Teaser butterfly

[Randy Stout]

This fellow was captured at our local butterfly exhibit in southern Michigan. The show runs for six weeks starting on the 1st of March. Butterflies are imported from around the world, with a rotating variety of butterflies during the duration of the event.  Shooting can be a bit of a challenge, as no tripods are allowed, and sometimes the crowds can be large. This is the first time it has been held in the last three years, so excited to visit it.

Z9. Nikkor 70-180mm macro. Lighting a combination of natural light and R1C1 flash.  The rotating heads are so handy for lighting under the leaves to prevent the dreaded flash shadows.
The Z9 was quite nice, with good focus peaking, and the flip out screen came in handy many times.

Cheers

Randy

[Nasos Kosmas]

What an excellent shot!

[Snoogly]

You inspired me to add that lens to my shopping list

[Akira]

Amazingly classy image!  Thank you for sharing!

[John Geerts]

Great shot, Randy.

[golunvolo]

One more praise Randy, beautiful and impecable

[mxbianco]

You inspired me to add that lens to my shopping list

I confirm, it's a fabulous lens, it's a one of a kind in the Nikon garden (no other zoom macro lens so far made by Nikon). It's a screw-focus lens, so you have to use it manually on the Zee series.

Reaches 1:1 if you use Nikon's own close-up lenses (62 mm, 6T, a lower power 5T also available) .

Discontinued long ago, you can only find it on the used market (hard to find but not impossible). Built like a TANK and almost as heavy!

EDIT: +1 for the photo, Randy!

Ciao from Massimo

[Birna Rørslett]

"Built like a tank" -- how many times haven't we read that statement? and virtually all times the assertion is misapplied. Treat lenses -- all of them -- with the required care. Whilst there indeed are many nice thing to be said about the 70-180, the truths gained by long-term use also are in place.

The 70-180 has a plastic lens shade that is prone to breaking at the mounting points. Its tripod foot is pitiful small and inadequate unless extra measures are taken to stiffen and reinforce it. The locking screw for the rotation of the tripod mount is way too small. There is the dreaded A/M ring on the lens barrel that like most if not all of the lenses with that flawed design feature can suddenly snap into halves and split the lens. Tape it down and use only manual focusing as a time-proven work-around. Unlike virtually all  other Micro-Nikkors, the 70-180 is not a true flat-field design, however to be honest, this is but rarely an issue for nature work but can cause trouble for copying stuff. Finally, its bokeh is not very good and you really need to pay attention to the scene background.

On the plus side, sharpness is very good and chromatic aberrations are seldom a factor to reckon with.

[Michael Erlewine]

Z9. Nikkor 70-180mm macro. Lighting a combination of natural light and R1C1 flash.  The rotating heads are so handy for lighting under the leaves to prevent the dreaded flash shadows.
The Z9 was quite nice, with good focus peaking, and the flip out screen came in handy many times.

I still have my Nikkor 70-180 Macro, a very special lens and the exact lens that I used to do close-up/macro nature photography years ago. I never sold this lens although I don't use it. What a great lens for close-up photography.

[Randy Stout]

Thanks everyone for your input.  The butterfly exhibits provides a brief respite from the long winter.

The 70-180mm is a tool. Not a perfect tool by any means, but for my use the zoom function and relatively small form factor are a real plus.

I agree, the lens hood is flimsy, the zoom ring on mine can be a bit sticky if you squeeze the ring too tight and the tripod foot is puny. 

But it works for my needs.

Cheers

Randy

[Snoogly]

I confirm, it's a fabulous lens, it's a one of a kind in the Nikon garden (no other zoom macro lens so far made by Nikon). It's a screw-focus lens, so you have to use it manually on the Zee series.

Reaches 1:1 if you use Nikon's own close-up lenses (62 mm, 6T, a lower power 5T also available) .

Discontinued long ago, you can only find it on the used market (hard to find but not impossible). Built like a TANK and almost as heavy!

EDIT: +1 for the photo, Randy!

Ciao from Massimo

I found one on an auction site for ¥53,000, supposedly in very good condition. Expecting delivery today! :-)
(No lens hood though. I guess it broke!)

[Birna Rørslett]

The original hood is HB-14, it is seated on the outer stationary part of the lens casing. Meaning it will offer almost no shading when the lens is focused very close, since the front section moves outwards during focusing. You can put an HN-23/24 or similar 62mm-threaded hood on the filter threads, and the lens hood will tend move jointly with the front. As the close focus distance is quite short, you cannot use an efficient and long hood, however.

I recommend taping down the A/M switch encircling the lens as it can break even when never used -- that happened to my AF-D 200/4 Micro ED and the repair costed a bundle. The ring is just ever so slightly too wide (to make it rotate smoothly?) and is kept in position by a single screw, and at this point there can be material fatigue and over time hairline cracks develop. Eventually the ring snaps and might lead to the lens falling apart. Trust me this is not theoretical conjecture as it has killed my AFD 105/2 DC in addition to the Micro 200 ED. All my lenses with this "feature" now are safely taped down.

[Randy Stout]

Birna:

Could you share a photo of how you taped your A?M switch down?  Thanks

Randy

[Birna Rørslett]

Sure. Have a look at the snapshot presented below. This lens has also been modified by using a much larger knob for locking the tripod mount rotation, plus the foot is fortified by running two stainless steel bolts through the permanently positioned A-S plate and all the way through the foot.  A solid brass screw into the 1/4" tripod mounting hole completes the modification.

I prefer using "hockey" tape, the kind one uses on hockey sticks, bicycle handlebars etc.  It literally welds in place. The focus liimiter has been locked in the Full range position by a drop of epoxy glue.

[Randy Stout]

Birna:

Thanks so much!  I will copy the image and tweak my copy a bit!  Appreciate your help.

Randy