SL 90-280 with achromatic c/u lenses?

[dkCambridgeshire]

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Has anyone tried using eg Polaroid 250D or Canon 500D  77mm diameter c/u lenses with the SL90-280 & if so can you please post some results? I am considering buying the SL90-280 and would want to use c/u lenses to achieve closer than native close AF   … to photograph fast moving small creatures from a reasonable working distance 

Thank you

dunk

 

 

Edited March 28, 2019 by dkCambridgeshire
Typo

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[mmradman]

With 250 and 500 close up front attachments working distances should be 250mm and 500mm respectively, lens focus at infinity. 

I have tried Canon 500D (with 77mm filter thread) with APO Telyt R 280mm, it works but i cant say i have anything worth showing.

I suspect there is no 82mm version of 500D so for 90-280 zoom you will need step-down ring with possibly some vignetting. 

[dkCambridgeshire]

^^^ aware of this … which is why I asked if anyone has examples taken with the SL AF 90-280mm

dunk 

[thighslapper]

For what it's worth my Marumi's work up to about 135mm on the 90-280 and beyond that images become increasingly soft.

It's been noted that Marumi Achromats behave similarly and perform poorly with other longer focal length zooms. If I recall correctly the 55-135 T zoom was the same when I tried it.

There is a website out there that compared all the Achromats and Raynox performed much better at these focal lengths. Quite why eludes me,  as these lenses are presumably optically quite simple.

Whatever, I'd definitely try before you buy .....

[dkCambridgeshire]

Thank you very much … i guess that rules out the possibility of acquiring and using an SL 90-280mm with achromatic c/u lenses for 'in the field' small mammal photographs.  Perhaps the Polaroid large diameter achromat c/u lenses also originate from whichever company makes the Marumi achromats.  I've also approached Foto-Akcesoria Ryszard Jankowski ul. Cisowa 9, 20-826 Lublin, Poland (the company making C7 adapters)  to enquire if they could offer L mount extension tubes. Hopefully, sooner or later a company might offer L mount tubes.  Another option might be a long  AF Canon  lens if one of them  will AF efficiently on the SL with the Novoflex smart adapter.  I have several  manual focus lenses  I could use and have  tried  them … but cannot focus sufficiently quickly  on fast moving small mammals 

dunk 

Edited March 28, 2019 by dkCambridgeshire

[thighslapper]

11 minutes ago, dkCambridgeshire said:

  Another option might be a long  AF Canon  lens if one of them  will AF efficiently on the SL with the Novoflex smart adapter. 

dunk 

That's another can of worms that might be best left unopened ..... 

[caissa]

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You could also use an old lens instead of a close-up lens. You just need to attach it reversed. (Filter to filter). An old 50mm or 28mm can give nice results.  The old lenses are made of several lenses and quite well corrected compared to an achromat.

But the 90-280 is too large for that. I usually tried it with an older macro zoom (70-200). Trying is necessary, the results can not be predicted (at least not by me).

I think the new Panasonic 24-105 could be good for that, it is already a strong macro, maybe if you add a 2x extender ? Or generally a 2x extender could be useful for the 90-280 as it focuses already close enough.

Worth a try could also be the Nikon 300mm PF lens (with extender or macro ring), also very small.

Edited March 28, 2019 by caissa

[dkCambridgeshire]

7 minutes ago, caissa said:

You could also use an old lens instead of a close-up lens. You just need to attach it reversed. (Filter to filter). …  

But the 90-280 is too large for that. I usually tried it with an older macro zoom (70-200). Trying is necessary, the results can not be predicted (at least not by me).

Exactly 

Extension tubes would likely work and do not require 'rocket science' for manufacture

dunk 

Edited March 28, 2019 by dkCambridgeshire

[caissa]

I have the 90-280 and use it typically with cropping for “macro”. With the latest sensors (S1R) there is certainly enough resolution for it. I hope for the extenders (1.4 or 2.0) to give me even the better macro factor. (I do not need to go closer, so a close up lens is not what I am looking for.). I have to see how much resolution is lost with the extenders - I hope not too much.

Possibly the SL 90 with 2x extender could be a great “macro” lens. Depends on the compatibility of the system. 

Edited March 28, 2019 by caissa

[caissa]

The Nikkor Micro 70-180mm - a discontinued lens because nobody liked it - could be your solution (for chasing small mammals). It's the only true macro zoom ever made. But still nobody likes it (but me). As it's a D lens you would need a AF-D adapter to use its AF. But even Nikon has not offered it, yet (for the Z).   So I use it sometimes manually with the SL or with my old D800 (which fully supports D lenses).  (The results are very nice, but the lens is completely underestimated.)

With the S1R and its IBIS this lens could get a small revival. (Or the micro 200mm Nikkor.) And if Nikon Z would add support for AF-D lenses, it could be really great. (I prefer mirrorless to optical VF for macro).

[mmradman]

1 hour ago, caissa said:

I have the 90-280 and use it typically with cropping for “macro”. With the latest sensors (S1R) there is certainly enough resolution for it. I hope for the extenders (1.4 or 2.0) to give me even the better macro factor. (I do not need to go closer, so a close up lens is not what I am looking for.). I have to see how much resolution is lost with the extenders - I hope not too much.

Possibly the SL 90 with 2x extender could be a great “macro” lens. Depends on the compatibility of the system. 

Was TC announced, or going to be announced?

[caissa]

They are on the Panasonic roadmap.

[dkCambridgeshire]

28 minutes ago, caissa said:

The Nikkor Micro 70-180mm - a discontinued lens because nobody liked it - could be your solution (for chasing small mammals). It's the only true macro zoom ever made. But still nobody likes it (but me). As it's a D lens you would need a AF-D adapter to use its AF. But even Nikon has not offered it, yet (for the Z).   So I use it sometimes manually with the SL or with my old D800 (which fully supports D lenses).  (The results are very nice, but the lens is completely underestimated.)

With the S1R and its IBIS this lens could get a small revival. (Or the micro 200mm Nikkor.) And if Nikon Z would add support for AF-D lenses, it could be really great. (I prefer mirrorless to optical VF for macro).

Thanks but 180mm is too short … The bank voles are very timid and need to be e.g. 2m from the front of the lens. I'm using a Nikon 1 / 70-300mm with extension tubes and the combination works fine … but want to work with an AF Leica lens so can use images for Leica Society submissions. Using manual focus Leica lenses it's not possible to focus sufficiently quickly thus the 'hit rate' is too low … whereas with the Nikon 1 combination the 'hit rate' is high.  

dunk