Medical Nikkor 200mm

Cap'n Bill

Cap'n Bill

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I bought one of these lenses recently off the forum. I wasn't at all sure what I was buying though while I was waiting for it I tracked down some information on the MIR website.

It's a strange beast, fixed focus with auxiliary lenses and built in flash and pilot lighting.

What I received was as described in the ad, a Medical Nikkor 200mm f5.6 v2 lens, no caps, original box and six spare pilot lamps. I also have the LD-1 battery power supply in its very tatty leatherette case. The lens and power supply are in what a dealer would call Exc+ condition I think.

What I don't have the synch cord for the flash or the 3 pin plug and socket cable for the battery box to the lens. This was stated in the Advert, no complaint. The synch cord is standard Nikon, no problem. The power cord is an oddity and I have not been able to track down a replacement or equivalent.

I have made quite a lot of progress. I have sorted the pin outs of the power supply socket. There is a 3V output for the pilot lamps and a 450V output for the flash head. I made a connecting cable up with improvised plug and socket and tested the flash and pilot bulbs. All work. Trigger voltage is measured at 28.5V but this may be low, I have seen elsewhere that it is 30.5V An instruction leaflet has been found on the web and I now have focus distance and depth of field tables for the lens combinations. Problems with the aperture control and removing the front cover to get access to the pilot lamps have been solved. Just stiction due to lack of use. Now all moving smoothly.

Plans are to replace the 3V MES pilot lamps with 6V MES LED lamps, these are available as vintage vehicle or bicycle replacements so no problem. I will slightly modify the battery box to allow me to use 4 x 1.5V AA cells in place of the left hand pair of 'D' cells which provide the 3V. I'll make up a 2 core cable to interconnect power supply to lens.

The flash unit I will probably not use. It's a very basic ring flash with just two power settings, full and 1/4. The trigger voltage is too high so I would need a Wein safe synch or similar isolator.

The optics are all clean and the lens produces nice images as far as I can see in my initial tests. It does need a tripod collar though and one is on its way from China. I have been using the lens on my Sony A7 with a macro focus rack and Haig powerhead which I usually use for remote control photography but it serves as poor man's substitute for a geared ball head.

Here is one of the first images, taken in daylight plus desk lamp and of no photographic merit but shows promise of what the lens can do. x1/2 magnification, f16


half-9806.jpg
 
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I saw the ad for this in the classifieds and was intrigued. It looked like a fun little project (and indeed sounds as though it is) but I have other priorities at the moment so only did some basic research. As I understand it you add additional lenses behind the main lens in order to get you to the required magnification. One thing I couldn't figure out was if the lens is able to focus to infinity, both with and without the adopters (I was trying to figure out how it would compare to a more standard, long focal length macro lens). I also had concerns about how adding several adopters would impact IQ but it looks like you are getting good results.

Does the power cable do anything other than power the built in ring flash? Sorry I can't help source the missing component but hope you manage to track it down. Seems like a nice, interesting piece and would be great to get it into full working order.
 
It's an interesting looking lens and one which tickles my fancy, too. I was wondering how it might perform as a tube lens with a microscope lens in front but I'm not sure. I don't think you'd be able to use the inbuilt flash with such a setup but I believe it can be switched off and even removed? I'll be interested to see how you get on with it, especially when used at 3:1. Did you get the additional lenses with it?
 
Thanks for the interest. I have tried to answer the questions raised

TimmyG said:
One thing I couldn't figure out was if the lens is able to focus to infinity, both with and without the adopters (I was trying to figure out how it would compare to a more standard, long focal length macro lens).

I also had concerns about how adding several adopters would impact IQ but it looks like you are getting good results.

Does the power cable do anything other than power the built in ring flash?
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The lens cannot focus to infinity, it is strictly fixed focus. With no add on lens the magnification is x1/15. Focus is at 11' and depth of field at f8 is +4.3"/ -4" With x2 magnification, focus is at 4.17" and depth of field at f8 is +/- 0.005"

The add on lenses screw onto the font of the lens. The focus chart shows them being stacked in pairs but I haven't tried this yet. You probably wouldn't want to use more than two stacked lenses to maintain quality.

The power cable supplies the two in-lens lighting systems; the pilot bulbs which are activated by a press switch on the side of the lens and the ring flash. I understand that the cable was also used in other Nikon flashguns of the period.

WingTsun said:
It's an interesting looking lens and one which tickles my fancy, too. I was wondering how it might perform as a tube lens with a microscope lens in front but I'm not sure. I don't think you'd be able to use the inbuilt flash with such a setup but I believe it can be switched off and even removed? I'll be interested to see how you get on with it, especially when used at 3:1. Did you get the additional lenses with it?
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The flash doesn't have to be powered up or it can be switched off at the battery box. I suppose the tube could also be removed permanently but I'm trying to keep things original apart from uprating the pilot bulbs with LED equivalents. I did get all the lenses and will post pictures at higher magnification later. Due to the basic setup I was using x1/2 was a practical maximum in my early trials.
 
