For Sale FS: Sigma 18mm 2.8 lens for Nikon AI/non-AI XQ Filtermatic

[Jon Goodman]

Here is a lens I got from a repairman maybe a decade ago as part of a fairly large lot of stuff he was selling. For years I've meant to do some work on it, but I never did, so now it is going to be somebody else's turn. It is a Sigma 18mm in Nikon mount and has both AI and non-AI ability. Sigma called this model the XQ Filtermatic. Here are the three most important things I'm going to say about this lens:

1. It really should be serviced. The elements look ok but have a haziness that needs to be cleaned. The 4 filters (they're internal and there are yellow 48, light blue 180, orange 56 and clear 1A) still function ok but seem to be cloudy also. To me, the orange one seems like it may have some fungus, but without taking the lens apart I can't say for certain. You get aperture selections between 2.8 and 22. Focus action is stiff, but I'd guess the lens has not been used in probably 12 years or more. Both caps come with it. And I was given an internal spacer ring the fellow thought I should have. You'll get that, too.

2. For somebody who wants to service/clean this, I believe you'd wind up with a very interesting and unique fast wide angle lens...certainly for black/white work. New it was quite expensive. In the late 1970s I think the price was around $400.

3. Can you take a picture using this lens "as is?" Yes, aside from the stiff focus it is usable. In fact, I attached it to an adapter and took a picture this morning with a Canon 350D dslr.

$30 plus the cost of actual postage.

PayPal ok for international buyers but check/cash/money order for people in the USA please.

If questions, please ask.
Jon

 

[Karl K]

Curious:
What is the purpose of the internal spacing ring, and how is it fitted ?
I owned a very early version of this lens, which used the Sigma "Y-S" interchangeable mount adapter system.
The build quality was just OK, but the images were spectacular.
At $30, this is quite a bargain.
GLWTS
Karl

 

[Jon Goodman]

Almost all lenses are built with the ability to space the element groups nearer to (no spacers) or further away from each other. We'd like to think of lenses built since the 1950s and especially the 1960s as being very precise and all that, but the truth is they weren't. The spacers (rings of varying thickness...could be aluminum, spring wire, brass sheet, cardstock or whatever) were used when the lenses were given a final check in order to space the element groups correctly. Basically a lens like this will allow the removal of a front element group and behind that group (where the shoulder of the group fits into the lens body) will be anywhere from zero to three or so spacers. Truthfully with such a wide focus, this lens can be pretty far out of adjustment and still produce sharp images. The longer your lens gets, the more critical that adjustment becomes.

Yes, at $30 I would agree...quite a bargain. A part of me still says "oh, just spend an evening going through this and then keep it," but I've promised my wife to sell what isn't being used. With this lens you can at the very least create scads of artistic and unique images simply by playing the out of focus area. Here is an image of a small pomegranate. Look at the interesting out of focus effects.
Jon

 

[Jon Goodman]

This lens is sold.
Thanks,
Jon

 

[MartinCrabtree]

Darn.