Nikon model S trinocular for photography?

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Sanderguy777
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Nikon model S trinocular for photography?

#1 Post by Sanderguy777 » Tue Jan 25, 2022 6:16 am

I just finished restoring my Nikon S and am taking a film photography class where I want to use it for extreme macro photography.

My professor said my options would be to either get the microflex PMF, EMF, or AMF (possibly fmf?) adapters, or get a macro lens and jerry rig it.

My initial idea was that the pre-made part is worth the money, but they seem to run into the $500 range for anything that seems complete (and then it is questionable). Is there anywheere other than ebay that might be good? is there a cheaper way?

I'm looking for an adapter to an SLR camera I think, but anything, including polaroid, 4x5, 35mm, etc would be worth it.

PeteM
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Re: Nikon model S trinocular for photography?

#2 Post by PeteM » Tue Jan 25, 2022 6:38 am

Do you already have a full frame DSLR?

The Nikon short barrel objectives for this scope, while possibly excellent (plan, plan apo etc.), require eyepiece corrections to deliver the best quality image.

The most critical part of those 35mm film era adapters will be a properly corrected photo relay lens. Everything else - for modern full frame DSLR purposes - is just spacers and a Nikon F mount. You won't want the Polaroid adapter versions - the projected image size will be way off.

A regular Nikon S era 10x eyepiece can be also used and two affordable options come to mind. One would be the cheap Nikon F microscope adapters (around $50 plus used) with an F mount. These take an eyepiece inside and also have a simple image-sizing lens included in the adapter. You could likely cut off the F-mount end and replace it with a fitting for another full frame camera brand mount.

Another option would be a cell phone camera and a holder attached to a Nikon correcting 10x eyepiece of that era. You might be surprised how good this option can look.

Yet another old school option was a Nikon Coolpix camera (certain models) linked directly to an eyepiece. I'm not entirely sure how close the corrections of either the Nikon MDC or the Leitz Periplan eyepieces commonly used will be to your objectives - but likely better than something like a USB eyepiece camera.

Sanderguy777
Posts: 38
Joined: Wed Apr 07, 2021 5:30 pm
Location: North Bay, California

Re: Nikon model S trinocular for photography?

#3 Post by Sanderguy777 » Sun Jan 30, 2022 4:42 am

So the PFM mount would probably be an F-mount then?

I was about to get a polaroid thing, so I'm glad I saw this! (especially at $1 per shot!)

I DID get the PFM, though, so the thing now is to find what mount it is. It won't get here for a few more days though.

Sanderguy777
Posts: 38
Joined: Wed Apr 07, 2021 5:30 pm
Location: North Bay, California

Re: Nikon model S trinocular for photography?

#4 Post by Sanderguy777 » Thu Feb 03, 2022 4:16 am

PeteM wrote:
Tue Jan 25, 2022 6:38 am
Do you already have a full frame DSLR?

The Nikon short barrel objectives for this scope, while possibly excellent (plan, plan apo etc.), require eyepiece corrections to deliver the best quality image.

The most critical part of those 35mm film era adapters will be a properly corrected photo relay lens. Everything else - for modern full frame DSLR purposes - is just spacers and a Nikon F mount. You won't want the Polaroid adapter versions - the projected image size will be way off.

A regular Nikon S era 10x eyepiece can be also used and two affordable options come to mind. One would be the cheap Nikon F microscope adapters (around $50 plus used) with an F mount. These take an eyepiece inside and also have a simple image-sizing lens included in the adapter. You could likely cut off the F-mount end and replace it with a fitting for another full frame camera brand mount.

Another option would be a cell phone camera and a holder attached to a Nikon correcting 10x eyepiece of that era. You might be surprised how good this option can look.

Yet another old school option was a Nikon Coolpix camera (certain models) linked directly to an eyepiece. I'm not entirely sure how close the corrections of either the Nikon MDC or the Leitz Periplan eyepieces commonly used will be to your objectives - but likely better than something like a USB eyepiece camera.
Do you think that is a Nikon F g-type? Or F e-type? Looking for an adapter from that to my Sony e-mount

ldflan
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Location: Morna Moruna

Re: Nikon model S trinocular for photography?

#5 Post by ldflan » Fri Feb 18, 2022 2:42 am

There is no aperture coupling to the camera on the PFM (and certainly not an electronic coupling!), so the most bare-bones F mount to E mount adapter should do the trick. If the shutter on your PFM still works, you will probably get better stability setting the Sony (Alpha?) shutter to "B"ulb and controlling exposure with the PFM leaf shutter (B, 1 second to 1/250th). Else lock it open and use electronic shutter only.

Leonard

Sanderguy777
Posts: 38
Joined: Wed Apr 07, 2021 5:30 pm
Location: North Bay, California

Re: Nikon model S trinocular for photography?

#6 Post by Sanderguy777 » Fri Feb 18, 2022 2:56 am

I got it in the mail and finally got an adapter. It works great!

ldflan
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Re: Nikon model S trinocular for photography?

#7 Post by ldflan » Fri Feb 18, 2022 3:18 am

Excellent! As long as the Nikon S's fine focus gears don't break (the very early ones, before they started calling it the Model S, had brass gears), they're really very nice instruments, especially the lighting system. I especially appreciated the phase annulus centering mechanism that Nikon used - simple pressure fit, nudge it in place with your fingers - which never wears out or gets fiddly, unlike most of the other "precision" mechanical arrangements that folks like Zeiss and AO used at the time - most of which have not aged well. One thing I did find when using it was that the 1.4NA achromatic-aplanatic condenser made an enormous difference at high magnifications. If you stick with the scope, I would definitely keep my eye out for one. For darkfield, I laid hands on a old Soviet OI-13 condenser and had a machinist turn down the chrome-coated brass barrel by about half a millimeter (can't remember the exact amount) until it fit. That made a very nice addition to the scope. The various Lomo 160 short barrel objectives (like the wonderful 30x/0.90 water immersion objective with the iris) play well with it.

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