Nikon 50mm f1.2 lens

Nikon s fastest lens was given to me, which came without a rubber grip around it, but only with a tape. The tape looked old so I decided to replace it. Turns out it was holding the label ring together. Upon twisting it, the aperture and focusing ring was totally messed up.

This will have to go back to Nikon, or one of their approved repairers. If it has suffered damage in this way, even if you can get the bits back together there's no guarantee it will work properly.

This is where you went wrong…

"The tape looked old so I decided to replace it."

Most camera repair shops can replace the damaged or lost rubber grip on the lens, so take it to them and be willing to pay the small amount it costs for that repair.

If you had the Nikkor 55 mm f/1.2 manual focus lens, it would have been worth used around $400 in excellent condition. The newer Nikkor 50 mm f/1.2 manual focus lens costs $725 new and about $500 on the used market.

Since you have NO investment in the lens, it would be well worth getting it repaired.

The camera lens acts much like a funnel in that it gathers light. The larger the working diameter of the lens, the more light it can gather. This is important because we often want to take a picture when the light is feeble. We can do this if we somehow raise the light level with a flash or lamp. Often we're saved by the modern camera with its adjustable working diameter. We're talking about opening up the lens's aperture. We're talking about the adjustable opening in the center of the lens that replicates the action of the human eye iris.

As you now know, the amount of light that the lens can gather is based on its diameter. Huge diameter lenses can gather loads of light. Most often we can't use our camera lens set to a super wide-open position, most of the time we set the working diameter somewhere else (stop-down).

Now we need a way to set the working diameter of the lens as needed. Further this setting must be repeatable so we can return and be assured that the light gathering ability of the lens is the same as before. Also, we need to have the ability to tell others what our lens setting are because maybe they want to repeat what we're doing. Also, we need to re-set our lens per tables and charts and advice from others. The idea is to get a good picture via correct lens settings.

To accomplish all this, the lens barrel is marked off in a unit of optical measure called a "focal ratio". This is a method that takes into account two major variable that determine how much light a lens might pass. These are the working diameter and the power of the lens (focal length). The focal ratio is computed by dividing the focal length by the working diameter. If a lens has a focal length of 50mm and the working diameter is set to 41.7mm then the focal ratio is 50 41.7 = 1.2. We say, for short, this f-number setting is 1.2 and we write it as f/1.2.

f/1.2 means the lens is fast i.e.It can gather tons of light allowing us to take picture even if the light is feeble. A long time ago it was concluded that the f-numbers should allow a adjustments using a increment that doubles or half's the exposing light energy that can reach the film or digital sensor. This makes the f-number set look weird. The number set is: 1 - 1.4 - 2 - 2.8 - 4 -5.6 - 8 - 11 - 22 -32. Again, each doubles of half's the light energy. Going left, the light energy allowed into the camera is diminished. Going left, the light energy playing on film or digital chip is increased.

That's a lens many Nikon camera users drool over. You got it free… It's STILL worth making the investment to have it repaired by a professional, trained, experienced Nikon lens technician. Whatever you pay to have it repaired is worth the money since you did not pay for it.

You seem not to understand the exact and immense precision required to salvage that lens, or any lens, really; lenses are extremely complicated and require professional specialized knowledge when repairing it; you can't just take a lens to a garage auto mechanic down the street. That lens is well worth restoring to its original glory. Once repaired, it will serve you very well for many, many years ---longer than you'll have your camera.

Take it to a professional repairer, or call and ask for a Nikon repair tech at Nikon USA at: 1 (800) 645-6687.

Have it repaired! Don't geri-rig it.