Nikkor-H.C 1:2 f=5cm nippon kogaku tokyo lens

[Red Robin]

A quick inspection of my new-to-me nikkor revealed some kind of spots on the inside rear glass. Looking thru the front glass, past the aperture blades there seems to be sm.spots or perhaps moisture. (oil?) Now, on the back of this LTM lens is a black ring with two slots. Will unscrewing this ring allow me to remove the rear two elements for cleaning? Is it that simple? any tricks? OR. .. ... is it : no, no , not that way! I do have the correct tool to remove the ring.

[Beemermark]

Why not just take some pictures with it?

[Red Robin]

It's quite unusable. Is there a instruction site?

[Red Robin]

Not much in the way of response. Is this a crummy lens even in good condition? The lack of anyone with experience in repairing one seems to imply that I must have purchased another dog. Drat

[Livesteamer]

I've got one just like it. A wonderful lens that makes lovely images. Mine had something growing inside so I sent it to Focal point where it is getting cleaned and polished. Not cheap but I like the lens very much. My only complaint is it's heavy on my IIIc. Make sure it's not got a fungus growing in it. Good Luck. Joe

[Phil_F_NM]

This should be a great lens. The 5cm Nikkors are fantastic performers. The spots may not be able to be cleaned as they may be bubbles in the glass which were common in old lenses before vacuum glass forming.
Like Beemermark said, just take some photos with it and be happy! You can usually subject lenses to SEVERE trauma, including cracking front elements and lots of dirt without any noticeable effect on image quality. So lens cleanliness is usually only for your own peace of mind, not for improving the image. Sometimes cleaning can do damage to lenses as well.
Don't get the lens off calibration either by loosening the optics out of the mount. If you don't have a way to ensure the optics are exactly collimated then you WILL have a dog.
Do the lens justice and shoot it before any cleaning to give it a chance to speak for itself.

Phil Forrest

[raid]

Several years ago I did a comparison project of over twenty 50mm RF lenses. The Nikkor did "the best" accoriding to the feedback at RFF. I sold the Nikkor; regretted it; then bought another Nikkor. Such a lens should be a keeper.

[tennis-joe]

I consider my Nikkor lenses as good as my Leicas
Joe

[f16sunshine]

Originally Posted by Red Robin

Not much in the way of response. Is this a crummy lens even in good condition? The lack of anyone with experience in repairing one seems to imply that I must have purchased another dog. Drat

That lens is far from being a dog.
Can you show a photo of the issues you are seeing?
If it's just tiny bubbles in the glass you will not see much resulting reduction in IQ.
If it is oil or haze, that condition is often very easy to clean. Some haze can be stubborn but, not usually.
I also use nikkor LTM's > I only own the 1.4/50 but, used to have a lovely NK Tokyo 50mm. It was a sweet performer. Lovely sonar rendering.
Don't give up so easy.

[lam]

A photo would be best to see what is exactly wrong i'd think...?

here's a photo of the bubbles in my Zeiss Sonnar 5cm f1.5 (1938) as noted, the bubbles don't take away from IQ, just the process of forming the glass. I included a photo to demonstrate what the bubbles look like, you can even see one of them shimmer!


Zeiss Bubbles by lamlux.net, on Flickr



I've owned 2 Nikkor LTM's, the 50mm f1.4 and the 50mm f2 uncoated, both were fantastic performers with that great Sonnar look.

[RObert Budding]

Originally Posted by tennis-joe

I consider my Nikkor lenses as good as my Leicas
Joe

Nikkor lenses are inferior to Leica lenses in every way imaginable (what are you doing, trying to drive up prices?).

[Highway 61]

Originally Posted by RObert Budding

Nikkor lenses are inferior to Leica lenses in every way imaginable (what are you doing, trying to drive up prices?).

Beyond the crude stupidity of this last post, could this thread, which doesn't discuss about Nikon rangefinder stuff, be moved into the Leica LTM copies forum ?

Thanks...

[maitani]

got such a black lens as freebie on my S4 body, I'm suprised how good it is

[Erik van Straten]

Originally Posted by Highway 61

Beyond the crude stupidity of this last post, could this thread, which doesn't discuss about Nikon rangefinder stuff, be moved into the Leica LTM copies forum ?

Seconded.

Erik.

[redisburning]

I see irony is lost on more than one of you.

[Range-rover]

I just got a Nikon S2 and a 35mm f2.5 lens, I hope I like the results, I'm am (was)
a Leica guy, but trying a Nikon, I really like the way they handle and the viewfinder is
Huge! 1:1 nicer than the Contax IIa i had.

