Nikon 35mm PC shift lens changes colors

In the shifted position the image gets cooler. Is this common with
shift lenses or this particular model, or is there something wrong with
my lens? It's from the 1960s or 1970s 35/2.8 Nippon Kogaku, and I mount
it on an N90s. The N90s manual says not to use this lens, so maybe the
color discrepancy is the reason why, although it mounts and shoots with
no problems. I bought it used several years ago and the seller
indicated it was modified. I don't remember how...AI? Anyway, I guess I
should use a warming filter or maybe get an older body. Any thoughts?

wrote:
In the shifted position the image gets cooler. Is this common with
shift lenses or this particular model, or is there something wrong with
my lens? It's from the 1960s or 1970s 35/2.8 Nippon Kogaku, and I mount
it on an N90s. The N90s manual says not to use this lens, so maybe the
color discrepancy is the reason why, although it mounts and shoots with
no problems. I bought it used several years ago and the seller
indicated it was modified. I don't remember how...AI? Anyway, I guess I
should use a warming filter or maybe get an older body. Any thoughts?


Does the image just get cooler (or darker) in the viewfinder or also on
prints/slides?

It gets darker in the viewfinder as I shift, so I compensate. It seems
+1 to +2 stops is correct, depending on the amount of shift, and the
lens only clicks at full stops. But I can also see a color change as I
shift the lens. In comparing the non-shifted and shifted prints, the
coolness is obvious.

Chris Loffredo wrote:
Does the image just get cooler (or darker) in the viewfinder or also
on
prints/slides?

wrote:
It gets darker in the viewfinder as I shift, so I compensate. It seems
+1 to +2 stops is correct, depending on the amount of shift, and the
lens only clicks at full stops. But I can also see a color change as I
shift the lens. In comparing the non-shifted and shifted prints, the
coolness is obvious.


You do know that you are supposed to meter with the lens unshifted, and
then shift the lens (keeping the unshifted exposure values)?

The color shift is probably due to the exposure being off.

I've used an older PC Nikkor (35mm f/3.5) and a Ukranian Arsat 35mm
f/2.8 extensively without any sign of color shifts!

wrote:

It gets darker in the viewfinder as I shift, so I compensate. It seems
+1 to +2 stops is correct, depending on the amount of shift, and the
lens only clicks at full stops. But I can also see a color change as I
shift the lens. In comparing the non-shifted and shifted prints, the
coolness is obvious.


You might not know that you are supposed to meter with the lens
unshifted, and THEN shift the lens (keeping the unshifted exposure values)?

The color change is likely due to the exposure being off.

I've used an older PC Nikkor (35mm f/3.5) and a Ukranian Arsat 35mm
f/2.8 extensively without any sign of color shifts!

wrote:

It gets darker in the viewfinder as I shift, so I compensate. It seems
+1 to +2 stops is correct, depending on the amount of shift, and the
lens only clicks at full stops. But I can also see a color change as I
shift the lens. In comparing the non-shifted and shifted prints, the
coolness is obvious.


You might not know that you are supposed to meter with the lens
unshifted, and THEN shift the lens (keeping the unshifted exposure values)?

The color change is likely due to the exposure being off.

I've used an older PC Nikkor (35mm f/3.5) and a Ukranian Arsat 35mm
f/2.8 extensively without any sign of color shifts!

In article .com,
wrote:

I bought it used several years ago and the seller
indicated it was modified. I don't remember how...AI? Anyway, I guess I
should use a warming filter or maybe get an older body. Any thoughts?

I've used this lens extensively in the past, though I no longer own it.
I never noticed any color shift at all, and the falloff while shifted
was minimal.

If i recall correctly, the reason for the prohibition on the N90 (and
others) was because the lens flange would damage the electrical
contacts on the body. The solution was to mill away part of he mount to
clear them. Does your lens show evidence of this?

