Modifying Nikkor AI-S lenses

[amarkin]

I am planning to acquire a couple primes Nikkors, MF AI-S. These lenses can be modified; matrix chips can be bought and manually inserted into the lenses making them more compatible with new Nikon DSLRs. In the USA and Europe, craftsmen have been providing this service for several years now.

For more information:

http://home.carolina.rr.com/headshots/Nikonhome.htm
http://www.naturfotograf.com/lens_CPUconversion.html

My question is: are there people in Australia or workshops that are providing or can provide such service?

Thanks

[gstark]

Alex,

I am planning to acquire a couple prime zoom Nikkors,

There is no such thing as a "prime zoom".

A lens is either a prime, meaning that it's of a fixed focal length, or it's a zoom, which means that it traverses a range of focal lengths.

But why would you want to do this? Many - most - older lenses will work with most newer Nikon bodies anyway.

The cost of the conversion work will be somewhat expensive but the work will make those lenses worth less on the open market as - if they're good lenses - they're no longer original, and the functionality you'll gain will be, at best, marginal.


That said, any competent camera repair workshop should be able to handle the work, provided they can get the parts. Getting those parts, from Maxwells, would, I expect, be problematic.

But from next week Maxwells are out of the picture, and we don't yet know what the new, direct, regime will be like. We're hopeful it will improve, but only time will tell.

[Justin]

Get a d200 - it allows metering with manual lenses, check the D200 manual (you can download the PDF there is a link in the wiki), but I've just tried it now you get metering and also focus lock on old fully manual lenses.

[Yi-P]

How can you get 'focus lock' if it is a manual focus??

[Justin]

ah I guess I mean the little green light comes on

[Yi-P]

Ohh, the focus indicator light

This little light works on the D70 + manual lenses as well, just that the meter will not work on the D70 with MF lenses.

[Glen]

Yi-P focus lock comes up on an AIS manual lens. Don't know how, but definitely does on my D70. Obviously to get there you must turn the lens.

Amarkin, there are no dedicated converters in aus due to our smaller market. There was a guy on Sydney's north shore who retired last year, he was charging $60-85. I know that either Camera Action or Camera something do it in Melbourne. As Gary suggested, try your local technician first if you get no leads. I know some conversions were tricky, most weren't.

[amarkin]

But why would you want to do this? Many - most - older lenses will work with most newer Nikon bodies anyway.

Metering will not work on D50/D70(s)/D80/D100 cameras. This is done to get matrix metering working on those cameras.

The cost of the conversion work will be somewhat expensive but the work will make those lenses worth less on the open market as - if they're good lenses - they're no longer original, and the functionality you'll gain will be, at best, marginal.

Putting matrix metering chip inside the lense will make the functionality marginal? As for the cost of of modification, Rolland Elliot (the url link to his website I provided above) is charging $115US to modify one lens. This is less than the cost of a decent light meter.

That said, any competent camera repair workshop should be able to handle the work, provided they can get the parts. Getting those parts, from Maxwells, would, I expect, be problematic.

But from next week Maxwells are out of the picture, and we don't yet know what the new, direct, regime will be like. We're hopeful it will improve, but only time will tell.

Thanks!

[amarkin]

Get a d200 - it allows metering with manual lenses, check the D200 manual (you can download the PDF there is a link in the wiki), but I've just tried it now you get metering and also focus lock on old fully manual lenses.

Easier said than done. I cannot afford it at the moment. I will buy it when a raplacement model for the D200 will be released.

[amarkin]

Amarkin, there are no dedicated converters in aus due to our smaller market. There was a guy on Sydney's north shore who retired last year, he was charging $60-85. I know that either Camera Action or Camera something do it in Melbourne. As Gary suggested, try your local technician first if you get no leads. I know some conversions were tricky, most weren't.

Thanks Glen!

[Glen]

His name just came back to me, Jack Merryman. No contact details sorry, he was a sole trader, maybe someone took over his business?

[Glen]

http://www.aiconversions.com/

Here is John White's website, far cheaper than what you have quoted, I bookmarked but in the end never used them, the freight was a killer.

[gstark]

But why would you want to do this? Many - most - older lenses will work with most newer Nikon bodies anyway.

Metering will not work on D50/D70(s)/D80/D100 cameras. This is done to get matrix metering working on those cameras.

I don't see this as an issue. We even use pre-AI lenses on our D70 camreas with no issues. Start by estimating the correct exposure, then use the histogram to fine tune it. If you haven't got the exposure nailed within four test shots, you're misreading something fundamental.

While we had flashmeters at our disposal at the recent portraiture workshop, we didn't need them at all.

The cost of the conversion work will be somewhat expensive but the work will make those lenses worth less on the open market as - if they're good lenses - they're no longer original, and the functionality you'll gain will be, at best, marginal.

Putting matrix metering chip inside the lense will make the functionality marginal? As for the cost of of modification, Rolland Elliot (the url link to his website I provided above) is charging $115US to modify one lens. This is less than the cost of a decent light meter.

So, that's around PP150 ... per lens.

Go beyond your first lens, and your meter is probably cheaper.

But still superfluous to your needs: see above about using your histogram.

By all means, try to acquire some of the older glass. Some of it is legendary.

But rather than spending your money on this sort of exercise, I think you'd be better off using those funds for other, more worthwhile, projects that you might have in train.

[Glen]

I must say I came to Gary's conclusion as not so worthwhile here. I just manually expose for my ai lenses. Means I wouldn't shoot the grand final with them but works and the price is right.