Just a little update to the compact camera lens conversion project. If you haven’t read the first part of the project, you can read it here.
As it turns out, the Ricoh ff90 lens isn’t something that Miyazaki can modify. Chinese (or perhaps Japanese) whispers a little bit here, but what Bellamy reported back to me is that something to do with the front element of the lens being part of the body of the camera means that it can’t be modified.
After the poll I did in the last post and my gut feeling telling me that the Ricoh was the lens to go for, it’s a little bit of a shame. But, where one door closes, another one opens.
I’ll be posting a review of my Nikon L35AF in the next week or so (I’ve written most of it, just waiting for a film to come back from the D&P). Over the course of writing the review the Nikon became more and more frustrating. Not because it isn’t a really nice camera, but just because it’s broken. Fortunately, it was useable enough to shoot a whole roll, unfortunately it’s days as a useable camera are, if not over, significantly limited. This combined with Andrej’s comments on the previous post about is home brew modified Nikon L35 lens got me thinking, maybe it should be the choice camera for a donor lens.
I asked Bellamy about the Nikon lens and he responded by saying as far as he knew, it was indeed a lens that could be modded, but it would need to be sent to Miyazaki for confirmation on that. So, next week, assuming I like the photos I get back from it, off to Japan the Nikon goes.
This time though, to save any further too and fro, I am also going to send in the Yashica T4. Just in case the Nikon can’t be done, that will become my fall back.
In the spirit of the first post, and the poll I posted asking which out of the Ricoh and Yashica you would have modded, I’d like to now know which out of the Nikon and Yashica you would go for.
Answers via the poll, and feel free to add further comment below!
[poll id=”5″]
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Dominik Mrzyk on A 35mm compact camera lens conversion – Part 1.5 – (Still) Choosing the lens
Comment posted: 17/01/2016
Comment posted: 17/01/2016
Comment posted: 17/01/2016
Comment posted: 17/01/2016
Andrew on A 35mm compact camera lens conversion – Part 1.5 – (Still) Choosing the lens
Comment posted: 17/01/2016
Ray Yee on A 35mm compact camera lens conversion – Part 1.5 – (Still) Choosing the lens
Comment posted: 17/01/2016
If you decide to go down the T4 conversion route, which I have, do yourself a favour and do the following.
1) Gently pry off the bezel with the words "Tessar 3.4/35" there are 3 plastic tabs holding this onto the focusing mechanism
2) After removing the bezel, you will reveal 3 screws which hold the entire lens onto the focusing mechanism. Remove the 3 screws and that's it!
Should you later decide to replace the lens onto the camera, just reattach it with the 3 screws and pop the bezel back on and you'll have a fully functioning T4. Seriously, it's that easy.
I mounted my lens block onto a 3D printed adapter which mates to a Leica M close focus adapter for my A7. The adapter itself has a slip on fixed aperture plate. It's fine without an aperture but I find the edges a little too soft compared to the really sharp center so I made a series of aperture plates to provide f5.6/8/11 which I swap out. It makes an excellent pancake lens and I'd highly recommend you trying it.
For more details, examples of shots taken with the lens or if you want a copy of my adapter for free, just contact me. It's the least I can do to repay you for your excellent lessons on testing lenses. I've also converted a 29mm Trioplan from a Welta Penti and currently converting a Leica AF-C1, a Olympus Trip 35 and a Nikon LiteTouch AF600. (N.B. All cameras were DOA)
Cheers
Ray
Comment posted: 17/01/2016
Comment posted: 17/01/2016
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Comment posted: 17/01/2016
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Comment posted: 17/01/2016
Comment posted: 17/01/2016
Comment posted: 17/01/2016
Comment posted: 17/01/2016
Comment posted: 17/01/2016
Comment posted: 17/01/2016
jeremy north on A 35mm compact camera lens conversion – Part 1.5 – (Still) Choosing the lens
Comment posted: 17/01/2016
Comment posted: 17/01/2016
Filmosaur on A 35mm compact camera lens conversion – Part 1.5 – (Still) Choosing the lens
Comment posted: 18/01/2016
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I do love a Sonnar-formula lens, and this is the only 35mm focal length version I'm aware of. It's a super-simple mount too, with all the optical elements in a single block that moves as a unit. Converting it, especially to a mount that has a separate helicoid, should be no problem.
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I can understand the allure of the Tessar, but it does seem a little barbaric to rip it out of a working T4....
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Comment posted: 18/01/2016
Kevin Stone on A 35mm compact camera lens conversion – Part 1.5 – (Still) Choosing the lens
Comment posted: 19/03/2016
Comment posted: 19/03/2016