Garage Score! Macro-Nikkor 65mm f/4.5

[Macro_Cosmos]

Condition is pretty horrible, only cosmetically and mechanically, thankfully.
Had lots of paint loss and scratches here and there. Looked really sad, so I grabbed a permanent marker and painted over some of the scratches etc.
Mechanically, the aperture ring is really dry, thankfully it does operate normally and the iris closes and opens properly. There isn't oil on the apterture blades, and the aperture is declicked... or was it meant to be?

The optics are perfect, there is slight visible dust under a torch, mundane and won't affect shooting. Going to have some fun!

Macro-Nikkor 65mm f/4.5 by Daniel Han, on Flickr
Macro-Nikkor 65mm f/4.5 by Daniel Han, on Flickr
Macro-Nikkor 65mm f/4.5 by Daniel Han, on Flickr
Macro-Nikkor 65mm f/4.5 by Daniel Han, on Flickr

[armando_m]

Nice find !

I'm amazed how small this old MF lenses are

[Bjørn Rørslett]

Congratulations and welcome to the Macro-Nikkor Owners Club

The aperture ring is as should be. You push the front collar down to select an aperture then let go and the ring now rotates without resistance so you can set the lens wide open for focusing. Each number represents 1 additional stop down from the maximum.

[Bjørn Rørslett]

Nice find !

I'm amazed who small this old MF lenses are

Remember it has no helicoid for focusing. Plus you definitively need to put [a lot] of extension on it to reach the recommended optimum magnification of 5X.

[Dr Klaus Schmitt]

Bjorn basically said it all, so congrats from me too! They have Leica M39 thread mount,
so there are helicoids being sold (on ebay) which already have M39 front thread.

This 65mm is the most useful of the whole series btw. (IMHO) And it is rather tolerant
about the magnification range it is used within. 3.5 ... 10x it does rather well, optimal is 5x

If you are looking for the data, it is on my site http://macrolenses.de

[Macro_Cosmos]

Bjorn basically said it all, so congrats from me too! They have Leica M39 thread mount,
so there are helicoids being sold (on ebay) which already have M39 front thread.

This 65mm is the most useful of the whole series btw. (IMHO) And it is rather tolerant
about the magnification range it is used within. 3.5 ... 10x it does rather well, optimal is 5x

If you are looking for the data, it is on my site http://macrolenses.de

 :DThanks! Already has an adapter ring on it! The silver one. It wobbles a bit though but won't really matter that much.

[Macro_Cosmos]

Remember it has no helicoid for focusing. Plus you definitively need to put [a lot] of extension on it to reach the recommended optimum magnification of 5X.

  no wonder with only a pb-4, the results aren't all that good. I'd have to get a better setup going then!

[Bjørn Rørslett]

Shooting photomacrography is entirely different from close-up and "macro" work. You need to adjust your work flow to encompass much more exacting standards. That include precision focusing, the requirement always to use mirror lock-up *even* if a flash is in action, a rock steady support, and so on. Lighting the subject carefully to maximise contrast is important as well. You might find that the better sharpness coincides with quite more "harsh" lighting than is customary. There is nothing amiss here just the consequence of simple physics.

As the coatings on this lens are much simpler than what we take for granted today, be aware of flare situations and take care to shield the front element from stray light.

[Macro_Cosmos]

Shooting photomacrography is entirely different from close-up and "macro" work. You need to adjust your work flow to encompass much more exacting standards. That include precision focusing, the requirement always to use mirror lock-up *even* if a flash is in action, a rock steady support, and so on. Lighting the subject carefully to maximise contrast is important as well. You might find that the better sharpness coincides with quite more "harsh" lighting than is customary. There is nothing amiss here just the consequence of simple physics.

As the coatings on this lens are much simpler than what we take for granted today, be aware of flare situations and take care to shield the front element from stray light.

Thanks for the recommendations!

What's your opinion on the 35mm f/4.5 Macro-nikkor, is it worth getting for even higher magnifications? How's the performance? Thanks!

[Bjørn Rørslett]

If you are the lucky owner of a Nikon Multiphot setup, the 35/4.5 and 19/2.8 Macro-Nikkors are excellent. However, they are not very useful on their own in the field due to the high magnification and long bellows draw. Agree with Klaus that the 65 is the most useful of the quartet (120/6.3, 65/4.5, 35/4.5, 19/2.8 ).