Gear Talk > Lens Talk
How to get non-AI Nikkors converted?
Seapy:
When I got my first D200 2006? I fitted my Nikkor 105mm f2.5. I didn't realise they you DON'T fit non AI lenses to most Nikon DSLR's. It was OK on my D1 but it jammed onto the D200, I very gingerly managed to get it off again and researched the issue.
Cut a long story short, I found some websites with the info and set about the prized Nikkor with my file (I didn't have a Dremel then). The only really crucial thing, apart from making the gap long enough is to finish the right hand side of the gap at exactly the right place. Depending on the maximum aperture the location of the end of the gap varies. I found a chart which gives the data, I will try to find it again.
This is my rather rough and ready result it works well enough, I found the left hand end of the gap was a bit tight to get the lens on and off so I widened it a bit later. I had neither a vice nor a bench. It was done at my desk with a little riffer file, I didn't bother with the rabbits ears, they are in my desk somewhere.
For this lens according to the charts I found, the right hand end of the gap has to be at f11 1/3, as I have indicated.
Bill De Jager:
[Oops! I was thinking of chipping lenses. They also do AI conversions but I have not tried that service.]
In the U.S., Legacy2Digital.com (http://legacy2digital.com/nikon/) is one option. I purchased an already converted 50-135/3.5 AIS from them several years ago and was very pleased.
Hugh_3170:
If doing the modification yourself using a Dremel (or similar equipment, e.g. the rather nice German made Proxxon), then do yourself and the lens a great big favour and DO GET yourself the matching drilling stand and table plus a suitable miniature end milling bit.
In this way the height of the Dremel in relation to the table can be locked and stay fixed and this enables a slot of uniform depth to be gradually milled out. I suggest about three to four cuts, each taking only about 0.25mm of metal out. Mill out the ends of the slot as separate cuts, taking great care to get them in the correct place. With care, a very neat slot can be cut. Follow Seapy's advice as to exactly where the slot has to end for YOUR particular lens.
Sorry if this is all old hat to seasoned Dremel users and afficionados. ;D ;D
Seapy:
Here are my links to AI conversion info. They may break in the future, I have used them since 2007, so it could be prudent to save the pages to your own hard drive so a copy exists, not wishing to infringe on copyright but some of these links can be priceless and may disappear one day.
http://www.chr-breitkopf.de/photo/aiconv.en.html#ai_pos
This table is copyright of © 2015 Christoph Brieitkopf and can be found in the above website. I reproduce it simply because it needs preserving and be available to those who need it. This is the only list of it's kind I am aware of.
http://www.aiconversions.com/compatibilitytable.htm
And from Rowlands site:
http://www.photosynthesis.co.nz/nikon/aimod.html
Of the six links I had in my AI conversion Tech Info bookmarks only two are still live.
Erik Lund:
--- Quote from: Seapy on January 28, 2016, 23:55:16 ---When I got my first D200 2006? I fitted my Nikkor 105mm f2.5. I didn't realise they you DON'T fit non AI lenses to most Nikon DSLR's. It was OK on my D1 but it jammed onto the D200, I very gingerly managed to get it off again and researched the issue.
Cut a long story short, I found some websites with the info and set about the prized Nikkor with my file (I didn't have a Dremel then). The only really crucial thing, apart from making the gap long enough is to finish the right hand side of the gap at exactly the right place. Depending on the maximum aperture the location of the end of the gap varies. I found a chart which gives the data, I will try to find it again.
This is my rather rough and ready result it works well enough, I found the left hand end of the gap was a bit tight to get the lens on and off so I widened it a bit later. I had neither a vice nor a bench. It was done at my desk with a little riffer file, I didn't bother with the rabbits ears, they are in my desk somewhere.
For this lens according to the charts I found, the right hand end of the gap has to be at f11 1/3, as I have indicated.
--- End quote ---
For the Aperture ring to work on cameras with 'Minimum Aperture sensor' like on D200 and D40 etc. you also need to cut down the aperture ring to make a second ridge for that to work properly.
The sensor informs the camera that the lens is set to minimum apeture or not... Used for P and S Mode.
If you install one of Bjørns G-Type CPUs no ridges are needed, Since G-Type lenses has no ridges... Not always a good solution since the pre Ai apertures are not always linear - But not all lenses know that... ::)
IMHO the image show how to make a quick and dirty DIY hack that works on some cameras - Not recommended!
Some Pre-Ai aperture rings are a bit short for these mods to work like a real AI or Ais ring, they barely catch the aperture index lever on the camera, so a little extra care when mounting the lens will prolong the cameras aperture index levers life, it's a rather fragile componenet...
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