accumulating the newer Z lenses, none of them can be adapted to the Hasselblad XCD lens mount. However, as mentioned, all of those old F-mount lenses will fit and there is an adapter available that allows this.

And, depending on the F-mount lens, it will fit on the Hasselblad X2D (with adapter) and produce useful images, either straight-away or with a little vignetting that can be easy removed. And the 100 MP sensor will put those F-mount lenses to the test to see if they can take the heat and produce good images.

Here is an image from the classic 55 mm f/3.5 Micro-Nikkor Auto (Compensating Aperture) as rendered with the Hasselblad 100 MP X2D camera.

Of course, this is a closeup shot, which is simpler than an outdoor shot where we might have more light variation to foster various aberrations, etc.

My point here is to suggest that it is worthwhile checking out our old standby lenses against a larger sensor. I wish Nikon could make a 60 MP or 100 MP sensor available to us, because when they do it may give new life and use to many older F-mount lenses.

[Bob Foster]

Interesting. A few months ago I recommended this lens for use with the X2D to an individual wanting to try close up photography without paying the price that Hasselblad asks for the currently available "native" close up lens for this system, or the even higher price of a very recently discontinued lens from another of the Hasselblad systems.

For some images I prefer the rendering of the 55mm f3.5 Micro Nikkor (compensating version) to that of either the Hasselblad XCD 120 f3.5 or the HC Mark II (Orange dot) 120 f4.

You might find the Nikkor P C 105 f2.5 Gauss type (converted or not, also AI or AIS) useful if you are not averse to cropping or simply want to make a not quite close up image. The image attached was shot at about 1:8.5 magnification, close to the near focus limit, it is significantly cropped. The image is so sharp that I considered adding a bit of Gaussian blur in post...

Bob

edit- clarification of one lens referenced.

[richardHaw]

You did not get any vignetting at all? 

Is the sensor a true 645?

I have always wanted a true 6x6 so I can use it with my bronicas

[Michael Erlewine]

You did not get any vignetting at all? 

Is the sensor a true 645?

I have always wanted a true 6x6 so I can use it with my bronicas

Not really. I depends on the lens of course, and in most cases a little vignetting touchup in Photoshop and there is no problem.

[Bob Foster]

Richard,

The Hasselblad X2D (and the Fuji GFX 100 cameras) have a 32.9 X 43.8 Sensor. The largest sensor commonly available is 40 X 53.4 as in the recently discontinued Hasselblad H6D 100c and the current Phase 1 IQ4 150 series. I have not looked at what is available in some of the very low production specialty digital systems in years.

Some older Nikon and F mount compatible third party lenses do have unexpectedly large useful image circles. There are many variables involved in how evenly a lens will illuminate a sensor, but that is, perhaps, another topic. Suffice it to say that where slight vignetting is visible it is easily removed in post processing at a small cost to dynamic range.

Not all F mount lenses are useful on the 32.9 X 43.8 sensor. Some simply do not have a large enough image circle, some, despite the BSI sensor, produce banding, some that exhibit a usually acceptable curvature of field in 24 X 36  use will produce very odd results in the corners.

Bob

[richardHaw]

Oh... So it's a cropped medium format

I will wait for the day when we can enjoy 6x6

[Akira]

The image circle of a lens that moves the entire optics for focusing would be larger as it is focused closer.  The CA Micro 55/3.5 is of that type.  It would be better to focus on a bellows to avoid the vignetting caused by the elongated lens barrel when focused at, say, 1/2 magnification.  It doesn't employ CRC, so there is no penalty in terms of the image quality.

[Bob Foster]

Akira,

If I recall correctly the PB4 has a minimum extension of about 43mm and the PB6 about 48MM. For the 55/3.5 that would give a minimum magnification of very roughly 1:1.5 in both cases.  This assumes use of FTZ or FTZ 2 when using Z series cameras. The old Nikkor 105/4 bellows lens or an enlarger lens of similar focal length would be a more flexible choice.

When using a bellows to create a stack it is better practice to set the lens to subject distance, lock the front standard, and focus with the rear standard (upon which the camera is mounted). Far fewer artifacts will be created by the stacking software of your choice. When the lens is moved to adjust focus for each image in a stack with a bellows setup the subject will be rendered with changes of shape to a lesser or greater extent. The result will be that the software will almost invariably create halos and frequently other types of artifacts as well.

Bob

[Akira]

Akira,

If I recall correctly the PB4 has a minimum extension of about 43mm and the PB6 about 48MM. For the 55/3.5 that would give a minimum magnification of very roughly 1:1.5 in both cases.  This assumes use of FTZ or FTZ 2 when using Z series cameras. The old Nikkor 105/4 bellows lens or an enlarger lens of similar focal length would be a more flexible choice.

Bob

The Bellows should be better extension/focus rigs to avoid the vignetting if ever a 35mm format lens is combined with a larger format camera to do the closeups.  The dedicated Nikkor 105/4.0 and enlarger lenses should be more practical choice for this particular purpose.

[Birna Rørslett]

Skip the bulky FTZ or similar adapter for such hook-ups. All you need is a [ultra-]thin Z adapter, which are easy to get on eBay for next to nothing. Remove the rear mount on any bellows and put the Z mount there. With bellows there won't be electronic communication anyway.

If the PB-4 compresses to around 43mm, the adapter will add 1 to 1.5mm at most. Since the register distance of the Z system is 16mm, you can have less then 14 mm extension for any F lens mounted to the front of the bellows. Using a bellows that compresses more might give infinity focus.

I  just found out the X2D has register distance of 18.4mm, which is longer than the Z register. Thus in principle mounting lenses via bespoke adapter to that camera should be a little easier. All manual native Z lenses made by Voigtländer should work fine, since they can control aperture manually on the lens itself.