Zuiko 24/3,5 shift for Xpan - a bad choice?

Jesper · Jul 8, 2013

I have just bought a Zuiko 24/3,5 shift lens adapted to Nikon mount that I intend to use on my Xpan with a Nikon-Xpan adapter since I don't have the funds for a 30mm. Maybe a stupid buy but it could be interesting.
Has anyone tried this? The image circle is supposed to be only 58mm from what I have been able to find (image circles for 35mm lenses are not easy to find) but I have no idea at what aperture this is. Most likely 58mm is the smallest circle at infinity but I have no idea at how this changes when stopped down.
Did I do something stupid?
In time I will know the answer but the lens will be some time before arriving so speculate is all that I can do for the moment.

Neil Grant · Jul 8, 2013

Jesper said:
I have just bought a Zuiko 24/3,5 shift lens adapted to Nikon mount that I intend to use on my Xpan with a Nikon-Xpan adapter since I don't have the funds for a 30mm. Maybe a stupid buy but it could be interesting.
Has anyone tried this? The image circle is supposed to be only 58mm from what I have been able to find (image circles for 35mm lenses are not easy to find) but I have no idea at what aperture this is. Most likely 58mm is the smallest circle at infinity but I have no idea at how this changes when stopped down.
Did I do something stupid?
In time I will know the answer but the lens will be some time before arriving so speculate is all that I can do for the moment.

With your adapter various Nikon lenses could be fitted to an XPAN - with more of less success. Perhaps the most commonly used lenses would be Nikon PC 28 and 35mm lenses. Typical problems, beyond the obvious one of non-rangefinder coupling, would be insufficient covering power or mechanical vignetting. The XPAN body has baffle plate just inside the mount, also the dedicated lenses all sit relatively close to the film (compared to a reflex camera). On my 'adapted' XPAN I have tried a Nikon 135mm f/3.5 which works very well, apart from mechanical vignetting reducing the frame width to 50mm or so. I also have a Russian made revolving turret viewfinder for focal lengths 28, 35, 50, 85 and 135mm to aid composition. I should imagine your 24mm shift would work well - but you may not get the full 65mm frame.

eggen · Jul 9, 2013

Hi,

here some technical specifications:

Angle of view: 84° (100° at max. shift)
Maximum shift: 10 mm
Image circle: 57,2 mm diameter
Optical construction: 12 elements in 10 groups, multi-coated
Diaphgram operation: Preset
Minimum focus: 0,35 mm
F/stop range: 3,5-22
Maximum field size: 24x36 cm
Focusing: Rotation cam (Inner focus)
Weight: 510 g
Length: 75 mm
Filter: Built-in (Neutral, Y48, O56, R60)

I hope this helps you a little bit.

Jesper · Jul 9, 2013

Thanks for the insights. Hopefully the lens will get here next week and then i will have some fun experimenting to do.

europanorama · Jul 11, 2013

I have once seen a chinese c/y-xpan-adapter. zeiss pc-distagon 35/2.8 could deliver 5mm shift up, theoretically.

europanorama · Jun 29, 2014

make a drawing an calculate shift. 5mm shift is not that big but on the other hand quality of shift-lens on 70mm width is much better.

Jesper · Jun 29, 2014

Unfortunately the combo didn't work. The Nikon AI to Xpan adapter was slightly long so I can't focus the lens correctly. I ended up using Xpan with 45 and 90mm and a Widelux until I can afford a 30mm for the Xpan.

Neil Grant · Jul 15, 2014

Jesper said:
Unfortunately the combo didn't work. The Nikon AI to Xpan adapter was slightly long so I can't focus the lens correctly. I ended up using Xpan with 45 and 90mm and a Widelux until I can afford a 30mm for the Xpan.

Sorry to hear that you're having problems. In principle the Zuiko lens you have should be able useable on an XPAN including retention of infinity focus - because of the lens's sufficiently long back focus. You need the correct adaptor.
What I don't understand is that if the lens was properly adapted to Nikon, why you have a focus problem. Does the lens focus to infinity on a Nikon reflex camera?

