Welcome to our community

Be a part of something great, join today!

Log in
  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

Nikon focus issues

Jon Nash

Jon Nash

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 19, 2009
Messages
589
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Location
Brighton- UK mostly but Im a global citizen :-)
Website
www.jonnash.com
I've just put the nikon mount on a camera and I'm unable to get a focusable image other than a few inches from the lens. I've used the full range of the collimating threads and sill no luck. Id search the threads but I'm trying to use this forum on my iPhone in a motel room in L.a with a dodgy Internet connection so it's not so easy .. Any advice? I've tried with 2 lenses a 24 and a 85 and both are doing the same thing.
 
Hi jon,
As Sidney said, maybe you put the nikon mount wrong. You should remove the pl mount completely.
see this video: http://vimeo.com/1356142
I hope this help
 

Attachments

  • Schermata 2011-02-05 a 11.15.10.jpg
    Schermata 2011-02-05 a 11.15.10.jpg
    12.7 KB · Views: 0
Jon Nash said:
I've just put the nikon mount on a camera and I'm unable to get a focusable image other than a few inches from the lens. I've used the full range of the collimating threads and sill no luck. Id search the threads but I'm trying to use this forum on my iPhone in a motel room in L.a with a dodgy Internet connection so it's not so easy .. Any advice? I've tried with 2 lenses a 24 and a 85 and both are doing the same thing.
Click to expand...

It sounds to me like the back focus collar on the Red may have jumped a thread, putting the proper adjustment out of it's range. This can happen if you loosen it too much when you adjust it. If that's the case, you have two choices:
1- loosen it up again and slip it over a thread or two.
2- if this seems too risky, since you are in LA, take the camera to Red Studio and have them do it.
 
Douglas Underdahl said:
Sounds like you left the base plate in between the Nikon mount and the camera. You should remove it, and use the short screws that come with the Nikon mount.

See video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhmolBMtDzg
Click to expand...
I've tried with and without the base plate and adjusted the flange to both extremes using the adjustable column still no luck and I think I may have dislodged the I data cable... I might have just opened can of worms :-(
 
by dislodged, I assume you mean it came out of the cavity along the mount? just tuck it back in. Is the ipin connector inside the recessed notch, allowing for the Nikon mount to sit flat? It can't be sticking out at all. Also, be very careful with flange adjustment collar. Loosen just enough to spin it. and alternate bolts a little at a time both to loosen and to tighten.
 
Jon Nash said:
I've tried with and without the base plate and adjusted the flange to both extremes using the adjustable column still no luck and I think I may have dislodged the I data cable... I might have just opened can of worms :-(
Click to expand...

If the cable is dislodged, as Steve says, just tuck it back into the slot. If that is the reason you are unable to reach infinity focus, the mount screws will feel soft as you tighten them (Be careful here, you don't want to pinch this cable.) The screws should feel very solid when you tighten them -- no give at all. If they don't give you that solid, metal-on-metal feel, something is not fitting right.

Did you loosen the adjustment collar a lot when you tried to adjust back focus? if you did, then it is very possible that it has jumped a thread and is not able to adjust enough to reach infinity. There should be a millimeter or two space between the collar and the camera body when it's right. It should not be hitting the camera body.
 
Hey Jon

Well, you shouldn't have to turn the collar - the part with the two 4mm socket head screws - more than about 1/4 turn to get it right. So if you've gone around and around . . . then you may have gone too far, and now the outer plate, the one with the slot and cable in it, may have come off the studs and is turning. It shouldn't rotate.

Hoof it over to RED if this is too confusing.
 
Thanks for all the feedback but this simple lens mount swap is just not happening and I've done everything as per the videos and instructions advised on here. So I'm having to go with Dougs advice and I'm going to admit defeat and hoof it over to Red before owner of the camera kills me for wrecking it. Sorry Rob I'll get it sorted for ya I promise :-(
 
a camera tech in UK?!!!

a camera tech in UK?!!!

Jon Nash said:
Thanks for all the feedback but this simple lens mount swap is just not happening and I've done everything as per the videos and instructions advised on here. So I'm having to go with Dougs advice and I'm going to admit defeat and hoof it over to Red before owner of the camera kills me for wrecking it. Sorry Rob I'll get it sorted for ya I promise :-(
Click to expand...

Jon, no offense but this is pretty straight forward.
Are there no camera techs left in the UK?
Any decent camera tech can sort it out for you:coolgleamA:
 
Still think the plate on backwards, the one behind the mount. Easy to do and this is EXACTLY what happens. I've done it wrong myself.

Just take it off and have a look, you will be back up and running in 10 minutes with perfect focus (assuming you didn't throw it out by adjusting the back focus ring.)
 
OptiTek said:
Jon, no offense but this is pretty straight forward.
Are there no camera techs left in the UK?
Any decent camera tech can sort it out for you:coolgleamA:
Click to expand...

I'm sure there are a few in the Uk but the Uk is 1000's of miles away from me and I'm 2.7 miles from Red here on Sunset boulevard.
I might drop by and pick up one of your wireless monitor set ups if your close by.
 
jimhare said:
Still think the plate on backwards, the one behind the mount. Easy to do and this is EXACTLY what happens. I've done it wrong myself.

Just take it off and have a look, you will be back up and running in 10 minutes with perfect focus (assuming you didn't throw it out by adjusting the back focus ring.)
Click to expand...

I'll give it one more try in the morning. I'm sure it's somthing as simple as that. Thanks for the help
 
Best of luck, I'm pretty confident. I once lost a rental job because I was in too much of a hurry putting the P/L mount back on and put the rear plate on backwards. The result was it wouldn't back focus.
 
Im not 100% sure but I think it was the thread adjustment on the front of the collar was out and I had only been concentrating on the back thread. Just hope I didn't snag the lens data cable in all my over zealous efforts to get it right. I guess I'll not know until I put a smart lens on or a Birger mount and I don't intend on doing either. Intact I don't want to touch the lens mount for a very long time.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top