Rabbit, Rabbit, Rabbit...

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Pictured is my Nikon F2 Photomic [camera], it's 50mm f2 standard lens (centre), and a 35mm-105mm Macro zoom lens that I bought cheap on eBay last year. The lens unfortunately came sans the lens aperture coupling shoe, which you can see on the standard lens (AKA 'bunny ears', top front in the photo). You can just make out the two tiny tapped holes for the screws that attach it, on the barrel of the zoom lens just to the rear of the aperture ring on the lens mount itself.

Without this simple mechanical coupling, the lens won't interact with the exposure meter built into the viewfinder, and whilst not rendering it totally inoperable, would make it a bit of a pain to use with the camera. Behind the gear on my laptop screen is the only eBay entry I could find for a replacement - from the USA for the slightly daft sum of US$15.60 plus US$20.70 postage - in GBP a total of £26.19 for a tiny piece of aluminium worth in material terms a couple of pence at the outside - not a viable option in my tight-fisted assessment.

Looking at it, I think I'll make one up from some thin aluminium angle: if the stuff I've got in the workshop is too small, the local B&Q have some larger-dimensioned stock that I can use. It will simply be a matter of drilling the screw holes, cutting the centre slot and cutting to size, before filing it into the finished shape (the slot will have to be cut small and then filed to size, as the thing will have to be radiused to fit the lens barrel: a job for some new needle files I bought last week). I think I've got screws that will fit somewhere. I won't start it until we're back from a short break we're taking next week. Keep you posted.

Comments

  1. Phil.9 August 2021 at 19:26

    Kel,

    Could you look for an otherwise damaged lens on eBay? One that has got the coupler intact but has mildew damage or busted glass or something.

    Lovely camera BTW. I always wanted one of those back in the day. I still have my Nikon FE, which is in great nick. Haven't used it for at least 20 years I guess. Wend also had one, which we sold when I got my first digital camera - a Kodak of some sort. It was in the skip in about 18 months and totally obsolete.

    I think I told you that I chucked all of my darkroom equipment out years ago. Something I rather regret TBQH.

    Trust All Well.

    Keep Safe,

    Phil.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. sideways9 August 2021 at 21:16

      That's the thing - although digital is now just about maturing as a medium as it's reaching beyond the limits of the human eye/brain's acuity: viz the latest Leicas etc. But bang for buck, you can't beat film, and it will always have that 'organic' feel to the images it produces...

      Delete

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