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Thread: Beginner question about lens mounted in the 'wrong' shutter

  1. #1

    Join Date
    Apr 2020
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    31

    Beginner question about lens mounted in the 'wrong' shutter

    I acquired a Nikkor-W 135mm f5.6 at a swap meet, and realized when I got home that it's in a Copal #0 f9-f64 shutter. Online research (okay, eB*y pictures) suggest it belongs in an f5.6-f64 shutter, as does the LF resource page.

    I'm sure the first suggestion will be that I put some painter's tape over the aperture scale and re-calibrate it myself. Is it as simple as:
    - Hold the lens firmly pointing at a stable light source like a computer monitor displaying blank white
    - Open the lens fully
    - Spot meter the lens from the rear, adjusting this to represent f5.6
    - Close the aperture until the spot reading is f8, f11, f16 etc., marking the position for each. (Full stops are good enough for my work.)

    This pre-supposes the fully open aperture actually is f5.6.

    Second:

    I understand the aperture scale is pretty closely matched to the physical properties of the lens. How would I go about identifying a Copal #0 shutter without lens which would be correct for this lens? The shutter the lens is currently in is marked '27' - is there a codification of which lens a specific shutter is marked for? The reverse case is also of interest - how would I determine which lens this shutter 'belongs' to, should I ever have the chance to transplant a lens with a damaged shutter into this working shutter?

    Thanks in advance for furthering my education - I suspect there's some language that I'm missing which will make this clearer to me.

  2. #2

    Join Date
    Sep 1998
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    Loganville , GA
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    Re: Beginner question about lens mounted in the 'wrong' shutter

    It’s in the correct shutter but that shutter has an aperture scale from a different lens.
    You will note that the aperture scales are attached to the shutter with two small screws.
    You can either try to find the correct scales and switch them yourself or tape them over as suggested or find a pair of blank scales for your Copal 9 shutter.

  3. #3

    Join Date
    Dec 2018
    Posts
    994

    Re: Beginner question about lens mounted in the 'wrong' shutter

    You're on the right track with the light measurement technique.
    Another way is do do the math: FL (in mm) divided by aperture opening (in mm) when viewed through the front element....or, FL divided by desired f-stop will give you a target aperture opening in mm, viewed through the front element..

    Copal shutter aperture scales are labeled with codes for the lenses they are set up for from the lens manufacturer.
    Hopefully someone will chime in with the proper code for your lens.

  4. #4

    Join Date
    Sep 1998
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    Loganville , GA
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    14,410

    Re: Beginner question about lens mounted in the 'wrong' shutter

    Quote Originally Posted by bashful View Post
    I acquired a Nikkor-W 135mm f5.6 at a swap meet, and realized when I got home that it's in a Copal #0 f9-f64 shutter. Online research (okay, eB*y pictures) suggest it belongs in an f5.6-f64 shutter, as does the LF resource page.

    I'm sure the first suggestion will be that I put some painter's tape over the aperture scale and re-calibrate it myself. Is it as simple as:
    - Hold the lens firmly pointing at a stable light source like a computer monitor displaying blank white
    - Open the lens fully
    - Spot meter the lens from the rear, adjusting this to represent f5.6
    - Close the aperture until the spot reading is f8, f11, f16 etc., marking the position for each. (Full stops are good enough for my work.)

    This pre-supposes the fully open aperture actually is f5.6.

    Second:

    I understand the aperture scale is pretty closely matched to the physical properties of the lens. How would I go about identifying a Copal #0 shutter without lens which would be correct for this lens? The shutter the lens is currently in is marked '27' - is there a codification of which lens a specific shutter is marked for? The reverse case is also of interest - how would I determine which lens this shutter 'belongs' to, should I ever have the chance to transplant a lens with a damaged shutter into this working shutter?

    Thanks in advance for furthering my education - I suspect there's some language that I'm missing which will make this clearer to me.
    Almost, but if you are measuring through the gg you must remember that the gg absorbs some light so you must factor that loss into your reading as a filter factor. Additionally, if you are too close to the area you are metering you will have light loss from bellows extension.

  5. #5

    Join Date
    Aug 2018
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    381

    Re: Beginner question about lens mounted in the 'wrong' shutter

    Quote Originally Posted by Bob Salomon View Post
    Almost, but if you are measuring through the gg you must remember that the gg absorbs some light so you must factor that loss into your reading as a filter factor. Additionally, if you are too close to the area you are metering you will have light loss from bellows extension.
    Remove the ground glass when measuring and make sure you are focused at infinity. Watch out for back-light.

    Sent fra min SM-G975F via Tapatalk

  6. #6

    Join Date
    Apr 2020
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    31

    Re: Beginner question about lens mounted in the 'wrong' shutter

    Thank you all for your insight. Bob's obvious-in-retrospect point that the iris scales are removable rather unlocked the whole subject for me.

  7. #7

    Join Date
    May 2015
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    SooooCal/LA USA
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    2,803

    Re: Beginner question about lens mounted in the 'wrong' shutter

    And SK Grimes will measure/make a nice scale for under 50 bucks...

    I frequently have to calibrate a iris without a scale, and use the above measurement technique... The speed of lens marked is on the front, so close iris until it just starts intruding into lens area and mark that... Then stop down making a mark at every less stop... You might need a brighter source for the smallest stops, I use a white garage door on a sunny day...

    You can leave the GG in for this process... You are just measuring the ratio of brightness on the GG, not calculating exposure on it...

    Works well if you are careful...

    Steve K

  8. #8

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    Feb 2001
    Location
    Greenbank, WA
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    2,614

    Re: Beginner question about lens mounted in the 'wrong' shutter

    The Grimes folks can do a great job engraving the correct scale on the shutter body itself.

  9. #9

    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Posts
    3,901

    Re: Beginner question about lens mounted in the 'wrong' shutter

    Possible to return this "Franken" lens back to the seller for a refund? It is clearly a non-original and molested lens.

    Modern 135mm f5.6 Plasmats such as this Nikkor W should be plenty common, easy enough to obtain in original un-molested condition for similar or lower cost than what was paid for this molested example. By the time a proper shutter label is done and added to the overall cost of this lens, is likely not a rational choice.


    Bernice

  10. #10

    Join Date
    Aug 2018
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    381

    Re: Beginner question about lens mounted in the 'wrong' shutter

    Quote Originally Posted by Bernice Loui View Post
    Possible to return this "Franken" lens back to the seller for a refund? It is clearly a non-original and molested lens.

    Modern 135mm f5.6 Plasmats such as this Nikkor W should be plenty common, easy enough to obtain in original un-molested condition for similar or lower cost than what was paid for this molested example. By the time a proper shutter label is done and added to the overall cost of this lens, is likely not a rational choice.


    Bernice
    But if you need the lens now, test it, so if it is a keeper.
    There always possible to find a lens where the back cell has been switched or other thing to make it unusable.

    Sent fra min SM-G975F via Tapatalk

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