NLsafari

Yes, I took a few pics of the lens but when I tried to attach same, I got a message that it was too big. Any suggestions?

 

Raphael

After many years in storage, I recently took out my old Pentax 50mm F/1.4 Super Takumar . I decided to research the lens on YOU TUBE and discovered that the 8 element was considered the best lens in the 60's. The problem I am having is that my lens has some of the markers found in the 8 element such as an A and an M on the barrel instead of AUTO/ MANUAL. My lens also has 6-blades and not 8. My lens has Super Takumar when you look at the lens from the front and does not say anywhere multi coated. However, my lens has the RED line to the LEFT of the 4 just like the 7-element ,  also the glass of the rear element does not protrude from the metal housing. In addition the lever to switch from AUTO to MANUEL has numbers on the back side which you find in the 7 element. The markers that I have for the 8- element were obtained from only one YOU TUBE source. I am now more confused than ever about my lens. This is why I am reaching out for help identifying my lens. One last thing , my lens was purchased in Hong Kong about 1966-67 by my brother when he was in Vietnam.

Raphael

Thanks, for explaining how the stop-down mechanism works. I will take a close look at the levers soon as I get aa chance.

Raphael

I have a number of lenses that have the old style Canon FD breech bayonet mount. I love these lenses but what will happen to them if the automatic diaphragm misfunctions on a special lens that is irreplaceable? Since parts for these old lenses are no longer available are they destined for the junk pile or can they be converted to a manual FL style mount? I know that if the camera mirror is locked up the diaphragm becomes manual but you lose functionality. Does anyone know if this conversion is practical?

Raphael

I spoke to a camera machine shop today and they are willing to look at my 300 and tell me if they can make the parts for the

diaphragm mechanism. They have done conversions for FD mount to EOS so they have experience dealing with Canon mounts.

If it is not crazy money to do the repair I will do it and will report the results to the forum. Wish me luck.

Power winder? Bad thing to use on classic cameras as things just wear out. Back in it's day, if you needed the frame rate, you just replaced parts or bodies as necessary, but I've never been a fan of the things.

 

I think I will follow your advice. But although it makes for more weight it does provide a better more secure grip for the F-1.

Interesting because it almost sounds as if the bayonet and breechlock ring are unhappy. I wonder if the aperture levers in the body and the lens are somehow binding so not engaging consistently?

 

Do the levers look the same as other lenses you have? Are there any odd wear marks on it?

 

Before writing this thread I send my lens to a highly regarded technician who told me that he couldn't repair the problem. I don't know if the levers have funny wear marks but I will look for them when my 300 Fluorite lens arrives. I have two Canon 300 F/2.8 . The other lens had the same problem , a sticky diaphragm. I caused this problem when I tightened the Breechlock ring on the lens when the lens and camera were slightly misaligned. There was damage to the lens and to the F-1n. I didn't want to junk the F-1n , it was my first Canon, so I sent it to KEH, they have a ton of old bodies and they replaced the mount and the F-1n body is good. The lens however, was a lot harder to fix. Everybody said forget about it. however, I reasoned that something got slightly bend, not only in the body but also in the lens. So I put the 300 Fluorite and Power Winder F on the F-1n and fired away ... thousands of times. After many hundreds of activations I noticed that the diaphragm started to loosen up a bit and this encouraged me to keep going. When I was done the diaphragm was still binding but much less. Then I sent the lens to my tech and he did a through cleaning of the lens mount. That lens diaphragm is perfect , so far. When I receive my troubled lens I will try this process again , but frankly I think I would rather go with a NEW FD mount conversion if I could find someone competent who could do it for reasonable cost.

Humm, why do you think changing the mount will free up the sticky aperture linkage/mechanism? Sure, the aperture lever passes through the mount, but I'd have thought you could feel the resistance if you move said lever with your finger. Does it feel free and, err, springy or gritty/sluggish?

 

Could it just be a tired/gooey aperture spring? When you mount the lens, the spring is tensioned to the wide open aperture position. As you hit the shutter button, the aperture lever pushes against the spring power as far as the aperture stop, shutter opens and closes and the spring returns the lever to battery. Anything involving the spring would be iffy.