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Bill, I'd also be interested to see a pic of the lens and extra lens attachments. There isn't a mass of information available on this lens and it definitely tweaks my interest. The only person I know who's used one is Bjorn Rorslett, a friend of mine in Norway. I was chatting to him on the phone a few days ago and meant to ask him about this lens as I'd seen the ad on SC, too. As usual, I forgot, though as I hadn't spoken to him for a while and just ended up catching up on life! However, on his lens survey page:

http://www.naturfotograf.com/lens_spec.html

he writes:

Another example of Nikon's commitment to producing speciality lenses, it came with a built-in ring flash to make medical photography quick and simple. The flash is powered by a separate battery pack, or a mains AC/DC adapter.
Image quality cannot match modern close-focusing designs, though. You only have fixed reproduction rates which are achieved by combining members of a set of dedicated close-up lenses. The lens itself has no means of focusing.
However, it's my preferred lens for ant photography (not joking; ants do produce unpleasant acids and a long working distance is needed!)

If he uses it for any of his photography, no matter his 2/5 scoring of the lens, it must be capable of some pretty decent results. What I'd love to know, though, is how it would fare with a 10X or 20X microscope lens attached to the front!
 
My pictures won't add much to those on the mir sites here and here but if there is something specific you want a picture of please let me know and I will see what I can do.

You may also find the instruction books useful, here in English and French. The French version is useful because the tables are in mm.
 
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Cap'n Bill said:
My pictures won't add much to those on the mir sites here and here but if there is something specific you want a picture please let me know and I will see what I can do.

You may also find the instruction books useful, here in English and French. The French version is useful because the tables are in mm.
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Thanks for those Bill. I hadn't found the second link. Many thanks!!
 
Couple of pictures and description of set up posted on 'Show us your macro rig' thread.
 
I believe the chap who sold it has another one still for sale (plus a similar yashica) I was tempted but since i shoot canon that would have also meant an adaptor and i didnt fancy explaining all that to swimbo.
 
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big soft moose said:
I believe the chap who sold it has another one still for sale (plus a similar yashica) I was tempted but since i shoot canon that would have also meant an adaptor and i didnt fancy explaining all that to swimbo.
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Thanks for that. Yes, have just (hopefully) snagged the second Nikon.
 
Still very much feeling my way with x1 and x2 magnification. Haven't tried x3 yet.
My macro rig has evolved somewhat with better control of the macro rail focus and also I have started using a desk plate rather than a tripod. the great virtue is that the specimen doesn't have to be brought forward to the camera so position of lights is much easier. On the downside I have been banished to my workshop as SWMBO is fed up with the chaos in the conservatory.

Macro desk rig-09811.jpg


So far I have only tried simple objects. This is the face of an LED 'torch' (MES) bulb of the type I fitted in the Medical Nikkor on-board illumination

At x1 f11 DoF is =/-0.64mm. I tried to get 0.5mm steps just to try the DRO (digital scale) usability

MES LEDs x1-.jpg

And this is with the x2 lens. DoF +/- 0.16. I tried to get 0.25mm steps but that was the very limit of feasibility, rack on the focus wheel is just too coarse.

MES LEDs x2-.jpg

Both images stacked with CombineZP

Long way to go and a lot to learn.
 
Interesting thread this, I have never heard of these lens before now, anyway couple of days ago I opened YouTube and there was a video on a (never heard of lens) for me anyway, I'd guess a more up to date lens than your talking about here. Try youtubing medical lens.
 
I got the idea from a video on macro work where the demonstrator used a Kirk Enterprises Low Pod with a Manfrotto geared head. He variously added a manual rail slider or a Stackshot on top.

Mine cost rather less.

It's the base of a Toshiba TV which I didn't use as the TV is wall mounted. It's solid and quite heavy. I dismantled it and modified it to take an Arco Swiss compatible clamp. In place of a geared head I fitted my Hague motorised head which like a geared head doesn't tend to drift once set.
 
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Graham said:
Interesting thread this, I have never heard of these lens before now, anyway couple of days ago I opened YouTube and there was a video on a (never heard of lens) for me anyway, I'd guess a more up to date lens than your talking about here. Try youtubing medical lens.
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View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-MHCrq817U

This is the only one I found It's the same lens, actually a littler earlier judging by the serial number but he does have the leads to use the flash. Flash on mine does work but I don't think I'll use it. All the other control rings are just a calculator for the flash and a system for recording the magnification. It just bleeds a little light from the flash through a transparent scale back onto the film.
 
Cap'n Bill said:
I got the idea from a video on macro work where the demonstrator used a Kirk Enterprises Low Pod with a Manfrotto geared head. He variously added a manual rail slider or a Stackshot on top.

