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Short helicoid for Nikon Z mount?

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Jack Dahlgren:
Looking for recommendations on a short helicoid to obtain infinity focus with lenses like Nikkor “O” and similar. I mostly find them to allow macro focus and not seeing many with native Z camera mount.

A solution with adapters is OK, but would prefer Z mount on camera side and F or M42 on lens side.

ianwatson:
Rafcamera.com has a flat M42 to Z mount adapter. You could then try a Borg helical focuser which has the appropriate M42 mounts at the ends.

MEPER:
I found a thread here discussing the topic but don't know if it is of any value:
http://forum.mflenses.com/nikkor-o-55mm-f12-how-to-focus-t80927.html

The Nikkor "O" is the Oscilloscope Nikkor (55/1.2)?

Birna Rørslett:
Very easy to make the required adapter. I have made many of them over the last couple of years.

For example, a flat M42-Z adapter, then add a short M42 helicoid of a decent quality, for example, one with a brass core. Still these are very decently priced. The flat adapters are dispersed among the usual M42-Z items so you have to scan for them, but since they look so different they are not hard to identify. I have seen them at ridiculously low prices too.

At the front end, put any mount you require. For the 55mm f/1.2 Nikkor-O (aka 'CRT' or 'Oscilloscope' Nikkor), you just need the ubiquitous 42-39mm small ring.

Birna Rørslett:
I knew I had posted a photo relevant to this discussion recently. Found it, see below.



Here are two examples of small focusing adapters for my old Fisheye-nikkors. Put the 42-39mm adapter ring in front instead of the F bayonet, and you are all set to explore the world through the eye of the 55/1.2 Nikkor-O. Spoler alert: it will focus to infinity, but you will quickly learn this is not a purpose for which  the lens was designed. Still fun to use and the DX-format Z range like the Z fc chucks out more of the poor corners :)

The legendary Rodenstock 100mm f/1.6 is another of those lenses that can find a new life of existence on the Z system. You will need a wider helicoid for this lens, though, as it is more beefy. I used a 65mm size for this lens. It will focus to infinity with ease and almost covers the FX format with excellent rendition. Only the extreme corners tend to go softer, but can easily be cropped off.

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