anders_stavland

<p>Thanks Joseph for Your excellent explanation on my question. I have read elsewhere that You are going to publish a book of Macro photography. When will this happen?<br>

I have seen Your general rules about both the front lens and rear lens. I have a manual Nikon ai 200 f 4 lens. How will You rate this as a rear lens? Shaw recommends this lens.<br>

I have a Nikkor 50 mm Ai f2 and also an EL Nikkor 50 mm 2,8. The El Nikkor has been used in the darkroom for many years. Now I would try to use it in front of my 200 mm. I also should like to try a Rodenstock Rodagon 80 mm f4 enlarging lens in front of my 200 mm.<br>

Should I try to mount my enlarging lenses reversed or not?<br>

At last I also have a AF Micro Nikkor 105 2.8 D. Could this lens be useful as a rear lens?<br>

Thanks for replying.</p>

<p>I have read John Shaw´s Closeups in Nature. There he mentioned focus stacking. Among his best experience was a ordinary 200 mm lens f4 as the lens mounted on camera. In front he used to reverse other lenses. He especially mentioned short mount lenses as useful for this work. As far as I have understood the term short mount lenses, both enlarging lenses and lenses used to mount on bellows are short mount lenses. Am I right? <br>

Shaw also mentioned that you have to try different combination of which lenses work together. I have no experience myself, but should like to receive recommendation from macro photographers withe experience with different lenses and combination of lenses. Which type of lenses are useful, and what combinations works well?<br>

Since enlarging lenses are rather cheap when bought used, I am special interested if someone have experience with them in front of another lens? Should the lens mounted in front of another lens be mounted reversed or not is also a question I should like to learn more about.<br>

Thanks in advance for replying.</p>

 

<p>Thanks for your replies. Joseph, You mentioned that you have tried several rails. Which do you recommend?<br>

Now I am just wondering if I could try to buy a used one. I think that a well manufactured rail is still very useful even if it is a used product. The two brands I considering buying is a Minolta rail or a used and older Novoflex mini Castel than the current one, and a bigger Novoflex rail back from the nineties. Are any of the above mentioned rails amont them You could recomment</p>

<p>I have recently seen a focusing rail named Accura.<br>

I just wonder if anyone have experience with this focusing rail.<br>

How does this Accura focusing rail compares to more well known brand as Novoflex focusing rail and Minolta focusing rail.<br>

Thanks in advance.<br>

<strong><br /></strong></p>

<p>I would ask for advice regarding focusing aid when doing macro photographing.Would a right angle viewer like Nikon DR-6 be useful. I have a Nikon D300 camera. Or are there other accessories or live view on the screen be even more useful. Thanks for comments.</p>

<p>I just wonder if it is of any help to use a right angle viewer like Nikon DR-6 to focus old telelens 400mm and 500mm on my Nikon D300. I know this right angel viewer can magnify 2x.<br>

Any comments or other suggestions.<br>

Thanks for replying.</p>

<p>I want to use a inversed 50 mm lens stacked in front of a 200 mm lens in front of my camera. I know that I could reach 4x magnification this way. While focusing this 200 mm lens and also put the object a a greater distance could I be able to focus so that the down to about 2x life size on the sensor?<br>

Put another way, would I be able to take photos at magnification from 4x down to about 2x life size with the kind of equipment I have described above.<br>

Thanks for replying.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>I am interested in Macro Photographing and had read John Shaw´s excellent book Closeups in Nature.<br /> There he mention that Minolta has a good focusing rail. This is now discontinued and could be difficult to get hold of.<br /> I have sometimes seen advertised Minolta focusing rail on ebay, and also focusing rail with bellows.<br /><br />How is this Minolta focusing rail is compared to the newer Novoflex model and also Kirk an RRS rails.<br />In my opinion this old Minolta focusing rail are at least as good as the newer focusing rail.<br /> I hope there are some Minolta veterans out there who could help me with this matter.<br />Thanks in advance.</p>

<p>I also have a Micro Nikkor 55 mm 3.5 non AI. I cannot use this lens on my Nikon D300. Is there any way I could use my PK-13 or a shorter extension tube like PK-11A on the camera body, and than use my Micro Nikkor 55 on the tube. Will that be a workable solution?</p>

 

<p>Thanks both Joseph and Oskar for your helpful reply. I learn from them, but after reading them I get new questions. I hope You will help me with more answers. Oskar You tell me that my options are not will choose for Your higher magnification work. How will You choose then?<br>

I have also read about reversing ring. I have read about BR-2 ring and also BR-2A ring. What are the differs them from each other, and how should I use them.<br>

Thanks in advance for more reply. </p>

<p>Thanks for your reply Joseph. I learned a lot from it. To your question. My camera is Nikon D300.<br>

Additional question. If I should mount a compatible 1.4 TC I would prefer Nikon, which could I choose? Or would you recommend other brands?</p>

<p>I have read John Shaw´s excellent book Closeups in Nature. There he mentioned various method to achieve closeup photos. I am interested to learn more about how to use extension tubes combined with both AF- Micro Nikkor 105 2.8D and also the excellent AF-S Nikkor 300 f4D, both well known for their close up abilities.<br>

I am interested to hear other members of this forum who have had experience with combining teleconverters and extension tubes with these two lenses. Some will have experiences with the<br>

300 f4. and I have admired Ronnie Gaubert´s photos several times. His macro photos are quite impressive. As far as I know he use Nikon´s PN-11 combined with PK-13 most of the time.<br>

However I should like to try some of the methods John Shaw describe in his book.<br>

Especially where he explain how to use teleconverters together with extension tubes.<br>

When he place the PN-11 closest to the camera and the teleconverter between the lens and the TC. Then focal length is multiplied.<br>

The other way to do this is to let the PN-11 and the teleconverter change their places, then the magnification will be multiplied.<br>

This has John Shaw explained at page 110 in his book.</p>

<p>I have Nikons TC 14 E II teleconverter. This can not be used with my AF-Micro Nikkor 105 2.8D lens. However if I place the converter to my Nikon D300. After that I place my PN-11 (or I may even add a PK-13 extension tube) before i place my Micro Nikkor in front.<br>

As far as I know the AF Micro Nikkor 105 2.8D could be connected to both PN-11 and PK-13, but not the TC-14 EII.<br>

My first question is: Could I connect this way without damage the lens or some of the other equipment? I will think so.<br>

The next question is: Will this useful for my macro photographing? What enlargement will I be able to reach with such combination?<br>

With my telelens AF-S 300 f 4. I think I can use the same combination, and in addition let the teleconverter be placed together with the telelens. This way I could also get an 420 mm f5.6 lens.<br>

Will this be a useful combination?<br>

Thanks in advance for answers and comments.</p>