105 AF-S VR; worth it?

[davephdv 0]

I've mounted the Subal 120 FP with the 105 AF-S VR lens on my Subal D2X housing. You pull out the MF knob a little (it is spring loaded) slide the camera in and then release the MF knob.

 

Alternatively you can mount the camera in the housing without the lens attached then mount the lens and then the FP 120. You can do this without having to pull out the MF knob on the housing. The gear turns a very little when you mount the lens but it doesn't push the knob out any.

 

Is there a reason you are not suppose to do this?

 

I tried all my ext. rings with this lens. The 20 mm ext ring fits over the lenses MF/AF switch. The 33, 40, 50, 60 and 66 mm ext. rings do not fit over this switch. To use the 60 focus FP you would have to have the focusing gear removed.

 

Note; it looks as if the 60 mm focus FP with the 20 mm ext. ring would be long enough for this lens. though as I didn't have the focus gear on my 60 mm port removed I cannot actually try this combo out.

[Alex_Mustard 0]

I tried this lens yesterday with my Subal D2X - and it did not fit.

 

It is not a port issue - more that the MF/Zoom gear on the side of the housing hits the switches on the side of the lens. I was not prepared to put as much pressure on the knob as Dave. Maybe if I had it would not have fitted.

 

I don't think that there will be a problem with the Subal D70 as the MF/Zoom gear is in a different place (further back) on that housing.

 

Alex

[Viz'art 24]

Is this unique to the S2Pro or was the performance on the D70 equally bad? And are you referring to the lens by itself or in combination with a TC/extension tube? Fast autofocus esp. in low-light would be THE reason to upgrade my existing 105mm.

 

I didn't try on the D70s, this was more of a personal test to see if I keep my two S2pro or sell them. the lens was without accessories, no filter, nada. my conclusion is until I have time to do a proper side by side test, not just a grab and point one, i'll refrain from selling the cameras. The locking on the subject in low light with a Fuji S2pro was better on my old 105, that's all I conclude for now.

 

A test quicky with the D200 in low light demonstrated quite the opposite, I think the Fuji steam powered multicam system is Flintstone technology and thus is hard pressed to deal with industrial revolution material.

 

BTW Aquatica just got their lens yesterday and tell me the lens fits in the Aquatica macro port and extension.

[UWPhotoTech 0]

I've mounted the Subal 120 FP with the 105 AF-S VR lens on my Subal D2X housing. You pull out the MF knob a little (it is spring loaded) slide the camera in and then release the MF knob.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Hi Dave,

 

Good news that the lens will mount on the Subal D2X housing. I tried the lens on a D200 and a D70 housing and the FP-120 port would not mount at all. I did have to pull back on the Zoom/MF gear quite a bit to install the lens on the body.

 

The cog for the Zoom/MF gear is contacting the switch control plate on the side of the lens. Turning this control will obviously damage the finish on the switch plate.

 

I've been in touch with Subal on this issue, I'm confident that once they get the lens in their hands they will make the necessary modifications so that this lens will work in their housings properly.

[Alex_Mustard 0]

So that Subal don't get inundated with emails, Dave (M), could you ask if the you can easily take off the gear from the end of the Zoom/MF control. It has a screw in the end that looks very simple to remove, but I thought it is probably best to ask first?

 

Obviously I could just email them. But so that they don't have to answer the same question many times - it might be better if you forward this on and then post an answer?

 

Alex

[UWPhotoTech 0]

So that Subal don't get inundated with emails, Dave (M), could you ask if the you can easily take off the gear from the end of the Zoom/MF control. It has a screw in the end that looks very simple to remove, but I thought it is probably best to ask first?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

As I service these housings as well as sell them, I can answer the question w/o bothering the fine folks at Subal. The screw you're referring to not only holds the drive cog in place it also holds the entire knob and shaft in place. You could remove the gear, replace it with a washer so that the coil spring behind it stays in place and then secure it with the screw. But this does not sound like an ideal situation to me, you may want the gear for manual focus or zoom control with another lens. I think it's best to wait for Subal to do their testing and come up with a more workable solution.

[randapex 0]

I'm trying to follow this but not sure if I'm understanding it all. My question is:

 

If I put a 2xtc on the body, then the lens, does this extend the switch out far enough to put the port on and clear the zoom geaer? My thought is, since I use MF exclusively with the TC, will this combo work?

 

Rand

[TomR1 5]

You may wish to reconsider your "MF exclusively" approach. This puppy focuses fast enough to pick off those little blennies when they pop out of the hole and I know you wouldn't want me to get those shots first.

 

I am going to wait on Ike to fix the extension problem and count on Ike's iTTL to catch those little puppies in action.

 

Tom

[james 0]

Hi Tom,

 

Does the new 105 AFS even fit into the Ikelite port? That's an important detail :-)

 

Cheers

James

[randapex 0]

Hi Tom,

 

The problem (Well it's a problem to me ) is the AF will lock on the wrong area. Yes, you can lock focus and re-compose but...try it on a Pygmy. LOL! Your window to snap the shutter is milliseconds. But, you could be right.

 

I've got to make sure it will fit my current set-up before I purchase one for Lembeh. I leave in two weeks so, time is short. Not even sure it's available to the "common" man.