Range

[Erik van Straten]

Originally Posted by redisburning

I see irony is lost on more than one of you.

I did not see much irony in that quote. Can you explain?

Erik.

[furcafe]

It seemed clear to many of us that Mr. Budding was joking, even though he didn't use an emoticon, etc.

Originally Posted by Erik van Straten

I did not see much irony in that quote. Can you explain?

Erik.

[Phil_F_NM]

I think it was said as a bit of tongue-in-cheek wit on the fact that Nikon lenses are excellent. That's how I read it. Sarcasm. Kind of like saying "the Leica 90mm AA lens is garbage, why would anyone want one of those?" when meaning the opposite. It's praise.

Of course, the poster could actually think that Nikkors are inferior, we'll just have to see if he contributes to the thread more.

Phil Forrest

[furcafe]

The giveaway was the parenthetical "what are you doing, trying to drive up prices?", but apparently some people need everything spelled out for them.

Originally Posted by Phil_F_NM

I think it was said as a bit of tongue-in-cheek wit on the fact that Nikon lenses are excellent. That's how I read it. Sarcasm. Kind of like saying "the Leica 90mm AA lens is garbage, why would anyone want one of those?" when meaning the opposite. It's praise.

Of course, the poster could actually think that Nikkors are inferior, we'll just have to see if he contributes to the thread more.

Phil Forrest

[furcafe]

Per what others have posted, the 5cm/2 Nikkor-H is a copy of the Zeiss 5cm/2 Sonnar, 1 of the greatest 50mm lenses ever, so very much not a dog. The lack of anyone w/repair experience may just indicate how seldom these lenses need to be fixed.

Originally Posted by Red Robin

Not much in the way of response. Is this a crummy lens even in good condition? The lack of anyone with experience in repairing one seems to imply that I must have purchased another dog. Drat

[rodinal]

Originally Posted by redisburning

I see irony is lost on more than one of you.

Second this one.
Sad but true.

[Highway 61]

1. Mr Budding is not particularly known as somebody ironically joking for free - but times may have changed (in this case, these are very good news).

2. I have never read any post from him in this forum when it was to discuss Nikon rangefinder gear.

2. This thread is about a LTM version of the lens.

3. This thread is about an hypothetic lens repair to be performed on a LTM version of that lens so I still see at least two forums where this thread would be better hosted than the Nikon RF one (the Nikon RF version of that lens won't be taken apart the same way as the LTM version, so people having got used to service the Nikon RF version - I do - can't help the OP here).

(The point that it's a Sonnar design not a Summicron design or whatever is not relevant here : I have that lens in Nikon RF mount and use it as my primary lens, even preferring it over my Millenium Nikkor, so...)

4. Some are superior, some others are inferior (no superiors without inferiors and vice versa).

5. Some understand it all at once, some need to have everything spelled out and explained.

Originally Posted by furcafe

The lack of anyone w/repair experience may just indicate how seldom these lenses need to be fixed.

LOL ! Many skilled people will have repair experience with them : it's a LTM lens, so it's probably very close to any Canon LTM or Leica TM lens as for its inner assembly (double helical with rectilinear focusing unit, probably - the repair schematics must be easily available out there on the Internet).

[Highway 61]

Originally Posted by photomoof

You haven't convinced me to move it yet, how about a thousand word essay on "Why Nikon is a LTM copy?"

M'kay. Then why don't you move threads like this one :

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/foru...ad.php?t=90034

and all the other similar threads (tons of), all located into the Leica LTM copies forum, back into the Nikon RF forum ?

[Highway 61]

Originally Posted by Red Robin

Now, on the back of this LTM lens is a black ring with two slots. Will unscrewing this ring allow me to remove the rear two elements for cleaning? Is it that simple? any tricks? OR. .. ... is it : no, no , not that way! I do have the correct tool to remove the ring.

Oddly enough, I just found an old article in the Leica LTM copies forum about how to service your lens twin (aka the Nikkor-S.C 1:1.4 f=5cm) in LTM version :

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/foru...d.php?t=115313

So, to start up, yes unscrewing the black ring at the rear of the lens will allow you to remove the optical unit from the outer barrel/focusing ring fixture.

This is always how servicing a lens begins.

Then once you get the lone optical unit in hands (putting the outer barrel/focusing ring fixture carefully aside) you will be able to have access to other slotted rings which will release the rear optical elements in order to clean them - same with the aperture blades unit.