5. Turn the aperture ring to f16 and, with any tool, turn the aperture control fork fully anti-clockwise until it stops (this lens has a metal stop at the smallest aperture.
9. Use the metal piece as a template, make a new metal piece. It will has an extension to push the aperture control fork, and its front edge will be correspond to the last edge of the fork.
p.s. the front edge of the new lever should just touch the back edge of the fork *when the fork is fully anticlockwise and aperture ring is at F16*. Trim the lever or its two mounting holes to position it accurately.
10, Take a spring (any FD has two), shorten it and adjust the two ends if necessary. Fix one end on the back of the lens by one of the existing screw, and hook the other end on to the aperture control fork.
P.S. I found the aperture failed to close when the lens was near infinity, this was caused by the spring being caught by the tip of the light baffle. Trimming down slightly the tip around the range of the movement of the aperture control fork cured the problem.
Nice guide! Congratulations!
I am still in the conversion process. I will submit my version in some days.
I fixed the focus ring thing. It was the same issue, with the screws at the front. Seems to be a common problem but it is convenient for focus tuning anyway, to open it.
It's not a big deal as long as you get the name ring off... I had to drill tiny holes into that bloody thing because no lens opener device could remove it.
Have to epoxy and paint the small holes later on.
I'm currently modding my 24/1.4. I'm adjusting the M42 adapter on the lens. I reused the three screws taken from the breech lock mount, the problem is that one of the three holes is too short, or the screw is too long, so I can't tighten it up to the end. I have no other screw like that, did you meet this problem? I plan to shorten one screw, but that is a risk of damaging the screw thread....
I don't use the original screws I used some flat-head screws I have saved from other obsolete equipments, and trimmed down the height with a hand file. There was no problem of thread stripping.
Comparing with the risk of breaking and scratching your dear lens during the conversion, this operation is a piece of cake. So go ahead!
5. Turn the aperture ring to f16 and, with any tool, turn the aperture control fork fully anti-clockwise until it stops (this lens has a metal stop at the smallest aperture.
Mister kf_tam, now that I have infinity, something is wrong about controlling the aperture.
When I turn the aperture ring to f16 and, with any tool, turn the aperture control fork fully anti-clockwise until it stops. It doesn't give the same result than your. My fork don't reach the "stop" we can see on your second picture.
Here is when F16 on the aperture ring
Here is when F1.4 on the aperture ring (the fork didn't move)
When I don't touch anything, the blades stay close @F16. When rotating the fork, nothing happens, except when it starts to push a small lever. I feel like the fork is not working as it should. When it was mounted on a FD camera, it still worked.
Because I could'nt find a way to use the fork, I linked the aperture ring directly to a lever using a spring, so the command is not very accurate but I can get any aperture.
Here is a sample shot taken today (not showing how sharp this lens is)
Hello DaFrunk, you can see the problem on your "f16" picture in the 8 o'clock position.
The silver ring with the fork has been moved too far.
The shape (the ramp) very close to 9 o'clock is responsible for pushing the small plastic lever. The ramp should be in contact with the plastic lever and more at 8 o'clock.
Solution: take a plier or small screwdriver and pull the little plastic lever outside. The sam time move the silver ring (with the fork) anticlockwise. This way, the ramp is where it should be, and can push the lever again.
1) The focus ring was a bit loose.
I had trouble removing the ring at the front.
I managed to srew it off after I drilled two tiny holes, which provided grip to a self-made tool (piece of wood and two nails).
One hole is visible in the 7 o'clock position.
Initially my plan was to close them with epoxy, but the holes don't disturb me so left them.
2) Here are the screws which were not tight enough.
I tightened them in the middle position.
As a last step in the conversion process, one can do fine-tuning of infinity with those screws.
3) The self-made aperture lever.
It is a delicate piece of work, because my method requires it to fit exactly between the female fork inside the lens. Not only the width must fit but also the exact position and depth.
I attached it to the aperture ring with the two original screws.
Long-holes at the lever's base provided adjustment capability.
The last picture shows it at its final place.
(Another method of aperture coupling is mentioned somewhere else in this thread)
By the way: there are two tiny balls providing the aperture clicks.
The method to bring them back in place is by turning the aperture ring, and inserting the bearings from the side in a certain position of the aperture ring.
It is not possible (or at least not easy) to put them in place from the top, together with the aperture ring.
5) The result. I wanted to adjust infinity with the screws at the front of the lens but it was not necessary.
I achieve sharp focus over-infinity and below-MFD (closer than 0.3m).
Strange, but I cannot complain.
