Adapters: Old Nikon lenses on *ist DS ?

Hi people,

Been reading a few macro threads in here mentioning reversing rings and was really excited to know I can now use my old Nikkor primes backwards on my DS. They're rather nice lenses but ever since I was given the DS as a present the old Nikkormat FT has lain in its bag, unused.

So, what I'm wondering now is if anyone knows of a suitable adapter that will enable very old (1965) Nikkor-H bayonet mount lenses to be used on the DS - I've seen Nikon to M42 adapters on Ebay (probably for newer Nikons only though?) and M42 to K mount adapters of course...

Can/should you stack more than one adapter? This is probably a really stupid idea but I hate the thought of the old lenses not being used...

thanks for any suggestions - even if it's "forget it" !

smithy

The M42 to K adapter fits inside the K mount, so doesn't alter the focussing distance. If you can find a Nikon to M42 adapter that does the same, then you should be able to use both adapters and still get the full focus range.

G

You mean these?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/New-Nikon-Lens-to-all-M42-mount-camera-adapter-Pentax_W0QQitemZ180043196502QQihZ008QQcategoryZ30059QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

They don't say anything about infinity focus, and it looks too thick to allow it. There's only about 1mm between the Nikon and Pentax register, so if it's thicker than that (and it certainly looks it) you'll lose infinity focus.

Nikon, like Pentax, have always stuck to the same physical bayonet, so your old Nikkor H lenses should work fine. In fact the older lenses will work better as you have to be able to set the aperture manually.

In theory stacking adaptors shouldn't be a problem. In practice it isn't always that simple. For instance, I have a K-M42 adaptor and an M42-M39 ring. Both work fine individually, but if you stack them there's a light leak due to a bit of a design flaw on one of them. Definitely worth trying, though.

Another solution for macro work is to hunt down an old BPM Universal bellows. These had interchangeable mounts so with the correct combination you can mount just about any lens on just about any camera.

Steve

http://www.siblingmedia.com/

Thanks George and Steve,

Honestly I didn't know about losing infinity focus. I was thinking the Nikkor 50mm f2 could make a nice portrait lens on the DS so I suppose that wouldn't matter too much?

Yes Steve, those ones ! A bloke in a camera shop told me Nikon had changed their bayonets after 19-canteen when the Nikkor-H's were made, but if they haven't, that's great. I had wondered about light leakage too so thanks for the warning.

Funnily enough I was ogling a BPM Universal Bellows on ebay recently but it had no mounts so I managed to stop myself...I may give in at any time though!

cheers,

smithy.

PS Btw Steve, re your site - fantastic elephants !! How did you make them? Were they hand made in a 3D prog or from video, maybe?

This may sound like sacriledge to a Nikon user, but it would be much more convenient to sell the Nikkors on eBay, for which you might get a surprisingly good price, and then look at buying a selection of used Pentax lenses from the same source.

It would make the photography so much easier...

You're right, it would be!

I'm hardly a Nikon user in any true sense as I've only put about 6 rolls of film through the FT - I'm mainly attached to those lenses, the focusing rings are soo sexy-smooth ..... shoot me......

Get yourself a screw-mount Takumar, smoother than Jersey cream.

G

With a 50mm lens, even a few mm will lose you everything beyond a metre or so, so I'm inclined to agree with John unless you have a Micro Nikkor gathering dust and want to use it for macro work.

Glad you liked the elephants. They were hand drawn, based on photographs of elephants walking.

Steve

http://www.siblingmedia.com/

Lol George... putting temptation in my path

Thanks Steve, you've saved me a few quid! (Now where can I get Brain Plugin DOF Calculator v1.0 ?) Sadly no Micro Nikkor here, just 28mm and 50mm.

Hand drawings most realistic *bows*