 

Maybe!;)

 

Another observation that I didn't mention is that on my other Canon FD lenses the metal tightening ring on the lens moves slightly when the lens mount engages the camera . This lets me know that the alignment is correct between the lens and the camera body and I can safely tighten things up without causing damage. On this lens the ring has zero movement and it is a little bit stiff. I was thinking maybe instead of switching to a Nikon mount switch to a NEW FD Canon mount. This would eliminate problems with focal-plane distance etc. The problem is I have to find someone that can make this conversion. Has anyone seen a lens mount conversion Canon OLD FD to NEW FD ? Is it very expensive?

Another option is to see if Kanto Camera in Japan can change the mount of this lens.

Vaguely remembered something LINK Nikon Lens Scope Converter

 

Normally when lens is in automatic setting when the shutter release button is pressed the diaphragm closes to the preset F/stop and then returns to the resting position and is fully open. What happens to my lens is that the diaphragm does NOT close fully to the preset F/stop and then it stays partially open. It is like there is a drag on the diaphragm system that impedes the action and makes it stick. I was told it was probably a problem in the diaphragm linkage mechanism or even the race that holds the ball bearings in the aluminum ring that is used to tighten the lens to the camera. Either way it seems to me ( I am not a technician ) you either get parts for the lens , which don't exist , get another Canon lens mount from another Canon 300-Fluorite, which I think is also near to impossible , or change the lens mount to something else. I was thinking Nikon because there are many legacy bodies available for reasonable $$$ and since they retained the same mount when they went digital parts would/might be readily available. The last option would be to see if S.K. Grimes can take the Canon mount apart and fabricate the necessary parts.

It's a 300mm lens Mike, and most teles have a heap of space between the rear element and the mount.

 

FWIW, and I posted about this somewhere else recently, I picked up a 300mm f/2.8 Tamron Adaptall for 20 quid. The image quality is darned good, even wide open - more than good enough for film.

 

Although the Tamron doesn't use fluorite it does use Extra Low Dispersion glass. Added to which, fluorite is sensitive to moisture and can deteriorate over time.

 

Long and short of it. I don't expect another bargain like mine to fall into the OP's lap, but I would expect a 300mm f/2.8 Tamron to cost less than any attempt to repair or re-engineer that old Canon lens.

 

There's this nice looking one on ebay right now.

 

Thanks for the info . I will take a look at the ebay unit.

 

Raphael

Nikon still make F mount spares, but AFAIK there's no complete mount+operating levers available for any of their lenses. The mount design isn't modular, but consists of a series of separate parts - bayonet flange, spring-plate, aperture-lever, etc. The nearest 'off the shelf' thing around today is a Tamron Adaptall mount.

 

Even starting with a ready-made module like an Adaptall mount, it's not a trivial engineering task, and it would be easier to transplant the Canon optics into a scrap Nikon lens body IMO.

 

My advice would be to forget it, or buy a mirrorless body and suitable adapter. Or just get a Canon body.

 

So you think a Tamron Adaptall mount could be retro fitted into the Canon 300 Fluorite? What do you think it would cost to pull this off? Do you think this is easier than

to transplant the Canon optics into a scrap Nikon lens body?

 

Raphael

Probably not worth the effort. I recently bought a Nikon 300mm f/4.5 ED that's decent and they don't cost all that much. Yes, the f/2.8 is way more, but with the ISO capabilities of a modern camera, plus image stabilization, the f/4.5 works well. FWIW, I never got decent results with long lenses and film unless using a tripod. IMO, handheld is a waste of time with a slow lens and not many keepers even with a fast lens. I know some could do well with them, but I was never one of them. IBIS changes the entire game.

 

With Portra 400 film by Kodak and bright sun you can hand hold the lens and get reasonable results . Look at the pics from Africa in my file they are hand held.

Don't bother. The Canon lens's flange distance is too short to work on a Nikon F mount body without an added optical element.

 

You can fit a Nikon lens onto most other maker's bodies because they have one of the longest flange distances around and using a simple short tube to make up the space is quite simple.

