The Nikkor “O” CRT 55mm f/1.2 Lens: A Recipe for Lovely

[rosko]

What type of adapter is recommended for the f-mount and second for panasonic ,

Here is how I find out the best way to connect the 55mm CRT to my Nikon bodies : In this way you won't hit anything in the mirror chamber

All you need is a couple of M39/nikon rings (very cheap) :

1/ screw the first ring with the nikon side facing the lens;

2/ screw the second ring with the nikon mount normally.

3/ screw both rings in thoroughly. That's it !

Thus you attach your lens like any one without worry...

[rosko]

Here is single shot with this lens attached to the Df.

Note that I stopped down at F/8. Back lit with natural light.

[Akira]

That is a neat solution, Francis!  That sets the lens almost at the same position as it would be used with the retaining ring and BR-15.

I don't remember if I have stopped down this lens that far.   

[rosko]

I don't remember if I have stopped down this lens that far.   

Well, actually i am not sure I needed to stop down as much, as the subject was quite flat !

That said, I cannot discern any damaging diffraction. Let's wait any comments !

[JKoerner007]

That said, I cannot discern any damaging diffraction. Let's wait any comments !

I'd like to thank both you, and Akira, for creating visual examples of how to adapt this lens, along with your taking the time to describe verbally.

Of the versions mentioned, yours seems to be the quickest and best.

That said, I am not sure why you'd use an f/1.2 lens, renowned for bokeh, at f/8

I didn't see any diffraction, nor any example of creamy bokeh, but I did detect a few blots on your sensor

[Akira]

You're welcome, John.

I don't detect any degradation caused by diffraction at f8.0.

[Akira]

I think this image was taken at f2.8.  The curvature of field may have enabled me to get more flowers in focus than with the lenses with flatter image field.

[JKoerner007]

You're welcome, John.

I don't detect any degradation caused by diffraction at f8.0.

If you look along the right edge of Rosko's image, there are some weird 'swirls' that look like stacking imperfections, even though it wasn't stacked.

Michael has described the rendering of this lens as "bokeh on acid," which can make (or break) the image ... depending on the roll of the dice.

[JKoerner007]

I think this image was taken at f2.8.  The curvature of field may have enabled me to get more flowers in focus than with the lenses with flatter image field.

I thought that was the crown of a diamond ring at first

[Jack Dahlgren]

I was reading up on the Japanese wiki page about this lens and it showed a few alternatives, so I looked them up and found the JML 56mm f/1.2 oscilloscope lens.
This lens was used by the US govt. when the Nikkor was no longer available. Seeing it was so cheap on ebay I purchased one.

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It turns out to be a bit larger than expected, roughly twice the size, and the inner dimension of the rear flange is slightly larger than the outer dimension of the Nikon F mount so I am guessing it was designed for a larger film format than 35mm.

It has an internal electrically controlled shutter, which can easily be removed, but it also acts as the diaphragm (5 sided) the aperture of which is controlled by the knob on the right side.

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As a result of the different design, magnification is substantially higher when placed up against the lens mount. As a comparison (different days, different flowers, but close enough) here is the JML 56mm f/1.2 first:
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Compared to the Nikkor O
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I think it is useful for pictoral effects on smaller objects. Here are a couple of examples of how it renders the cherry blossoms in my front yard.
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and the wisteria which would not cooperate in the wind.
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I don't think it has the same fine quality as the Nikkor, and the aperture is harder to work with, but for somewhere near 1/20th of the cost, it may be worth trying it out.

[Michael Erlewine]

I was reading up on the Japanese wiki page about this lens and it showed a few alternatives, so I looked them up and found the JML 56mm f/1.2 oscilloscope lens.ng it out.

I have this lens. It large, more like what we might expect as a 210mm lens size in the Large-Format lenses. It takes 6 volts to control the shutter. I have mine permanently wide open, where I believe it is sharpest. Getting a mount for it is not a lot of fun, but I found a Russian mount made for the Printing Nikkor 105mm that fits exactly, but adds extra weight.

I have yet to do much with it, but it does not look as fine as the Nikkor "O" lens. The way to work with it, IMO, is to stack focus. I have some other fish to fry just now, but I plan to do some work with this lens as soon as I get a chance.

[Jack Dahlgren]

I have this lens. It large, more like what we might expect as a 210mm lens size in the Large-Format lenses.

I have yet to do much with it, but it does not look as fine as the Nikkor "O" lens. The way to work with it, IMO, is to stack focus. I have some other fish to fry just now, but I plan to do some work with this lens as soon as I get a chance.

Yes it is as large as a 210mm LF lens - or larger. I spent most of last week in museums and when I saw this, I thought of you. This is just a small detail.
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On the other hand, I can hardly imagine myself crafting such an image. I can see the pleasure you have in the crafting of it. I can see the detailed results. However, I tend toward the fleeting, the incidental and even the accidental.  More like this depiction:
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I’d love to see what you end up with. My way of working is more likely to just be holding it up against the camera out in the yard. It is interesting to see how different the approaches and results can be.

[Michael Erlewine]

Yes it is as large as a 210mm LF lens - or larger. I spent most of last week in museums and when I saw this, I thought of you. This is just a small detail.

Nice photo indeed.

[rosko]

Back to the forum ! 

I'd like to thank both you, and Akira, for creating visual examples of how to adapt this lens, along with your taking the time to describe verbally.
Of the versions mentioned, yours seems to be the quickest and best.

You're welcome, John !
And thanks for commenting !

About the pic I've posted, I just wanted to show that you can get a sharp result without stack. That means stopping down at the detriment of bokeh, of course. (this is why I used a monocolour background to avoid any mess.

If you want both deep DOF and creamy bokeh,  focus stacking is the solution.

Also I know that I didn't use the best stop to get optimum resolution, which is f/4 (source : http://coinimaging.com/nik-o55.html),

About the sharpness, we have to consider that this lens, as Michael Erlewine pointed out, is not an apochromatic lens, but a hight resolution lens for a monocolour subject, (like oscilloscope screen). If you take a coloured picture, like a flower, the sharpness will decrease cause wavelength of each spectrum component won't spot on the same focus point , but, still very sharp for my taste !

I did detect a few blots on your sensor

Oh dear ! I definitely need to clean my sensor !

Below, an image with bokeh.

Cheers, Francis

[rosko]

I was reading up on the Japanese wiki page about this lens and it showed a few alternatives, so I looked them up and found the JML 56mm f/1.2 oscilloscope lens.
This lens was used by the US govt. when the Nikkor was no longer available. Seeing it was so cheap on ebay I purchased one.

Jack, this lens seems promising for focus stacking.

I like the colour rendition of Orchids pictures !

Let's wait Michael experiments ...