Canon 55/1.2 FL does not reach infinity

[buzzardkid]

I got a Canon 55/1.2 FL reasonably cheap, but it does not turn to infinity on the barrel. I tested it shooting it with a LEICAN adapter, and the shots show it does put the focus were I planned it. But, it simply does not move past approx. 7.5 mtrs. It's missing a screw at the rear, so I'm pretty sure someone tampered with it. But, it was cheap...

Anyone got any experience with this lens? I'd like some tips and tricks on (dis)assembly.

And, if you happen to have any experience on building an RF coupling for Leica onto this lens, I'm interested...

[Brian Sweeney]

Just saw this- been getting over the flu.

I've taken the front out of the 50/1.4 SSC FD series lens, but not the FL. It has been a while but: name ring came off with a rubber stopper, revealing grooves for a spanner to remove the front optics module. This allowed access to the aperture blades and what looked like stop screws for the focus.

On making a Cam: the 55mm focal length is a good bit off from the Leica 51.5mm standard. The 50mm F1.2 FD series lens is actually slightly over 51mm, according to the Pop Photo tests. Most 50mm lenses made for SLR's are close to the Leica standard. Pick up a 50/1.4, and a fixed tongue type Cam, or a Ring CAM of the right height to engage the RF cam should work. This is something I plan on trying with a Leica to Nikon F adapter.

[buzzardkid]

Thanks Brian, I kept an eye on this thread but when nobody responded I lost track of it.

Reading your reply just now has got me geared up on this again, I now understand why the lens that was sold here recently, was backfocussing under 5 ft.

At one time I was rather close on the right adapter to hook a Nikkor 50/1.2 up to my CLE, might give that another try with a Nikkor 50mm.

[Krosya]

I have a Canon FL 58/1.2 - I wonder if there is a way to adapt it to M-mount? Would be a cheap version of Noctilux ;)

[SolaresLarrave]

I think it's easier to get a 50mm f1.2 in LTM instead. That's what I got myself... and that took care of my Noctilust.

[Brian Sweeney]

The 58/1.2 would be too far off to RF couple without remounting the optics into an adapter with an indexed cam- one that does not move 1:1 with the optics.

The Canon 58/1.2, 50/1.4, 55/1.2, and 50/1.2 are all sharper than the older 50/1.2 in LTM when used wide-open. But the 55/1.2 and 58/1.2 are not going to be easy to adapt to M-Mount and keep good focus across the entire range. It would be possible to adapt the 50/1.2 relatively easily- need a Cam to make contact with the RF pickup of the camera.

[dogberryjr]

The Canon 58/1.2, 50/1.4, 55/1.2, and 50/1.2 are all sharper than the older 50/1.2 in LTM when used wide-open. But the 55/1.2 and 58/1.2 are not going to be easy to adapt to M-Mount and keep good focus across the entire range. It would be possible to adapt the 50/1.2 relatively easily- need a Cam to make contact with the RF pickup of the camera.

I have an FD 55mm 1.2 AL- the original with the hand-ground aspherical glass- that I have been sorely tempted to have converted to M. These threads rekindle that urge. Arrrgh!

[raid]

I would not butcher the AL lens for RF.

[dogberryjr]

I would not butcher the AL lens for RF.
I know what you are saying, I'm just certain I would use it more in M mount.

[Brian Sweeney]

You would need a custom helical for it. Easiest way would be to make it a single-helical design, and cut the Cam to maintain focus throughout the range. Amedeo could do one for you, as he already makes his own mechanism that is single-throw.

[millus1974]

Maybe this could be useful for someone who want to modify his FL 50\1.2

I have a lens bought one year ago alredy modified from the seller, he is a great guy and i sent to him also my Canon 50\0.95 for the M modfication, he made as always a great conversion with perfect focus on both my Leica M.
About the Canon FL 50\1.2 i can tell it's really nice to use on my M3, maybe a little too big, but if you have the Nokton 1.1 it's almost the same barrell...
The nice thing is the minimum focus of the lens, it can go really really close so at one point you continue to turn the focus rig and the Rangefinder of the Leica (both mine M3 and M6) stop to moving because you are under the 90cm focus limit of the rangefinder mechanism...but it's useful to have a fast 50mm with minimum focus at 55cm, you just have to "find" the right distance from the subject...not easy at f1.2 :D

Anyway i have attached some pictures of the modified lens, i hope they are clear enough...my room it's really dark..