Mine cost rather less.

It's the base of a Toshiba TV which I didn't use as the TV is wall mounted. It's solid and quite heavy. I dismantled it and modified it to take an Arco Swiss compatible clamp. In place of a geared head I fitted my Hague motorised head which like a geared head doesn't tend to drift once set.
Click to expand...

Brilliant. Love these type of solutions! I'm regularly kicked out of our conservatory! :D
 
Cap'n Bill said:
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-MHCrq817U

This is the only one I found It's the same lens, actually a littler earlier judging by the serial number but he does have the leads to use the flash. Flash on mine does work but I don't think I'll use it. All the other control rings are just a calculator for the flash and a system for recording the magnification. It just bleeds a little light from the flash through a transparent scale back onto the film.
Click to expand...
I looked in my Youtube history, here it is.
Ok I know it says M4/3 but there is always adaptors.
View: https://youtu.be/3Ju7H08J-lU
 
Thanks. Quite interesting but can't say I'm tempted. It seems that there is an E mount version and a Canon M version as well. £349 at Amazon.
 
This is turning into quite a project. Following comments made by a forum member I have milled flats onto the DRO support bar to stop it twisting and have decided to commission the ring flash.The trigger voltage is 28,5V measured, too high for my Sony cameras so I dug out some components and soldering iron and built an isolator. As is so often the case with DIY electronics, breadboard is easy, workable, decent looking finished job is very time consuming. Eventually I used the case from a faulty wireless trigger which gave me a 3.5mm input jack and parallel wired hotshoe and just enough space to fit a circuit board. The battery was a bit if a nightmare but eventually I got a 4.5V battery made from three button cells into the space. The trigger hotshoe gave me problems so I used a cable with a pc socket plugged into an old hotshoe adapter.

The other problem was the cable, or rather the connectors. I had been using three separate connectors (proper 3mm insulated plugs and sockets) but a moment of carelessness resulted in firstly the LEDs then me getting the full on 450V output of the flash circuit. So I have started making some moulded plugs from epoxy putty. They look dreadful at the moment but repeated filling and sanding should bring them to a resemblance of a proper job.

So this is the new set up. I'm not completely happy as there is too much play in the vertical stack. The tripod clamp was the best I could locate but is still a few mm oversized and packed with foam to make it fit. I'll change the foam to cork and do away with the QR plate to reduce the height and stiffen the structure slightly.

Next job is a better focus rail. I don't think there is any scope to further improve the present one so I am looking at building an arduino controlled stepper motor system. This may take some time, it's many years since I did any C programming and I was never much good.

One day I may get round to taking some photographs.

synch isolator.jpg
 
Thank you. I had already read that thread and found some very good ideas in it. One question, are you happy with the Velbon slider as a basis? I have heard mixed reports about it, though it is clearly better for the job than my very basic unit.
 
Oh my - thats one hell of a setup! Is this mostly for indoor photography on dead insects or are you able to lug it about outside, I'd have thought it would be quite restrictive for the latter? Cant wait to see some photos with that (y)
 
Designed for indoor use only but I did use it on the edge of my pond to photograph frogs, Different lens FE 38-70mm and with Hague powerhead in remote control mode and the camera on Sony smart remote control from an Android tablet.

Worked fine though pictures nothing special.
 
Avia x1.5.jpg

This is a quick attempt with multiple lenses, x1 plus x1/2. Photo at f22 not stacked. Watch was my Father's Avia. Must date from end of war period and he wore it constantly till his death about 20 years ago.
 
Hi
Interesting thread, Im hoping to get the remaining Yashica lens next week. I'm sure that some of the info found here will be useful in getting my unit setup.
Dave
 
Well this may be my last post on this thread, I will post further images under the general macro images section,

The Medical Nikkor has been an interesting project. The flash and focus lighting are sorted and the latter much improved with high output LEDs. It's a lot better with a tripod mount lens clamp.

I have built a usable desk rig for it. The rig has been improved by removing the QR plates and screwing items together directly which makes it all more rigid, and by substituting a Velbon Mag Super Slider in place of the cheap Chinese slider. I'm not very impressed by the Velbon, focus is fine but the bevel gears mesh harshly and have a tight spot, not the smooth action that I hoped for. It does let me use fine focus steps though and will be a platform for an Arduino based stepper in the future.

The lens performs very well on the whole and I am please I added it to my equipment list. I now need to practice and learn more about macro in the x1 and beyond world. I must also dig out and reread my copy of Light, Science and Magic.

To finish, a couple of images. The bee's wing is x1 and the resistor is x2 (they are 6.3mm long to give an idea of scale). Processed in CombineZP and lightly copped to remove edge artefacts but basically full frame.

MedNik x1- Bee wing -.jpg

MedNik x2 - resistor-.jpg
 
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