SLR Nikon FE Film Camera with Digital Back - fully operational!

How to make a Film Camera into a Digital Camera

In early September I started this project with very little idea as to how this could be achieved, or whether it was even possible. I was inspired by Oliver Baker's work on his "franken camera" project with a range finder Konica and a Nex 5. From that I had a few ideas I wanted to try. The biggest hurdle to overcome was installing the sensor at the film plane without it hitting the shutters. If this was not possible then the project was dead. The idea to install the sensor filters on the inside of the Nikon shutter was my breakthrough moment which enabled the sensor to be rebated into the film plane to a point where it achieves perfect infinity focus and yet is still clear of the shutters. The bonus of this method is the infra red filters can be removed for shooting with a bare sensor. Many DSLR owners are getting this conversion done for multi spectrum and astronomy photography. This 1980 Nikon FE can swap to either spectrum in a minute.

I took a few wrong turns with this project. My first idea was to use extension PCB ribbon cables for which I paid for drawings ready for production. However at $800 AUD that idea died. I then tried to meld and scallop a Sony Nex 5 onto the Nikon back. This looked good but the battery had to be installed in the motor drive and a shutter switch fitted elsewhere. Subsequently during one of many trial installs the motherboard went up in smoke. This turned out to be a bonus as the replacement Sony Nex 3 was a lot easier to install complete including battery. Meaning I could still use the motor drive.

Below are photos of the working 1980 Nikon FE with "electric film" provided by a Sony Nex 3 with a 14mp APS-C CMOS Sensor at 1.5 crop. In my next post I will go into detail just how the camera works, a few sample pictures and a nice surprise was it takes really good movies too as I did not expect it to be able to do this.

How to fit a Sony Nex CMOS Sensor to any SLR Film Camera  Prepare Sensor for Film Camera

YouTube video of this at  Demonstration of converted film camera
Web Site for installation details at  Film Cameras to Digital

Play back mode with photo in normal colour.

Play back mode with photo taken with bare sensor in B&W

Filters removed from sensor. Installed in a metal frame which inserts behind
mirror up against the inside of the Nikon shutter frame. The blue tape
is just to pack out the sides a bit as the dimensions are critical to
prevent mirror lock up.

The sensor is allowed to float via the tape so it drops into the film plane.
Note how deep the rebate has to be to obtain the correct film plane position.

Looking into the Nikon with mirror up and prior to installation of the filters.

Filters are installed on the other side of the camera shutter frame.
The film rails have been widened by 0.5mm each side to allow the
rebated APS-C sensor to drop in between them. This issue resolved.
Read my Detail Page on fitting a sensor to the film plane

Nikon FE, Leitz Elmarit R wide angle lens, MD 11 motor drive
 & Sony Nex 3 "electric film"

Side view with a Tamron 80-200.

Final Testing Nikon FE Digital

Test Results of CMOS Sensor Position in Nikon FE

The Sony sensor has been checked over and blueprinted to within 0.02 at all 4 corners. Undeveloped film is 0.13 thick so the tolerances are fairly tight. I see what Nikon mean when they say the Film Plane only has give or take 0.02mm max. These tiny differences make a big impact on lens focus. On the results I have it is looking pretty close. It is just difficult to get the micrometer into the rebate edge as the circuits are above it. Given the results today I wouldn't mind just taking another Bee's D off to see a slight improvement at F1.8. The other aperture settings look pretty good. But then I am no photographer so it will be interesting to see what you expert photographers think of the results. Feel free to criticise and cann them.

I have photographed some old cameras at distances of 600mm, 1500mm and 3500mm at various F stops. The speed was left up to the Nikon on Auto and ASA 200. The Sony Nex was set at ISO 200, 5 seconds time and default F1.0 with no lens. The Nikon split screen focus was on the middle of the self timer lever on the Leica. These photos are just to show that a sensor can be installed in a film SLR camera and get reasonable focus results. It won't compete with say a Canon 5D but there are some fun benefits to having the old SLR working again.

F1.8 1000th 600mm

F4  250th  600mm

  

F11  300th  1500mm

F8  400th infinity focus

F11  70th  infinity focus

That's all the blue printing of the sensor adjustment for now. I am pleased with the results and I hope you are too. Seeing as I have had success with fitting the sensor at the film plane position it is time to move on to fitting the remnants of the Sony to the Nikon back.

I have shelved the idea of keeping the Sony complete even though I spent a lot on the design of the extension cables. Instead I am going to fully dismantle it and see where on the Nikon back I can fit everything. Then design some sort of retro cover for it. This may have some benefits as I should be able to get the motherboard to see the circuit board (there are two little eyes that line up with the sensor that I figure make Live View work and the other may be it's auto focus). Live View might work when the Nikon is clicked at Bulb to open it's shutter so the Sony sensor can get a look at the view through the lens.

The main theme is to keep the Nikon as a film camera, so all that stuff in the Sony has to fit only on the film back so I can just swap it for a film back when required. I also want to use the digital back on my Nikon FE2.

Thanks for taking an interest. Feel free to comment below. I would appreciate your thoughts on the Focus. It still seems a little blurry in the distance at infinity so another tweak with the sandpaper might fix this.

YouTube video of this camera at  https://youtu.be/Ey1MW2_TJC4