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FA*200mm F4.0 Macro
Posted By: oneill, 01-19-2016, 01:38 PM

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Noticed this jewel on eBay

Pentax SMCP FA Ed If 200 mm F 4 0 If Ed Lens Perfect Condition A | eBay

I have one but it took 10 years to find it.

Murray
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01-20-2016, 06:32 AM   #31
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QuoteOriginally posted by Doundounba Quote
Besides the crazy expense, I find that, in my experience, there's a point where having more working distance actually becomes a hindrance to good macro lighting.
In my experience the extra working length gives you more freedom to put lighting between you and your subject. If you are working exclusively with on camera light sources, then yes the working length can be restrictive - but to really do good macro work off camera flash is the way to go.


Pentax K5IIs - SMCP-FA*200mm f/4 ED [IF] Macro f/5.6 ISO 80 1/180th Pentax AF160FC Ringflash @1/16th power.


Pentax K5IIs - Sigma 180mm f/3.5 APO EX Macro - f/5.6 ISO 80 1/180th

01-20-2016, 06:39 AM   #32
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QuoteOriginally posted by Doundounba Quote
Besides the crazy expense, I find that, in my experience, there's a point where having more working distance actually becomes a hindrance to good macro lighting. You need an even larger diffuser and much more flash power.
Remove lights from camera so they can be closer to your subject, problem solved. Off camera lighting won't be as portable, but will allow more versatile lighting arrangements. It won't agree with everyone's shooting methods of course.

I keep telling myself this lens is massive compared to our teenie dfa100mm's so I'd need to get a new bag to carry it, and I hate shopping for camera bags. Also, I'd need to sell a kidney or two.
01-20-2016, 07:01 AM   #33
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The guy must be behind on his rent. He's getting desperate.
01-20-2016, 07:34 AM   #34
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QuoteOriginally posted by BrianR Quote
Remove lights from camera so they can be closer to your subject, problem solved.
I do work with off-camera flash, but if the flash (or more accurately your diffusion surface) is closer to the critter than the end of the lens, then you're effectively negating your working distance advantage, and might as well be using a shorter focal length. That being said, I didn't say it couldn't be done, I just said you'll need more power and a larger surface, and that for me the trade-off becomes unattractive. Again, YMMV.

Digitalis, our respective styles of macro shooting are apparently very different. Of course, if you're willing to shoot with low DoF (F/5.6), you need much less flash power. Also, the shots you posted are not very high magnification - certainly not the whole body shot of a large dragonfly. As I said, for me, a really long (180mm+) macro lens really starts to shine when you put a Raynox on it. I rarely do whole body shots of dragonflies, but here's a damselfly with a Vivitar Series 1 105mm F/2.5 Macro. Magnification probably around 1:2 or 1:3 (and damselflies are much smaller than dragonflies). I had no trouble approaching with the 105mm.





This is the type of shot for which I use my 180mm combo (with a Raynox DCR-250). Two and four-shot focus stacks, respectively.







01-20-2016, 08:13 AM   #35
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QuoteOriginally posted by Doundounba Quote
I do work with off-camera flash, but if the flash (or more accurately your diffusion surface) is closer to the critter than the end of the lens, then you're effectively negating your working distance advantage,.
More room to position lights will be a win, no? I've done some 1:1 magnification (and higher) with stacked reversed lenses and the working distance was just dreadful. Getting a diffuser in there is much more awkward than with the dfa100mm@ 1:1, which is still sometimes tricky. Having more breathing room for lightning stuff is usually appreciated, even if you still end up with stuff the same distance to your subject.

