Lester A. Dine f/2.8 1:1 Macro 105mm Lens for Nikon

[soumya_simanta]

Jeannie,

 

You have got a real winner. Welcome to the club J Even with my "beginner" level skills and a D50 (on a tripod) I have got some results I like. The color contrast and bokeh of this lens is excellent. I�ve not used the 105mm Micro Nikkor, but the bokeh and colors I get with this lens are as good as (if not better) the 60mm Nikkor micro and 55mm MF Nikkor Micro.

 

Robert,

 

There are has been a good amount of discussion about this topic before.

 

Please see the following threads.

 

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00H1Fy

 

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00Gm9V

 

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00GtZm

 

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00GuGL

 

Arnab and Brab have given some excellent examples.

Attached are some of mine. But I think you need a focusing rail and a good tripod for this.

 

I'm sure you would love it.<div></div>

[soumya_simanta]

It really gets all the details you want.<div></div>

[soumya_simanta]

And of course the bokeh and colors at large f values.<div></div>

[soumya_simanta]

And if you want everything in one - color, bokeh and sharpness :)

 

Special thanks to Arnab for recommending this lens.<div></div>

[janet cull]

Those are some amazing images! I'm glad Jeannie asked this question so all these could be

shown in one spot. So nice!

[robert_k1]

Thanks for the references, they answered lots of my questions. Here are a few more:

 

Does the Lester lens has the buildin hood like the Kiron lens?

 

Are there different versions or serials for either the Lester or Kiron lens we need to be aware of?

 

Any photos of these lenses will be helpful.

[arnabdas]

<p><em>"Please now show some ugly creatures not only

beautiful spiders and insects^^."</em> - Walter S.</p>

 

<p>Walter, I have never seen an ugly insect in my life. If I

still had to choose, I'd say the fire ants that ambush me every

morning in the field :(</p>

 

<p><em>"Does the Lester lens has the buildin hood like the

Kiron lens? Are there different versions or serials for either

the Lester or Kiron lens we need to be aware of? "</em> -

Robert K.</p>

 

<p>Robert - none if these lenses have a built in lens hood. The

Lester A Dine and Kiron 105 are identical except for the label.

Vivitar 100/2.8 and 105/2.5 AIS lenses have identical optical

design but different mechanical designs. The 100/2.8 has a

built-in sliding lens hood. </p>

 

<p>I continue to be spellbound by this lens. When used properly,

it will exceed your expectations everytime. Here's something I

shot just a couple hours ago .....</p>

 

<p> </p>

 

<p align="center"><img

src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/4887933-lg.jpg" width="754"

height="507"></p>

 

<p align="center"><em>Wasp in morning sun - D200 + Kiron

105mm/f2.8 1:1 Macro AIS, ISO 100 NEF</em></p>

 

<p>And attached the 100% crops ...</p>

 

<p> </p><div></div>

[bradfarlow]

"Does the Lester lens has the buildin hood like the Kiron lens?"

 

Yes, mine does.

[jean melissa]

Arnab,

 

At my beginner level, which would you recommend for a focusing rail - the Kirk FR-1 or the Nikon PG-2 Focusing rails? I'm so excited... and I can see myself waking up really early in the morning to get the bugs and the morning dew just for this!

 

Thanks again for all your help,

Jeannie

[arnabdas]

Jeannie,

 

I think the Kirk FR-1 will be easier to operate compared to PG-2. The PG-2 is heavy and doesn't let you mount by lens tripod collars.

 

There are better focusing rails out there (Novoflex and RRS) but they are significantly more expensive. I find FR-1 perfectly adequate for my needs.

 

Good luck on early morning macro nature photography, it's really exciting :)

[boggy_2]

There ARE two different versions of this Lester A Dine lens, but the only difference is that the later version had the hood removed.

[robert_k1]

Thanks, Boggy. That explains why there are two different answers about the buildin hood in this thread. The completed items at eBay showed both the Lester and the Kiron to have a buildin hood.

[jim_hall5]

the leaster a. dine 105 = a great lens.<div></div>

[jim_hall5]

another shot with lester. a dine 105<div></div>

[_yvind_h_gset]

Hi.

I just won the auction on eBay. Awaiting a Lester Dine 105/2.8 with ring flash (plus a Nikon 6006). Can't wait to try it out.

