Nikon PC NIKKOR 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

Infrared index

Distance scale index

Ape rtu re sc ale

J L

Mounting index

CONTENTS

Foreword........................................4

Mounting the lens

Setting the aperture. . . ...............

Stop-do^ measurement

Focusing

Depth of field
Shift and rotation movement. . .10

Maximum permissible shift... 11

Framing........................................12

Panoramas...................................16

Depth of field tables....................20

Close-up tables
Features/specifications

........................................

.........................

.............

..............................

...........................

..............

22
23

5
6
7
8
9

FOREWORD

The PC-Nikkor 35mm f/2.8 is a retrofocus-type

perspective control (PC) lens with an optical

construction of 7 elements in 7 groups. The

image circle of this 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 11mm off-axis and rotated 360°
with click-stops every 30° for complete image
control. The PC-Nikkor is ideally suited for
architectural and commercial photography,
enabling the photographer to properly frame
the subject 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 lines 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 f/2.8 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 that 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.

f

SETTING THE APERTURE

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 of eight 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 that
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 stop­down 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.

FOCUSING

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 shooting 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

zontal lines etched on the screen help you to properly align

the camera for proper perspective correction of the image.

Depth of Field

Depth of field refers to the zone of acceptable focus

extending 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.
To observe the depth of field with the PC-Nikkor lens,
it is necessary to manually set the diaphragm to the

required shooting aperture; 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 scale. Each pair of

colored lines corresponds to an f/number of the same
color engraved on the lens front 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 lines that match the color
of the preset shooting aperture setting.
When in doubt about depth of field for a critical
shooting situation, 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 type of lens or picture-taking situation.
Those which are recommended for use with
your lens are listed below. For screens used
with Nikon cameras other than F3- and F2­series cameras (e.g., Nikon FA, FE2, FM2 and
FE), refer to the column for F3-series cameras.
For the K2, B2 and E2 focusing screens, refer
to the columns on the K, B and E screens,
respectively. For details, also refer to the spe
cific focusing screen’s instruction sheet.

Screen

a/l|b c D E Gl G2 G3 G4

Camera^"^

F3
F2

3

A

HI

H2 H3 H4

j|k/p M R

lll#l

6

<1

a

o = Excellent focusing

• = Acceptable focusing

The split-image rangefinder, microprism
or cross-hair area is dim. Focus on the
surrounding matte area.

E]= Exposure measurement via stop-down

method

Blank means not usable.

SHIFT AND ROTATION MOVEMENT

The front part of the PC-Nikkor shifts up to 11mm
from the center in a plane parallel to the film, and
the whole lens mount rotates through a full 360°.
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° intervals, or choosing a
desired intermediate position. By combining these two
movements, the lens can be shifted up to 11mm from
the center in any direction.

10

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 2

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 sees 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).

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: Meter with the camera aimed for the general final com

position; this is shown by Fig. 2 on this page.

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

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 exactly.

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 lines 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
180° 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 exactly. For best results mount the camera
on a tripod.

Nikkor lens Horizontal picture a ngle

20mm f/2.8

24m m f/2.8 74“
28m m f/2
35m m f/1.4

35m m

Vertical conne ction 53“

PC

Horizontal connection

18

84“

64“
53“ 37“

78“ 37“

Vertical picture ang le

62“
53“
45“

65°

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.

Overlap ped a rea for vertica l shi fting

24mm

PC-Nikkor 35mm

Ordinary 35mm

T

DEPTH-OF-FIELD TABLES

2.8

4.0

5.6 8.0

X

1.0

1.3

1.5
^'5rX’'0f6

-l-X'

11.0 16.0 22 .0 3 2.0

X-X'

T2f-T3f r2'-r4f;

"fxx

1'3f-r9"

16 4

ril^'lr4^"

16 16

(ft)

X-X'

Rep roduction

ratio

1/5.4

1/7.6

1/9.7

20

2.0

3.0

<-s.r

5.0

15.0

ir5"-21'9'' 10’5 "-27'1"

oo 46’—CO

nii;-2T'

