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Nippon Kogaku, sounds much better?
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 26, 2009 2:41 pm    Post subject: Nippon Kogaku, sounds much better? Reply with quote
I notice the older Nikon SLR lens are named as Nippon Kogaku instead of Nikon. How old are these lens exactly? And how is the effect when compared with the later models? Is it much nicer?
I notice the price is so cheap that I really want to give a trial.


PostPosted: Thu Nov 26, 2009 3:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Nippon Kogaku is the company name - Nikon is the camera body, Nikkor the lens brand. In the later seventies (some two or three years ahead of the AI introduction) they introduced the first new lighter sheet metal and rubber barrel shells they continued for the rest of their MF production (previously the barrel outer was milled aluminium and brass) and dropped Nippon Kogaku (and the element count letter) from the Bezel. By AI-S, Nikon also appeared on lens boxes, and the (early eighties) E-Series were the first lenses with Nikon on the bezel.


PostPosted: Thu Nov 26, 2009 3:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
They are all good lenses , pretty shame how cheap they are , so not judge on cheap price level,they are excellent ones.


PostPosted: Thu Nov 26, 2009 4:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
what body do you use?

These Nippon Kogaku lenses are likely not AI/AIS, so they will not mount on Nikon DSLR bodies without modifying them.

However, if you are using a Canon (or OM 4/3) body, there will be no problems.


PostPosted: Thu Nov 26, 2009 4:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
hk300 wrote:
what body do you use?

These Nippon Kogaku lenses are likely not AI/AIS, so they will not mount on Nikon DSLR bodies without modifying them.

However, if you are using a Canon (or OM 4/3) body, there will be no problems.


Nikon D40 is safe for them perhaps D60 too.


PostPosted: Thu Nov 26, 2009 4:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Kogaku stands for optics, isnt it ?


PostPosted: Thu Nov 26, 2009 4:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Attila wrote:
hk300 wrote:
what body do you use?

These Nippon Kogaku lenses are likely not AI/AIS, so they will not mount on Nikon DSLR bodies without modifying them.

However, if you are using a Canon (or OM 4/3) body, there will be no problems.


Nikon D40 is safe for them perhaps D60 too.


Yes. Also D40x, D3000 & D5000.


PostPosted: Thu Nov 26, 2009 6:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Sevo wrote:
Nippon Kogaku is the company name - Nikon is the camera body, Nikkor the lens brand. In the later seventies (some two or three years ahead of the AI introduction) they introduced the first new lighter sheet metal and rubber barrel shells they continued for the rest of their MF production (previously the barrel outer was milled aluminium and brass) and dropped Nippon Kogaku (and the element count letter) from the Bezel. By AI-S, Nikon also appeared on lens boxes, and the (early eighties) E-Series were the first lenses with Nikon on the bezel.


Well, actually, Nikon officially changed its company name to Nikon from Nippon Kogaku in 1988. See here for more info on Nikon's company history:

http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Nikon-Corporation-Company-History.html

As for the name change on the lenses, it appears that you are suggesting this occurred during the late 70s. I don't believe this is the case. I have three pre-AI Nikkors in my collection. The earliest was made in 1963 or thereabouts, the next was made in about 1972, and the newest was made in about 1975. I'm basing these dates on the Photosynthesis website:

http://www.photosynthesis.co.nz/nikon/serialno.html

Anyway, of these three lenses, only the first one is labeled Nippon Kogaku Tokyo. The ones made in the 70s are labeled Nikon. I've read somewhere, and don't remember where it was now, that Nikon switched from the NKT name on its lenses to Nikon during the mid-sixties or so. By the way, my lens that was made in 1963 has a focal length expressed in mm, and not cm, the way the earliest lenses are.


PostPosted: Thu Nov 26, 2009 6:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Attila wrote:
hk300 wrote:
what body do you use?

These Nippon Kogaku lenses are likely not AI/AIS, so they will not mount on Nikon DSLR bodies without modifying them.


Nikon D40 is safe for them perhaps D60 too.


Guys, can we please collect this info in a sticky so that we don't have the same guesswork and inaccurate info reposted time and time again?

