The Nikkor AM-ED (APO-Macro) f/5.6 Lens

[Michael Erlewine]

I used the 120 AM for all those years I did large-format photography, and never saw any "green" issue. The lens surely is designed to deal with daylight. It might be you react to the ED glass design and the purity and contrast of colours produced by it. Plus see the next paragraph.

Try a magenta CC filter to cut a little back on the greens if required. Also, do examine the light source as I suspect using anything other than a true continuous-spectrum source can get you into the trouble you describe. LED lights will not do.

I go your LED message. This was sunlight coming through a window, so no LEDs. I use artificial lights very rarely. I wonder if you have any comment on my other thought, that these lenses being perhaps not so well coated... what can we do to ameliorate that?

[Bjørn Rørslett]

My copy is from the mid '80s, so obviously coatings then were less advanced than today. However, it apparently has some kind of multicoating. I don't think your perceived problem is there.

However, you definitively need a very efficient lens shade. Do remember the lens projects a huge image circle and on an FX camera, there will be lots of stray light bouncing around.

If no movements are used, making an ad hoc shade of two K-5 rings should work.

[Frank Fremerey]

What Bjørn says and meand Simone is to be bold and uderlines

At 1:1 this lens has 23 Centimeters of image circle!

In your picture you only use a small sweet spot in the middle compared to a huge "wide angle" image circle

Btw. You can use the image circle shifting on the back standart without changing the perspective.

[Michael Erlewine]

However, you definitively need a very efficient lens shade. Do remember the lens projects a huge image circle and on an FX camera, there will be lots of stray light bouncing around.

If no movements are used, making an ad hoc shade of two K-5 rings should work.

I used the  BR-2(A) and mounted the lens with the front 52mm filter, meaning the lens is reversed. How would I mount the K-5 Rings since the lens is reversed? Perhaps I should mount the lens differently?

[Bjørn Rørslett]

I'll make a post of the better way to mount it once I return to Oslo. Perhaps later today.

If you have 37-52 step rings, K-5, and BR2/K-2, you should by the way have all the pieces you need. Unscrew the rear section, put the step ring the to act as a guider, add the K-5 and tighten. Can't remember whether the final F-mount will be provided by BR2 or K-2, that depends on the thread gender on the free end of the K-5, but one of them will fit and provide the bayonet for attaching to camera or bellows.

At least I think the K-5 was the required spacer, but it might have been the K-4. You soon enough discover which one is the correct part when you start juggling around the bits and pieces.

As an exercise in patience, I recommend sitting down at a work table filled with step rings, adapters, and the odd parts from you scrap bins, and make something out of the parts. One always finds new or unexpected solutions even to problems one didn't realise existed previously

[Michael Erlewine]

I'll make a post of the better way to mount it once I return to Oslo. Perhaps later today.

Thanks. I look forward to it. As it is now, I am only using either the front or back of the lens, but not messing with the Copal #0 shutter. Are you saying to open up the lens shutter, etc? In that case, I probably will wait for an illustration of how to do that. But I will play with some rings, etc. in the meantime.

[Bjørn Rørslett]

The rear part of the lens simply screws into the shutter unit. This is the way all large-format lenses are constructed. You need to split the lens in order to mount them on a lens board .... (the lens board ends up in the middle of the lens). The bottom of the Copal shutter unit will go flush to the lens board. Usually there  is a spanning ring there as well so the lens is aligned and centered properly. You don't need a lens board, but if the extra centering ring is present, do take care of it in a safe place if it ever is required again.

Just get hold of the rear part of the lens, the one without engraved data on it, and twist it off as were it a screw. Anti-clockwise (left) to open, clockwise (right) to fasten. The threads are very finely pitched, so be careful to get the threads properly aligned when you put the rear end back.

[Michael Erlewine]

This is the way all large-format lenses are constructed...

Obviously, I know little about large-format lenses, but I will set up a little operating table, spread my adapters out, and see what I can do.

Thanks once again. You are, indeed, the Lens Meister!

[Mongo]

some lovely tonal colours and feel to the image from this lens. However, not sure which lens you are referring to. Is it the 120mm medium to large format lens This does not appear to have been made for some time.  If it is , Mongo has two of these mounted to short bellows and a "T" mount which he had all but forgotten about. If it is the 120mm, you have encouraged Mongo  to have another try with this lens.

[KarlMera]

My copy of the Nikkor AM-ED (APO-Macro) f/5.6 lens finally arrived, with a Copal #0 shutter. I simply used a K2-Ring for the mount, a K-5 Ring for some exention, and then mounted the lens to a 37mm-52mm step-up ring directly to the front of the lens. I think I got that right.

It is the perfect lens for your x-act, not reversed.

[Michael Erlewine]

some lovely tonal colours and feel to the image from this lens. However, not sure which lens you are referring to. Is it the 120mm medium to large format lens This does not appear to have been made for some time.  If it is , Mongo has two of these mounted to short bellows and a "T" mount which he had all but forgotten about. If it is the 120mm, you have encouraged Mongo  to have another try with this lens.

Yes, that's it. The Nikkor AM-ED (APO-Macro) f/5.6 Lens

[simsurace]

As for light, it was just outside light from a window.

The same applies, the window is probably too far away. Unless you like the bright reflection in the petal, you can try to move the plant closer to the window and then take another shot.

[Michael Erlewine]

Here is a quick shot of the AM-ED 120mm, with my current setup. Starting from the bottom, there is a Nikon lens cap, on top of that is the BR-2(A), on top of which is the lens, and on top of that is the lens, reversed. The back of the  lens does not seem to have threads or not threads I can find something to screw into.

What I would like is to have the lens facing forward in standard position, so that I can screen a lens hood into it. But I am not sure how I modify the back (top in this image) to do this. Perhaps this is what nfoto may show me in an image.
'

[Bjørn Rørslett]

Michael, just hold the lens in its normal original orientation and simply twist the rear end off.

Why make such a simple matter difficult? Twist and turn. Takes seconds.  All large-format lenses are built to be split in this manner. That is also the reason the threads are so finely pitched. You will be able to assemble the lens again without worries about misalignment.

Just try it.

Your image also shows the retaining (spanning) ring. It's the one with notches every 90 degrees. It serves to center the lens on the lens board and to secure its position.

[Michael Erlewine]

Michael, just hold the lens in its normal original orientation and simply twist the rear end off.

Why make such a simple matter difficult? Twist and turn. Takes seconds.  All large-format lenses are built to be split in this manner. That is also the reason the threads are so finely pitched. You will be able to assemble the lens again without worries about misalignment.

Just try it.

Your image also shows the retaining (spanning) ring. It's the one with notches every 90 degrees. It serves to center the lens on the lens board and to secure its position.

Of course, I did that at once. I took off the back lens, and as you pointed out, there is a little notched ring that screws off. No problem. But then what? What do I next?