Nikon PC Nikkor 35mm f/2.8 User manual

PC-Nikkor
35mm
f/2.8
Nikon INSTRUCTION MANUAL

NOMENCLATURE
Preset ring alignment index
Preset ring
Aperture ring
Distance scale
Depth-of-field indicators
In frared index
Distance scale index
2

Apertu re scale
Aperture ring alignment index
Focusing ring
Shift scale
Shift knob
Maximum permissible shift value index
Maximum permissible shift values
Mounti index
3

CONTENTS
Foreword ........ ...... .. .4
Mou nting the lens .......... .5
S
etting the aperture . . .. -. . .... 6
Stop-down measurement. .. .. -.7
Focusing ............ ... .. 8
Depth of field .. ...... .. ... 9
Shift and rotation movement. .. 10
Maximum permissible shift ... 11
Framing ................. 12
Panoramas .. .... ..... .... 16
Depth of field tables ... ..... 20
Close-up tables ... ...... ... 22
Features / specifications ... . .. . 23
4
FOREWORD
The PC -Nikk or 35mm f/2.8 is a retrofocus-type
perspective control (PC) lens with an optical
construction of 7 el ements in 7 groups. The
im age circle of th is lens is wider than regular
35mm wideangle lenses providing a covering
angle
of 78 °; thus image quality is insured even
when
the lens is shifted. The lens barrel can be
shifted up
to 11 mm off-axis and rotated 360
0
with click-stops every 30
0 for
complete image
control. The PC-Ni kkor is ideally suited for
architectural and commercial photography,
enabling the photographer to properly frame
the subj ect without tilting or angling the
camera - and the photographer has the added
convenience of thru-the-lens viewing and meter-
ing
for greater ease of operation. It is also
possible
to take panoramic shots .
If used with a Nikon
camera having inter-
changeable focusing screens,
the Type E or E2
with its etched horizontal and vertical Iines is
- recommended. All aberrations have been well
corrected, especially coma and curvature of
field, so that image quality is truly outstanding.

MOUNTING THE LENS
The PC-Nikkor 35mm fj2.8 mounts on all Nikon and
Nikkormat cameras. To mount the lens, position it
in
the camera's bayonet mount so that the mounting
index dots on the
lens and the camera are aligned.
Then, grasp the milled surface of the mounting ring
and twist the lens counterclockwise until it clicks and
locks into place.
(See "Stop-Down Measurement" on
page 6 for metering procedures.)
To remove the lens from the camera body, press the
lens release button on the camera and, keeping the
button depressed, twist the lens clockwise.
To
use the PC-Nikkor as a normal 35mm lens without
using the perspective control feature, rotate the lens
barrel so ttiat the shift scale faces up. Then, if neces-
sary, turn the milled shift knob until the distance scale
index dot is aligned with the shift scale index dot.
5

SETTING THE APERTURE
6
The PC-Nikkor is provided with a manual diaphragm
operable from f/2.8 to f/32 and a spring-loaded preset
ring to
aid in setting the diaphragm quickly to the
shooting aperture; a total ofeight click-stop positions,
at full -stop intervals, makes for precise placement of
the preset
ring. Also, identical sets of f/numbers are
engraved
on opposite sides of the front rim of the lens
to facilitate operation when the lens is used inverted.
To set the aperture, the following procedure
is recom-
mended:
Press the preset ring toward the camera body
and turn it until the f/number setting corresponding
to the desired shooting aperture
is aligned with the
ring's index dot; then release the ring and it
will spring
outward and lock
in place. Note that the preset ring,
once set, limits the travel of the aperture ring so th at
the diaphragm can
be set easily and quickly from the
full aperture viewing position to the shooting aperture
without the need for checking the scale during stop-
down operation.

Stopped-Down Measurement
The PC-Nikkor lens must be stopped down to deter-
mine
the exposure when used on TTL cameras.
Because
the finder image progressively becomes darker
as the lens is stopped down, you should focus first
before taking a
meter reading.
It
is important to note that exposure measurement
must be performed before the lens is shifted; should
measurement be performed after shifting, erroneous
meter readings may occur . With automatic exposure
cameras, such
as the Nikon F3, FE2 or FE use the
camera's memory lock to retain the correct shutter
speed before shifting the lens for the final picture
composition. Since
the Nikon EM doesn't have a
memory lock, the correct exposure cannot be obtain-
ed while shifting.
7

FOCUSING
8
The aperture and preset rings of the PC-Nikkor enable
focusing at
full aperture for the brightest viewfinder
image, with rapid setting of the diaphragm to the pre-
set shooting aperture.
Having set the preset ring to the
desired aperture setting, focus as follows: Turn the
aperture ring to the f/2.8 setting to open the diaphragm
fully for focusing (photo 1) ; then turn the focusing
ring until the image on the focusing screen is in sharp
focus (photo 2). Before releasing the shutter, turn the
aperture ring until It contacts the preset ring and can
no longer be turned-the diaphragm is now at the pre-
set shoot ing aperture (photo 3).
Note : The Type E2 focusing screen is highly recommended
for use with FA/ FE2 / FM3 Nikon cameras and the Type E for
use with F/ F2/F3/FE Nikon cameras. The vertical and hori-
zo ntal lines etched on the screen help you to properly align
the ca mera for proper perspective correction of the image.

