Medical Nikkor Lens

<p >I was wondering if any of you use a Medical Nikkor lens for macro work? Or what I mean is macro shooting with this lens of the non-medical kind? I am guessing this lens would not be very practical for outside shooting since the built in ring light needs it own power unit, however for studio macro work this lens looks like it would be fun (and maybe work well) to use? Please tell me why this is a good, bad or crazy idea to think this.</p>

<p>Try here Bjorn uses many medical/industrial lenses for macro work,,,, <a href="http://www.naturfotograf.com/index2.html">http://www.naturfotograf.com/index2.html</a></p>

<p>Thank you, Anthony...informative site.</p>

<p>I have used a Yashica Dental-eye camera which is very similar in nature. Works pretty well for many, but not all subjects, and if you want to use ambient light, I'm betting the Medical Nikkor is a better option. The main difference using the dental-eye and medical nikkor compared to normal macro lenses, is that the dedicated dental/medical lenses are set up to only work within macro range (because of the flash units) and not infinity. Of course, if you find one cheap, go for it.</p>

<p>I'm using a Medical-Nikkor 120 mm f/4 IF on a regular basis for outdoor close-up work on D3 and D3X. The ring flash is battery powered (LD-2 power unit).</p>

<p>The results are very good and the convenience hard to beat. However, to make the lens practical I did modify it on two important points. Firstly, I removed the internal linkage between aperture and focusing, so each can be operated indendepently. Secondly, I added a "G" CPU chip to the lens to allow me to control the aperture directly from the camera (the lens has no aperture ring on its own).</p>

<p>Hi Mark and Bjorn and thank you for responding. I found out (after I had already posted this) that what I was looking at was the medical nikkor 200mm used and that happens to be very less expensive than the improved 120mm used. Meaning that I would love to try it but cannot afford the price of the 120mm even if I wanted to...story of my life! lol By the way Bjorn your site is awesome..such much good info! Thank you.</p>

<p>The 200 Medical is much less of a performer than the newer 120 lens. I would not recommend using the 200 unless your shooting needed the extra free distance to the subject (I'm using my 200 Medical for shooting ants, since I can avoid their stinging formic acid spray this way).</p>

<p>I purchased a minty 120 medical Nikkor a few months ago from KEH on the advise of Bjorn. I was looking for greater than 2:1 for Dental photography, having had enough with illuminating my 60 Micro's too close working distance, while stuck at 1:1. The 120 does 1/11 to 1:1 continuously, and to 2:1 with a supplied close up lens. This range is perfect for portraits to single teeth! Much to my surprise, the D200 crop factor "magnified" the 1:1 to 1.5:1, .... 2:1 would be 3:1, just what I was looking for! My lens was missing the closeup lens. The remedy was a Canon D250 closeup lens, & B+W 52 to 37 stepdown ring: with this I'm getting greater than 6:1, maybe more, it's too difficult to measure unless tripod mounted. The images are stunning! The exposure is perfect and user controllable, and it works with all Nikon DSLR's right out of the box. The Cost: $525, with a $95 refund by KEH after the fact to cover the Closeup lens & ring. (KEH gets my 5 *****'s; I have difficulty believing all the disses, and this was my first used lens purchase.) A 105 VR/R1 closeup/ Kenko tube system will cost $1500. Does $525 seem that extravagant?</p>

<p>Bjorn, You didn't mention the 2 mods! Will the lens now autoexpose in existing daylight, at any f stop, with no need for the ring light? Will it autoexpose in A, P, S, M modes? Who can do this mod? Thanks!</p>

<p>Stephen 525.00 is not what I was seeing for a used 120mm Nikkor more like 1025.00, of course I was looking on ebay. lol Excellent to hear this works so well. Thank you for the reply.</p>