Nikkor 80mm El mounted on D800 UV

<p>Hi,</p>

<p>I would like to mount a Nikkor El lens on my D800 for UV photography. I know these lenses get mounted in reverse on bellows for macro photography. However, I can't imagine walking about with a bellow for UV photography.<br>

In any case, I'm unfamiliar with these kinds of lenses. I have one coming in the mail (El Nikkor 80mm) and I'm not sure what to get for it.<br>

I'd much appreciate it if someone with experience would point me to the things I need to buy to make this work.<br>

Thanks<br>

E. Zedek</p>

<p>MM If you have the adapter to mount the El on bellows (revers) already, then you couls also possibly replace the bellowas by a set of extension rings ( cheap solution) or you cpould investigate the "Zörk"" mini macro equipment at their website ( http://www.zoerk.com/ ) (<a href="http://www.zoerk.com/pages/p_mima.htm">http://www.zoerk.com/pages/p_mima.htm</a>) and related .(more expensive solution, but a pioneer company in this field..) .</p>

<p>I don't quite understand what you want to do. Can't you do UV photography with a regular lens? Without the bellow there is no focusing possible. With the bellow you can't focus to infinity. I use Nikkor EL lenses for my marco with the bellow often but don't understand what you're trying to do.</p>

<p>The El-Nikkors are enlarging lenses with a 39mm Leica thread and won't mount directly to a Nikon DSLR without an adapter. In fact I'm not sure that the 80mm El-Nikkor has a sufficiently long back-focus to focus at infinity on your D800, especially with the extra space taken up by a bayonet-to-screw adapter. I'm also unsure that it'll pass any more UV than something like the 4-element 45mm Nikon "pancake" lens. AFAIK the 6 element design of the El-Nikkor uses fairly standard optical glasses, and may show no more UV transmission than a 6 element 50mm f/1.8 Ai-S Nikkor that'll fit directly to the D800. The wider aperture of the 50mm f/1.8 may well transmit more UV than the f/5.6 aperture of the 80mm El-Nikkor and thus allow shorter exposure times.</p>

<p>In addition, there will be no aperture coupling to the D800 and you'll have to count click-stops to close the lens to working aperture before taking the picture.</p>

<p>Read this pratical test of the 63mm El-Nikkor against a variety of other (cheaper) lenses: <a href="http://www.savazzi.net/photography/35mmuv.html">http://www.savazzi.net/photography/35mmuv.html</a><br>

Personally I'd take web lens mythology as pure hearsay unless someone can show proper UV transmission spectra for El-Nikkors against a variety of other lenses. So I hope you didn't pay a lot for the El-Nikkor!</p>

<p>Frankly, I'm looking for UV between the 300-350 nm rage. My understanding only the most expensive lenses do that. I got the Nikkor EL as last resort and no not very expensive.</p>

<p>You're right as there is no sufficient online info on which lenses does what and that include the cheapo lenses from back when.<br>

I just don't know what lens would work best for my desire to shoot 300-350nm without spending 5k on a lens.</p>

<p>But I don't know how you would solve the focusing problem with the EL lense.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>"Frankly, I'm looking for UV between the 300-350 nm rage."</p>

</blockquote>

<p>In that case, without using an expensive lens containing exotic glass elements, I'd say you have next to no chance of success. Sorry!</p>

<p>Best start saving and then look for a UV-Nikkor lens.</p>

<p>You will need a filter to put in front of the lens as well as the adapter to go from M42 to F. You focus by moving the camera. I am not sure that you will get anything out of the D800 because of the filter pack built into the camera. I used a D40 to do digital UV photography because of the weak UV filtration. I also used Tungsten balanced film for UV photography and that worked very well.<br /> D-40 with 75mm El Nikkor 13 seconds at f/16<br /> /> 800 ISO Tungsten balanced film<br /> /> Unless you modify your camera this is not going to be hand help photography. Some of my exposure times got into the several minute range.<br /> This is probabaly the least expensive filter that will let you see if you really want to do this.<br /> http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/8212-REG/B_W_65040725_58mm_UV_Black.html<br>

If you really want to go that far into UV you will need a </p>

<h1 id="title" >Baader Planetarium U-Filter 2" (Venus, Ultraviolet, ZWL 350nm)</h1>

<p>The run in the $300 range</p>

<blockquote>

<p>In that case, without using an expensive lens containing exotic glass elements, I'd say you have next to no chance of success. Sorry!</p>

</blockquote>

<p>MMM Maybe have a look here,:<br>

http://www.davidkennardphotography.com/blog/811-ultraviolet-and-multispectral-photography.xhtml<br>

and here<br /> <a href="http://photographyoftheinvisibleworld.blogspot.nl/2011/02/uv-el-nikkor-85mm-for-uv-old-vs-new.html">http://photographyoftheinvisibleworld.blogspot.nl/2011/02/uv-el-nikkor-85mm-for-uv-old-vs-new.html</a><br>

<br /> looks like both old nand new versions of the EL Nikkor 80mm are not that bad at all..</p>

<blockquote>

<p>I am not sure that you will get anything out of the D800 because of the filter pack built into the camera.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>MM When reading the title of the tread, I assumed already that the question is for a UV converted D800 ..</p>

<p>This is also a very helpful link<br>

http://www.holovachov.com/fluorescence</p>

<p>I too am wondering why you would want to use an EL Nikkor on a DSLR when you have so many other much better choices available to you. As an aside, I have seen an EL Nikkor used on a bellows only <em>very infrequently as </em>they are not really very practical bellows lenses. For one thing, there is no auto diaphragm so can not use the BR-6 which I personally find indispensable for macro work when the lens is reversed. You will also need an adapter to go from Nikon F mount to 39mm screw thread. Nikon DID make a dedicated 105mm f/4 Nikkor P bellows lens but it was a long time ago and I am sure it lags behind more modern lenses resolving power wise. It too had no focusing ring or automatic diaphragm. A very specialized lens that is a rare find nowadays and therefore very expensive for what they are.</p>

<p>I use my 55mm f/2.8 AIS Micro or 50mm f/1.8 AIS either reversed or forward and the both produce brilliant results. The Micro lens of course has flatter field than the regular AIS but for 3 dimensional subjects that is usually not much of an issue.</p>

<p>EL Nikkors are suitable for UV photography:<br>

http://www.savazzi.net/photography/el-nikkor_uv.htm</p>

<p>dunk</p>