Vintage El-Nikkor enlarging lens issue

[Dan0001]

I acquired a very vintage El-Nikkor enlarging lens, 5cm F2.8, for very cheap. The glass is near perfect, amazingly; the barrel is all metal and cosmetically is VG. The downside is that there are no click stops even though the diaphragm works. My speculation is the previous owner decided to clean the inner lens from dust/haze but lost the tiny ball bearing necessary for click stops (or was it removed deliberately?). My brief preliminary tests indicate that optically it is VG.

My first inclination is to not do anything and use it as is…some of my older lenses have no click stops either. I wonder though, if I located a tiny ball bearing of the right size, which is unlikely, how difficult is it to install and fix? It would definitely increase its worth.

 

[mmerig]

I have a an EL Nikkor 50 mm f2.8 as well (the old style). It is also missing the click-stops. The ball and spring are missing. One of these days I may look for a spring (I already have the ball).

 

[ic-racer]

I have owned lenses where the ball gets gummed up , but I noticed in your posted picture evidence someone has tampered with the lens. So, missing parts is more likely. Either way, if you are going to keep the lens, you could open it back up to make sure everything is ok and see that it is not assembled wrong. Nothing wrong with buying lenses like that if the price is right. I have a box of then and even the most damaged lens elements have proven to make perfect enlargements.

 

[grain elevator]

Are we certain it's not one of the enlarging lenses where moving the aperture ring forward or backward engages or disengages the click stops? I suppose those are younger vintages, but making sure can't hurt.

 

[David Lyga]

If I remember when I disassembled one, there is NO ball bearing, but, rather, a short metal piece which has a dimple at the end. I would first remove the spanner nut (around the logo ring) and then, I think, unscrew the front. I would have to see this in person to be correct here, but I well remember that there was no stress involve with dismantling this. - David Lyga

 

[David Lyga]

Are we certain it's not one of the enlarging lenses where moving the aperture ring forward or backward engages or disengages the click stops? I suppose those are younger vintages, but making sure can't hurt.

No, NOT the El Nikkors. I think the Rodenstocks have that. - David Lyga

 

[AgX]

Over here bicycle workshops sell bearing balls per piece, but likely the smallest size is still too big.

 

[eli griggs]

Over here bicycle workshops sell bearing balls per piece, but likely the smallest size is still too big.

Try a machinist supply house, or Amazon.com.

I've bought a number of ball bearings in packs from amazon, but short of cannibalizing another lens, a machinist suppl;y is your best bet, IMO.

By-the-way, you may want to use the smallest touch of lens grease to keep the ball in place when making the repair and putting things back together.

 

[Randy Stewart]

If we return to the years when this lens was the current version, we find that many people used enlarging meters which relied on very small aperture adjustments to fine tune exposure. As a life long El Nikkor user myself, I think Nikon was the last "major" manufacturer to add the feature which allows you to switch out the mechanical stops. A lot of folks improved their lenses by removing the stop mechanism in the lens. You have no idea how frustrating it was to go through those refinements, only to have the aperture "click" into the next f-stop setting on its own.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

I acquired a very vintage El-Nikkor enlarging lens, 5cm F2.8, for very cheap. The glass is near perfect, amazingly; the barrel is all metal and cosmetically is VG. The downside is that there are no click stops even though the diaphragm works. My speculation is the previous owner decided to clean the inner lens from dust/haze but lost the tiny ball bearing necessary for click stops (or was it removed deliberately?). My brief preliminary tests indicate that optically it is VG.

My first inclination is to not do anything and use it as is…some of my older lenses have no click stops either. I wonder though, if I located a tiny ball bearing of the right size, which is unlikely, how difficult is it to install and fix? It would definitely increase its worth.


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is this a four or a six-elements lens; if it is a four-element design, forget a repair and get a newer six-elements lens instead