> I have just been offered an old Mikro-Nikkor 55/3.5, at what seems like
> a fair prize - for Sweden, that is! It looked just fine, but there is
> one thing that did not make sense: it was an old chromium-barrel lense,
> with an metal (non-rubber) focusing-ring, but it had an
> reproduction-ratio of 1:1 engraved on the barrel. From what I've heard,
> only the most recent Mikro-Nikkor 55/2.8 AIS and the AF Mikro-Nikkor
> 60/2.8 goes as high as 1:1.
> All the data I've gathered points out that all old Mikro-Nikkor 55/3.5
> only goes to 1:2 without an extension-ring. This one must have been
> really old, due to the lack of a rubber-focusing ring, but not so old
> that it's an pre-AI: it had the famous litte notch on the aperture-ring,
> and it seemed not to have been AI'd afterwards, as it showed no
> scratched paint, and no mechanical abuse on the aperture-ring
> whatsoever. And it was not so old that the metal-focusing ring had
> valleys like the pre-AI and aperture-preset models, but rather a smooth
> metal! ! ! -ring with trapetziod dimples all over.
> Anyone knows something about this lense? How does it compare to the
> legendary M-N 55/3.5 1:2-lense? Or does the engraving perhaps somehow
> presume that you have an PK-?? extension-ring mounted? The, as always
> nice, clerk at the store was explicit about the lens' ability to go down
> to 1:1 without an extra extension-ring.
Mathias,
The lens you describe sounds interesting. As far as I know, only the AF
55/2.8 micro and AF 60/2.8 micro go directly to 1:1. The AIS 55/2.8 and
55/3.5 models go to 1:2.
I have seen an early pre-AI 55/3.5 micro with a chrome barrel and metal
focusing ring. However, the focusing ring was deeply ribbed similar to
other pre-AI lenses. Other pre-AI 55/3.5 lenses I have seen have
a rubber focusing ring with a diamond grip. I have never seen a lens with
a metal focusing ring as you describe.
If the lens has the AI coupling ridge on the aperture ring, and an ADR
scale (another small row of aperture numbers below the aperture scale)
then the lens may have been "AI'd" by Nikon. This is when the old pre-AI
aperture ring was replace by Nikon with a new AI ring.
Alternatively, the lens you have seen may be an AI model. This has a
grip with a rectangular (trapeziod) pattern, similar to AIS and current AF
lenses - however it is rubber, not metal!
>From what I can remember, 55 micro lenses have two reproduction scales on
the barrel. The first is for the lens by itself up to 1:2, the second is
for the lens with the matching extension tube up to 1:1. This may be what
you saw on your lens.
I have a list of lens specifications from my photo page in my web page. If
you know the serial number of you may be able to find out which model it
is.
hope this helps
Roland.
== Roland Vink ============================
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://home.ait.ac.nz/staff/rvink/