 

I want to dive into the world of macro photo. Insect, flowers, things, etc.

 

Have a couple of questions about the lens (even before I start..)

 

Is the lester dine ring flash any good for this kind of macro?

 

I have a D80. What will be a good choice for tripod, considering the weight of the lens and the relative light D80?

 

I am a little bit anxious about the metering/exposure. Anybody know if an upgrade/chip work is possible for this lens?

 

BR. Øyvind

[russ_butner___portland__or]

Arnab

 

I've been saying for years, that with a touch of diffusion, it's a great portrait lens too.

 

Russ (Kiron Kid)

[arnabdas]

<I>Is the lester dine ring flash any good for this kind of macro? </I>

<P>

I'm afraid not. This flash won't do iTTL and it has not manual output control either. Using aperture to control exposure is just not practical in macro. Get a SB600, Lumiquest Ultrasoft Pocketbounce and Wimberley Macro Module F-2.

<P>

<I>I have a D80. What will be a good choice for tripod, considering the weight of the lens and the relative light D80? </I>

<P>

Gitzo Explorer 2220 with Acratech Ultimate ballhead V1.

<P>

<I>I am a little bit anxious about the metering/exposure. Anybody know if an upgrade/chip work is possible for this lens? </I>

<P>

It may be technically possible to have this lens chipped but hard to find someone to actually do it. You're better off with a handheld light meter.

[arnabdas]

"I've been saying for years, that with a touch of diffusion, it's a great portrait lens too. " - Russ

 

Russ, it is one of the best lenses I've ever used. Closest to perfection if there ever was any.

[tim_vonholten]

i owned the lester a. dine for my nikon film camera for years, and it's a fantastic lens for

macro and portraiture. when i bought my pentax k100d, i traded the dine for a vivitar series

1, basically the same lens, and i rarely take it off my camera. it's so much sharper than the

kit lens, and for the stuff i shoot, it's usually the right choice. even though i wasn't using it,

the dine was a hard lens to part with, but when i found the trade, i couldn't resist picking up

a version of this lens that i could use again, and passing along the nikon version to another

photographer. congratulations on owning one of the finest lenses made.

[arrakis_dune]

Is the Kiron 28-105mm one of these?

 

f/3.2-4.5 macro 1:4 0/67 - 28-infintty 1.5 2.5 0.45 //// 22 16 11 8 5.6 4 '3.2

 

Thank you!

[tommyinca]

"Is the lester dine ring flash any good for this kind of macro?"

 

Lester Dine has at least two version of flash made for this lens. I have both version. The older version shown on

picture above allow 0-100% contineous manual flash adjustment (no auto flash). If you are OK with the size of the

power modual. this version will work with all camera bodies. The newer 2nd version is smaller and

uses AA batteries and is also dedicated to the body (Nikon, Canon, and etc). It has the older film sensor base TTL

but has no manual control. You will need to choose one designed for your camera (ie Nikon) and body that support

old film TTL (not iTTL) ie, film body, Fuji S2-Pro or one of those top of the line D3 :-) If you don't have one of this

type of body, the 2nd version's ring flash usefullness is limited. It does however have a thyresistor auto mode which

work for the non-

ring flash.

[robert_k1]

<p>Some ring flashes only have the ring but not the point flash. How useful is the point flash, for macros or otherwise?<br>

I have a 8008s and Lester Dine 105/2.8. Aside from the mentioned Lester Dine ring flashes, are there other third party ones that will work well in my set up?</p>

[lex_jenkins]

<p>The RayFlash ring flash adapter and cheaper knockoff, the CoCo, might work as substitutes for a dedicated ring flash for macro photography. Both adapters fit over the head of some tilt-head hotshoe flash units. Check the manufacturers to be sure these adapters will fit your flash unit. As far as I can tell, both units use optical fiber to for a ring flash type effect from a more conventional hotshoe flash.</p>

[junius_wong]

<p>hello, first time here. Been attracted to the macro pictures. They are fantastic.<br>

Might I ask if the said Lester Dine macro lens be workable on a D3 camera? Any concerns?</p>

[scott_ditzel1]

<p>It will work just fine with your D3...While it won't auto focus (of course) it will meter with your camera</p>