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A Macro FTZ Idea........


mike_halliwell

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I'd been using some Z Auto Extension Tubes on my Z6ii and Z kit zoom, when I had a cunning idea.....:D

 

A Macro FTZ. It's built on a helicoid that's minimum physical length is 30.5mm, so works as a 'normal' FTZ allowing infinity focus with an F mount lens on a Z body.

 

However, the helicoid allows another >45mm of extension, so making a standard F mount AF-S (or I or P) prime (or zoom) into a macro lens capable of better than 1:2 on a Z body whilst retaining infinity focus without changing anything,

 

Anyone who has played with any of these helicoids for focusing lenses will know that neither end rotates, so the connections shouldn't be a problem. Something like this....

 

37.95US $ |m65 m65 36 90 Mount Focusing Helicoid Ring Adapter M65 to M65 36mm 90mm Macro Extension Tube for camera|Lens Adapter| - AliExpress

Edited by mike_halliwell
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IMO, it would be trivial for any of the usual suspects to make such a thing and I'd certainly like one. I'm assuming Ai & AiS lenses, so no electrical connections. It could certainly have a flex circuit and contacts, but I'm guessing the price would go up dramatically. If you really want feature creep, put in the aperture coupling pin and sensor, plus a drive motor for the screw drive lenses! The ultimate FTZ. I pondered doing a nice non-rotating helicoid for my recent Retina project, but cutting multistart threads that actually fit each other is a bit tedious and time consuming. Cutting the Z-mount bayonet isn't a huge deal, but beyond most hobbyists that don't take joy in rotary tables or dividing heads. I made my adapter in about an hour. It would take me a week to do this one, and probably a couple tries to get it right.
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I'm assuming Ai & AiS lenses, so no electrical connections.

I was going for full AUTO (but not screwdrive!) ...:cool:

 

It's much easier to cannibalise a set of ext. tubes that already have the Z mount in both Male and Female.

 

36.0US $ |DG Z Auto Focus AF Macro Extension Tube Lens Adapter Aperture adjust for Nikon Z mount Z6 Z7 Z50 Camera|Microphones| - AliExpress

 

... and I've got a couple of sets of F mount Auto tubes for the 'Female' needed to mount the lens on.

Edited by mike_halliwell
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AF passthrough aside, it's already been done for some of the other mirrorless mounts, so I'm sure one of the Shenzhen based manufacturers will come out with one soon. As Conrad says, maybe try emailing the usual suspects?

 

If it can be done for Leica M to Sony, Nikon, etc, it can easily be done for F mount, loads more room to work with.

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