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macro lens options


tommyfilmist

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these two photos you have posted are the range i am hoping to achieve with the lens i am on the hunt for. I had to work today so i didnt get one ordered, but i have narrowed my selection down considerably

 

the only ones im NOT finding unpleasent truths about are the nikon family, but they have been discontinuing macro lenses left and right in the left 6 months, and most of what B&H lists as backordered is now "archived product" on the nikon usa page.

 

I would look at eBay for a second hand Nikon. The old manuals that I keep today are very cheap. Luck

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if you ever want to "get closer" to your models, I advise you to purchase some close-up rings. They are also cheap second hand.

[ATTACH=full]1420985[/ATTACH]

fly

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Nikkor D100. MIcro-Nikkor AI 55 + E2 + PN-11 rings

 

Is the fly focus stacked? You have considerable DOF for that range.

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the photo is from 2013. I seem to remember that the fly was dead. f32, 30 seconds (see the EXIF)

 

doesnt look like the background would say f/32 the tiny circles make it in MY opinion based on MY experiences,, more of a f/22

 

STill it could be digital grain.. but still its better then some of what i have seen online.

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macro diopter rings arent my thing... i have a film camera and have used them, and well a 1mm difference can take an object that when i hit the shutter is about 80% of the frame, and take it down to 10-20% of a frame. And when you are trying to get a "posed" photo of a dead moth and fly, well you dont have alot of time to do a retake with film.
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I've had pretty good luck with extension tubes on old manual lenses, even though the distance range becomes quite limited. Once you're familiar with it, it does not take long to get used to staying at that range as one goes out hunting for bugs in the bushes or whatever. Vivitar has made decent sets which turn up from time to time, with automatic aperture couplings, The AI ones work nicely on a modern camera and just about any lens. The pre-AI ones have occasional problems at both camera and lens end, but can be used sometimes. The old entirely uncoupled Nikon K rings work well too, except for the K1 which should not be used with an AF lens unless modified, because it interferes with the contacts.

 

I like chasing insects outside, and for that a long lens on an extension can be quite nice, because you get the distance and the depth of field is good enough to get the whole insect but shallow enough to obliterate backgrounds.

 

Photo folders in terrible post-crash disarray these days, but here, for example, is one taken with an old 400/5.6AI lens on an extension, with a D7100:

 

1006833887_400AI.jpg.e0b3d02c887de008079d560d5dad0db2.jpg

 

And one with a projection lens bodged onto a home made mount:

 

1157636307_bug150cropped.thumb.jpg.72175c0d0c066e2f043deca0baf7bb35.jpg

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Of course macro is relative. One of my favorite lenses for not-quite-macro bug chasing is the ancient pre-ai 200/4. Terrible at close focusing natively, and not killer-diller sharp by today's standards, it seems utterly unfazed by extension tubes, and produces pretty nice effects. But here also is a shot with D7100 and 55/3.5 pre-AI, on 68 mm of extension tubes, at F11. This is a crop down to a little over about 1900 pixels wide, downsized to 1000. Straight out of camera with no sharpening. Shot freehand with external manual flash. 1689722331_55and68crop.thumb.jpg.638c3ed297294dce6617f6c45c55f9a0.jpg Edited by Matthew Currie
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This was asked or mentioned earlier and may already have been answered:

To get to 1 : 1 reproduction with the Nikon 55mm f2.8 micro lens (1 : 2 ratio) , you need to add the Nikon PK-13mm extension tube which is 27.5mm. If not the Nikon extension tube, any tube that is 27.5 mm from front to back or 27.5mm of extension. You could also use the Nikon TC 201 teleconverter.

 

The Nikon 200mm f4 D AF IF-ED Micro lens comes with a built in tripod collar mount. Its reproduction ratio is 1 : 1 without any extension tubes.

 

The Nikon PN-11 tube has a tripod collar mount built into it. Its extension is 52.5 mm. I use it all the time on lenses without tripod collar mounts in situations where i need that function. I use it with my 55mm f2.8 macro lens to get more repro ratio and more features like switching from horizontal to vertical compositions. I also use it with my 105mm Nikon f2.8 AF-S G macro lens in manual focus as AF is not possible with any Nikon extension tube.

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I also use it with my 105mm Nikon f2.8 AF-S G macro lens in manual focus as AF is not possible with any Nikon extension tube.

If (!) you want AF, just get a set of these...

 

https://smile.amazon.co.uk/Kenko-Extension-Nikon-Spacer-Black/dp/B01N2512CK/ref=sr_1_3?crid=BNJL1IVSEU6M&keywords=kenko+dg+nikon&qid=1647892577&sprefix=kenko+dg+nikon,aps,58&sr=8-3

 

or these..

 

https://smile.amazon.co.uk/Neewer-Metal-Focus-Extension-Camera/dp/B07L9VP222/ref=pd_sbs_6/258-7506609-0025813?pd_rd_w=xNSMN&pf_rd_p=c07415a0-09a7-4604-aaca-c3fcee246443&pf_rd_r=J4S62Z6HEQY9ZAXXWX1E&pd_rd_r=91fcc9c8-e3c5-4fe6-940d-88d19b6189c8&pd_rd_wg=frZws&pd_rd_i=B07L9VP222&psc=1

 

 

My 105mm Nikon f2.8 AF-S G had awful chromatic issues, don't know if it was normal, but things like shiny metal had green/magenta highlights. I sold it and got the Sigma 150mm 2.8 OS macro. Much better in every way.

Edited by mike_halliwell
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Your fond of those rings, thats good, however is this ANYTHING like the claims sigma makes about their 150-600 contemporary lens being able to focus at 24" if the lens happens to be set at very particular settings while balancing on one foot under the third full moon in one month?

 

Is that going to turn my

AF-P NIKKOR 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6E ED VR

into a macro lens?

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Interesting, the EXIF data retains the single frame's info!

 

How many 'slices'? Below is the MTFs for this lens.

 

4757_roz.jpg

 

I do not recall but I manually refocused and shot as many as I could to cover the whole subject.

I stacked the individual images in post so it is only showing the exif for one. All settings were identical on all frames only the focus was moved. I shot mostly at f/8 when shooting insects to make sure I had a bit of overlap of focus planes.

 

I recently purchased a D850 and it has focus shift ability. I cannot wait to try it on insect with that lens. I have tested this inside on still subjects and I was wowed at the speed and precision it automatically refocused and took the set number of shots.

Edited by LineMartel
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It came today, have only had a few minutes with it and a couple things do point out...

 

Its not a long range lens by any means.. so far focusing stops at about 25'.. im only needing 5 feet from it

 

with wide open, its sharp... it likes higher iso,, even at 22000 and camera says redzone.. it looks as sharp as 400iso film

 

yet even when the settings are bad, there is minimal quality loss between using AE and manual.. f/3.5 at 1/60 looks as sharp as f/9 at 1/60

Edited by tommyfilmist
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