32'-oo

riof;-2'2r

r9f-2'3'’ rB|-2.f 1/14

2.B|-3.f 27|-3'6’’ 2’6r_3'8f

3'nf-6'10f; 3'3^-W r

9'3"_40'2 "

23'~ oo

16'— c» 12'-oo 8 '—CO

8'-152'6”

6'10 "-oo

4

5'6"-oo

-XX'

4'6"— c» 3'6"— oo 1/124

1'11 —— 7'7—

16 16

2'6-y-oo

2'1i 4--21'4^

2 4

4

6'— oo 4' — oo

1/22

1/39

l/oo

X

0.30

0.298-0.302

0.35

0.346-0.354

0,40

0.395-0.406

0,50

0.490-0.511 0.486-0,515

0.70

0.677-0.725 0.668-0.736

1,0

0.948-1.06 0,927-1.09

2.0

1.78-2.29 1.70-2.44

00

14-00 10-OO

2.8

4.0 5.6

0.297-0.303 0.296-0.305 0.294-0.307

0..345-0.355

0.392-0.408 0.389-0.412 0.385-0.417 0.380-0.424

0.343-0.358

0.480-0,522

0.656-0.752 0.638-0,778 0.619-0.812

0.902-1.13

1.60-2.69

0.340-0,361 0.336-0,365

0,473-0,532 0.463-0.545

0.866-1.19

1-48-3.16

7-00 5 — 00

8.0

11.0 16.0

0.292 - 0.309 0.288-0.314 0.284-0.319

0.331-0.373 0.324-0.383

0.371-0.435

0.449-0.569 0.433 — 0.602

0.588-0.878

0.825-1.29 0.766 -1.49 0.707-1.84

1.35-4.08 1.18-8 .01

4-00 3—00

(m)

22.0 32.0

0.278-0.329 1/5.3

0.314-0.401 1/6.7

0.362-0,451 0.3 48-0.481

0.410-0,667

0.557-0.976

1.03-oo

0.512-1.210 1/16

0.629-3.15 1/2 5

2-00

0.86— oo

1 — 00

Reproduction

ratio

1/8.1

1/11

1/52

l/oo

21

CLOSE-UP TABLES

Close-up attachments

Close-up Lens No.O

Close-up Lens No.1
Close-up Lens No.2 1/9.4-1/3.5
Close-up Lens No.1-1-N o.2

12 Rin g

K Ring Set
PK Ring

Bellows Attachmen t PB-4, PB -5
Bellows Attachmen t PB-6 1.3-5.7
Micro-Co py Stand PB-6M

Extension Bellows PB-6E

Rep ro-Copy O utfit Mode l PF-2, 3, 4 1 /21-1 /5,5 19,5x29 .3-5.2x7.7
PN Ring

Rep roduction

ratio

1/39-1/4.8 36,8x5 5.3-4 .5x6.8 (93.6x 140-11.5x 17,2) 60 ,1-11 .2 (153-2 8.5)

1/19-1/4.3

1/6.3-1/3.0 5.9x8.9-29x4.3 (15.1X22.6-7.3X1 0.9) 13.8 -9,0

1/2.6-1/1.8
1/6.2-1.5 5.9x8.8-0.64x0.96

1/4.5-1.6

1.2-5.1 0-80x1.2-0.18x0.28 (2.0x 3.0-0 .47x0.70)

1.3-4.4

1.3-7.0

1.5-1.6 0.65X0.98-0.58X0.87 (17x2.5-1.5x2.2)

Lens in n orma l pos ition

Unit: inch (cm

Sub ject field

17.6x26.3-4.0x6.0 (44.6x66.9-10.2x15 .4) 31.2-10.6 (79.3-26.8)

8.8x13.3-3.3x5.0

2,4x3.7-1,7x2.5

4.3x6.4-0.61x0.91 (10.9X1 6,3-1 .5X2.3) 10.8-7.2 (2 7,5 -18.2)

