"DoN. Nichols" wrote in message
...
According to Neil Harrington :

"Rita Ä Berkowitz" ritaberk2O04 @aol.com wrote in message
...
Neil Harrington wrote:

[ ... ]

What's the "right terminology" for this anyway, and how is it
determined? "Close-up" is not at all specific. Some insist true macro
must mean going down to 1:1, but there have been several genuine
macro lenses that only go to 1:2 and many zoom lens makers call their
products "macro" when they go to 1:4. The term is loose at best, and
"people new to this group" might as well learn that early on.

Google it up and see. The most accepted definition is 1:1 or greater
magnification. As for the lenses you talk about, which ones would
these
be?

Minolta made a couple of macro lenses that would go only to 1:2 until you
attached an extension tube made for the lens -- back in the MD-mount
days.
And I believe the Tokina 100mm macro lens just prior to the current Pro D
model also only went to 1:2 without attachments. I still have an old
Minolta-mount Vivitar 90mm macro that only goes to 1:2 by itself; there's
an
optical adapter for it (essentially a two-element close-up lens) that
takes
it to 1:1. I'm sure there must be others.

Certainly -- at least one Nikkor -- Micro-Nikkor Auto 55mm f3.5,
covered down to 1:2 directly, and required a specific spacer ring
which carried the auto diaphragm coupling, the 'M' ring to reach 1:1.
There was an earlier 35mm f3.5 which went all the way to 1:1 without
attachments, but that one did not have an auto diaphragm. All pre
auto-focus, of course. It will fit on my D70 with the 'M' ring in
place, but not without it -- at least until it gets modified in an AI
conversion.

There is also the 200mm f5.6 "Medical Nikkor" which used a set
of six quality screw-on close-up elements in various combinations of one
or two, which worked with the rings on the lens body to automatically
calculate the aperture using the built-in ring flash. There was no
focus adjustment -- you got the fixed ratios from the combinations of
lenses (which simplified the exposure calculation). You set the
reproduction ratio on one ring, and the ASA (now ISO) on another, and
this set the aperture properly. The maximum magnification was 3:1, and
the minimum 1:15 (with no screw-on lenses).

Enjoy,
DoN.

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And let's not forget the Nikon PN-11 originally made to take one of the
earlier Micro-Nikkors out to 1:1 as I recall. It is a 52.5mm auto extension
ring complete with an integral tripod mount.
Extremely useful with any current Micro-Nikkor (and others) to extend the
reproduction ratio. I find it works especially well with my 200mm
Micro-Nikkor when paired with the RRS 87-B mounting which locks the whole
shebang into one Arca-Swiss quick-mountable unit. The 87-B also can act as
a focusing slider, so you don't have to play with your reproduction ratio
during focus.
Nice design but I find an actual geared Macro focus rail is easier & quicker
to focus with.
Bob