Either way, the color shift (or lack thereof) would not be affected by
any such modifications.

wrote:

In the shifted position the image gets cooler. Is this common with
shift lenses or this particular model, or is there something wrong with
my lens? It's from the 1960s or 1970s 35/2.8 Nippon Kogaku, and I mount
it on an N90s.

I have a lens of close to that vintage. While the view through the
viewfinder (depending upon which Nikon body) can change dramatically, the
results on film should be very even, and without colour shift.

The N90s manual says not to use this lens, so maybe the
color discrepancy is the reason why, although it mounts and shoots with
no problems. I bought it used several years ago and the seller
indicated it was modified. I don't remember how...AI?

These are preset lenses, and do not contact the AI tab on the mount. Early
version were not cut away at the back, and could foul, or damage, the AI
tab. One modification was to remove some material from the back of the
lens barrel to avoid fouling the AI mount tab.

Anyway, I guess I
should use a warming filter or maybe get an older body. Any thoughts?

Use the lens with some transparency (slide) film, and check the results.
If it seems there is some colour shift, you might actually have a damaged
lens. There are many elements internally, and if any one of them is not
aligned, or has fogged, or has problems with the coatings, then you could
have some problems.

All is not hopeless in a situation that the lens elements might not be in
the best shape. You could always use the lens for B/W, or try it for
creative ideas.

On the N90s, or newer bodies, one problem is that the lens mount could
internally contact the electronic connections in the camera body. If that
happens, you could short out the camera. I was at the PhotoImaging &
Design Expo yesterday, and specifically asked about using a shift lens on
newer Nikon mount bodies. The recommendation from Nikon on brand new
cameras was the F6 or FM3A. There is a newer 28 mm shift lens, and that
one is okay to use on the D2X.

When I checked with Fuji about the S2 and S3, I found out that one of the
engineers had tried an older shift lens on an S2, and shorted the
contacts. The S2 at the lens mount is similar to the S3. Asking a Kodak
engineer about the SLR/n, I found out that the problem is the lower grip
fouls the shift lens at some rotations, which Kodak admits is a design
flaw. Interestingly, the SLR/c has more room, and can use Canon tilt/shift
lenses.

Some might wonder why bother at all. While a large format camera with
movements will work better, the reality of some photo situations is that
the time and space requirements for some locations do not allow setting up
a large format camera and managing to get enough images on location. These
tiny shift lenses are convenient in some special circumstances and
situations.

Overall, I would state that the 35 mm f2.8 shift lens is one of the best
performing 35 mm focal length lenses I have ever used. While f2.8 is not
very fast, the results using the lens unshifted are quite good. The
biggest problem is that the preset aperture really slows you down.

I hope that helps, and that you find your lens is in good shape. Best of
luck to you.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat
A G Studio
http://www.allgstudio.com

In article ,
Gordon Moat wrote:
The recommendation from Nikon on brand new
cameras was the F6 or FM3A. There is a newer 28 mm shift lens, and that
one is okay to use on the D2X.

Nikon lists in its manuals which lenses cannot be used. As far as I
can tell, shift lenses are generally okay provided that they are compatible
with Ai cameras.


--
That was it. Done. The faulty Monk was turned out into the desert where it
could believe what it liked, including the idea that it had been hard done
by. It was allowed to keep its horse, since horses were so cheap to make.
-- Douglas Adams in Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency

In article ,
Gordon Moat wrote:
The recommendation from Nikon on brand new
cameras was the F6 or FM3A. There is a newer 28 mm shift lens, and that
one is okay to use on the D2X.

Nikon lists in its manuals which lenses cannot be used. As far as I
can tell, shift lenses are generally okay provided that they are compatible
with Ai cameras.


--
That was it. Done. The faulty Monk was turned out into the desert where it
could believe what it liked, including the idea that it had been hard done
by. It was allowed to keep its horse, since horses were so cheap to make.
-- Douglas Adams in Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency