Colored Lines on Nikon AIS Lenses...

FilmOnly · Oct 25, 2008

I am trying to properly interpret the depth-of-field scale on my AIS 35/2.8. I gather that the colored lines correspond to the apertures with the matching color. With f/22-F11, this makes sense. However, I am a bit confused about f/8 and f/5.6. Does the fourth set of colored lines (the innermost set) correspond to f/8 or to f/5.6?...f/8 seems to be in white, while f/5.6 is in some type of pinkish color. This pinkish color seems to match f/5.6, but I just want to be certain of this.

Thanks,
Glen

23mjm · Oct 25, 2008

Filmonly--

I am lookin at my old 24mm AIS and it has the same markings---I would say there is not a DOF scale for the f/8. The f/22, 16, 11, & 5.6 are colored but the f/8 ain't and it matches up with the barrel markings. If you want to make your own DOF scale here is a link to a cool little site with a cool little gizmo for DOF. http://www.dofmaster.com/

Bob-D659 · Oct 25, 2008

I'm pretty sure white aperture numbers do not have matching dof lines on the barrel, thats the way it looks on all my non AI lenses.

Poohblah · Oct 25, 2008

both the above answers are correct; the stops on the aperture ring that are white do not have depth of field lines on the barrel of the lens.

FilmOnly · Oct 25, 2008

I appreciate the replies. Thus, the pinkish (innermost set) would be DOF markings that correspond to f/5.6, right?

Bob-D659 · Oct 25, 2008

Correct, confirmed by looking at my newest nikkor, a 24 f2.8 AIS.

Stan160 · Oct 26, 2008

I've just looked at my 24, 28, and 35mm AI lenses, and all three have white 2.8 and 5.6 aperture markings, f/8 is pink and I assume corresponds to the pink lines on the scale. They also all mark f/4 with green lines, then f/11, 16, 22 with yellow, blue, mauve respectively.

Wonder if the change to the innermost marked aperture as f/5.6 was made with the update from AI to AIS?

Incidentally, the 35mm has such a compressed scale that it is fairly useless for judging DOF accurately. The 24mm and 28mm are much longer-scale.

Ian

Bob-D659 · Oct 26, 2008

The coloured markings vary by lens type , my Nikkor-S 50 1.4 has f8 pink, 5.6 white and f4 is green, 2.8, 2, 1.4 are white. The 24 2.8 AIS has the 1/4 turn focus ring and the dof lines are very close together. My even older 1959 vintage 5.8cm f1.4 has the same colours as the newer 50 1.4. My 105 2.5 has a factory ai conversion ring on it, f22 is yellow, 16 is pink, f8 is green, all others are white.

Colored Lines on Nikon AIS Lenses...

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