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The Forgotten Macro Nikkor 120mm f/6.3

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Michael Erlewine:
Of the four Macro Nikkors, the ones that originally came in a wooden box, the one least mentioned is the Macro Nikkor 120mm (12.0 cm) f/6.3 that comes with a 39mm Leica thread. This lens is optimized for the 1.2x-4x range and is marked by a red ring on the barrel.

Usually the 65mm, f/4.5 Macro Nikkor is highlighted as the one to get. I happen to like the draw on the 120mm Macro Nikkor, although to use it requires a bellows, at least for my work. The photos taken with the 120mm lens shown here were shot on the Nikon D810 on the Nikon PB-4 Bellows with a 14mm extension between the camera and the bellows. Zerene Stacker used. These photos compare favorably (perhaps slightly less interesting) to the El Nikkor 105mm APO enlarger lens IMO. At the very least, they are worth a look.

I include a shot of the lens and the box they originally came in. I don’t have the Macro Nikkor 19mm f/2.8 because it is too high a magnification for the work I do. I would never use it, although others have successfully.

Dr Klaus Schmitt:
Well, I haven't ;-) They are truely macro workhorses and never disappoint!!
Your results clearly show that!

DaveO:
Since they are 39mm screw mount lenses, would they work on an old Pentax screw mount SP 500 camera?  I doubt that I could afford them, but it would be interesting.

Bjørn Rørslett:
These lenses are true "macro" designs so shouldn't be brought to bear on remote subjects. You really need to add a lot of extension for them to work.

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