Nikon pre-AI lens coatings

I am to understand they were coated to allow maximum blue light spectrum transmission for black and white photographs, if I put a multi-coat filter on them will that negatively alter the uh....negative?

I've been accruing a bunch of single-coat pre-AI glass for an F kit I'm building.

Nikon made plenty of multi-coated lenses prior to the release of the AI models in 1977. The 'K' lenses (the ones right before the AI lenses) were multi-coated. The 'C' lenses (like the 55/3.5 Micro Nikkor PC) were multi-coated. Some of the earlier generation Nikkors like the 105/2.5 P (mostly black barrel) were also multi-coated. The last F mount Nikkors to lack multi-coating were made about 40 years ago. Using these older lenses with a multi-coated skylight or UV filter should have little or no impact on you results whether you are shooting with b&w or color print film. Color slide film is sensitive to the slightest change in color balance so that's another issue. Over time every manufacturer made improvements in lens coatings, including Nikon. Some of my very early Nikkors, the cm models, have what looks like a blue colored coating on the front element. Later lenses had amber colored coatings. Some 'C' lenses have what looks like a greenish tint. The 'K' and later lenses have a kind of pink and blue combination. If you are shooting with b&w film they will all give similar results.

j-dogg said:

I am to understand they were coated to allow maximum blue light spectrum transmission for black and white photographs, if I put a multi-coat filter on them will that negatively alter the uh....negative?

I've been accruing a bunch of single-coat pre-AI glass for an F kit I'm building.

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No.

Just use them and be happy. Pre-AI lenses can be great.

Actually, from my experiences, single coated lenses, or even uncoated lenses, give me the best results for B&W photography. There's something about the more modern lenses w/ their fancy computer designs and superb coatings that somehow deliver inferior, over contrasty shots. Go figure. But it's very noticeable, to my eyes anyway. You need a good hood w/ the single coated and uncoated lenses, and a yellow filter often helps.

j-dogg said:

I am to understand they were coated to allow maximum blue light spectrum transmission for black and white photographs, if I put a multi-coat filter on them will that negatively alter the uh....negative?

I've been accruing a bunch of single-coat pre-AI glass for an F kit I'm building.

Click to expand...

Not true the colour you see of the front surface of the optics is independent of the lens spectral transmission!

The single coating is ok for E6.

One fashion of the time was to darken blue skies with pola filters, but some purists did not appreciate.

j-dogg said:

I am to understand they were coated to allow maximum blue light spectrum transmission for black and white photographs, if I put a multi-coat filter on them will that negatively alter the uh....negative?

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-) coatings in first instance were added to control that small amount oft reflected light.

-) The spectral efficiency of anti reflection coatings is tuned as best as possible for the spectral sensitivity of the film.
As these already were typically panchromatic, tuning for blue-only sensitive film does not make any sense.

Just yesterday I ran a quick experiment with three Nikon 50s: an f/2 AI (green/magenta coating), an f/1.4 SC (reddish/blue coating) and an f/1.4 S (amber coating). I made six exposures each of various subjects on the same roll of FP4+ and processed normally. As expected, the f/2 was high contrast, the SC in between and the S gave me the much more pleasing result in a softer negative with more open shadows. Since I live above 5K feet in a dry desert environment, excessive contrast is a nagging problem in my B/W photography. Single coated lenses perform very well in these conditions.

Does anyone have any links/information about Nikon's first lens coatings and the NIC and Super NIC coating processes? I searched but came up with little information; I would really like to explore and sort out this subject in more detail.

Meanwhile I am looking to find a Nikon 50-H (not the H-C) f/2 single coated lens. It was the lens that came with my first Nikon FTn in '72 and I love the slides I made with that lens and the old 28 f/3.5.

Then whats the visual difference between a Nikkor 35mm O and a 35mm O.C...?

Nikon 2 said:

Then whats the visual difference between a Nikkor 35mm O and a 35mm O.C...?

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The coated lenses will reduce flare (a bit) and increase contrast (a bit) if you want a 35 2.0 get one and a polarizing filter. The Nikon coating is ok but it was much better by the time they started making the Ai-S. I owned a Nikkor-OC 35 2.0 Non Ai, had it serviced and preferred my 35 2.8 a lot more. It was easier to carry and faster to focus.

madNbad said:

The coated lenses will reduce flare (a bit) and increase contrast (a bit) if you want a 35 2.0 get one and a polarizing filter. The Nikon coating is ok but it was much better by the time they started making the Ai-S. I owned a Nikkor-OC 35 2.0 Non Ai, had it serviced and preferred my 35 2.8 a lot more. It was easier to carry and faster to focus.

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Good information...!