D300 + 20mm f/3.5 MF lens query

I have a neighbor with some older lenses he used with Nikon film cameras and he lent me a Nikkor-UD Auto 1:3.5 20mm lens that worked well for him. I mounted it on my camera no problem, put the camera in M mode and once I took a couple of test shots got SS and f-stop set and snapped some shots. Now, I'm ready to take the lens off and I'm not finding a way to do so.

I've had this camera since it came out and use a variety of lenses, but never one of this vintage - so what am I missing? I've tried at various f-stops, but don't seem to know the secret handshake. The two-pronged metal tongue on the lens seems to be running into a plastic tab on the camera.

Feeling stuck. Any help out there?

 

Yeah - I'm feeling a little embarrassed. I figured if it went on so easily, it must be able to come off just as easily - but I don't know how currently.

 

Thanks for the reply - this is the first thing I checked and tried, as it positions the double pronged tongue the furthest distance away from the reference dot for mounting the lens. It rotates all the distance just fine, but no further and not ready to lift off, as I would expect it to.

 

My current angle of thought, unless directed otherwise, or perhaps confirmed is this. The two-pronged metal tongue has two small screws connecting it to the f-stop ring and I'm thinking if I remove the one that is closest to the plastic pin on the camera body and just loosen the second screw, Ill be able to rotate it out of the way enough to remove the lens. It may be that this little tongue is only connected to the ring, so therefore could be fully removed and it's no big deal to re-attach it once the lens is off. Or, if one was to keep the lens, just leave it off, since there are big indents on the ring to use to rotate it. Just thinking out loud.

 

Problem solved.

In the absence of other options, I decided to remove the two screws holding the two-pronged metal tongue and it was simple for the lens to come off, then.

Put an AF lens on the camera, just to make sure I was good to go, and everything seems to be back to normal. Will certainly have to be more careful next time.

I learned that this lens entered camera land in November, 1967, and was pretty cutting edge at the time. I'll be interested to check out the test shots I took with it.

 

Thanks for the replies.

As I noted in post #7, I was able to remove the two-pronged metal tongue and then the lens came right off - with no damage to the plastic stop on the D300.

I may have access to a pre-AI 50mm f/1.4 so may just remove the two-prong metal tongue right up front, though total manual is a bit of a pain, especially since no EXIF data is recorded. I like to do test shots, pick the best shot, then note the EXIF data for future similar shots. Without the EXIF data, it means a lot of recording and a lot more time tied up in this kind of thing. I can be a little lazy for that. A bit newer lens works better with my camera, so is my leaning.

 

That's good to know. I'll keep that in mind.

 

Chris - thanks for the education! I'm relatively new to all this lens stuff, so it's great to learn from people with so much experience. Little by little I pick up bits here and there.

 

Thanks - I'll certainly file that info away.