X-Fujinon 1.9/50 MFD hack

[Pancolart]

I guess it would work also on some other late plastic focus ring FUJI lenses.
Just cut away 2-3cm (safe zone) of plastic stopper on focusing ring (photo before last). Getting at 35cm MFD is somehow a limit.






Still waiting for my Fujica to E-mount adapter, but those photos looks very promising:
http://www.lomography.com/magazine/178325-fujica-stx-1n-a-hugely-underrated-mechanical-slr

[Lightshow]

Hmm, my 50/1.6 is about to have surgery, thanks for the info.

Under the ID ring 3 screws hold the filter ring, 3 screws hold the optical cell, then 3 screws attach the focus ring to the helicoid, correct?

[Pancolart]

[Lightshow]

Pins? I guess I'll see them when I get there. thanks.

[Pancolart]

When you remove plastic focusing ring, there is alu ring. it can be rotated until lens
unscrews completely (looses connection with aperture lever and focusing lever). You don't want that .
Both levers (pins) can be seen from the rear side of the lens.

So, check how much of rotation is allowed before above happens. This is your
measure for cutting the plastic. 2-3cm is safe for 1.9/50mm. I don't know for 1.6/50mm.

[Lightshow]

[iangreenhalgh1]

Not sure I'd risk taking one of these X-Fujinons apart. The 1.9/50 and 2.2/55 are almost completely plastic and cheaply made, getting one back together properly might not be so easy. I took one apart and it was a nightmare, never again! Why not just use an extension tube...

[Lightshow]

in the case of the 50/1.6 I have, I won't be using it as it is, 0.6m MFD is too big for what I like, which is why I bought the 55/3.5 macro, if I can cut the MFD in half it will see much more use.

[iangreenhalgh1]

Be careful, and hope you have better luck than I did, the aperture mechanism is a funny one, it's a self-contained unit and will very readily stop working if any contaminants get inside.

[Lightshow]

Well it's done, the 50/1.6 is made differently, the infinity/MFD stop is the difference in thickness of the focus ring wall, so it's much trickier than the 50/1.9, it's new MFD is around 52cm vs 60cm, I may be able to get it closer, I'll have to investigate what causes the helicoid to feel like it's binding(it's not the helicoid).

Their construction is unique in that you can strip it down to the helicoid all from the front end without having to dismantle the optical block.
Unscrew the Id ring, remove 3 screws that hold the filter ring,
unscrew 4 screws that hold the focus ring and let you adjust infinity,
unscrew 3 screws that attach the helicoid and optical block to the body,
you can now turn the part the helicoid that the focus ring attached to, this will free the optical block which has part of the helicoid cast into it, which is all plastic the ring part of the helicoid is aluminum.

[iangreenhalgh1]

Well done.

Like I said, lots of plastic, easy to mess one up.

[Arkku]

This same trick can also be used on various metal-bodied M42 EBC Fujinons, e.g., 24mm f/2.8, 28mm f/3.5, and 35mm f/2.8, all of which get quite a bit more close focus distance as a result due to relatively short focal lengths.