QV-Nikkor lenses

In October 1986 at the Photokina Camera Show in Germany Nikon Corporation introduced its first 'Nikon Still Video Camera'. As Nikon did not had the ability to produce a digital video camera Nikon asked Panasonic to build that camera. This Nikon QV-1000 had a 2/3 inch CCD sensor with 300,000 pixels. It came with two lenses of which one has become very rare. In September 1988 the successor Nikon QV-1000C - now build by Nikon - was introduced. This camera came with two zoom lenses and a video transmitter. Below the technical specifications of the QV-Nikkors.

QV-Nikkor 1.6/6 mm.

Unfortunately very little is known about this lens. As the camera was in fact a prototype and incredibly expensive only a few entered the market. Above data are known as well as the special QV-mount of the lens.

QV-Nikkor 1.4/10 - 40 mm.

This two ring manual zoom lens was introduced together with the Nikon QV-1000 still video camera. It has an optical design of 15 elements in 12 groups. This lens can be focused down to 1.5 meter and in macro-setting even down to 22 cm.! Aperture can be closed down to f/22. The lens takes 62 mm. filters and is weighting in at 550 gram. The focal length can be compared with a regular (35mm.) Nikkor of approx. 45 - 180 mm. due to the crop factor of 4.5.

QV-Nikkor 2/11 - 120 mm.

This single ring manual (push & pull) zoom lens was introduced in September 1988 - together with the QV-1000C camera. It has an optical design of 21 elements in 14 groups and can be focused down to 1.10 meter, takes 82 mm. filters, weights in at 1,320 gram and has a tripod connector. Its focal length in 35mm. equivalent is approx. 50 - 540 mm.

QM-100

This name is given to an adapter which allows you to mount AI-Nikkors on a QV-1000C camera. Given the crop factor of around 4.5 and a loss of at least 2.5 stops its practicality is limited.