Nikon AI mount to EOS; trusted advice needed! (vivatar105!)

[ScottEdwards33]

I have had outstanding luck with this forum, and I have talked with the finest people here, and I get responses rather quickly, so Im turning to you all tonight for a blind question.
I found what seems to be a SWEET deal, a vivatar series 1 105mm ƒ2.5- I believe that was a kiron make and the same as the famous lesterdine macro.

I have been searching for a good macro for over a year, patiently, so I told my friends friend, sight unseen, that I would give him 100 for it tomorrow.
He told me its inside a leather case and in the box with original documentation, unused

He also said it was in "AI" mount.
Nikon

I have been selling my nikon f mounts and AI mounts for 40 to 60 dollars a piece on the list and have gotten rid of them all save for two, [a Kiron 135 2.8 and a Vivatar 80-210.]

reason was because picking an adaptor was frying my brain.

there is no doubt I want this lens though. I cant even find one.

My question to the forum is, how do i chose one of these mounts for AI to EOS?? I want to shoot macro but I also want to be able to pull back for portraits too and not lose any of the focus ability or infinity

there are AF confirm adaptors, lock pin adaptors, ones that appear thick ones that look thin, bronze, aluminum, etc etc on the smorgasbord.

if I can find some advice on this I will be grateful. I know that this week I made two photographers manual focus converts because I took time to meet them and show them how to mount an old Nikon mf lens and put it on their d90s and take fantastic shots. I know how excited I was when I first learned a year or so ago.

I pretty much keep with m42 and Yashica. there isn't often Nikon manual lenses in my neck of the woods to be had, but if I take the chance with this one- and I think its well worth the gamble, It would certainly broaden my opportunities.

thanks in advance, respectfully, Scott

[ScottEdwards33]

but I cant find it. been on here searching for hours and believe me if I seen this I wouldnt have asked...

[my_photography]

I am not familiar with Nikon. We have some members who knows quite a bit on Nikon. I am sure they will come to advice quite soon.

[cooltouch]

Hrm . . . I responded to another post you made regarding this lens. Did you read it?

Adapters for Nikon to EOS are common, and pretty simple actually. Once again, this is the exact adapter I use:

Click here to see on Ebay

I'm not recommending the seller, necessarily. I've never bought anything from him. All I'm doing is showing you a photo of the same adapter that I use.

I have a Nikon-mount AIs Vivitar 105mm f/2.5 and I use it fairly frequently on my EOS DSLR with the same above mount.

Too bad you sold all your Nikon gear. Nikon mount lenses work very well on EOS DSLRs.

[indianadinos]

Hi,

I bought my Nikkor-to-EOS adapter from Calvin (calvin83 on this forum). It was not cheaper than some that you can find on eBay, but it is very well built and works great with all my Nikkors on my 5DII ...

[ScottEdwards33]

I picked up this lens today. It seems very very nice.
This kid inhereted the lens from his mother and does not want a manula focus lens or a macro. I talked to him about it, because ironically he has a nikon - another dx. (5000?) and wants the money to buy af zooms or whatever.

It has no wear marks, the action is really sweet ...has no play , the optics lack even the slightest trace of dust. included were the square leather lens box. original caps, a booklet and a reversable original rubber hood. after searching the net very late last night, it appears this is the same optical formula as the lesterdine. 105, ƒ2.5 kiron made as stated above, in N/ai-S

here are some snapshots as I got home ( I think my smc tak 1.4 was on my camera- maybe the 50 mm for a few later shots)









I decided on a simple adaptor like the one you mentioned.
It was hard, there was a used "fotodiox" one, and a couple under twenty. I contemplated the mechanics of this operation, and I didn't see the need for any pins, levers or otherwise to operate on my EOS so I finally found a usa seller and a plain one. It is ordered and on its way. I will get some sample pictures up with it as soon as I get it.

I have been working on making my own photo website. its moving slow as I am not a web designer any more than I am a photographer.

thanks again, Talk with you guys again in a couple of days.


wasnt this one lucky find?!?- well see

[cooltouch]

Yep, your Vivitar is identical to mine, and yes it is the same as the Lester Dine or the Kiron 105 macro.

I think you'll find that, after playing around with the way the adapter fits and all, you'll start getting the hang of it, and it'll be a matter of routine for you.

I dunno how others do it, but I always mount the adapter to the lens first then mount the lens to the camera.

[ScottEdwards33]

almost couldnt find my thread. Im back as promised with my vivatar photos. I have been very busy lately, trying to get widgets to post gps meta on myphotog site and co-ordinating the prints order stuff that I want so badly, and have been building from scratch, but thats another story/thread I suppose.
My Nikon to EOS adaptor seems like it fits ok- it has a bit of "play" I would say 2 mm where it doesn't firmly "stop" when mounting thelens, like a loose fitting into the adaptor. ? I don't trust this can help my focus. and woa, focus is a new ballgame here. I am looking for light guys.
good news is that I have a couple other interesting Nikon lenses- It fit the same way, however. The results were not horrid, just... well, I was waiting to see the molecules or something and that wasnt the first impression:

here are some taken with the Vivatar 105mm ƒ2.5 Kiron (aka :lester:)





not the best set up or anything, but shown focusing out to use as a normal lens. all handheld. later on I tried these and struggled to get any "sharp" result- hoping Its my fault or for lack of using artificial lighting:

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my eyes are not that good and I have not fine tuned my diopter. I prolly wasnt aware that my field of focus was off but Im not sure- I thought it was. I hope it (is) the adapter. Well, Im just finishing what I started here. hope to hear from you guys.

guess Ill post the following two images down one: they wont upload :(

[ScottEdwards33]

going to spend some time studying the principals of macro and come back here then, thanks for tolerating my ambitious disaster.

In other news, I was made an offer I could not refuse on my minolta and FD gear, before I even got to test it! But in any good transaction of this nature, I got a box of similarly vintage yashica, mamiya and even a zenit of m42 mount and boy my excitement is percolating. I cant wait to tell you what new in box old stock was in there!

note: nothing cropped or sharpened- just snapshots as is.
and when I say yashica- I have adapted yas dsb mount, but the beauties are m42 tomiokas, I think. I only have one. now, where are the mamiya threads, I have some research to do!

respectfully, Scott Edwards

[Attila]

Seems you need a better focusing aid or something trouble with this lens, Kiron produce far better images than these samples. Better light source also can improve them a lot.

[ScottEdwards33]

Thanks Attila.
I have been having trouble focusing lately. Maybe its my eyes and the big magnification is amplifying how out of focus I am. Better call a Nikon friend and test it on another body. I also need to try to order another adaptor possibly.

[Attila]

This is a wonderful and pretty rare lens, I look forward your outdoor shoots, great sunshine in Florida will help a lot.

[martinsmith99]

These samples are really poor. There's either something wrong wit the lens, or you have missed focus.

Which EOS camera is this taken with?

[ScottEdwards33]

It was on my 50D. It is really bothering me. I called a friend who has d90 and Im going to test the lens on it.
When I was shooting I thought it looked ok in viewfinder, but , this may be perhaps that I am shooting wide open at ƒ2.5

I never shot macro before and this is my first macro lens. maybe the magnification makes the softness worse?

I will try again, outside, this afternoon, while its sunny in Tampa and where I can stop the lens down.