Ai and K Nikkors 400mm f5.6 ED "non-IF"

[Akira]

Processed in ACR applying the new Super Resolution but no sharpening.  The quality of this moon image is the best I've ever got with my own photographic equipment.

The camera is SIGMA fp with the color mode "off" in which no in-camera processing is applied.

[Fons Baerken]

Great result Akira.

[Akira]

Great result Akira.

Thank you, Fons.  Yes, I was amazed to see the result.

[Jacques Pochoy]

Incredible, Akira  I used to look at the sky with a telescope and had some negs of the moon, but even with my "small) refractor, was never able to get such a nice shot 

[Akira]

Incredible, Akira  I used to look at the sky with a telescope and had some negs of the moon, but even with my "small) refractor, was never able to get such a nice shot 

Thank you, Jacques.  Indeed, it is pretty unbelievable to be able to shoot the moon in such a crispness using rather ordinary photographic (not at all specialized for the astronomy) equipment.

[John Geerts]

A successful image, sharp and detailed,  Akira.  The lens works good

[Akira]

A successful image, sharp and detailed,  Akira.  The lens works good

Thank you, John.  Yes, it performed as I had expected for the distant subject. 

[dibyendumajumdar]

A 400mm f5.6 was not described in this patent but I believe this is the one:

https://patents.google.com/patent/US3774991A/en

The glass with abbe number is 81.5 is described as fluophosphoric acid glass. This is the ED glass.

[Jack Dahlgren]

A 400mm f5.6 was not described in this patent but I believe this is the one:

https://patents.google.com/patent/US3774991A/en

The glass with abbe number is 81.5 is described as fluophosphoric acid glass. This is the ED glass.

That may be the patent for the lens system here which used a focusing element with a head and came in 400, 600, 800, 1200mm lengths:
https://nikongear.net/revival/index.php?topic=5202.0

[dibyendumajumdar]

That may be the patent for the lens system here which used a focusing element with a head and came in 400, 600, 800, 1200mm lengths:
https://nikongear.net/revival/index.php?topic=5202.0

I don't have the schemas for those lenses so it is difficult to say.

But we do know for example:

https://www.photonstophotos.net/GeneralTopics/Lenses/OpticalBench/OpticalBench.htm#Data/US003774991_Example03P.txt,figureOpacity=0.25,AxisO,OffAxis

https://www.photonstophotos.net/GeneralTopics/Lenses/OpticalBench/OpticalBench.htm#Data/US003774991_Example01P.txt

Does anyone have schemas of the telephoto nikkors from around 1972-1974?

Regards

[Akira]

A 400mm f5.6 was not described in this patent but I believe this is the one:

https://patents.google.com/patent/US3774991A/en

The glass with abbe number is 81.5 is described as fluophosphoric acid glass. This is the ED glass.

Thank you for the link.   The design of Nikkor 400/5.6 seems to be of a popular basic one.

[MEPER]

I don't have the schemas for those lenses so it is difficult to say.

But we do know for example:

https://www.photonstophotos.net/GeneralTopics/Lenses/OpticalBench/OpticalBench.htm#Data/US003774991_Example03P.txt,figureOpacity=0.25,AxisO,OffAxis

https://www.photonstophotos.net/GeneralTopics/Lenses/OpticalBench/OpticalBench.htm#Data/US003774991_Example01P.txt

Does anyone have schemas of the telephoto nikkors from around 1972-1974?

Regards

I only have like these.......

[dibyendumajumdar]

I also found this:

https://www.pacificrimcamera.com/rl/00769/00769.pdf

What's interesting is that the 800m and 1200mm are described as apo-chromatic.

However, going by these I'd say the patent is for the later ED versions.

[Akira]

IIRC, Birna has the ED version of 1200mm (not the later IF one, but the one for the focusing unit).

[Birna Rørslett]

Wish it were so, Akira. I do have the 800/8 ED lens head though, which is even more elusive. Very very sharp and very very cumbersome to use.

It is a long-focal not telephoto design thus the overall contraption is nearly 1m long and heavy. Using it demands the very best of tripod support. Funny this came up as I retrieved the lens head from its storage yesterday and set it up for use wih the PrimaLuce Z5 today (or tomorrow, my plans involve a more conducive weather than at present).

I do own the 1200mm f/11 ED-IF, which is much smaller and lighter.