Aperture scale mismatch

[Ed Richards]

Just got a beautiful Nikon 500T from KEH. Was about to mount it on a lens board when I noticed that it the shutter is marked Nikon W 180 and the aperture scale begins with 5.6, not 11. At 5.6 the lens is wide open, and I close it to 8, the iris blades look to be about the right place. any chance that this will be correct, just off 2 stops?

Anyone know what Grimes charges to redo an aperture scale?

[Daniel Stone]

http://www.skgrimes.com/iris/index.htm

-Dan

[Steve Goldstein]

Nikon/Copal shutters differ slightly from the "standard" Copal shutters. All the ones I have or have seen use a band that completely encircles the shutter body with lens type (e.g. 180mm Nikkor W) and shutter speeds apertures printed on it. This is in contrast with the usual two thin bands held on with impossibly tiny screws. These Nikon bands can be removed and replaced if you can find the correct one, and the screws are more easily managed though you'll need a good quality fine screwdriver. Contact Tony in the Nikon USA parts department. They still have some repair parts in stock, or at least did last time I needed one of these bands for something else. The cost was $20+/- shipped.

[Ed Richards]

Thanks Steve! Do you have a phone # or email?

[Steve Goldstein]

<Sounds of rummaging through a few piles of paper...>

1-310-414-8107, option 1, option 1 (that's twice).

There's also a woman who works with Tony who is equally knowledgeable and helpful, but I don't have her name recorded anywhere.

I have an exploded view parts photo they sent me of the 65mm Nikkor-SW. On that drawing it's labeled as #51. On different packing slips it's variously called a scale plate or an aperture scale. The first field in the part number is always 1B001, at least on the three different scales I ordered in 2009, the second field (separated from the first by a dash) is a 3-digit number and trailing letter. Make sure they understand exactly what you're after, it took a bit of explaining the first time because they don't have a lot of contact with LF parts.

FYI, the scale for a 90mm f/8 Nikkor-SW is 1B001-463A. At the time I ordered this particular scale they had to get it from Japan, where the world's last 12 pieces resided. Price was $9.70 plus shipping, it came to around $19 including UPS. One of the other two scales I got was in US stock, the other also came from Japan.

You're lucky, the only reason I knew where this stuff was is that I stumbled across it a couple of weeks ago while looking for something else! There's a saying - "A clean desk is the sign of a sick mind". By that standard, I am in extraordinarily good mental health.

[domaz]

Call KEH-- if it wasn't marked on the web site as having "aperture scale off" you should see if they will do anything for you. Maybe they will offer you a discount.

[Ed Richards]

KEH, as always, did right by me.