Lester A Dine 105mm 2.8 macro for Nikon
May 9, 2016 22:41:26 #
isokc
Loc: Tacoma, WA
I was able to purchase this lens last weekend from a person who had a whole bunch of old camera stuff. Among all the beat up cameras and lenses was a plastic carrying case that had the lens along with a ring flash that goes with it inside. I know very little about these older lenses. Does anyone have any insight into how good of a lens it is? Is it a dime a dozen lens or a keeper? Really just any information about it would be interesting to hear. Thanks for looking in and commenting if you have any information to share.
May 9, 2016 22:49:49 #
isokc wrote:
I was able to purchase this lens last weekend from... (show quote)
If you enter lester a. dine into google, you'll get lots of information.
--Bob
May 9, 2016 22:52:38 #
isokc wrote:
I was able to purchase this lens last weekend from... (show quote)
It's an excellent manual macro lensÂ…. There are several users of this lens on the UHH macro forum. I would suggest asking your question there.
http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/s-102-1.html
May 9, 2016 23:52:00 #
I own two of them just in case something would ever happen to one of them. They were made for dentists and I got one of mine from a retiring dentist. I have the ring flash also, still works perfectly even though it is 30 years old. I did a voltage test on my Dine ring flash and feel confident using it on any of my Nikons. It is one of my most used lenses and works great with my PK-13 extension rings and my PB-4 bellows. I always use it in manual mode and set the aperture on the lens.
May 10, 2016 01:55:51 #
isokc wrote:
I was able to purchase this lens last weekend from... (show quote)
The lens was made by Kino Precision Optical in Japan. They marketed it with the Kiron brand in the US. The exact same lens was marketed by Lester A Dine and Vivitar as well as maybe half a dozen other companies. The Lester A Dine branded lens are the most common, and typically today will cost more on eBay. The Nikon F mount versions are higher priced than the others as they have clearly reached "cult" status.
You have just acquired perhaps the best 105mm macro lens ever made.
May 10, 2016 02:04:19 #
May 10, 2016 02:37:31 #
Screamin Scott owns three or four of these lenses: http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-32754-4.html#2218291
May 10, 2016 07:32:41 #
isokc wrote:
Nice! Now I need to buy a Nikon camera! Thank you for the information.
If you decide not to buy a Nikon camera, I would be happy to buy the lens.
May 10, 2016 08:19:12 #
I have the lens in several re-branded versions. Plus I have 4 of the ring/point lights. They are my "go-to" setup for any macro and I own 8 different true macro lenses from different makers in different focal lengths, some AF, others MF). Bear in mind that the flash may not fire when mounted on a Nikon DSLR unless the pins (other than the central one) are taped over. While it has the correct configuration for Nikon, they are TTL units & won't communicate with iTTL camera bodies. Send me a picture of the ring flash as they were made at one point by SunPak (which I prefer as they are more versatile) & later by Nissin...Here is an image of the macro lenses I own & use plus a link to the OP where the image was posted. I'd be happy to answer any questions you may have on this lens...
http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-376766-1.html
http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-376766-1.html
May 10, 2016 08:57:26 #
NormanHarley wrote:
I own two of them just in case something would ever happen to one of them. They were made for dentists and I got one of mine from a retiring dentist. I have the ring flash also, still works perfectly even though it is 30 years old. I did a voltage test on my Dine ring flash and feel confident using it on any of my Nikons. It is one of my most used lenses and works great with my PK-13 extension rings and my PB-4 bellows. I always use it in manual mode and set the aperture on the lens.
Can you focus to infinity with it on your PB-4? I have that bellows also, but the only lens that works with it all the way to infinity (if I remember correctly) is the 105 f/4 that came with it. Love the tilt/shift feature on that bellows.
May 10, 2016 09:07:35 #
isokc
Loc: Tacoma, WA
Screamin Scott wrote:
I have the lens in several re-branded versions. Pl... (show quote)
When I get home from work today I'll take a picture of the ring flash. Thanks!
May 10, 2016 09:09:03 #
moonhawk wrote:
Can you focus to infinity with it on your PB-4? I have that bellows also, but the only lens that works with it all the way to infinity (if I remember correctly) is the 105 f/4 that came with it. Love the tilt/shift feature on that bellows.
No, can't focus to infinity with any of my lenses on my PB-4. I also have to use a PK-13 extension ring on the back of the bellows so my digital cameras will clear the frame of the bellows. It ends up being a high magnification set up, but it works very well for focus stacking. The rails are solid and move easily. I haven't used the swing feature very much, mainly just played around with it, I normally use it as a straight bellows for very small objects.
May 10, 2016 09:14:15 #
Screamin Scott wrote:
I have the lens in several re-branded versions. Pl... (show quote)
Impressive set of macro lenses, Scott! Did you bend the bracket on the square side flash on your ring flash to angle in a little bit? Yours looks just like my Dine ring flash except for the angle of the square flash. And my screws have come loose on it more than once. ;-)
May 10, 2016 09:15:37 #
isokc
Loc: Tacoma, WA
NoSocks wrote:
If you decide not to buy a Nikon camera, I would be happy to buy the lens.
Sounds good. I'm saving up to buy a Nikon body. I'm considering selling the lens to help raise the funds for the camera. So, I'll let you know. Thanks.
May 10, 2016 09:16:04 #
NormanHarley wrote:
No, can't focus to infinity with any of my lenses on my PB-4. I also have to use a PK-13 extension ring on the back of the bellows so my digital cameras will clear the frame of the bellows. It ends up being a high magnification set up, but it works very well for focus stacking. The rails are solid and move easily. I haven't used the swing feature very much, mainly just played around with it, I normally use it as a straight bellows for very small objects.
You might have fun playing around with the tilt--Say, by shooting small objects on a table top, and aligning the depth of field with your table top, as oppose to parallel with the "film" plane.
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