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Nikon Macro Lens
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Jan 28, 2018 10:43:40   #
burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC
 
Gene51 wrote:
Along with the question you posted, you need to provide the application - what you would want to shoot. There is no point in selecting a 60mm macro lens if you are trying to shoot active insects, or a 200mm macro if you are on a copy stand and shooting stamps or coins. Each lens has an applicationt that it excels at.



I used a copy stand or slide duplicator almost daily in the late 1970s through the late 1980s, and again from 2005 to 2012. My go-to lens for making 35mm slides was the 55mm f/2.8 Micro Nikkor for all of the copy stand work. I used a Bogen Wide Angle (60mm) enlarging lens (designed for the 6x6 cm square format) mounted on a bellows for slide duplicating and multi-image slide composition using a pin-registered Nikon F3.

I remember wanting a *35mm* macro lens quite often. We had our Bencher copy stand set up about 20 inches off the floor, so we could use the entire 48" column when needed. Photographing large yearbooks was a challenge to the back... It would have been nice to reduce the working distance.

For APS-C digital, I used Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 zooms with macro mode. I had them in Canon and Nikon mounts. They weren't true, flat-field lenses, OR macros, but they were useful for the occasional copy stand work I needed to do, as they got down to 1/4 life size. As long as I stayed away from the wide end (28 to 35mm), they were fine.

These days, I'm using a 30mm f/2.8 Lumix macro lens (60mm full frame equivalent FOV on Micro 4/3) to copy old slides and negatives, and to do general copy stand work. It's a real gem. The Micro 4/3 format is much easier to use for Macro work. 1:1 on Micro 4/3 is a quarter of a 35mm slide! The 30mm gets down to 1:1.

I've known photographers with three different macro lenses to cover very different needs. If I were doing a different type of macro work requiring a longer working distance, I'd use the Leica 45mm f/2.8 or the Olympus 60mm f/2.8 (90 and 120mm FF equivalent FOV, respectively).

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Jan 28, 2018 15:56:45   #
RWR Loc: La Mesa, CA
 
pesfls wrote:
... there is another version not mentioned. That is the 55mm Micro-Nikkor-P, 1:3.5.

All the P indicates is that the lens has 5 elements, same as all the 55 f/3.5 Micro-Nikkors. Nikon later dropped those designations.
pesfls wrote:
It focuses to 1:1 on its own ...

Only the first two versions of the 55 f/3.5 Micro-Nikkor focus to 1:1. They both have manual diaphragms.

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Jan 28, 2018 17:16:15   #
RWR Loc: La Mesa, CA
 
Orange Krate wrote:
I did a little more searching on the Micro-Nikkor-P 55mm 1:3.5 and found this helpful link: http://www.destoutz.ch/lens_55mm_f3.5_600033.html

As mentioned previously, I own this lens and tonight ordered the M2 extension so I will have the complete setup as originally offered by Nikon. Here is a photo of the complete set. The link above gives some of the technical data about the lens. I am going to do some more shooting with my lens now that the extension is coming. It may not be the best micro/macro lens BUT there is no doubt it is one of the best constructed lenses ever. Cheap enough to purchase.
I did a little more searching on the Micro-Nikkor-... (show quote)

If you want to get the most out of that fine lens, you’re not done yet! If you use a filter and want a hood, the correct one is the Nikon HN-3. And for an earlier Nikon polarizer, it takes the HN-12 hood.
For higher magnifications, the lens is great reversed, for which you’ll want a BR-2A ring (do not use the older BR-2 on an autofocus camera). To use a 52mm filter, hood, ringlight, etc., on the reversed lens, you’ll need a BR-3 ring. Then with the lens on a bellows, manual extension tube or when reversed, to hold the diaphragm open for focusing you’ll need an E 2, BR-4, or BR-6 ring. Then there are various remote releases, bellows, extension tubes, etc., etc...

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Jan 28, 2018 18:53:39   #
pesfls Loc: Oregon, USA
 
RWR wrote:
Only the first two versions of the 55 f/3.5 Micro-Nikkor focus to 1:1. They both have manual diaphragms.


That's what I have the "P" (penta) that focuses to 1:1. Correct, non Ai 100% manual. Great piece of glass except working distance can be a challenge.

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Jan 28, 2018 21:28:28   #
RWR Loc: La Mesa, CA
 
pesfls wrote:
That's what I have the "P" (penta) that focuses to 1:1. Correct, non Ai 100% manual. Great piece of glass except working distance can be a challenge.

That one is quite a collector’s item, can you post a picture of it?

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Jan 28, 2018 21:40:57   #
pesfls Loc: Oregon, USA
 
RWR wrote:
That one is quite a collector’s item, can you post a picture of it?


Yup. From earlier in the thread. Works perfect today. Bought it new in 1969/70 with a new F body. I’ve no idea what it might be worth today but don’t really care. It’s not for sale. I also have the hood, which is superfluous given the depth to the front element and the polarizer rings.