Depth of Field
Depth of field refers to the zone of acceptable focus
extend
in g in front of and behind the plane of sharpest
focus. Within this zone, image blur
is negligible and
everything can
be considered as being in sharp focus.
Ta observe the depth
of field with the PC-N ikkor lens,
it
is necessary to manually set the diaphragm to the
required shooting apertur
e; for procedures, refer to
"Setting the Aperture" on page
6.
Depth of field can also be determined by reading the
color-coded depth-of-field indicators engraved on the
lens barrel opposite the distance
sca le. Ea ch pair of
colored lin es corresponds to an f/number of the same
color engraved on the lensfront
rim_ To find the depth
of field at a particular aperture, focus the lens on the
subject and then check the numbers on the distance
scale opposite the colored
lin es that match the color
of the preset shooting aperture setting.
Wh en in doubt about depth of fie ld for a critical
shooting situatio
n, refer to the tables on page 20 and
21 of this instruction manual.
Recommended Focusing Screens
Various interchangeable focusing screens are
available for F3- and F2-series cameras to suit
any ty pe of lens or pi ct ure -taking situation.
Those which are recommended for use with
your lens are li ste d below. For screens used
with Nikon ca meras other than F3- a nd F2-
series
cameras (e.g., Nikon FA, FE2, FM2 a nd
FE), refer to the column for F3-series cameras.
F
or the K2, B2 and E2 focusing screens, refer
to the columns on the K, B a nd E screens,
respectively.
For det a il s, al so refer to the spe-
cific focusing
sc reen's instruction s heet.
o = Excellent focusing
., = Acceptable focusing
The split-image rangefinder , micro prism
or cr os s- hair area is dim _ Focus on the
surrounding matte area.
0= Exposure measurement via stop-down
m et hod
Blank means
not usable.
9

SHIFT AND ROTATION MOVEMENT
10
The front part of the PC-Nikkor shifts up to 11 mm
from
the center in a plane parallel to the film, and
the whole lens mount rotates through a full 360
0.
By combining the parallel shift with the rotation
movement of the lens, an infinite variety of adjust-
ments can be made.
To shift the lens, turn the knurled shift knob. The
knob should always be turned so that it is facing away
from the direction
in which the lens is to be shifted.
The shift scale shows the degree of shift in millimeters.
When the
shift scale is facing upward, the lens can be
shifted
11 mm to the right of center. In order to shift
the lens in other directions, simply rotate the whole
lens mount, stopping at one of the 12 click-stop
settings provided
at 30
0 intervals,
or choosing a
desired
intermediate position. By combining these two
movements, the lens can be sh ifted up to 11 mm from
the center in any direction.

Maximum Permissible Shift
Depending on the direction of shift, however, there is
a maximum permissible shift, beyond which distortion
and/or vignetting may occur
in the picture corners,
because the film format
is rectangular while image area
produced by the lens
is circular. The amount of maxi-
mum permissible shift (7, 8 or 11) is indicated in
millimeters at each click-stop on the lens barrel. The
diagrams
at right show the limits based on the direc-
tion
of shift.
Note: When you use a Nikon polarizing filter in combination
with a lens hood, vignetting will occur even at the maximum
permissible amount of shift at each click-stop.
Diagram 1
Ii ntttmttt11
ABCOEFGHI JKlA
Diagram 2
Azimuth
A
t
+r.- ...... ~ __ ~;--\-r Max,adeQuate
snift
G
Picture area
when the lens
is not shifted
11

FRAMING
As long as the camera is held in a position parallel to
the subject
when shooting, it reproduces scenes more
or
less as the eye see s them, with no unpleasant per-
spective distortion. However, shooting from this
position often produces unbalanced composition,
since the camera
is usually used close to ground level.
Much unwanted foreground is included in the lower .
half of the frame,
while part of the main subject, for
instance the top of a building,
is excluded (Fig. 1) .
Fig.1
12

Inevitably, the camera must be tilted in order to
include the top
of the building and minimize the
foreground
(Fig. 2). But with the camera tilted, the
plane of the film
is no longer parallel to the subject,
and because the
image size varies according to subject
distance, the nearer parts of the subject are repro-
duced on a scale larger than those farther away.
The sides
of the building appear to converge, as if the
building were leaning back or falling. Similar distor-
tion occurs
in horizontal lines when photographing a
long line
of buildings at an angle.
Note : Me ter with the camera aimed f or the general final com-
position ; this is shown by Fi g. 2 on this page.
Fig.2 13

FRAMING-continued
The PC-Nikkor's shift and rotation movements enable
you to create balanced composition without tilting
the camera,
so that the film remains parallel to the
plane
of the subject (Fig. 3).
To photograph a tall building, hold the camera
parallel to the plane of the building. Rotate the
lens
mount until the milled knob points downward, and
sight the subject
on the focusing screen. Now turn the
milled knob until
all of the building is visible and
unwanted foreground area
is trimmed away, checking
to
be sure that the adjustment is within the permissi-
ble shift area (see page 11).
If you must exceed the permissible shift adjustment
in order to include all of the desired subject, try to
compose the picture
so that any peripheral distortion
will occur in unimportant areas, such as sea, sky or
earth.
Use the same technique to
make adjustments for horizontal
and diagonal subjects.
Fig. 3
14

