Fisheye-NIKKOR 6mm f/1.4

[RonVol]

Here's a lens that, until yesterday, I had no idea existed.
Fisheye-NIKKOR 6mm f/1.4 with serial #901401.

The lens is on display at the National Museum of Nature and Science, Tokyo.
Apparently it was designed for capturing images of auroras and probably cloud patterns too.

I've asked a friend in Tokyo if he could visit the museum to see if more info might be available.

Image is by Itoshiki Ku.

[Bjørn Rørslett]

Now, that is a surprise ... any idea whether it had an F-mount?

[Akira]

Here's the story about the upper atmosphere observation using this very 6mm/f1.4 fisheye.

http://www.nikon.com/about/technology/field/aurora/index.htm

[RonVol]

Here's the story about the upper atmosphere observation using this very 6mm/f1.4 fisheye.

http://www.nikon.com/about/technology/field/aurora/index.htm

Thanks for that link Akira 

[Akira]

Thanks for that link Akira 

You are welcome.  Hope you enjoy it! 

[RonVol]

A little bit of research has yielded this series of images, examples of what the lens/camera combination is used for.

[RonVol]

...................and some tech specs.

[RonVol]

.............and this from the Nikon site that Akira provided the link to.
You can see the plastic dome that the lens is housed in.

[RonVol]

Now, that is a surprise ... any idea whether it had an F-mount?

Based on the images above; it's not an F-mount.

[Akira]

Ron, thanks for the additional info.  512x512 pixel is pretty dense.    I wonder if you need to "cool" the CCD in Antarctica?   

[RonVol]

Here's a shot showing 2 of these lenses being used in a configuration from 2002.
So we now know that at least 2 of these lenses exist and were around as far back as 1996.

The configuration is called the CRL-ASI, here's a description;

As an objective lens, the CRL-ASI has a fish-eye lens with a 6mm focal length and F1.4 made by Nikon Technologies Inc. It is capable of a 180deg all-sky field of view, which enables it to observe a wide area within a radius of several hundreds km range around the observation point. Rays of light pass through the objective lens and then through a collimator lens to become a collimated beam, through an interference filter for spectral separation and is then focused on a CCD device unit. This optic system is based on the all-sky auroral imager developed by the National Institute of Polar Research (NIPR) in 1996 as well as on the airglow-observation-imager developed later at Kyoto University. Interference filters are mounted on the five-channel filter turrets, enabling observation at any of five channel-selected wave-lengths. The telecentric lens has a focus-adjusting mechanism to enable the capture of high-resolution images. The detector unit is a cooled camera with 512 X 512-pixel back illuminated CCD, achieving high-sensitivity and convenient in handling.

[chris dees]

Based on the images above; it's not an F-mount.

Just send it to Erik. 

[Dr Klaus Schmitt]

There have been very similar lenses made by other vendors for similat applications (often military), I've seen them sold quite a few times. Image circle is rather small though, although the back focal length is rather long (due to the required filter wheel).

First Nikon I ever saw, thanks for sharing!

[Bjørn Rørslett]

The impressive speed might be easier to achieve when the image circle is small.

The long "tail" of the lens might include a built-in relay system.

A pity these lenses are so elusive, should be fun to experiment with.

[RonVol]

There have been very similar lenses made by other vendors for similat applications (often military), I've seen them sold quite a few times. Image circle is rather small though, although the back focal length is rather long (due to the required filter wheel).

First Nikon I ever saw, thanks for sharing!

Thanks for the info and also thanks for the positive feedback