(Download)

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Jan 28, 2018 22:40:08   #
RWR Loc: La Mesa, CA
 
pesfls wrote:
Yup. From earlier in the thread. Works perfect today. Bought it new in 1969/70 with a new F body. I’ve no idea what it might be worth today but don’t really care. It’s not for sale. I also have the hood, which is superfluous given the depth to the front element and the polarizer rings.

I saw the earlier picture, that’s why I asked. Thought maybe you had two different versions. Yours focuses to 1:2, 1:1 with the M2 ring, and has an automatic diaphragm with the prong. The ones that focus to 1:1 have preset diaphragms. Is the serial number of yours somewhere between 600001 and 728469? If so, this was the most common (and next to the last) of the 9 versions that had the “P” indicating the number of elements.
I have an f/3.5 AI, serial number 1036054, and wouldn’t trade it for any of the f/2.8 versions.

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Jan 29, 2018 09:26:16   #
pesfls Loc: Oregon, USA
 
RWR wrote:
I saw the earlier picture, that’s why I asked. Thought maybe you had two different versions. Yours focuses to 1:2, 1:1 with the M2 ring, and has an automatic diaphragm with the prong. The ones that focus to 1:1 have preset diaphragms. Is the serial number of yours somewhere between 600001 and 728469? If so, this was the most common (and next to the last) of the 9 versions that had the “P” indicating the number of elements.
I have an f/3.5 AI, serial number 1036054, and wouldn’t trade it for any of the f/2.8 versions.
I saw the earlier picture, that’s why I asked. Tho... (show quote)


You are correct. I misspoke. I looked it over closely just now out of curiosity. It has been eons since I have used it in macro mode so my memory was incorrect. Not since acquiring the f4 105 many years ago. I got tired of the working distance and have only used it as a "normal" walk around since. Nevertheless, it is incredibly sharp & one of my kids/grandkids can have it when I start pushing up posies.

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Feb 3, 2018 11:41:20   #
Real Nikon Lover Loc: Simi Valley, CA
 
RWR wrote:
If you want to get the most out of that fine lens, you’re not done yet! If you use a filter and want a hood, the correct one is the Nikon HN-3. And for an earlier Nikon polarizer, it takes the HN-12 hood.
For higher magnifications, the lens is great reversed, for which you’ll want a BR-2A ring (do not use the older BR-2 on an autofocus camera). To use a 52mm filter, hood, ringlight, etc., on the reversed lens, you’ll need a BR-3 ring. Then with the lens on a bellows, manual extension tube or when reversed, to hold the diaphragm open for focusing you’ll need an E 2, BR-4, or BR-6 ring. Then there are various remote releases, bellows, extension tubes, etc., etc...
If you want to get the most out of that fine lens,... (show quote)


Awesome!!! THANK YOU. This is great info. I am saving this text for future purchases.

The M2 arrived yesterday and I tried some late night (after a 14 hour work day) practice shots. In full manual and shooting handheld I captured this with ambient light.


(Download)

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Feb 3, 2018 11:56:32   #
pesfls Loc: Oregon, USA
 
Orange Krate wrote:
Awesome!!! THANK YOU. This is great info. I am saving this text for future purchases.

The M2 arrived yesterday and I tried some late night (after a 14 hour work day) practice shots. In full manual and shooting handheld I captured this with ambient light.


Cool, glad you are pleased. Not bad for 9 bucks, eh? Have fun.

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Feb 3, 2018 15:32:36   #
Real Nikon Lover Loc: Simi Valley, CA
 
pesfls wrote:
Cool, glad you are pleased. Not bad for 9 bucks, eh? Have fun.


Thank you again! You are correct...it is the best $9.00 I ever spent on photo equipment. Cherished.

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Feb 4, 2018 10:21:41   #
wj cody Loc: springfield illinois
 
Peter Franck wrote:
Is there a Nikon Macro lens that is the BEST?


the 200 f4 seems to be the choice of most macro photographers. and that is due to its focal length. all other things being equal, any one of them will do an excellent job.

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Feb 18, 2018 21:02:16   #
Kiwi1 Loc: New Zealand
 
wj cody wrote:
the 200 f4 seems to be the choice of most macro photographers. and that is due to its focal length. all other things being equal, any one of them will do an excellent job.


Well like all these things it depends the type of macro work you want to do. I was quite keen on the idea of 200 f4 however after I studied a lot of reviews it seems the 200 is best used on a tripod and although it apparently does have a slight advantage in image quality I still decided on the Nikon 105 2.8 with VR as it provides a lot better options for hand holding and is very useful as an alternative portrait / landscape lens as well.
So far the reach on a cropped sensor body has not been an issue and I already had a Nikon TC14EII and it performs extremely well if I need more reach. The 200 is now a rather old lens and lacks Nano coating and VR and I would expect it will be updated at some point, definitely long overdue. In terms of working distance the 200 f4 will be better on FX than the 105 but other things considered I don't think there is one right or wrong answer both are at the top of their game.

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