Lester A Dine 105mm f/2.8 1:1 Dental Macro - Page 3

*hinman* · 09-09-2008, 07:46 PM

Thank you for all the inputs, suggestions and comments.

After some thoughts, I am likely to put this lens package for sale in Marketplace in a few days as a complete package with Lester A Din 105mm f/2.8 1:1 Macro, Dine Macro Ring flash, Pentax ZX-5 film camera and the original lens/camera case with zx-5 manual. I will price it to cover my ebay cost, if anyone looking for this lens, please PM me.

complete package except the M 50mm f/1.7 in the picture

Few blog posts to share:

*hinman* · 09-11-2008, 06:17 PM

I tested the Dine Macro ring light. Similar to what two other friendly members have reported me in PM, the voltage when charged up ranges from 5.6 to 6.2. At burst time, the voltage goes to about 14 to 19. A safe range to be used in my k10D/k100D.

*hinman* · 12-03-2008, 11:07 AM

I replied to someone in dpreview asking about the Lester A Dine in this link

Macro Q: Which one ? Tokina 100/2.8 or Kiron 105/2.8 (Lester A Dine ): Pentax SLR Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review

It is difficult for me to re-visit some of the good pictures taken by the Lester A Dine. It is also a mixed feeling as I do see various faults and shortcomings in the lens. I dislike and like the lens for various reasons. I mostly dislike it for PF for one, difficult 1:1 focusing, stiff and super-long focusing throw.

But I do like its color and bokeh and it is the best among the three macro lens that I have used in terms of color and bokeh.

Thoughts and flaming welcome. I am still unsettled with my negative feelings about the lens.

Thanks,
Hin

Originally Posted by hinman_in_dpreview

Hin Man wrote:
> I think you have made a nice choice. While everyone seemed to love
> the Lester A Dine, I for one have issues with the copy of Lester A
> Dine.
>
> LBA purchase with regrets
> Lester A Dine 105 mm f/2.8 1:1 Dental Macro Purchase - Hin's Tech Corner
>
> 1:1 macro difficulties
> 1:1 & 1:2 macro with Lester A Dine 105mm f/2.8 - Hin's Tech Corner
>
> Its color is the best the I have used for Macro, but the long focus
> throw make it a pain to use as a tele photo. With your Tokina
> coupled with AF, you are more likely to use the Tokina doubled up for
> Tele. Yes, I know of the argument on Kiron/Vivitar Series 1/Lester
> A Dine are noted as the best and popular macro lens of choice.
>
> After I sold off my Lester A Dine, which I had great difficulty in
> using especially for 1:1 macro and tele due to the stiff and long
> focus throw, I replaced it with two different lens
>
> 1. Sigma 105mm f/2.8 1:1 Macro (non-DG)
>
> Sigma 105mm f/2.8 1:1 Macro EX - Hin's Tech Corner
>
> 2. Tamron 90mm f/2.8 1:1 Macro (non-Di)
>
> Tamron SP 90mm f/2.8 1:1 Macro (non-Di) - Hin's Tech Corner
>
> I personally would pick both the Sigma and Tamron over the
> Kiron/Lester A Dine. Please don't get me wrong as the Kiorn is quite
> unique and it has the best color, bokeh and probably the best macro
> that I have used up to 1:2, but it really falls short for me with
> focusing ease in getting to 1:1 macro and use of it for Tele is way
> underperformed as compared to Tamron and Sigma.
>
> The best and easiest on 1:1 macro is on the Sigma. The build of
> Sigma wins hand down against the Tamron. PF is not found in Sigma
> while PF is easily seen in the Lester A Dine copy that I have used.
> Both the AF limiter and AF serve me well in both Sigma and Tamron. I
> find both slow in AF, with the Tamron a bit faster but not by much.
>
> The best dual in using the lens as a macro and double up as portrait
> is the Tamron 90mm.
>
> portraits with Tamron 90mm:
> Tamron 90mm f/2.8 1:1 Macro (non-Di) Test Shots - Hin's Tech Corner
>
> The Tamron is superb in portraits and it can rival in IQ for
> portraits next after the Pentax FA 77mm f/1.8 limited, which is
> insanely good for portraits and low light
>
> Pentax FA 77mm f/1.8 limited is insanely good - Hin's Tech Corner
>
> Can I ask what Nikon system you have gone to. I am thinking of a
> dual system with Pentax K20D and Nikon D90?
>
> Nikon D90 is tempting - Hin's Tech Corner
> Nikon Dark Forces with Nikon D90 -- Yoda's Training - Hin's Tech Corner
>
> Thanks,
> Hin
>
>

*StevenVH* · 02-07-2009, 08:24 PM

This thread and the lens review DB entry for this lens convinced me it was worth grabbing when I found it used at a local camera shop.
The photos and info posted here are absolutely excellent. The only thing missing are pics of the lens for reference and late night leering.

lens1

lens2

lens3

I haven't done much macro and haven't yet tried with this lens. I have done and still do a lot of portraits and expect this lens to excel for that use. I just picked it up last night and played with it a little at mid day to see how it performed.

lens-test1

lens-test2

So far I love the FL and the bokeh. The lens seems very sharp and the color and contrast are great. It is big and heavy, so I think hand holding it takes the edge off the sharpness, but that can be a good thing for portraits. For close up work I'm sure I'll have to use a monopod or tripod to get sharp images.
Sorry for the cat pictures, but for test purposes she's great.
Photos of the lens were taken with an FA50.1.4 and a cheapo tripod, ISO 800, F4....

hth

*hinman* · 11-10-2009, 11:33 AM

I don't know what the heck in me that led me to sell my Lester A Dine before together with a matching ring light. I sold it to G_money and he recently sold it in marketplace. We all sold it perhaps for a different reason.

My LBA goes really in circle and I recently couldn't resist to make up my mistakes before I ended up with a great find in Marketplace from another wonderful member for the Vivitar 100mm f/2.8 1:1 macro that is also made from Kiron with serial number starting #22.

As far as I can tell, they are very similar in appearance. The one thing that I like the Vivitar over the Lester A Dine lies in the absence of the dentist instruction on the lens barrel. There were few things that I was not impressed in my first handling with the Lester A Dine and I will re-examine the Vivitar given that I have learned from my mistakes -- all lens has its strong and weak points and even the famous lens has a weak spot and it is up to the user to abuse or use it to its strength. The lester A dine or the vivitar are great for macro use and it should be used as such. If I want a macro lens that can double up handily for portrait and event, I would highly recommend the Sigma 105mm f/2.8 or the Tamron 90mm f/2.8 alternatives. Both will fit the bill of doubling up as portrait and event lens other than its core virtues in macro.

I have been naive in macro photography and I do it all wrong especially in getting close to 1:1 distance without aid of tripod, railing and the essential need of enough lighting such as using an external flash to open up the DOF. As a result of my poor setup, the narrow thin DOF is what drive me the craziest and that is really NOT the problem of the lens but the problems that I encountered mostly come from me and my poor setup. Another noted problem is some purple fringing on high contrast shot when I use it for an event. It is also a mood point as the lens is meant for close up and macro and the long focus throw make it not quite suitable lens for other purposes unless I don't mind the long focus turn in shooting.

I will hopefully report back sooner.

Thanks,
Hin