If someone need better picture i can make them...about pictures shoot with the lens, i don't have digital ragefinder so you have to be patient, i have to end my actual roll of tri-x, develop and scan it

Bye
Emiliano

[Brian Sweeney]

Emiliano,

Thankyou for posting these!

Work like this deserves it's own thread: please, when you get the images back, post some taken with it along with your instructions for adding the RF coupling. I will be doing this with a Nikkor 50/1.4 F-Mount lens this Winter, as time for projects increases.

[menos]

Just found this fine thread ;-)

I got a 58 Noct-Nikkor, which obviously is too expensive, to permanently hack into a new mounted M lens, but I really would love to find a solution, to shoot it on a M.
It is a absolutely wonderful lens with fantastic rendering, which really lacks on a big SLR (I have trouble, focussing it appropriately, almost always in need for 2 or 3 bracketed frames, to find good focus with the ground glass.

Any input on educating me on a geared mount conversion for non 50mm lenses to M mount would be great.
The 58 Noct is extremely tight built with almost no space around its huge rear element :-( - I guess, this means major trouble with remounting it.

It is very similar in size and packaging to it's 50mm f1.2 Ai-s sibling.

Any samples of conversions with other focal lengths than 50mm ?

[millus1974]

Sorry in my last reply i have wrote all the time Canon FL 50\1,2 but of course i was talking about the 55mm (there is no FL 1,2 50mm only 55 or 58 with that f) as you can se in my picture...
Anyway the reason is that i have also the Canon FL 50mm f1.4 II converted to M mount, it was a kind of experiment, it's been a cheap auction on ebay and a completly different modification from the 55\1,2 i already had...anyway it's a nice lens, really sharp and with different color rendition, less flare than 55\1,2 they are both 7 elements but this is in 6 groups with different coating the f1.2 is 5 group, maybe this is the reason...

@Brian
About the modification i'm sorry but i can't help you if not sending macro picture (with more light i promise :rolleyes:) of the rear of the lens, as you can see from these other pictures this is another techinc to convert the lens, using some Soligor Tele Converter and creating a cam inside to be rangefinder coupled...but i really don't know how to do those kind of things :(

As soon i have enough money i'm going to send for modification a Rokkor 58\1.2 and a lovely Hexanon 57\1.2 i don't think i will ever convert a Nikon lens because i have 7 reflex nikon in my house with almost 30 lens...so i prefer to modify lens i can't use in any way...

@Menos
I have sold my nikkor Noct years ago...and today i'm sad because it's arrived at crazy price with the "Digital Fever" anyway as you wrote, i don't think i will ever modify a lens like that permanently, but i don't think there are ways to create a temporary modification to mount a reflex lens on a M-mount camera.
About other focal lenght, both the 2 guys who made the modifications to my canon lens have told to me there is no way to modify a lens longer than 60\70 mm because the 85mm reflex lens have a movement of Focus Ring really long, too much to create a rangefinder coupled mechanism (sorry for my english but i don't find a good way to explain the technical problem) in few words...the more is longer the reflex lens...the more you have to move the focus ring to take the focus, and this is a nightmare for a good modfication to a rangefinder (or at least this is what they tell me)
However different words for shorter focal lenght, i have seen a 45\2 Minolta converted and also a 35\1.8 but i was "out of money" at the time :D

I hope to be helpful
Emiliano

[millus1974]

This is how they look on my M6...reflex lens are so big, but they look cool on the M body...maybe a little too long for the wievfinder but they cover just the same portion of a Nokton 1.1 or a Canon 0.95 :cool:

Sorry for the picture of the wievfinder but at the moment with me i have only a D200 (the only digital Camera in the house) with a Nikkor-N 35\1.4...it's just to give you the idea of how much those lens cover the wievfinder

Bye
Emiliano

[Brian Sweeney]

Thankyou again- the pictures show what to do, and will serve as an inspiration. This Winter, the 50/1.4 Nikkor conversion is the list to do.