D40, D40x, D60, D3000 and D5000 - all the models with a push-in minimum aperture sensing switch - are safe to mount pre-AI lenses.


PostPosted: Thu Nov 26, 2009 6:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
cooltouch wrote:
Sevo wrote:
Nippon Kogaku is the company name - Nikon is the camera body, Nikkor the lens brand. In the later seventies (some two or three years ahead of the AI introduction) they introduced the first new lighter sheet metal and rubber barrel shells they continued for the rest of their MF production (previously the barrel outer was milled aluminium and brass) and dropped Nippon Kogaku (and the element count letter) from the Bezel.


As for the name change on the lenses, it appears that you are suggesting this occurred during the late 70s. I don't believe this is the case. (...)

Anyway, of these three lenses, only the first one is labeled Nippon Kogaku Tokyo. The ones made in the 70s are labeled Nikon.


The switch from Nippon Kogaku to Nikon on lenses does indeed predate the mid-1970s change to "type K" (modern styling, later continued with AI and AIS).

I have two pre-AI 24mm f/2.8, the earlier one is labeled Nippon Kogaku Japan Nikkor-N and the later one is labeled Nikon Nikkor-N.C

Last edited by ChrisLilley on Thu Nov 26, 2009 7:01 pm; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Thu Nov 26, 2009 6:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote


PostPosted: Thu Nov 26, 2009 7:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
cooltouch wrote:

Anyway, of these three lenses, only the first one is labeled Nippon Kogaku Tokyo. The ones made in the 70s are labeled Nikon. I've read somewhere, and don't remember where it was now, that Nikon switched from the NKT name on its lenses to Nikon during the mid-sixties or so.


That would be well before they could use the brand Nikon in Germany (Zeiss Ikon considered it a trademark violation) - they may have labelled their lenses differently hereabouts, at any rate my pre AI are all either Nippon Kogaku or Nikkor only, with no lens bearing the name Nikon on the bezel older than the 50/1.8E.

[/b]


PostPosted: Thu Nov 26, 2009 7:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Cool shot, Chris. And a good representative example, too.

As for your Nikkor on the right, I really like the look of the old metal-barreled Nikkors that have seen lots of use -- but not abuse. And this one obviously has. They wear very gracefully in my opinion. Just think of all the great pictures it has taken over the decades.

I see that both of your 24s have Nikon AI rings. My two pre-AI Nikkors from the 70s do too, but my earliest one remains unconverted.

Last edited by cooltouch on Thu Nov 26, 2009 7:10 pm; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Thu Nov 26, 2009 7:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Sevo wrote:
cooltouch wrote:

Anyway, of these three lenses, only the first one is labeled Nippon Kogaku Tokyo. The ones made in the 70s are labeled Nikon. I've read somewhere, and don't remember where it was now, that Nikon switched from the NKT name on its lenses to Nikon during the mid-sixties or so.


That would be well before they could use the brand Nikon in Germany (Zeiss Ikon considered it a trademark violation) - they may have labelled their lenses differently hereabouts, at any rate my pre AI are all either Nippon Kogaku or Nikkor only, with no lens bearing the name Nikon on the bezel older than the 50/1.8E.

[/b]


Interesting. I've heard of the trademark dispute, and it might be that Nikon addressed it by changing the name bezel for German imports only?


PostPosted: Fri Nov 27, 2009 6:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
So they don't have any differences in acutal, are they?
I had a 50mm f/2 which was a great preferomer in anywhere. I lost it during a trip. I miss it


PostPosted: Fri Nov 27, 2009 8:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
kl122002 wrote:
So they don't have any differences in acutal, are they?


The best ones don't have (much) difference in acutance fomr the modern day lenses, but some do. There are several jewels in the pre-AI catalog, like the 1.8/85, the 2/50, the 2/35, but there are also some mediocre ones like the 3.5/28. So get yourself informed before you buy. The best online resource is :
http://www.naturfotograf.com/lens_surv.html


PostPosted: Fri Nov 27, 2009 8:49 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Nippon Kogaku also produced S-mount lenses for it's rangefinder cameras...these are also excellant lenses and have their own character. This lenses cannot be used in Nikon DSLRs. I used then on Leica M8 digital camera.