What kind of working distance are you getting with your 180mm + raynox 250?
01-20-2016, 08:21 AM   #36
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QuoteOriginally posted by MJSfoto1956 Quote
much cheaper (and providing the same IQ) would be to pick up an old Nikkor 200mm Micro then use an "Adaptist" adapter to mount on your Pentax K. If you were looking at only macro you could skip the Adaptist route and just get a Nikon->PentaxK "macro" adapter without glass from China for about $9. Here's an eBay listing for an AI Micro Nikkor from Japan: Excellent Nikon AI s Micro Nikkor 200mm F 4 AIS from Japan | eBay. Not sure why anyone would pay $3k for such a lens. But hey, I'm just being practical.
That Nikkor does not seem to be a 1x (1:1) magnification. Wonder why it is cheaper?
01-20-2016, 08:24 AM   #37
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QuoteOriginally posted by Doundounba Quote
Besides the crazy expense, I find that, in my experience, there's a point where having more working distance actually becomes a hindrance to good macro lighting. You need an even larger diffuser and much more flash power. While I love my poor man's 1:1 180mm macro (Tamron Adaptall SP 52BB plus 01F) when shooting with a Raynox in the roughly 1.5:1 to 3:1 range, I find the working distance actually a little too much when shooting with just the lens at or below 1:1. YMMV...
My concern with using an overly long macro lens (and I did use an A* 200/4 Macro - but not often enough - for a few years) is that that greater working distance is both an advantage and a disadvantage (it can be a "bug" as well as a feature), and it is not just from lighting considerations.

While it is nice to get far enough from bugs so as to not disturb them, and it is nice to have the ability to occasionally get macro shots of flowers that are somewhat high off the ground or rather far on the other side of a fence, etc., this advantage comes at a price. If I am trying to shoot something from somewhat above, I need to get a stepladder (which I don't usually carry it my kit bag) to be able to get far enough above the subject (or take advantage of a convenient porch or steps, etc., when available on occasion). I have found, when using a long macro lens, that most shots are constrained to be sort of horizontal shots (which is fine sometimes, but which is also a requirement forced upon me sometimes too, simply due to the long working distance).

My most used macros are the A 50/2.8 Macro and the Tokina AT-X 90/2.5 Macro -- the working distances are quite convenient for me nearly all the time. I might occasionally use a Vivitar 28/2 Close Focusing, but lighting/shadowing can sometimes be problematic with it. I also might also occasionally use a Vivitar 135/2.8 Close Focusing, but the working distance can sometimes start to be constraining for some subjects in some locations.

So, I am just trying to point out another consideration from using a longer macro lens. Obviously, due to the subject matter and shooting style, YMMV.

01-20-2016, 04:00 PM   #38
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QuoteOriginally posted by shardulm Quote
That Nikkor does not seem to be a 1x (1:1) magnification. Wonder why it is cheaper?
The Nikon 200mm f/4 ED-IF AF Micro-NIKKOR is a 1:1 capable lens.
01-21-2016, 07:57 PM   #39
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QuoteOriginally posted by starjedi Quote
Apparently wrong. Or it is a prerelease copy?
QuoteOriginally posted by Sandy Hancock Quote
The description says it is designed for digital cameras and has SDM autofocus. A rare find indeed
QuoteOriginally posted by Sandy Hancock Quote
Of course it's wrong! It makes me dubious about the whole listing.
Detailed Item info is autopopulated from Ebay in most cases. They obviously have an error in their database.
01-21-2016, 08:44 PM - 1 Like   #40
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Macro, focus stacking, flash... nah.... you guys just need a DA 10-17.... $300

01-21-2016, 09:08 PM   #41
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QuoteOriginally posted by noelpolar Quote
Macro, focus stacking, flash... nah.... you guys just need a DA 10-17.... $300
LOL - I too have used the fisheye in this way with some success. It all depends on the subject and fore/background conditions. But for a few shots, the fisheye was quite capable.
01-21-2016, 09:33 PM   #42
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QuoteOriginally posted by noelpolar Quote
Macro, focus stacking, flash... nah.... you guys just need a DA 10-17.... $300
Distance to subject on that one? That is a quite remarkable shot.
01-21-2016, 10:26 PM   #43
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QuoteOriginally posted by jatrax Quote
Distance to subject on that one? That is a quite remarkable shot.
It flew away afterwards..... so I mustn't of squashed it...... but it was close.....based on MFD of 14cm (to the sensor?) then maybe 5-7cm? Similar with this frog.


Frog Eye with Fish eye.jpg
by Noel Leahy, on Flickr

Last edited by noelpolar; 01-21-2016 at 10:33 PM.
01-21-2016, 10:33 PM   #44
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Interesting, I am going to have to try that. Of course, getting there is the fun part
01-21-2016, 10:36 PM   #45
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QuoteOriginally posted by jatrax Quote
Interesting, I am going to have to try that. Of course, getting there is the fun part
Maybe an aerosol can of Ether.....
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