old Zoom Macro (80200mm) lens mount question..

[nestor_.a_read]

<p>http://img152.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img5927bs5.jpg</p>

<p>It is branded as Image. I also saw the same model branded as a Kalimar.<br>

I would like to know what mount it is.<br>

The magnification ratio is 1:4. Trying the lens without a camera impressed me a lot. I cannot afford to pay a 600$ (or more) for a macro lens.. I use the reversed lens technique whenever I need to enter the macro realm, but the depth of field is frustrating and it takes time to get a decent shot. (example of reversed lens technique: http://img168.imageshack.us/my.php?image=turquoisepearlzk2.jpg)</p>

<p>I went to the flea market and found an MC ZOOM MACRO 1:4.5~5.6 f=80~200m. As I said, the quality of the optics seemed perfect for my needs. But when I tried it with handheld on my EOS 40D, I lost the magnification. I then taped the pens to a tube (home made extension tube..) and the result seemed better.<br>

I wonder what M/MD mount does mean.<br>

Is there anything I can do to use the lens without an extension tube?</p>

<p>thanks:)</p>

[bueh]

<blockquote >I cannot afford to pay a 600$ (or more) for a macro lens [...] I went to the flea market and found an MC ZOOM MACRO 1:4.5~5.6 f=80~200m. As I said, the quality of the optics seemed perfect for my needs.

</blockquote><p>

A vintage consumer telephoto zoom will not be that great on a modern <abbr title="digital single-lens reflex camera">dSLR</abbr>. I hope you understand that 1:4.5~5.6 is not the magnification but the max f-stop (although there are zooms that give you an surprisingly "high" magnification, I remember a fast 80-200mm lens that went to 1:3). True macro lenses are primes and have a magnification of at least 1:2.

<p>

There are a lot of excellent manual focus macro lenses available which are pretty inexpensive. The Tokina AT-X 90mm f/2.5 macro is a stellar lens with unbelievably high resolution (check photodo) and comes in the easy-to-adapt Nikon and Pentax mounts. Else you could also try any decent M42 normal lens and a stack of extension rings.

 

<br>

<blockquote >I wonder what M/MD mount does mean.

</blockquote><p>

It's an old manual focus Minolta bayonet.

 

<br>

<blockquote >Is there anything I can do to use the lens without an extension tube?

</blockquote><p>

Uh, avoid using it?

 

<br>

<blockquote >I use the reversed lens technique whenever I need to enter the macro realm, but the depth of field is frustrating and it takes time to get a decent shot.

</blockquote><p>

That's why macro photography is often done with a stopped down lens and a flash unit for beating the resulting slow shutter speeds. It's a feature regardless of using a macro lens or a reverse adapter.

[nestor_.a_read]

<p>on the lens it is written: Macro 1:4. I Know that the lens is slow, it will be even slower if I use an extension tube.<br>

I will check photodo to see what they got. Thanks for the feedback.I will also try to tweak it and get something out of it:)</p>

 

[bueh]

You can adapt the Minolta MD bayonet to your Canon with an inexpensive EOS-MD adapter. For this setup you can use both Canon (expensive) and Minolta (cheap) extension rings, although I don't recommend using this lens if you rate image quality highly.

<p>

Your droplets photo is very nice and I don't think that you will see noticeable improvement with that telephoto zoom. Unless you use an electronic lens like the EF models you can stop down reverse-adapted lenses too and thus make the depth-of-field larger.

<p>

All depends on your subjects and what you like to archieve. For example, if you are after extreme close-ups, a Pentax-K (or M42) bellows unit with an enlarger lens or a good normal will give you life-size-plus magnifications, but hand-held use will be difficult due to the dim viewfinder and slow shutter speeds. By the way, currently there is a Tokina 90mm (in Nikon F) available on the German eBay. It is an uncommon lens which offers breathtakingly sharpness -- although for the most convenience getting the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM makes more sense if you have the funds. All adapted lenses need to be stopped down manually which makes the viewfinder image quite dark and hard to focus.

[patrick j dempsey]

<p>Just about ANY Minolta MD lens mounted to Canon EOS will be "macro". Why? Because it will not focus to infinity, and the extra distance between where the lens mount SHOULD be and where it actually is acts like bellows to allow the lens to focus closer than it normally would. For this purpose, the Minolta Rokkor 50mm f/1.8 lens would be much better than the lens you mention in terms of quality and much cheaper. The Canon 50mm f/1.8 FD mount lens would also act similarly. Extension tubes can be used to get even closer.</p>