Nikon Ai Conversions

[Mr.3D]

Greetings,

In need of a Non Ai to Ai conversion. Anybody still offering this service that you could recommend.


Bill

 

[CGW]

This guy does an OK job:

http://www.aiconversions.com/

 

[fstop]

probably get my head stomped on again but I'll say it again, in most cases you can get factory Ai for about the same as a conversion.

 

[Bob-D659]

Except for the extreme scarcity of those rings and there were a number of lens series made for which Nikon did not supply conversion rings.

 

[CGW]

probably get my head stomped on again but I'll say it again, in most cases you can get factory Ai for about the same as a conversion.

Maybe if there's a parallel universe where it's 1980. Otherwise, no. Kits are usually only available, as noted, for the most common lenses--if at all. No head-stompin', either.

 

[fstop]

I haven't paid more than 50 bucks for factory Ai glass on ebay.Sometimes the lens is on a body which I flip, in one case I got my lens and put a couple bucks back in my pocket after selling the body.

 

[eSPhotos]

Greetings,

In need of a Non Ai to Ai conversion. Anybody still offering this service that you could recommend.


Bill

How about DIY?
http://www.chr-breitkopf.de/photo/aiconv.en.html

 

[wdshpbiz]

Another member of this forum alerted me to this thread. I've been doing precision machined AI modifications for many years, successfully modifying hundreds of lenses for customers all over the world. Because I am new to this forum, the rules do not allow me to post a link, but if you google "Nikon AI modifications" you'll find my website. Unlike most camera repairmen who do this work by hand with files and Dremel tools and the like, I use a precision vertical milling machine for superior accuracy. Consequently, a significant part of my work is repairing previously "AI'd" lenses, including some done through the links previously posted in this forum. My modifications give Nikon non-AI lenses all the functionality of a Nikon AI conversion ring, including the "hog nose" meter pront, ADR numbers with white numbers on a black background and not draped over a meter prong foot, an EE tab, plus of course the fully functional AI indexing ridge. Please feel free to contact me directly with any questions and thanks for this opportunity to post here.

William Sampson

 

[mgb74]

Consequently, a significant part of my work is repairing previously "AI'd" lenses, including some done through the links previously posted in this forum.

I don't know if you are referring to John White (aiconversions.com) in the comment above, but the one conversion he did for me some years back was professional and worked just fine. That was my only experience with an AI conversion, short of the factory conversion that replaced the entire ring.

BTW, if you want to plug your business here, I would suggest at least becoming a subscriber, if not an APUG advertiser.

 

[CGW]

a significant part of my work is repairing previously "AI'd" lenses, including some done through the links previously posted in this forum.

That's just plain nasty. Besides, your site needs some love and a makeover.

Frankly, I don't care for any of these services. Either a flip-up Ai tab film body or AFS-only DSLR cuts you out of the deal.

 

[bobwysiwyg]

I don't know if you are referring to John White (aiconversions.com) in the comment above, but the one conversion he did for me some years back was professional and worked just fine. That was my only experience with an AI conversion, short of the factory conversion that replaced the entire ring.

BTW, if you want to plug your business here, I would suggest at least becoming a subscriber, if not an APUG advertiser.

John lives here in Ann Arbor and I had one done by him about 8 weeks ago. Works well and very reasonable.

 

[wdshpbiz]

I didn't mean to sound nasty at all, but I do get a lot of "AI'd" lenses in that have problems. That's just a fact. One of the issues with some AI modification work, including John White's, is not relocating the meter prong so the foot faces forward and then trying to drape an ADR label over the foot of the prong. I machine the prong so that it has the correct light-admitting holes and then relocate it to face forward like an AI prong, thus allowing a clean space for ADR label, which is likely to last longer that way. Another problem is what I would call incomplete AI modifications that only cut a notch for the AI ridge, as advocated in Thomas Tomosy's Nikon repair book. I've also fixed a lot of chop jobs done at home following various instructions. I'd be willing to bet John White also does similar fixes. As it clearly states on my website, I don't do this as a full-time business. It's more of a service for folks who want to keep using that great old Nikkor glass on more modern cameras. And yes, my website needs lots of updating, but again, I'm not in it for the money, and the actual work takes priority over the website. I also hate to see great old Nikkors damaged by inadequate modfication efforts. Sorry if anyone took my original post in the wrong way. I was just trying to provide additional information.

William Sampson

 

[resummerfield]

Thanks for posting this, William. I've bookmarked your site.