Some of these S-mount Nikkors that I use and the middle one is the Nikkor-P 105/2.5...



PostPosted: Fri Nov 27, 2009 9:10 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I know the Nikon S mount lens. They are collector's item already.


PostPosted: Sat Nov 28, 2009 1:33 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Attila wrote:
hk300 wrote:
what body do you use?

These Nippon Kogaku lenses are likely not AI/AIS, so they will not mount on Nikon DSLR bodies without modifying them.

However, if you are using a Canon (or OM 4/3) body, there will be no problems.


Nikon D40 is safe for them perhaps D60 too.


Yes, Attila is right about both these Nikon cameras accepting non ai, Pentax can also mount them without an adaptor.

Very good glass.





PostPosted: Sat Nov 28, 2009 4:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
spiralcity wrote:
Attila wrote:
hk300 wrote:
what body do you use?

These Nippon Kogaku lenses are likely not AI/AIS, so they will not mount on Nikon DSLR bodies without modifying them.

However, if you are using a Canon (or OM 4/3) body, there will be no problems.


Nikon D40 is safe for them perhaps D60 too.


Yes, Attila is right about both these Nikon cameras accepting non ai, Pentax can also mount them without an adaptor.

Very good glass.



Pentax can mount them without any adapter? You mean the K-series film camera or the newer Pentax DSLR?


PostPosted: Sat Nov 28, 2009 7:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
kl122002 wrote:
spiralcity wrote:
Attila wrote:
hk300 wrote:
what body do you use?

These Nippon Kogaku lenses are likely not AI/AIS, so they will not mount on Nikon DSLR bodies without modifying them.

However, if you are using a Canon (or OM 4/3) body, there will be no problems.


Nikon D40 is safe for them perhaps D60 too.


Yes, Attila is right about both these Nikon cameras accepting non ai, Pentax can also mount them without an adaptor.

Very good glass.



Pentax can mount them without any adapter? You mean the K-series film camera or the newer Pentax DSLR?


I never tried the film cameras K mount but the k10 and k20 will mount them.


PostPosted: Sun Nov 29, 2009 10:51 pm    Post subject: Kogaku Nikkor-H Auto 1:2 / 50mm Reply with quote
Hi Guys,

im a newbie to photography with a DSLR. I have a Nikon D90. Will my Kogaku Nikkor-H Auto 1:2 / 50mm work with this body? Do i need to convert the lens to an AI format?

Thanks for the help!
Hari Laughing


PostPosted: Sun Nov 29, 2009 11:30 pm    Post subject: Re: Kogaku Nikkor-H Auto 1:2 / 50mm Reply with quote
DementedJesus wrote:

im a newbie to photography with a DSLR. I have a Nikon D90. Will my Kogaku Nikkor-H Auto 1:2 / 50mm work with this body? Do i need to convert the lens to an AI format?


It will need to be AI converted, (unless it has already been converted by a previous owner). Otherwise, you will break your D90.

Once converted, it will work in Manual (M) mode, only. There will be no auto metering, but you will get auto aperture.


PostPosted: Mon Nov 30, 2009 12:23 am    Post subject: Re: Kogaku Nikkor-H Auto 1:2 / 50mm Reply with quote
ChrisLilley wrote:
DementedJesus wrote:

im a newbie to photography with a DSLR. I have a Nikon D90. Will my Kogaku Nikkor-H Auto 1:2 / 50mm work with this body? Do i need to convert the lens to an AI format?


It will need to be AI converted, (unless it has already been converted by a previous owner). Otherwise, you will break your D90.

Once converted, it will work in Manual (M) mode, only. There will be no auto metering, but you will get auto aperture.


Thanks for the quick reply Chris!

I live in Heidelberg, Germany - can anybody recommend me some store/person around who can do a professional conversion for me? I love my lenses a lot and dont mind spending some money on a good job.

Also, does anybody have some good lenses for sale for my D90?

Im interested in buying some lenses ... budget depends on whats on sale

Many Thanks,
Hari


PostPosted: Mon Nov 30, 2009 3:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Kamera Service Mandic in Frankfurt would be the best address for Nikon repairs in reach from Heidelberg, and still had a original AI conversion ring for a lens of mine a few years ago.
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