300mm Nikkor G f9 lens?

[Gene McCluney]

I've got this 300mm Nikkor G lens F9. It is mounted in a Older Copal 3 shutter, and the shutter markings indicate this is a convertible lens, as it has 2 aperture scales. I tried looking on Camera Eccentric for a Nikkor brochure, but they don't have any posted, and I can't seem to find any info on this. It is a small lens, the Copal 3 almost seems too big, compared to my 300mm modern Nikkor Plasmat, this lens (glass elements) are relatively tiny. It is coated. I got this at auction, a year ago, I have shot with it in my studio and the transparencies look as nice as my modern 300mm Nikkor plasmat. I have not tried to see what it would do with one cell, though (converted).

Any advice on researching this lens would be appreciated.

[Kirk Fry]

Seems to me those were the previous model to the 300M Nikkors. They are Tessars and most folks think they are pretty similar. I am surprised it is in a Copal 3 as the 300M's come in Copal 1. Maybe it is a Copal 3s. A 300M will cover an 8X10 with a little movement. I would guess they date to the late 1970s ish. The convertible part is weird too. Maybe it is remounted lens in an old shutter from a convertible lens. A tessar lens is obviously not convertible. And then again maybe I am completely wrong.
K

[Gene McCluney]

If it was a Tessar, then it wouldn't be "convertable" and yet the shutter appears to be correct for this lens, considering the accuracy of the aperture scale. And the aperture scale is a factory job, not a custom engraved scale. I'm away at the moment, but as soon as I am back, I will try it without one element and see if it images.

[Darren Kruger]

Seems to me those were the previous model to the 300M Nikkors.

Wasn't the predecessor the Nikkor Q? I've seen listings of a 300mm f9 version. I've heard the Q might have been for Quad would would made it a tessar type design.

-Darren

[Dan Fromm]

Gene, you have the lens. Why don't you ask it what it is?

The first obvious question is whether both cells will form an image. Do they? Don't check just one cell, check both. This 'cos a tessar's front cell won't form an image and its rear cell will.

The second obvious question is how many strong and weak reflections there are in each cell. Strong reflections come from air-glass interfaces, weak from glass-cement-glass interfaces and can be hard to see. Look and tell us what you saw in each cell. FWIW, when I do this exercise I remove at least one of the cells from the shutter or barrel; otherwise reflections from the cell on the other side of the diaphragm confuse me.

Nikon used to use letters to indicate the number of elements in a lens. Nikkor-Q for 4 element lenses, -P for five, H for six , -S for seven, -O for eight, and so on.

G doesn't fit this scheme. Are you sure it isn't Q?

These days Nikkor-G is attached to lenses with no diaphragm rings for Nikon AF SLRs (35 mm, digital).

[Gene McCluney]

Gene, you have the lens. Why don't you ask it what it is?



Oh, I intend to, when I get back to my studio, I am just away for a couple of days, and cannot even look at the lens, which is on my Sinar at the studio.

[Kirk Fry]

That's correct is was Q instead of G. I got confused, happens all the time. K