0,71x1.1-0.16x0,25 {1,8x2 .7-0.42x0.63) 7.0-12.5

0.71 Xl.l-0,22x0.33 (1 .8X2,7-0.55X0.83) 7.0-10.6 (17.8-26.9)
0,71x1.1-0,14x0.20

(22.4X33 .7-8.4x12.7)

(62x9.3-4,2x6.3)

(15.0x22.5-1.6x2.4)

(1.8 x2,7-0,34x0.52)

(49.6 x 74.4-13.1x1 9.6) 33.6-1 1.8 (8 5.3-3 0.0)

Focused dista nce

18.0-9.6 (45.7-24.3)

(34.9-22.9)

8-3-74

(21.1-18.7)

13.2-7.1 (33.5-18,1)

6,9-11,6

(17.6-29.5)
(17.8-31.7)

7.0-21.4 (17.8-54.4)

(18.0-18.4)

7.1-7.3

Close-up attachments

Bellows Attachmen t PB-4, PB -5 2.7-6.7
Bellows Attachmen t PB-6
Slide-Copy Adapter PS-4, PS -5
Slide-Copy Adapter PS-6

Micro-Co py Stand P8-6M 2,4-4.4
Extension Bellows PB-6E

22

Lens in revers e position

Rep roduction

ratio

2,4-5.5 0.39x0.58-0.17x0,26

2.7-67

2.4-4.3 0.39 x 0,58 - 0.22 x 0.33 (0.99x 1,5-0 .56x0.84) 8,1-10,5 (20.6-26,6)

2,4-11.8 0.3 9 x 0 .58 - 0.08 x 0.1 2 (0.99x1.5 -0.20 x0.30)

0.35 x 0.52 - 0.14 x 0.21 (0.88x 1.3-0 ,36x0,54) 8.5-13.8 (21.5-34,9)

0,35x0.52-0,14x0.21 (0.8 8X1,3-0.36X0.54)

0.39x0.58-0,22x0.33 (0.99x1.5-0.55x0,83) 8.1-10.6 (20.6-26.9)

Sub ject field Focused dista nce

(0.9 9x1.5-0.44x0.66) 8.1-12.1 (20.6-30.8)

8,5-13.8

8.1-21.0 (20,6-53.4)

(21.5-34,9)

FEATURES/SPECIFICATIONS

Focal length: 35mm
Maximum aperture; f/2.8
Lens construction: 7 elements in 7 groups

Picture angle: 62°
Covering power: 78°

Distance scale: Graduated in meters and feet

from 0.3m (1 ft) to infinity (°°)

Aperture scale; f/2.8—f/32
Diaphragm: Manual type with preset ring for

convenience when setting the diaphragm to
the shooting aperture

Exposure measurement: Stop-down method
Lens rotation: Lens optics rotate 360° for

perspective control adjustments in any
direction; click-stops provided at each 30
of rotation; maximum permissible shift
values engraved at each click-stop position

Lens shift; Special mount enables up to

11 mm off-center shift for perspective
control; shift adjustments via milled knob
at side of lens; shift scales provided with
graduations at 1mm intervals

Mount: Nikon bayonet type

Attachment size: 52mm (P = 0.75mm)
Dimensions: Approx. 62mm x 61.5mm exten

sion from flange; 66mm long (overall)

Weight: Approx. 320g

Accessories

Supplied

52mm snap-on front

lens cap

Rear lens cap LF-1

Hard lens case CL-34A

Optional

52mm screw-in lens

hood HN-1

52mm screw-in filters

Lens pouch No. 61

23

No reproduction in any form of this manual, in
whoie or in part (except for brief quotation in
criticai articles or reviews), may be made without
written authorization from NIKON CORPORATION.

Nikon

NIKON CORPORATION

FUJI BLDG., 2-3, MARUNOUCHI 3-CHOME, CHIYODA-KU,
TOKYO too, JAPAN

PHONE: [phone] TELEX: J22601 (NIKON) FAX: [phone]

Printed in Japan 8&108-e04