 

However, if you're wanting to mount it so it will work on a Nikon Z mount camera, you may find an adapter, but it's not a DIY job unless you have a precision machine shop.

 

Out if interest, what actual Canon lens do you want to mount on which Nikon body?

 

 

Thanks for the tech advise. The lens I have is a Canon FD 300 F/2.8 Fluorite S.S.C. with the GREEN ring .The glass is perfect. I even had S.K. Grimes out of R.I. make an adapter so that it is possible to put a generic UV filter on it. The problem with the lens is that the diaphragm mechanism sticks for some F-stops. A very capable repair person tried to fix it and says that without parts it can't be fixed.. I want to use this lens on a legacy body so I can shoot film. But I want to use it in the automatic lens setting so I don't have to stop it down. Unless i find another 300-Fluorite for parts that has a good mount I have to change the mount of the lens. I thought of Nikon because they did not change their mount when they converted to digital the way Canon did and so parts might be available.. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Raphael

I want to convert the lens mount of one of my legacy Canon lenses to a Nikon and I would like to know if Nikon still makes the parts for their mount including the linkage for the diaphragm.

I want to convert the lens mount of one of my legacy Canon lenses to a Nikon and I would like to know if Nikon still makes the parts for their mount including the linkage for the diaphragm.

Yes, I use the same technique to mount this lens as I do the other FD

lenses.

Are you sure that the locking coller is turned all the way clockwise as see from the rear and that it locks in place?

I have a Canon FD 300mm F/2.8 Fluorite S.S.C. and I want to use it on my son's mirrorless camera. I got an FD adapter and when I went to mount the lens the metal collar on the lens would not rotate and so the lens could not be mounted to the camera. I tried a couple of other Canon FD lenses, including my other Fluorite, and there was no problem. This lens works normally on my old F-1n . However, on all my other Canon FD lenses the metal collar that is used to tighten the lens always automatically rotates slightly as soon as the lens mount engages the camera mount on the F-1n. On this lens the ring does not rotate automatically at all. You have to be careful that that the lens is aligned properly before tightening things up. So my question is what do you think is wrong with my lens and is it an easy fix?

You may ask why would a sane person want to make such a conversion? My youngest doesn't know his own strength and is lacking some dexterity. During the holidays he was changing a lens on his Canon-F1n and in the process of putting the rear cap back on did not notice it was not properly aligned and tightened so hard its impossible to loosen. I drilled two 1/8 in. holes in the rear cap, close to the back so as not to damage the rear element, and passed a thin steel rod through them to increase the mechanical advantage when I applied force but I still could not loosen the rear cap. It will require an expert to get it off. So I was thinking why not convert his FD breech bayonet lenses to bayonet and prevent this from happening again. Its probably easier to get him bayonet lenses in the first place.

Cmuseum is right, totally different engineering was used in producing the FDn series of lenses. It's not just a matter of interchanging lens mounts. There's much more to it than that.

If you can adapt the Canon breech bayonet to a NIKON bayonet mount ... and I have seen lenses on ebay offered like that, it should be theoretically possible to do a conversion to a Canon bayonet mount.

I have a Canon FD lens with the old breech bayonet mount and I am thinking of changing it to the the NEWER bayonet style mount. Is this something that is a "BOLT ON" or is it a complicated conversion?

Does anyone know if the Canon FD 2X-B extender have a spring in the breech lock mechanism?

According to part numbers, for the very early line-up of chrome nose lenses there have been at least 2 different springs. I don't know for later S.C. and S.S.C. lenses. If I had to make a guess I'd say that more variants of the spring were added with the broadening lens line-up.

I saw a YOU TUBE video of a repair of a Canon FD 100/2.8 with a stiff breech collar and it looked easy. But the lens I am having a problem with is the FD 300mm F/2.8 SSC FLUORITE and I think I will pick up a cheap CANON FD lens on E-BAY and experiment on that first.

Note that the earlier versions of the FD breech lock lenses do not have a spring inside the breech lock and must be closed by hand. Perhaps yours is an early version and is working as it should.

I know that the breech ring use to move when the rear cap was put on the lens. So I think it is either the spring or the grease on the ring that is causing the problem.