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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
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
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