Dan Fromm · Jul 15, 2014

Neil Grant said:
Sorry to hear that you're having problems. In principle the Zuiko lens you have should be able useable on an XPAN including retention of infinity focus - because of the lens's sufficiently long back focus. You need the correct adaptor.
What I don't understand is that if the lens was properly adapted to Nikon, why you have a focus problem. Does the lens focus to infinity on a Nikon reflex camera?

I don't understand how he can use the lens on a Nikon. F-mount register is 46.50 mm. OM mount register is 46.00 mm. Getting a lens in OM mount to focus to infinity on a Nikon requires an adapter with negative thickness.

Dr Croubie · Jul 15, 2014

Dan Fromm said:
I don't understand how he can use the lens on a Nikon. F-mount register is 46.50 mm. OM mount register is 46.00 mm. Getting a lens in OM mount to focus to infinity on a Nikon requires an adapter with negative thickness.

Given the wording of the OP, I'd presume that what he had was a "permanently modified mount" (ie, unscrew the OM mount and machine a new one).
From the sounds of the rest of the thread, it probably wasn't a very good job of it...

(I'd have just gotten a regular OM mount and OM->Xpan adapter myself)

Dan Fromm · Jul 15, 2014

Dr. C., thanks for the suggestion. Sounds possible.

EdSawyer · Jul 15, 2014

leitax makes nice adapter mounts like that for OM-Nikon stuff and various other adaptations. Well made, precision is not a problem with those.

Jesper · Jul 16, 2014

Just to clear any confusion. The lens I bought had been professionally and permanently modified and it works fine on Nikon cameras. The problem is the xpan-adapter which is slightly too long so that I cannot focus using the scale on the lens (which on the xpan is all I have). Of course I could make a translation table so that I would know which real distances the distances on the scale on the lens would be. That however would require a lot of time and film and since I cannot focus at infinity (on the xpan) I won't bother with it. I just put a Widelux in my bag instead of the Olympus lens.
Maybe I'll sell it.

Neil Grant · Jul 16, 2014

Jesper said:
Just to clear any confusion. The lens I bought had been professionally and permanently modified and it works fine on Nikon cameras. The problem is the xpan-adapter which is slightly too long so that I cannot focus using the scale on the lens (which on the xpan is all I have). Of course I could make a translation table so that I would know which real distances the distances on the scale on the lens would be. That however would require a lot of time and film and since I cannot focus at infinity (on the xpan) I won't bother with it. I just put a Widelux in my bag instead of the Olympus lens.
Maybe I'll sell it.

Maybe all you really need to be able to do is focus the lens at infinity. Then using the scale and distance estimating/stopping down you should be able to pitch focus with sufficient accuracy. An important difference between the Nikon F mount and the OM mount, is the latter's shorter flange to focal plane distance (46.5mm compared to 46mm) so adapting on OM lens to F - mount isn't as easy as doing the reverse.

You could try a few things to get what may well be this unique combination of XPAN and Zuiko 24mm working.

1. try your adaptor with a Nikon lens on your XPAN too see if infinity focus is retained
2. buy another brand of adaptor - maybe yours is the wrong spec?
3. most drastic - machine the adaptor down a little

Jesper · Jul 16, 2014

Neil Grant said:
You could try a few things to get what may well be this unique combination of XPAN and Zuiko 24mm working.

1. try your adaptor with a Nikon lens on your XPAN too see if infinity focus is retained
2. buy another brand of adaptor - maybe yours is the wrong spec?
3. most drastic - machine the adaptor down a little

I have tried with a Nikkor 24/2.0 Ais with adapter on the Xpan and I've tried the OM 24 on a Nikon F4. Both lenses work fine on the F4 and both focus too close with adaptor on Xpan. The problem is quite clearly with the adaptor. Besides it is a bit cumbersome so the focus problem is just one reason for me not to like it. The Widelux is ofcourse a bit different but it works for me so I've given up on the OM lens.
Thanks for all the input!

Zuiko 24/3,5 shift for Xpan - a bad choice?

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