Nikkor 55mm f/1.2, Coatings

[RonVol]

Don't ask me why, but there's something about this lens that got me interested in its history & development.
So interested that I started collecting them and all the different variations.

These images show the different reflections given off by the various elements within different versions of the lens.
While not a technically brilliant way of documenting the changes; you can definitely see a change when multi coatings started being used.

[Tristin]

Neat!  I'd be interesting in seeing some comparison scenery images to demonstrate how they different coatings impacted performance.

[richardHaw]

http://richardhaw.com/2016/02/06/repair-new-nikkor-55mm-f1-2/

That is my favourite! it is my "magic lens" 

HAW_9088 by mrBabaero, on Flickr

HAW_9035 by mrBabaero, on Flickr

HAW_9042 by mrBabaero, on Flickr

like what i said in my repair blog, when shot wide open, all the flaws of this lens comes together and blends harmoniously to give you an image with an endearing quality. yin and yang are one 

HAW_9117 by mrBabaero, on Flickr

at f/2, this lens is just amazing 

by the way, the more colors you see, the more coatings were used (multi-coatead). NIC and SIC

[null]

That is interesting- this lens went through some changes.

I've read that the optical formula was changed "ever so slightly" going from the 55/1.2 Nikkor-SC to the 55/1.2 Ai to accommodate the closer focus of the latter. I can "imagine" Nikon slightly repositioning the groups to change optimization. Have you noted that in your collection?

The 1976 Pop Photo test of the multicoated version of this lens rated it as a true F1.2 and a T1.25. As per the test, over the center 2/3rds of the image it was slightly better than the 50/1.4.

nikona by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr

[Mongo]

Ron, the stuff you have posted is really interesting and a great reference. Not sure if others do but Mongo has for a very long time often judged/guessed the age of a lens by its coating (apart form other more standard features). Mongo has one of these lenses but must confess he does not use it much at all. He finds it too soft wide open and has to stop down to nearly  f4 to get results he wants, so he finds there is little point having an f1.2 aperture if you use it at f2.8 and above. This is just Mongo's experience and notes that others have not had this issue or do not mind it.

[John Geerts]

Agree with Mongo. Very interesting, Ron. The multicoating around 1972-1973 is also claimed to have a positive effect on the light performance, I read somewhere, a 1.8 actually being an 1.5 or 1.6? Is that perhaps the reason why Nikon did split the 85/1.8 into an 85/2 and a 85/1.4 ?

[null]

The original marking on the coated Zeiss lenses was "T" for transparent. Uncoated lenses reflect ~4% of light for every air/glass interface; single-coated ~1%, Multicoated- ~0.3% (Varies). Zoom lenses and retro-focus wide-angle lenses benefit most from multicoated optics. Zeiss still uses Transparent for their lenses, "T*".

[Erik Lund]

,,,, I read somewhere, a 1.8 actually being an 1.5 or 1.6? Is that perhaps the reason why Nikon did split the 85/1.8 into an 85/2 and a 85/1.4 ?

Any serious reference for this?

50mm f/1.8 just has less vignetting than a f/1.4 and then again less than a f/1.2,,,

There was 8cm f/1.5 alongside 8.5cm f/2,,, for rangefinder,,,

http://www.nikkor.com/story/

[John Geerts]

Any serious reference for this?

50mm f/1.8 just has less vignetting than a f/1.4 and then again less than a f/1.2,,,

There was 8cm f/1.5 alongside 8.5cm f/2,,, for rangefinder,,,

http://www.nikkor.com/story/

Not sure for what it's worth, this is with regard to the 85mm f/1.8  :  " I had all but the HC ....the K (and presumably the HC) has more coating than the H...resulting in 1/3 F-stop more light transmission in my comparisons...". 

And  "Just a note re: the difference between the f/1.8 H vs the H.C + K:   The H has the old "mono" coating and the yellowish-green tint. The H.C, and subsequently the K, have the NIC multi-coating which greatly reduces the yellowish-green tinge. For that reason, I always strongly advise others---and anyone reading this who intends to shoot color--- to get one of the multi-coated versions."    Source

In the Nikkor.com story about the 35/1.4  "The lens went on sale successfully in 1971 with the features of Close-Range Correction (CRC) System introduced first in the 24mm f/2.8 and the Nikkor's first multi-layer-coating treatment. It utilized all available technical know-how that the then Nippon Kogaku could offer, suitable for the world's first 35mm f/1.4 lens for SLR cameras."    http://www.nikkor.com/story/0027/

[rolubich]

That is interesting- this lens went through some changes.

I've read that the optical formula was changed "ever so slightly" going from the 55/1.2 Nikkor-SC to the 55/1.2 Ai to accommodate the closer focus of the latter. I can "imagine" Nikon slightly repositioning the groups to change optimization. Have you noted that in your collection?

About slightly different optical (not just coating) version of 55mm f/1.2, perhaps this article can be interesting.

http://www.marcocavina.com/articoli_fotografici/Nikkor_optical_variations/00_pag.htm

(See middle of the page)

[pluton]

Brian, Thank you for posting the Pop Photo test report excerpt.  Norm Goldberg's test reports of cameras and lenses blow away most so-called "tests" that are available today.  Not only did they assess the performance of the lens/camera, but he disassembled it  and commented on the engineering choices made by the manufacturer. 
My copy of the 55/1.2 K is a wild ride of aberrations at wide open, and then becomes an unusually "sharp" normal lens at f/4 and f/5.6.

[Erik Lund]

,,,...resulting in 1/3 F-stop more light transmission in my comparisons...". 

The keyword here is: Transmission

Transmission is T-stops, not aperture F-stops
In Cinematography and Video they use T-stops,,,,

Two different things

[John Geerts]

Aaah,  Thanks, for the clarification, Erik.

[null]

About slightly different optical (not just coating) version of 55mm f/1.2, perhaps this article can be interesting.

http://www.marcocavina.com/articoli_fotografici/Nikkor_optical_variations/00_pag.htm

(See middle of the page)

Thankyou! That confirms and shows the change.

I did some tripod tests with the Nikkor-SC 55/1.2 and the Ai. I'm keeping both.

[Roland Vink]

In the Nikkor.com story about the 35/1.4  "The lens went on sale successfully in 1971 with the features of Close-Range Correction (CRC) System introduced first in the 24mm f/2.8 and the Nikkor's first multi-layer-coating treatment. It utilized all available technical know-how that the then Nippon Kogaku could offer, suitable for the world's first 35mm f/1.4 lens for SLR cameras."    http://www.nikkor.com/story/0027/

Hmmm, that contradicts the information here:
http://nikongear.net/revival/index.php/topic,2972.msg41101.html#msg41101