Questions about rear-mounting filter to Nikkor lenses

[hky0125]

Hi all, I am trying to rear-mount filter on my nikkor lenses; however the rear element are not threated. Is there any way to work around this issue? Many thanks!

 

[Sirius Glass]

Take a look at https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/13mm-15mm-16mm-nikon-rear-bayonet-filters.202368/#post-2850024 to see an example of a rear mounted filter. They were made for only three focal length lenses 13mm, 15mm and 16mm where are Fisheye and very wide angle lenses.

 

[ic-racer]

Hi all, I am trying to rear-mount filter on my nikkor lenses; however the rear element are not threated. Is there any way to work around this issue? Many thanks!

It should not matter that there are no threads, many rear filter holders clip on or are attached to the rear of the lensboard

 

[beemermark]

Take a look at https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/13mm-15mm-16mm-nikon-rear-bayonet-filters.202368/#post-2850024 to see an example of a rear mounted filter. They were made for only three focal length lenses 13mm, 15mm and 16mm where are Fisheye and very wide angle lenses.

OP is asking about large format lenses. ic-racer shows a rear mount clip on to insert square gels. Something like these (for lights) but smaller. https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1732708-REG/neewer_66600206_color_filter_sheets_8_pack.html Being a thin plastic you could cut them to size. You could also just use some scotch tape to hold them on.

 

[Sirius Glass]

OP is asking about large format lenses. ic-racer shows a rear mount clip on to insert square gels. Something like these (for lights) but smaller. https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1732708-REG/neewer_66600206_color_filter_sheets_8_pack.html Being a thin plastic you could cut them to size. You could also just use some scotch tape to hold them on.

I do not know how the plastic color filters would work. I only know about the Nikon made filters.

 

[DREW WILEY]

Inexpensive thin polyester filters, similar to colored lighting "gels", but smaller, are going to degrade the image a little, as will probably rear-mounting itself. Don't expect the same quality of transmission as with coated glass filters, or even true Wratten gels. Thicker plastic acrylic resin filters are of somewhat higher quality, but still not equal to coated or multicoated glass. They don't have to be Nikon brand. There are other excellent lines, like Hoya, B&W, Heliopan, etc. Nikon probably subcontracted theirs out anyway.

 

[_T_]

May I ask why you want to rear mount your filters?

 

[Sirius Glass]

May I ask why you want to rear mount your filters?

For Fisheye and very wide angle lenses, the front lens surface is so curved that a filter cannot be put on the front of the lens without damaging the lens plus a front filter would not uniformly appear at the film plane.

 

[hky0125]

It should not matter that there are no threads, many rear filter holders clip on or are attached to the rear of the lensboard

View attachment 385229

Thanks for posting this! I was trying to find something like this to secure the gel filter. Now I only need to find one with appropriate size

Take a look at https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/13mm-15mm-16mm-nikon-rear-bayonet-filters.202368/#post-2850024 to see an example of a rear mounted filter. They were made for only three focal length lenses 13mm, 15mm and 16mm where are Fisheye and very wide angle lenses.

May I ask why you want to rear mount your filters?

So I was trying to use 44A gel filters on my Nikkor 90mm F4.5. The front filter size is 82mm, but my 44A is only 3in x 3in. The rear cell has a diameter of 70mm so 3in x 3in is fine, but it is not threaded. The 4in x 4in version of 44A is too expensive...

 

[DREW WILEY]

Wide angle lenses which bulge beyond the front of the rim are uncommon among large format lenses. In such cases, a simple spacer ring can be added to increase the distance.
One must be careful using a rear filter adapter on the back of a short focal length lens. You won't have a lot of working space back there leftover.

 

[Dan Fromm]

For Fisheye and very wide angle lenses, the front lens surface is so curved that a filter cannot be put on the front of the lens without damaging the lens plus a front filter would not uniformly appear at the film plane.

Another reason there are step-up filter adapters.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Another reason there are step-up filter adapters.

On the two rear filter Nikon lenses a step up filter ring would not put the filter far enough away from the lens to not touch the glass.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Thanks for posting this! I was trying to find something like this to secure the gel filter. Now I only need to find one with appropriate size



So I was trying to use 44A gel filters on my Nikkor 90mm F4.5. The front filter size is 82mm, but my 44A is only 3in x 3in. The rear cell has a diameter of 70mm so 3in x 3in is fine, but it is not threaded. The 4in x 4in version of 44A is too expensive...

It is likely that you will have to trim the filters yourself.

 

[Dan Fromm]

On the two rear filter Nikon lenses a step up filter ring would not put the filter far enough away from the lens to not touch the glass.

Please reread your post #8 above, which I quoted in post #11 above. You wrote about "the front lens surface," not the rear.

 

[DREW WILEY]

Cyan filters are hard to find and tend to fade.

filterfind.net has a number of real Wratten gel cyan CC filters in stock at highly discounted pricing, including some oversized ones. I don't know if any of these could be reasonably substituted for the intended 44A application or not. The largest actual 44A Wratten gels he has are only 3X3 inch, yet at only $18 apiece in new condition, might be worthwhile as spares.

 

[xkaes]

 

[Sirius Glass]

Please reread your post #8 above, which I quoted in post #11 above. You wrote about "the front lens surface," not the rear.

Yes, I should have typed the front of the lens.

 

[DREW WILEY]

Again I'd recommend Tim at filterfind.net if you are looking for discontinued or arcane filter holders. He's got all kinds of them, including slip-on adapters which are the most depth compact of all.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Again I'd recommend Tim at filterfind.net if you are looking for discontinued or arcane filter holders. He's got all kinds of them, including slip-on adapters which are the most depth compact of all.

Tim has become my go to filter suppler for any format camera from half-frame to 4"x5". I have go to him for years, way before the sudden black & white contrast filter disappearance from the market.

 

[hky0125]

Again I'd recommend Tim at filterfind.net if you are looking for discontinued or arcane filter holders. He's got all kinds of them, including slip-on adapters which are the most depth compact of all.

Tim has become my go to filter suppler for any format camera from half-frame to 4"x5". I have go to him for years, way before the sudden black & white contrast filter disappearance from the market.

I will take a look and see if there is anything I need. Thanks for the help!

 

[Neil Poulsen]

Calumet offered a Xenophon 3" or 4" adapter for 3" or 4" gel filters, which are the only kind of quality filter that I would rear mount. These adaptors mounted onto the rear of the lens board. Hopefully, this would be a reduction lens board, so that only one adapter would be needed.

A potential problem with thicker glass filters, might be that they could interfere with focusing the image. High quality Wratten gel filters would be too thin to interfere significantly.

Rear mounting filters can be warranted, especially in cases where multiple filters might be needed. (One on front, one on rear.)

 

[Doremus Scudder]

I carry a roll of "skin tape," porous adhesive tape used for bandages, with me in the field and simply mount my gels to the rear element with a tiny piece of it (gels are in cardboard frames. EZPZ, no residue and no adapter needed.

Best,

Doremus