how to take apart a Nikkor APO?

[Andrew Farkas]

I've got a 360 Nikkor APO lens that I'm trying to connect with a shutter I bought. First, I should say that the shutter is a Copal 3- I looked around for a while for info, and this was the best recommendation I got.

Now that I've got the shutter, I can't figure out how to get the lens apart (beyond getting the shutter in, there's a bunch of dust inside). Everyone says, "just unscrew it," but I swear it does not unscrew, nor is it meant to.

Any advice?

AJ
ps- I'm a poor grad student, trying to avoid sending the lens out. $$

[rob]

APO nikkor process lenses won't fit a shutter without custom machining.

[John Schneider]

I'm a poor grad student too, and unless you have access to a good lathe and know how to cut threads, it's false economy to keep this lens. I have both the access and skill myself, and it still doesn't make sense to take a chance on butchering a good lens to mount it in a shutter. Unless it's a special lens (and this isn't), it doesn't make fiscal sense to have SK Grimes et al mount it in a shutter.

Sell it and the shutter, and get a used lens from Mpex or KEH

[Joerg Krusche]

Andrew,

try to get hold of a Sinar/Copal shutter .. then front-mount the Apo Nikkors .. there will be no mechanical vignetting due to large diameter of shutter .. with that single shutter you then have access to Apo Nikkors in the range from 24mm through 760 mm .. and that is quite a range .. and it is cost-efficient. That shutter allows you also to have access to the Apo Ronar's, Apo Germinar's etc....The Apo Nikkors are very difficult to take apart .. may be glued .. some few do .. but most not. Above solution is not a low quality one .. it allows to use some of the best lenses ever made .. at controllable budget .. Just my ..

Best

Joerg

[Dan Fromm]

Joerg, 24 mm? I thought the shortest Apo Nikkor was 150 mm. Please tell me more.

Not directly relevant, but Adam Dau of skgrimes has told me more than once that the 305/9 Apo Nikkor's cells are a direct fit into a Copal #1. I have two of the lenses, don't dare try to take either apart.

[Joerg Krusche]

Dan,

thank you for reading !! .. and for correcting !! that 24mm should have been 240mm .. Your info on the 305mm is interesting .. I never tried to unscrew front and rear elements of that focal length .. will try ... so far my limited experience is that other than with the Apo Ronar's e.g. it is difficult to do that with the Apo Nikkor's .. I did it with an Apo Nikkor 760mm when I still planned to mount that lens (with suitable adapters) on a Compound V shutter .. but I abandoned that since the use of the Sinar/Copal shutter is so easy .. just a flange ring on a lensboard (for the Sinar that goes up to 110mm .. hence 760 is the longest one).



Will try it on the 305 .. will report back to you if it works .. there are no problems with unscrewing since these lenses appear to be not critical re. air-spacing.

Best,

Joerg

[Joerg Krusche]

Dan,


in case you talk to adam next time, could you ask him how to unscrew front and rear elemnts these Apo Nikkors, .. unless it is his personal know how of course.

Best

Joerg

[Dan Fromm]

Joerg, I don't know the trick but when I looked closely at mine I think I saw tiny radial set screws holding the cells in place. I'll ask Adam when we talk next, which should be fairly soon; he's doing a few little jobs for me, hasn't asked for a charge card number yet.

Cheers,

Dan

[Andrew Farkas]

Thanks for the info! I'll probably try to track down a Sinar Copal shutter. This lens was a gift.

[Brook Martin]

Dont overlook the venerable packard shutter, or even a lens cap. If you are stopping down it is actually pretty easy to do, and the cost will work for a broke grad student.