Teleconvertor with a 60mm f2.8 Micro Lens

[AdrianBerghorst]

Good day All,

I'm using a my Nikkor 60mm f2.8 1:1 Macro lens for 1:1 macro photographs, and I am really enjoying it. I would like to move my 1:1 focus plane physically further from the front of my lens. I realize the best way to do this is to buy myself a longer focal length micro lens, however I was wondering... Has anyone tried putting a teleconvertor on a micro lens? What are the thoughts on this, I assume it would give me the longer focal length I'm wanting. I do realize that I will loose a few stops and my aperture will be smaller, this doesn't worry me too much since I'm lighting my subject with flash and am normally shooting and rather small aperture anyway. Is appreciate any thoughts on this.

Thanks.
Adrian.

[Bjørn Rørslett]

There are mechanical limits to what TC you can put on these shorter Micro-Nikkors. Plus all AF or even metering will be lost, and you can no longer control aperture unless a model with separate aperture ring is used.

In short, not a good idea. The only suitable TCs would be the old TC-14/14A or TC-200, and the caveat regarding metering etc. apply. Plus image quality will suffer.

Get a longer lens. The AF/AFD 105/2.8 Micro-Nikkor (not the VR model) is a decent performer and not too expensive on the second-hand market.

[Mike G]

I read on another forum, that the poster used a 16mm extension ring on a 90mm Fujinon lens with a 1.4 TC, which worked well going by the photos posted!

Obviously I have no idea if that would work with the 60 mm Nikon lens, maybe worth investigating?

[Bjørn Rørslett]

Of course one can get an otherwise incompatible TC to attach using a spacer (short extension tube). However, that will not solve any of the other issues of concern mentioned by me.

[Mike G]

Bjorn, I was not suggesting usin non Nikon gear to convert a Nikon lens. What I read was about Fuji equipment and not mixing brands I was thinking all Nikon gear, but neglected to say so!

[Bjørn Rørslett]

I understood as much, Mike.

The trick of using a short extension to stack TCs which are physically incompatible is popular say with mirror lenses as there are no aperture linkages to disturb there anyway. Used this myself to get a 2000 mm lens starting with a 500/5.6.

[David H. Hartman]

The Nikon TC-14 teleconverter won't mount directly on the AF 60/2.8 and AF 60/2.8D Micro as the TC-14 protrudes into the lens it hosts just like the TC-14B. I don't own an AF-S 60/2.8G ED Micro but I'd think the same problem would occur with it. The TC-14A should accept both lenses. I don't think any of these TC(s) would make a winning combination with any 60/2.8 Micro-Nikkor. I would investigate 105mm ~ 200mm micro lenses.

Dave

[Roland Vink]

I'm using a my Nikkor 60mm f2.8 1:1 Macro lens for 1:1 macro photographs, and I am really enjoying it. I would like to move my 1:1 focus plane physically further from the front of my lens. I realize the best way to do this is to buy myself a longer focal length micro lens, however I was wondering... Has anyone tried putting a teleconvertor on a micro lens? What are the thoughts on this, I assume it would give me the longer focal length I'm wanting.

The focus distance of the master lens is unchanged with a TC (maybe increased by the thickness of the TC itself). TCs work by multiplying the magnification, at far distances that translates to multiplying focal length, so a 60mm lens with 1.4x TC becomes 84mm. However as you focus closer the interaction between Lens-TC combination results in focal length shortening, so any gain in working distance at close range is relatively small. You get a slight increase in working distance since you don't need to focus as close to get the same magnification, but it's not as much as you might expect.

As others have mentioned, the best solution is to get a longer macro lens. The AFD 105/2.8 micro is very good - bokeh is a little nervous at far distances but is nice up close, and the sharpness is excellent. There are also plenty of good third party macro lenses in the 90-105mm range, or even longer.

[Bjørn Rørslett]

There will only be focal shortening up close with the TC  if the host lens has CRC (or similar corrective optics), or internal focusing.

[Roland Vink]

You also get focal length shortening with a unit-focusing lens when used with a TC.

Consider this: a 2x TC with the AIS 105/4 micro (unit focusing lens without CRC). At infinity you get a 210mm lens. At close range you get a lens which gets 1:1 magnification with a focus distance around 0.5m (same as master lens with a bit more when you add the length of the TC). There is no way that a lens focusing to 1:1 at around 0.5m is still going to be 210mm. When you increase the space between a positive lens (master lens) and a negative lens (TC) the focal length shortens...