UV Nikkor 55mm

[Adrian]

I have a copy of The Handbook of Photography (Nikon F, Nikkormat), by Cooper and Abbot (1968, 1st edn.) where two (?) further UV Nikkor lenses are mentioned:

UV Nikkor Auto 50mm f/4, and a UV Auto Nikkor 55mm f/4 (I wonder if this is a typo and both should read 55mm?) . I have not seen mention of them anywhere else.

 

Have anyone ever seen/used one of these, or even have one? They must be as rare as hen's teeth!

[dabateman]

I didn't even know about the 55mm.

This is what I could find with specifications and the manual.

https://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/companies/nikon/nikkoresources/special/55mmUV.htm

 

specification: 55mm f/4.0-32 UV-Nikkor Auto: 43 degrees angle of view; 5 elements in 4 groups focusses down to 0.36m Note: had an automatically compensating diaphragm and focussed from infinity to 1:2, so it was probably based on the Micro-Nikkor-P, just as the present-day 105mmf/4.5 UV-Nikkor seems to be based on the 105f/4 Micro-Nikkor Source: Popular Photography, June 1965;

 

From website:

 

THREE possible versions of UV-Nikkor may have been existed thus far - A shorter focal length at 50mm as well as a subsequent followed up model, 55mm UV Nikkor lens which was introduced in September, 1988 where the Ai-S 55mm f/4.0 UV Nikkor uses a 6 elements in 6 group design, weighs at 250g, close focus at 9" (24cm) and its spectral range is from 220nm to 900nm at 70% spectral transmission. Lastly, a special version that was made for NASA space exploration in UV-Nikkor 55mm f/2.0 lense. Lastly, you can use special filters for invisible radiation photography.

 

[dabateman]

From the company seven website:

http://www.company7.com/nikon/lens/0105f4.5uv.html

 

The UV-Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/4.5 was not the first UV lens to be made by Nikon, before it were the 55mm f/4 UV Nikkor Auto lens (closely resembling the 55mm f/3.5 Micro) introduced in 1965, that would be followed by other 50mm to 55mm UV lens models. Some twenty years after their original UV lens was introduced, the UV-Micro-Nikkor would be developed. The prototype lens is S/N 252208, designated “105mm f/4.5 UV-Micro”, and this was completed early in 1984. This prototype was based on a modified production Nikon 105mm f/4 Micro Ai-S lens, a five element design in three groups that later was refined into a six element arrangement.

 

Interesting the serial numbers are indicated for the Nikon 105mm. Range from 200001 to 203031. Only 3031 original UV Nikon 105mm are reported to be made.

The Rayfact 105mm starts at 700001 and goes up from there.

[enricosavazzi]

The optical formula of the UV Nikkor 55 mm f/4 looks similar to the Zeiss Luminar 63 mm f/4.5, which is known to perform relatively well in UV although it is not designed for this use. Finding a UV Nikkor 55 mm today is probably hopeless, but if you need a UV lens around 60 to 80 mm in FL, the Zeiss Luminar 63 mm is relatively easy (although usually overpriced), so this may be one way to go. The UV Rodagon 60 mm f/5.6 is also feasible although less common, and is designed for use down to about 360 nm. The old-style El Nikkor 80 mm is also quite good unless the focal length is already too long. In all these cases you need a focusing helicoid. Lenses 65 mm and shorter FLs can be hard to adapt to DSLRs so that they focus at infinity (which they are actually not designed to do but can work). Adapting to mirrorless cameras is much easier.

The Zeiss Luminars have been discussed recently at https://www.ultravio...-luminar-lenses . For the UV Rodagon see e.g. http://savazzi.net/p...y/uvrodagon.htm and links therein.

[dabateman]

Well the Nikkor 55mm micro is on the sticky. The f3.5 might be good for UV. Maybe better than the f2.8 version.

I wonder if anyone has recently tested these lenses.

[JMC]

Yeah, I've been trying to find out information on these for a few years. If anyone finds one good on you.

