tele lenses for 320

[Ian Thomas]

Just bought my 320 from prestons malvern UK seem top be struggling to get a adapter to fit the Sigma 150-500 lens

Prestons are looking into this but progress is slow to say the least, the sigma with a mft adapter fitted the ex3 ok but they don't do one for the 320 i don't want to shell out more money on a new lens if i can get this to work if it won't what other tele lenes will fit the 320 without a adapter

Thanks
Ian

[Luc De Wandel]

I have the Scheider Optics adapter for Nikon on my 320 and it works very well. Apparently adapters with an optical correction lens work better than ones without. See Alister Chapman's remarks on this subject.
You can order the Schneider adapter via their website. They ship promptly.

[Ian Thomas]

Hi Luc

What model no is the adaper please

[Luc De Wandel]

Sorry for the late reply, Ian, I've been away for a few days.
The adapter is from 'Century USA', type nr.LA-NS50.

It works perfectly on my 320 and a few older ( = manual) Nikon lenses. For example a 300mm prime and a 135 mm prime.

[Ian Thomas]

Thanks Luc

I have had one ordered from were i bought the camera think its comming from the USA century optics and is a nikon fit which is a bugger because I have had to trade my tele lens Sigma 150-500 sony fit for the same lens with a nikon fit at a high cost!! just hope its worth it!!

[Luc De Wandel]

On the second hand market there are plenty of perfect (for this application, that is) Nikon lenses. They may be 30 or more years old, but that is no problem, as focusing and aperture need to be manual anyway. My 300mm Nikon is 25 years old and I paid only 120,- euros for it. Amazingly sharp on the 320 with the Century Optics adapter.

[Ian Thomas]

Hi Luc

My Century OLA-NS50-00 adapter has arrived just one thing how do you operate the iris on the lens? on my MFT adapter for the ex3 you could move it to alter the iris on the tele lens (Sigma 150 -500) the adapter came with no instructions, I tried it on the camera with the Sigma and it worked but how do you adjust it, it was v/dark looking through the viewfinder

Have i missed something??

[Ian Thomas]

After a bit of research it looks like i need a lens with a manual iris ring P ss me off really as i have been explaining to Prestons what i required and asked if the sigma 150-500 would work on this adapter which they said would upon it arriving today i find it won't,

I had the 150-500 sigma with a sony fit and changed it for the same lens with a nikon fit for the OLA-NS50 adapter and i lost a packet on the sony fit lens just to find out i wasted my time and money to have to sourse a nikon tele manual iris lens at even more cost i wish i had kept the ex3 at least it worked!!!

[Luc De Wandel]

As you could read in my previous post, the aperture needs to be of the manual type:

"...as focusing and aperture need to be manual anyway...". If you have a photo trade fair somewhere, for second hand material, you will find a wealth of old manual lenses. I could let you my 135mm manual Nikon, but it's not a zoom...

[Ian Thomas]

Yes thanks Luc

I managed to swap the sigma again and this time got a old nikon ED 300 2.8 lens with manual iris, this lens is very old but after reading reports is a very good lens, I have tried it today for a short while but the light was not very good but it worked ok looking forward to using it in anger

[Justin Molush]

Originally Posted by Ian Thomas

After a bit of research it looks like i need a lens with a manual iris ring P ss me off really as i have been explaining to Prestons what i required and asked if the sigma 150-500 would work on this adapter which they said would upon it arriving today i find it won't,

Yeah, this is the big problem with adapters - the other alternative is to put the sigma on a DSLR, close down the iris with DOF preview on the side of the body, and untwist. The aperture blades will stay where you put them. Admittedly its a very bad solution for it if your using this cam for ENG purposes.

Also, do the adapters with correction lenses in them lose a stop of light?

Let me know how you like that mount, I might be getting a chance to work with the 320 in the future.

[Luc De Wandel]

Originally Posted by Ian Thomas

Yes thanks Luc

I managed to swap the sigma again and this time got a old nikon ED 300 2.8 lens with manual iris, this lens is very old but after reading reports is a very good lens, I have tried it today for a short while but the light was not very good but it worked ok looking forward to using it in anger

Don't worry: that lens will do perfectly, it is optically very good. Moreover, with 35-mm lenses on a camera like the 320 only the very centre of the image plane is used, so sharpness and contrast are at their best. You'll be amazed at the result. Just take care not to close the aperture too far (not smaller than f8), otherwise sharpness and contrast may suffer from exaggerated light diffraction through the small hole.

[Ian Thomas]

Thanks Luc

What do you think the sweet spot on the nikon is, as the 320 as 3 nd's i was trying yesterday and i think thats going to be the hardest bit and of course the light conditions to take into account

[Luc De Wandel]

Hard to say. On most of my photo lenses, the sweet spot is 3 to 4 stops closed. So for a 2,8 lens that would be 8. I've tested my lenses on the 320 while the camera was connected to a 42 inch HD-monitor. Then it's fairly easy to see what closing or opening the aperture just does.

[Stephen de Vere]

Century OLA-NS50-00 adapter

Does the optical part of the adapter do Longitudinal Colour Correction as well as the Infinity focus correction ?

At that price it looks like it might only be the latter (which in many cases can be quite sufficient).