[LRflex] Re: Nikon Step Down Mechanism Ponderings
- From: Richard Ward <ilovaussiesheps@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: leicareflex@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2011 11:54:03 -0500
Hi Doug,
I'm not putting up an argument against your point(s) because the
proposition of a few guys scattered around the globe finding some
'fellow' with a CNC Machine willing to put the time and energy into
utilizing his very expensive machine and equally valued time with no
pay-off monetarily to make a weird doo-dad part for some whack-a-doo's
off the internet borders on being statistically impossible. On it's
face, that's an absurd. It truly is.
However.
One of those fellows putting out those Leica M mount adapters,
replacement mounts for Zeiss M lenses, and miscellanea is a guy who
owns a Machine Shop, who has the expertise to design the part, and is
willing to do so for his love of Photography - not to pay the Mortgage.
I have zero idea whether this fellow would be interested in milling a
mount replacement design, but it sure is easier to cold call a Leica M
Loving Machine Shop Owner than it is random Joe out of the Phone
Book. :-)
I also would like to better present my thinking on the Economics of
this 'conversion'. I have previously noted how I thought the Unicorn
which would be a Leica R SLR would surely be in the price bracket of
an M9 ($7Kus). From that standpoint I presented the thought line that
if the Cost of a D700 is $3Kus, that leaves a difference of $4Kus. My
exact thinking is that would leave a LOT of room to spend a
substantial sum on an adapter plate, the actuator bits, and their
installation be a skilled technician, yet still have the resulting
D700 Leica Camera be substantively less expensive than a Leica
Equivalent SLR. I have no visions of a 150 Dollar Novovlex Part Joe Q.
Public can screw into place and shazam! they've got a LeiKon!
I also easily foresee that absent a skilled tinkerer up to wiring up
the actuator being in the group, it could easily cost many hundreds
per camera for a skilled camera tech to be wiring up our
'contraptions' in the camera. I also DID envision that any person
willing to opt to participate in a conversion would have to accept the
theoretical risk of paying for the replacement of circuits boards or
something if the installer has a problem executing, because I don't
foresee finding an Install Person willing to give it a go without
indemnification against any mistakes/errors - it wouldn't make
economic sense for that person otherwise.
I must admit I didn't put a lot of effort into figuring out how the
actuator mechanism, it's attachment to the adapter plate, or it's
placement in the camera would be Designed beyond envisioning someone
taking a 'Donor' D700 in hand (who has some skill with engineering and
making 'stuff') and figuring out how to do it. Maybe even could pick
up a 'broken' D700 off the 'Bay.
I don't make any argument for easy, any argument for do-able, or that
it's 'Wanted' in an economic sense either. I am also not making an
economic argument for small scale production or selling the
modification. I DO think Co-operatively, it's not beyond the reach of
a handful interested parties to jointly 'buy-in'.
FURTHER!
It's also been presented by at least one List Member of a potentially
EXTREMELY Easier Route would be to figure out a Way to Give R Lenses a
Functional Nikon Ai/Ais Mount. It makes a hell of a lot of sense and
'Might' be a crap load easier to pull off than making a Nikon Camera
properly actuate a Leica R Aperture Mechanism. I genuinely have almost
zero data to form a guess as to whether such a thing would be 'do-
able' in any manner. Mechanical Mechanisms, Machinery, whether Big or
Small, is not a field I naturally am skilled at understanding. I don't
think in 3 dimensions especially well, either. for example Rubik's
Cubes utterly fascinated and were utterly unsolvable for me - even
using instruction books or demonstrations.
In an utterly 'theoretical'/back of an envelope sketch kind of sense -
it would seem a potential route to purchase donor Ais lens mounts -
maybe someone sells em? - and in the manner of a Leitax Adapter, bolt
one onto R Lenses.
In my mind that theory is just as likely to be utterly undoable as it
may be at all possible.
Can't answer that question AT ALL. Honest.
Well, written enough.
Richard in Michigan
On Jan 20, 2011, at 10:56 PM, Doug Herr wrote:
> Richard Ward wrote:
>
>> Hiring a Shop to Program and Mill 10 or 20 plates on their CNC
>> Machine
>> would (in my mind) be UTTERLY COST PROHIBITIVE.
>> However that's why I've been using the phrase 'Friendly Machinist' or
>> 'Friendly Shop' in my Ponderings on this Topic.
>> If memory serves (- and it's doesn't always!): I directly noted some
>> of the Leica Enthusiasts coming to market (at friendly prices) the
>> Machine Shop Sourced parts and adapters necessary to access Leica's 6
>> bit lens codes with Non-Leica Lenses and with classic & modern lenses
>> using the old Leica Thread Mount.
>> Not sure how detailed I was in my reference though! It's also where
>> the ThumbsUP came from, the Soft Release, Codable LTM to M mount
>> adapters, and replacement mounts for some of the Zeiss M Lenses which
>> were un-codable at the time.
>> Match Technical is one of the companies which comes to mind
>> specifically.
>
> Switching to my mechanical engineer/software engineer hat the
> probability that you will find someone who can do this kind of work
> and is willing to do this kind of work at a price some of us could
> afford is roughly approximated by zero. A mount swap, Thumbs Up,
> soft release etc. are far simpler than re-engineering the Nikon stop-
> down lever to work with Leica-R lenses. Even without the constraint
> of limited space in the mirror box. I'd love to be proven wrong,
> but IMHO the only realistic solution to using Leica-R lenses on
> Nikon F-mount bodies is with a manual aperture.
>
> Doug Herr
> Birdman of Sacramento
> http://www.wildlightphoto.com
>
>
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