 

At least one of the NASA ones appeared for sale along with a camera a few years back. I came across a NASA document which mentioned it too. Will try and find that.

 

The others - the shorter versions of the 105mm UV Nikkor - never found any evidence of those. Grays of Westminster, the big Nikon dealers in London, had never even heard of them.

[Andy Perrin]

The others - the shorter versions of the 105mm UV Nikkor - never found any evidence of those. Grays of Westminster, the big Nikon dealers in London, had never even heard of them.

Unicorn lenses of fame and legend!

[nfoto]

I vaguely remember a bad copy of a pamphlet descibing a UV-Nikkor around 50mm f/3.5 or f/4.5, with a triplet (?) design. As this occurred many moons ago, memory is somewhat blurred by the passage of time.

[nfoto]

Peter Braczko "Das Nikon Handbuch" lists UV-Nikkor 55mm f/4.5 (page 4-49). Claimed to be a 6/6 design, weighing 240g, close focus to 24 cm. Aperture range f/4.5 to f/32. No pictures or serial numbers are provided.

 

In the same book, p 4-51, is depicted a NASA 55mm f/2 UV apparently fix-focus lens. Apertures f/2 to f/16. No details given on its optical design, however.

 

I think we can safely assume unicorns do exist?

[Stefano]

So strange there are lenses that rare and forgotten it is difficult to even be sure they exist.

[nfoto]

Well, their *existence* is proved. However, they are like prototypes rarely found outside the originating laboratory. Anyone having the pleasure of viewing, using, or owning a rare Nikkor marvels at the quality of workmanship enshrined even in such optical oddities. I own for example an ED Nikkor 800 mm f/8 which is claimed (by Roland Vink) to have a tiny production run of approx. 88 units, it might be as low as 70 though. Extremely beautifully made and finished it is nonetheless.

[dabateman]

So strange there are lenses that rare and forgotten it is difficult to even be sure they exist.

 

With the internet, nothing is forgotten. Just its "truthiness" is questioned.

 

[JMC]

A screen shot from the advert for the NASA 55mm UV lens. This was I believe an eBay advert.

 

A link to the NASA Skylab document which talks about the 55mm f2 lens - https://www.hq.nasa....PltOpsEquip.pdf

 

Information on p77 section 3.1.1, and p83 section 3.3. Described as a fixed focus f2 to f16, and accepting 52mm filters, optimised for 200nm to 400nm.

 

Also some interesting info in there on the Zeiss 105mm UV Sonnar - p159 section 4.10.

[nfoto]

Yes, that is the same lens 55/2 UV illustrated in Braczko's book (much better image in the book, by the way).

[enricosavazzi]

Well the Nikkor 55mm micro is on the sticky. The f3.5 might be good for UV. Maybe better than the f2.8 version.

I wonder if anyone has recently tested these lenses.

If you mean the Micro Nikkor 55 mm f/3.5, see https://www.ultravioletphotography.com/content/index.php/topic/4124-micro-nikkor-p-auto-55mm-f35/ .

[dabateman]

 

If you mean the Micro Nikkor 55 mm f/3.5, see https://www.ultravioletphotography.com/content/index.php/topic/4124-micro-nikkor-p-auto-55mm-f35/ .

 

That is amazing. I read that thread. Then 1 day later ask this question. You can tell I am paying attention.

Good to know to avoid it. The plus side is its a cheap lens. I see used ones for under $50.

 

[JMC]

I wrote to the Nikon Museum and asked about the 55mm f4 UV Nikkor. This was their response;

 

"The 55mm UV Nikkor f/4 is not commercially available. It was only made for NASA."

 

Based on this, my feeling is that all of these short focal length 'UV Nikkors' that are talked about were custom jobs or prototypes, and were never sold to the public.

[Adrian]

Thanks for this Jonathan! Funny that fact should not be mentioned in the Cooper & Abbot book! It has a photograph of a perfectly normal looking lens!

[JMC]

No problem Adrian. Perhaps they tried using as much ready made hardware as possible when assembling them.