PANORAMAS
The shift movement of the PC-Nikkor
can also be used for making panoramic
pictures by joining exposures. Its advan-
tage over the normal lens mounted on
panoramic equipment
is that it enables
you to maintain exactly the same film
plane in both exposures so that the fin-
ished photographs will match exactl y.
With the ordinary lens, the camera must
be moved after the first exposure in order
to take in a new arc of the horizon. This
movement changes the film plane, so that
vertical and horizontal li nes in the subject
make new and different angles with the
film.
As a result, no two photographs will
ever match perfectly when joined.
16

To take panoramic shots, place the lens
in normal position, shift scale facing
upward, and operate the milled shift
knob to shift the
lens as far to the left as
possible. Compose, focus, and shoot. With-
out moving the camera, wind the film
advance lever to advance the film one
frame, and rotate the
lens mount through
1800
so that the shift scale faces straight
down.
Now make the second exposure.
17

PANORAMAS -continued
These two exposures together cover a horizontal
angle of 78° without turning the camera, 4° more
than the range of a 24mm wideangle
lens, and with
the added advantage of larger
image size. The table
below
gives a comparison of the angles of various
wideangle lenses and the PC-Nikkor panorama range.
In making a vertical panorama, a 65° vertical angle
can be covered using the extreme rise and fall shifts,
with the camera still
in the horizontal position. The
overlapping area
is least when two pictures are
matched vertically.
Caution: Extreme care is necessary when taking panoramic
shots to avoid camera movement, since even a slight movement
between exposures will result in some distortion and photo-
graphs will not join ex actly. For best results mount the camera
on a tripod .
Nikkor lens
Horizontal picture angle Vertical picture angle
20mm f/2 .8 84 ' 62 '
24mm f/2.8 74' 53'
28mm f/2 64'
45 '
35mm f/1.4
53 ' 37'
35mm IVertical connection 53' 65 '
PC IHorizontal connection 78 ' 37'
18
When making enlargements, be sure
that the negative is absolutely parallel
to the
easel to prevent distortions.
All of the focusing adjustments on
the enlarger should
be maintained
constant from one exposure to the
next.
When the prints are removed
from the washer, insert them
in a
rotary dryer facing the same direction.
Overlapped ar ea for ve rti ca l sh ifting
, -J
<--;3;-- ----~~ -_ - ----J

PC-Nikkor 35mm
24mm
:o~din:;~::-----~ 1 ------------:
• •
• •
• •
I •
I •
• •

DEPTH-Of-fiELD TABLES
(ttl
jZ
Reproduction
2.8 4.0 5.6 8.0
11 .0 16.0 22.0 32.0
It ratio
10
7" 1"
"6-
1';(; 13" 1"
1116-
1
'6
13" 3"
11;(;-1'16
11" 1"
11;(;-1'4
5" 3"
11
6
-1'6
1" 9"
11"2-
1';(;
11~'-1't
1" 3"
11;(;-1'1;(;
1 /5.4
1 .3
1'2~':"'1'3ft'
1 '2 ~r-1'3f'
1'2 f:"'1'3f'
1'2k - 1 '3ft'
1'2f'-1'3f'
1'2"- 1'4ft' 1'1~':"' 1 ' 4 ~"
1' 1 1:'-1'5!:!"
16 16 1
17.6
1.5 1'5~ ' :"'1'6~'
1'5r-1'6~'
1'5 f--1'6f'
1'5r- 1 '6~"
13" 5" 1
'41:'-1'8
X' 1
'3r-
1'9" 1"
7"
1/9.7
1'4;(;,,.-17;(;,, 8 16 1
'3;(;- 1'108
2.0
1 ' 11~'-2'~"
1'11~'-2'1"
1'10~':"'2'1~'
1'101:'-2'2X'
16 8
1'9f'-2'3"
1'8f'-2'4f'
17~':"'2'7-T
16 16
1'6~'-3'ft'
1/14
3.0
2'10~'-3'1~'
16 8
2'9f'-3'2f'
2'81:'-3'3~"
4 16
27ft'-3'6"
nf'-3'8r
2'4X'-4'2~"
4 16
2'2f'-5'f'
1 ' 11k-7'7~"
1/22
5.0
4 ' 6~':"'5 '6 f' 4 '5 ~'-5 ' 9ft'
11'· 13"
4'2;(;-6'1;(;
3'11f'-6'10~
3'8~ ' -7'11f'
3'3f' - 11 '1"
2'11f'-21'4~
1"
2'64"-00
1/ 39
15 .0
11 '5" -21 '9"
10'5"-27'1"
9'3"-40'2" 8'-152'6"
6'1 0"-00
5'6"- 00 4
'6"-00
3'6"-00 1/124
00 46'
-00
]2'-00
23'-00
16' -00
12'-00 8'-00
6'-00
4'-00
1/ 00
20