PC-Nikkor 28mm f3.5 adjustments

[Bent Hjarbo]

I have the PC 28mm, but it is very easy going in the shift. It will slide down by itself
Any easy adjustment to avoid this?

[richardHaw]

maybe add some felt at the button (inner surface)

[Erik Lund]

Drawings, first one is the different lubes and second exploded view - I don't think felt is an option, too tight tolerances

I would give A58 some heavy grease

[Bent Hjarbo]

Erik many thanks for a quick answer

[Erik Lund]

You are most welcome, I happen to have the repair manuals for both versions f/3.5 and f/4

The two parts 56 and 57 needs to go closer together - that tightens the swallow tail connection, this is done taking off the mount and the rotating part first.

[bobfriedman]

thank you for this.. I have a PC-Nikkor 28/3.5

[Bent Hjarbo]

I did not manage to get the rotating part of, removed a small set screw, but, it did not move.
So for to night it will have to work with some pieces of paper, to make som more friction

[richardHaw]

nikon should have made this adjustable

[Matthew Currie]

I have an older "chrome knob" 35/2.8, and it definitely is adjustable.  At the end of the knob is a little spanner nut, which is a jam nut that adjusts play on the knob.  For mine (which was also loose when I bought it in "bargain" condition) I milled or filed a 4 millimeter 1/4 inch socket into a spanner.

On that one (and it appears similar in the drawing above for yours) if you loosen the spanner nut, then tighten the knob clockwise and then retighten the spanner while holding the knob, it should tighten up.  Because there's a little thread slop to take up here, it may take a couple of tries to get the tension just as you like it.

e.t.a. I note that the knob on the newer lens has a cap on it, which I suspect you must pry off.  Mine is exposed, and the adjustment is pretty obvious. 

[mxbianco]

Some years ago I bought all the remaining PC-Nikkor spare parts from a retiring US repair shop. I have knobs, plates, even some lens elements. Most of the boxes/envelopes will have the Nikon part # stamped on. In case anyone needs a hard-to-find part for his/her PC-Nikkor, I might have one. I have more pieces than needed to service my 3 different vintage PC-Nikkors. Including one of the original photos from the Ebay ad.

Ciao from Massimo

[Erik Lund]

You are most welcome, I happen to have the repair manuals for both versions f/3.5 and f/4

The two parts 56 and 57 needs to go closer together - that tightens the swallow tail connection, this is done taking off the mount and the rotating part first.

I now have PDF scan available for both Repair Manuals if anyone is interested! Massimo, I have sent you a set of PDFs

[mxbianco]

I now have PDF scan available for both Repair Manuals if anyone is interested! Massimo, I have sent you a set of PDFs

Thanks, Erik, I will make good use of it, there's a recent addition to Nikongear who asked me if I could help him with some spare parts, and I have recently bought a very poor condition PC-Nikkor 28/3.5 that I want to overhaul: the parts list plus the envelopes (with part #) that I have will enable me to go for the right part without a lot of guesswork. Individual optical lens elements are especially hard to tell, they could have been for any of four Nikkors, two 35mm's and two 28mm's

Adding two pics of my degraded PC-Nikkor, fortunately only the metallic parts (dials, knobs, etc...) are in poor conditions, lenses are OK. Already found mint replacement parts in my spare parts box. Will post pics of the finished work here.

Thanks again from Massimo

[Bent Hjarbo]

I now have PDF scan available for both Repair Manuals if anyone is interested! Massimo, I have sent you a set of PDFs

Erik can you email one to me for 28mm, I might be able to stiffen mine

[Erik Lund]

That's one of the most worn down lenses I have seen! And yet the lenses looks fine, maybe it was kept loose in a camera bag together with other lenses,,, anyway glad I could help!Bent, a copy is on it's way to you as well!

[Dogman]

That's one of the most worn down lenses I have seen! And yet the lenses looks fine, maybe it was kept loose in a camera bag together with other lenses,,, anyway glad I could help!Bent, a copy is on it's way to you as well!

My old 24/2.8 N.C. looked worse.  That was from normal use.  Even the distance and DOF scales were completely worn off.  Yet the lens elements were pristine.  It finally lost sharpness and I tossed it and replaced it with a new AIS model.  I still have that one.  It's pretty worn as well.  I did keep the hood from that original 24mm.  It's just grey metal now--the black anodizing is gone.  Amazing gear Nikon made in those days--hockey pucks we called them.