[LRflex] Re: Nikon Step Down Mechanism Ponderings
- From: "William B. Abbott III" <captbilly3@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: leicareflex@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2011 11:41:20 -0800
Richard, Doug,
You both are working at the R lens-N camera body interface and to be successful
their, you may have to conceive of some heavy machining of the D700 camera body
to enable a Leica lens mount to be fitted.
Or, alternatively, you could move the R-D700 interface transition back a notch
or two further toward the sensor.
Consider for a moment (just in your imagination!) attaching the front half of
an R8 or R9, with all of its lens-camera body interface, plus the mirror, view
finder and pentaprism intact, to the back half of a D700, with all of its
electronics, battery, dials, button, switches, etc., all of the bits and pieces
that were encapsulated in the DMR.
The interface would then in reality be at the point at which the stream of
light leaving the R lens enters the D700 digital domain, at its sensor. Clean
and simple, but requiring the sacrifice of an R8 or R9 camera body and a D700
body, expensive sounding to be sure but cheap if it would restore a whole flock
of R lenses to their usual operability and utility. It would not be an R10 but
a RN, essentially a simple, no fuss, no muss modernized DMR, with all the
mechanical functionality of a Leica and all the electrical functionality of a
D700.
Alternatively, one could conceptualize gutting an R8 or R9 body of its
electronics and fitting it with the innards of a D700. New production of the
front half of an R8 or R9 is probably not possible because the necessary jigs,
fixtures and tooling and piece-part supplier-streams have long been abandoned,
but I am confident that if Leica wanted to do it they could make it happen.
Would the D700 electronics, etc. fit? Many years ago, I was told by a Leica
dealer that the R8 (and subsequent) R9 form factor was deliberately made large
and spacious not only for superb handling ergonomics but to "leave enough room"
to accommodate further, larger digital electronics.
Whether true or not, what is true is that battery sizes have decreased
remarkably since the time of the DMR as has (I can only imagine this because I
have no data) the size of the required electronics. In this case the interface
would still be in the stream of light leaving the R lens and entering the D700
digital sensor domain with all of its accoutrements.
As in everything, this may sound simple (or simple-minded!) and I know the
devil is in the details so it most assuredly won't be simple; I am sure that I
have overlooked a number of crucial points. That's life.
Thanks for setting me off on this flight of fancy which I have enjoyed. I hope
you enjoy it too.
If someone who has the resources, experience and skills wanted to try, I
believe I would cheerfully consider donating my R9 and help with the cost of
the sacrificial D700.
All the best,
Bill
On Jan 18, 2011, at 1:36 AM, Richard Ward wrote:
> Hello Group,
> I'm probably not the first Photographer to wonder about how to
> overcome the Lack of Automatic Apertures when attempting to use R
> Glass on a Non-Leica dSLR due to being Orphaned Off by Leica. Probably
> won't be the last.
>
> However, I think I might have an angle which might be able to be
> exploited to reach the goal of an Auto Aperture, NO Stop Down Metering
> Bedeviled route to use R lenses on a high quality dSLR.
>
> The First Part of My Wonderings Are:
> *Since Nikon Maintains Full Auto Aperture, Auto-exposure, Matrix
> Metering compatibility for all their Manual Focus lenses (So Long As
> They Are AIS/AIS Converted).
> *This Implies there is an Engineered Mechanical Mechanism of some sort
> interacting with those AIS Manual Focus Lenses in order to operate the
> Stop Down Lever.
> *I'm led to then wonder about: How different are the Nikon and Leica R
> in a) placement of their Stop Down Levers & in b) how much force
> required to operate the Stop Down Mechanisms?
>
> If their is a gross similarity in the forces required to operate, that
> they operate in similar mechanical means (pushing a pin in/out or
> swing it side to side), and if the general placement of the Leica R
> stopdown mechanism is roughly in the neighborhood of where it's found
> on a Nikon Lens: Could the Nikon Stop Down Activation "Arm" be fitted
> with a 'metal sleeve or CNC milled adapter plate' so the forces it
> applies would appropriately land as needed on a Leica R Lens Mechanism?
>
> The Second Part of My Wonderings Are:
> * Are the 'gross' physical lens flange to sensor specifications of the
> Leica R and the Nikon Mounts more than a few Millimeters Different? If
> not, how difficult would it be to remove the Lens Mount from a D700 or
> a Pro Level D1/D2/D3 (sacrificing Nikon Lens Compatibility) and
> install a CNC Milled Leica R Lens Mount?
> * I know that it's possible to put a Leica R Mount in various Sigma
> Fovenon dSLRs - but there is no lens stop down capability.
>
> In Conclusion:
> * If the lens stop down mechanism for Manual Focus Lenses that's
> possibly in the top tier Nikon Bodies could be reengineered to actuate
> a Leica R Stop Down Lever.
> -AND-
> *The Nikon Lens Mount swapped out for one milled for the proper Lens
> to Sensor/film plane Specifications.
> *I don't see where it would be all that exceptionally elaborate to
> convert a Nikon dSLR to one where Leica R Glass will operate as
> intended. Nikon, unlike Canon & Others, have full compatibility with
> using Manual Focus (non electronic/non AF) Lenses built into their
> Software, Electronics, and Mechanical Systems. No programming/
> reprogramming needed, no fancy computer work, no electrical
> engineering required.
>
> Couldn't a couple of creative tinkerers, a machinist or two, and a few
> helpful photographers, figure out whether my Ponderings and Wonderings
> are Functionally Feasible.
> With a little luck, a CNC Milled Lens Mount/Plate combined with an
> adapter arm for the Stop Down Mechanism, might turn out to do the
> trick and give LRflex'ers Fully Functional DSLRs with Auto Apertures,
> Fancy Metering, High FPS, etc etc etc.
>
> Richard in Michigan
> ------
> Unsubscribe or change to/from Digest Mode at:
> http://www.lrflex.furnfeather.net/
> Archives are at:
> //www.freelists.org/archives/leicareflex/
------
Unsubscribe or change to/from Digest Mode at:
http://www.lrflex.furnfeather.net/
Archives are at:
//www.freelists.org/archives/leicareflex/
Other related posts:
