Article about 70-180 Micro lens

More than you EVER wanted to know about the 70-180 Micro lens:

http://www.nikon.co.jp/main/eng/society/ni...ikkor/n18_e.htm

From the Japanese Nikon Web Magazine (translated to decent English).

The article explains how this lens does not "become slow" at close focusing like other lenses do...very interesting read.

Cheers

James

HI James,

Just a question, I understand that you use a Ikelite Housing for your S2. What port do you use for your 70-180 Micro len? Do you think the same port will fit the 200 Micro?

Thanks

Regards

KL Kwang

James uses an Aquatica now.......don't think Ikelite can support the 70-180 lens

Karl

Hi Gwangi,

Karl is correct, the Ikelite housing does not support the 70-180 lens - I verified this with Ikelite. I don't think it supports the 200mm Micro either, but you should check.

With the Aquatica housing, the 70-180 and the 200 both use the same port extension.

Sincerely,

James Wiseman

HI James,

I should be looking to buy a aquatica housing. Hope you don mind me asking? Do you still have your ikelite housing? Do you want to sell it? I'm looking for used housing for my S2. I can't affort a new one. It cost too much in Malaysia...

Thanks

Regards

KL Kwang

Sorry, no housings for sale here. I like the one(s) I have...:-)

Cheers

James

James, in an older post, you said you only used the 105mm in Hawaii.....I think you also owned the 70-180 at that time

Why did you only use the 105?

I'm thinking about the 70-180 in lieu of using the 60 and 105....is this sound reasoning?

Karl

It was a quick trip to hawaii and I wanted to bring minimal gear since I was bringing 2 setups, one for me and one for Sarah. So I just brought the 105 and left the 70-180 and port extension and gears at home.

You can use the 70-180 all the time though, as it can do what both the 60 and 105 can do, just bring a +1 or +1.5 diopter to use with it.

Cheers

James

Makes sense....

I just joined the world of two DSLR setups.........I bought another D70 today for Kimberly......I can see we'll both be fighting for the 105, so that's what is making me consider the 70-180.......we will both be able to shoot macro at the same time.....why do you need the diopters?

Now I have to buy 2 new housings.......ouch!

Karl

You have to try the lens w/ a diopter to understand. Because of the lens design, using a mild diopter with the lens at 180mm gives very good magnification. Ask Craig, he's really the expert when it comes to this lens.

FWIW, I shot my EPIC winning shot w/ the 70-180 at 180mm with a +1 diopter. It is only slightly cropped.

Cheers

James

Most modern lenses have a floating element design meaning they vary their focal length throughout their focus range. The prime macros (Nikons anyway) hold their focal length pretty well at minimum focus but the 70-180 does not. As a result, the 70-180 set at 180mm and focused at minimum has an actual focal length of less than 90mm. This is why it produces less magnification than the 105 or 200 even though the minimum focus distances would suggest otherwise.

The good news with these lenses is that they respond very well to diopters. Diopters change the focus range of a lens, so a macro lens will focus effectively further away at the same subject distance. The 70-180 becomes much more powerful with diopters because its effective focal length is increased at a set distance. I pretty much always use the Nikon 5T with it now (+1.5 achromat).

In contrast, the 105mm holds its focal length well (within 15 percent) so a diopter will be useful for shortening the working distance but will not improve magnification at a given distance much. There's nothing wrong with that, of course, but it's in contrast to how a diopter effects the 70-180.

Here is an article that explains this better than I have. It comes complete with actual focal length measurements and charts. Very interesting.

Thanks Craig and James.........I jumped off the deep end and bought the 70-180 from ebay last night........I'll also order the nikon 5T close up lens

besides having the tripod collar taken off, anything else I need to know about using this lens?

Guess I just comitted myself to Aquatica since Ikelite can't support this lens!

Karl

No, that's it. Of course, you could get a Nexus.

Or Sea and Sea...:-)

Subal certainly have a port for the lens but I'm not sure how far off housing the D70 they are.