NikonGear'23

Gear Talk => Lens Talk => Topic started by: pluton on April 06, 2016, 06:55:41

Title: 180/2.8 ED Ais with Nikon 5T and 6T diopters
Post by: pluton on April 06, 2016, 06:55:41
Out of curiosity spurred by Tristin, I attached  the Nikon 5T and 6T screw-in diopters to my 180/2.8 ED Ais.  Results are sharper with the 5T wide open, a bit dreamy with the 6T wide open.  Stopped down these combos are usable, IMO.  The flower shot is with the 6T at MinFD at f/5.6
Title: Re: 180/2.8 ED Ais with Nikon 5T and 6T diopters
Post by: Erik Lund on April 06, 2016, 10:58:09
Looks like quite OK performance at f/16
Title: Re: 180/2.8 ED Ais with Nikon 5T and 6T diopters
Post by: Bjørn Rørslett on April 06, 2016, 11:09:51
Sometimes performance with these close-up attachments improve if they are mounted in reverse. Always worth a try.
Title: Re: 180/2.8 ED Ais with Nikon 5T and 6T diopters
Post by: Erik Lund on April 06, 2016, 11:39:33
The glass elements are cemented together so quite easy to flip in the filter-holder, it's just kept in place by a threaded ring
Title: Re: 180/2.8 ED Ais with Nikon 5T and 6T diopters
Post by: Bjørn Rørslett on April 06, 2016, 11:50:55
I know that - it's more difficult to keep track of which unit has been flipped over in its retaining ring !! Labelling the filter box will not suffice as the close-up attachments are moved a round a lot by their very nature.

The above of course presumes one has several of each, however. My situation unfortunately.

I do agree that making these filter being reversed is a breeze. One just needs a thin and pointed tool to put into the groove of the retaining ring to get it moving.
Title: Re: 180/2.8 ED Ais with Nikon 5T and 6T diopters
Post by: Erik Lund on April 06, 2016, 11:58:30
A 'lens spanner' is the word ;)

Yes mark the filter-holder and elements on the side, for instance with 'Front ->'
Title: Re: 180/2.8 ED Ais with Nikon 5T and 6T diopters
Post by: Bjørn Rørslett on April 06, 2016, 12:02:10
I always used a thin flat-blade screwdriver and a small hammer. A lens spanner is of course even better, but the retaining rings of my various Nikon close-up lenses (3T, 4T, 5T, 6T) have been easy to engage and remove.
Title: Re: 180/2.8 ED Ais with Nikon 5T and 6T diopters
Post by: Akira on April 06, 2016, 14:04:33
I guess the simple reversing in the original ring might be dangerous sometimes?  The reversed diopter may hit the front element of the master lens...
Title: Re: 180/2.8 ED Ais with Nikon 5T and 6T diopters
Post by: Erik Lund on April 06, 2016, 14:22:10
Life is often dangerous, even for lenses  8)
Title: Re: 180/2.8 ED Ais with Nikon 5T and 6T diopters
Post by: Akira on April 06, 2016, 14:35:24
Life is often dangerous, even for lenses  8)

Yeah, sometimes even a protection filter causes damages to the front element.   :o :o :o
Title: Re: 180/2.8 ED Ais with Nikon 5T and 6T diopters
Post by: Bjørn Rørslett on April 06, 2016, 14:42:50
Normally this problem would be eliminated simply because the curved surface, even when the optics are reversed, rarely protrude outside their massive filter holding ring. I cannot say this has occurred any time with my experiments so far, but of course one cannot rule the issue out completely. Have a look from the side before mounting the filter to see if anything protrudes and act accordingly.

Even less likely a problem if you use adapters to mount hte filter, reversed or not, as the adapter step ring in itself pushes the mounting point further off the lens front.
Title: Re: 180/2.8 ED Ais with Nikon 5T and 6T diopters
Post by: pluton on April 06, 2016, 18:38:08
I would have tried it reversed, but lack a 62-62 ring on hand.  The field was amazingly flat in the normal orientation, based on the ruler shots that I did.
Title: Re: 180/2.8 ED Ais with Nikon 5T and 6T diopters
Post by: Tristin on April 06, 2016, 18:43:10
Much appreciation Pluton!  Now I know i can safely move on from the 200mm f/4.
Title: Re: 180/2.8 ED Ais with Nikon 5T and 6T diopters
Post by: Ramon Mena on April 06, 2016, 23:31:30
Hi Pluton,
Probably you need a ring coupler male to male 72mm to 72mm.
It costs around 7 USD. Please see ebay Item Number 321936135972.
Best regards,
Ramón
Title: Re: 180/2.8 ED Ais with Nikon 5T and 6T diopters
Post by: pluton on April 07, 2016, 08:10:04
Hi Pluton,
Probably you need a ring coupler male to male 72mm to 72mm.
It costs around 7 USD. Please see ebay Item Number 321936135972.
Best regards,
Ramón
Ramon, Actually, in this case it'd be 62 to 62, to match the 62mm threads of the 5T/6T.  That would then be threaded onto the 72 to 62 step down ring on the 72mm-threaded 180/2.8.  Unless they make a 72 to 62 double male threaded ring. 
Problem is, the local shops want strangely large amounts of money for adapter rings.  Typically they want US$25 or US$30 for a ring that can be purchased from B&H in New York for US$8 or US$12.
Title: Re: 180/2.8 ED Ais with Nikon 5T and 6T diopters
Post by: Bjørn Rørslett on April 07, 2016, 08:14:57
Remove the retaining ring on the 5T/6T, flip the optics over, put retaining ring back. All yours for naught. Can't get it much less expensive than that.