[menos]

…

As soon i have enough money i'm going to send for modification a Rokkor 58\1.2…

@Menos
I have sold my nikkor Noct years ago...and today i'm sad because it's arrived at crazy price with the "Digital Fever" anyway as you wrote, i don't think i will ever modify a lens like that permanently, but i don't think there are ways to create a temporary modification to mount a reflex lens on a M-mount camera.
About other focal lenght, both the 2 guys who made the modifications to my canon lens have told to me there is no way to modify a lens longer than 60\70 mm because the 85mm reflex lens have a movement of Focus Ring really long, too much to create a rangefinder coupled mechanism (sorry for my english but i don't find a good way to explain the technical problem) in few words...the more is longer the reflex lens...the more you have to move the focus ring to take the focus, and this is a nightmare for a good modfication to a rangefinder (or at least this is what they tell me)
However different words for shorter focal lenght, i have seen a 45\2 Minolta converted and also a 35\1.8 but i was "out of money" at the time :D

I hope to be helpful
Emiliano

Emiliano, thank you very much for the details, posted!
This is exactly, what I am looking for, to start, thinking inside a modification. What your technician describes as the limit of focal length, to convert would be exactly, what I am looking for.
I look for a solution to the 58mm Noct.

The issue with the Noct indeed is it's extremely big rear element, which is at roughly Ø 38mm bigger, than the focus tube of the Noctilux :eek:.

This would indeed ask for making a tapered focus tube, fitting around the lens element, sacrificing some of the image circle of the Noct, to get to the rangefinder focus cam diameter.

Another challenge is, that the rear element doesn't turn during focussing - a profiled cam is therefore not possible, but just a tube, as shown in your pictures.

Is there anybody, who believes, it is still possible (huge, not rotating rear element, sacrificing 35mm image circle)?

Where can I find a collection of the precise measurements of the M mount, including RF arm, RF travel and measurements of the F-mount?

I would like, to play a bit with a CAD concept, finding, if it is indeed possible or if the packaging is prohibitive.

A Nikon Service and Repair Manual for the Noct is on it's way to me, possible revealing more intel.

The outside dimension for the Noct are really no issue ergonomically, when comparing it to a Noctilux. It is actually lighter, shorter and just slightly bigger in diameter at it's focus ring. Otherwise, it is a very sleek and tightly designed lens with 52mm (!) filter ring.

[millus1974]

I'm glad to be helpful...reading this forum i have learned so many things in the last few months so...i'm happy to give my little contribution to the community :)

Talking about the Noct 58...i don't remember how big was the rear glass but i don't think you should have problems with the mount of the leica because you don't need to enter inside the mount with lens maybe the problem could be to find enough space to put a tube to create a ranfinder couplin, also the problem about the not rotating rear lens could be difficult to solve...but i repeat my opinion i will not touch a gem like the 58\1.2 to mount it on a Leica...with the Rangefinder system we have a lot of superfast lens also cheaper than Noct-Nikkor...so i really don't feel the need to modify that lens (and i have also admit that during the Daylight shooting i have not seen differences between the last version from '77 of the Nikkor 55\1.2 and the mighty Noct 58\1.2...but if you shoot light in the night...ok it's another movie)

Maybe try to begin the modification with a cheap nikkor 55\1.2 non AI from '60 and then if you understand that it worth the job...go with the Noct...but it's just my opinion of course.

To give you some other pictures about modification, this is the link of the seller of my Canon FL 50\1.4 you will see a lot of other converted lens, and in some pictures also Tubes and other accessory he used for the conversion...maybe if you contact him he can conver for you all the lens you want :p

http://cgi.ebay.it/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110577034945

I repeat, he is not my friend and i'm not connected with him, i just bought a lens from him few months ago, maybe this could help more all the "modificators of the forum"

Soon i will post some pictures shoot with those lens

Emiliano