 

Rand

[UWPhotoTech 0]

I'm trying to follow this but not sure if I'm understanding it all. My question is:

If I put a 2xtc on the body, then the lens, does this extend the switch out far enough to put the port on and clear the zoom geaer? My thought is, since I use MF exclusively with the TC, will this combo work? Rand

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Rand,

 

I don't have all the pieces of the puzzle (no 105VR in stock) to test this at this time but you're scenario should work. The 2X TC should move the lens out far enough to clear the gear. BUT, It may still have a problem hitting against the mount if an extension ring is being used with your Focus Control port. AND, I have not tested MF operation yet, I'm hoping it will setup similar to the Canon 100 USM and be driven directly by the ports focus cog against the lenses grip rubber (with a minor build up of the lens grip rubber if necessary).

[TomR1 5]

Rand,

If you are going through LA this uncommon man has one he could lend you.

 

I tried to track fish in my fish tank from about 12" away. I was able to catch a 1/2" fish with relative ease. simply by setting the AF to the center and centering on the subject. Now if you want to do some fancy composing, well, good luck. Me, i just crop.

 

Tom

[davephdv 0]

Here is a picture of the housing with the camera and lens mounted. You slide the camera gently into the housing until the front of the MF/Zoom gear touches the switches on the side of the lens. You then gently pull out the MF/Zoom knob about 3 mm and then slide the camera/lens/tray all the way in and lock it. The MF/Zoom knob doesn't rest on the lens switches. It rest just behind them. You can see this in the picture. I didn't apply a lot of pressure on the MF/Zoom gear knob. It has a spring on the shaft and pulls in and out. It just barely doesn't clear the switches on the lens. As I said you probably have to pull it out 2 or 3 mm. It appears that the MF/Zoom gear and knob is not pushed out by the lens when the camera and lens are fully mounted in the housing. You just have to pull it out a little to get by the panel with the switches on the lens.

[davephdv 0]

A closer picture.

[Rocha 0]

That is one fat lens! And you can actually attach the FP120 with only that much clearance between the housing and the lens?? Amazing!

 

Now, after more than 4,000 shots with my D2x, I was comparing pictures taken with my 105 to others taken with the 60 and 17-55 (of similar subjects, usually fish). The ones taken with the 105 are invariably softer and lots of them appear backfocussed. Have you guys ever noticed anything similar? I was thinking about sending my 105 for service, but I remember that I bought it a loooong time ago and it was a grey market lens, so I think Nikon USA won't touch it. I also thought about sending my D2x for focus callibration, but it focusses perfectly with my other lenses... Decisions...

 

Luiz

[davephdv 0]

Yes, the FP 120 fits fine. It's not close at all to being a tight fit.

 

My old style 105 I have found to be my sharpest lens. Maybe you have a bad copy. Or maybe I'm a poor judge of what a sharp lens is.

[Rocha 0]

That's great Dave, in that case I will get one for me. I hope that subal comes up with a port with a manual focussing knob, I am sure they will, as I think this will be a very popular lens among UW photographers. I've been thinking of adding a 1.7x (or 2x) TC to my system, do you have any of these? Do you know how long they are? I mean, would they fit with the 20mm EXR and the FP120?

 

Yes, I think you are right, and I do think I have a bad 105. I was reviewing some slides, and I think they are not as sharp as the ones I took with the 60 or even other lesser zoom lenses. I am anxious to getting one of these. Dave Marsh (sorry for the last name, too many Daves around here ), do you have any idea when Nikon is going to send you more of these? PM me...

 

Luiz

[Alex_Mustard 0]

Thanks for posting that picture Dave B. It is very encouraging! Although I have the early ND2(H) housing - which does have slightly different controls - which may be the difference? I'll try it again sometime without 3 Nikon guys breathing down my neck (the lens has not been released yet in the UK)! I'll try your technique of mounting the lens on the camera first.

 

Luiz, I don't think that this applies to you, and I do agree with you that the 105mm is not quite as sharp as the 60mm, but one of the reasons that people get softer images with the 105mm underwater is that they shoot it through too much water. I mention this to make a general point as I see far to many photographers shooting 100/105mm on muck dives when the less fashionable 50/55/60mm would yield much better results.

 

To quote from Martin Edge's new book that is on my desk "From the outset, let us be quite clear... with our subjects we must endevour to get close physically...if we simply zoom in then our pictures will lack colour, contrast and sharpness".

 

Alex

[UWPhotoTech 0]

I am anxious to getting one of these. Dave Marsh (sorry for the last name, too many Daves around here ), do you have any idea when Nikon is going to send you more of these? PM me... Luiz

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

According to our sales rep, the 105VR's allocation should not be as tight at the D200's and the 18-200's. With that said... we have many on order and have so far only received one!

[davephdv 0]

Couldn't get out on a boat this weekend. Weather was too rough to try a Kayak dive. So I shot the 105 AF-S in a 7 ft pool this weekend.

 

As you see you can shoot this lens with a D2X in a Subal housing. You have to be careful not to knock the AF/MF knob to manual focus when you mount the camera in the housing. It is VERY easy to do this.

 

As a secondary question I include three shots. At F22, F16, and F11. My question is; is the sharpness of the D2X diffraction limited to F16 and less?

[davephdv 0]

First was at F22. This one is F16

[davephdv 0]

Last; F11.

[Rocha 0]

As a secondary question I include three shots. At F22, F16, and F11. My question is; is the sharpness of the D2X diffraction limited to F16 and less?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Yes, according to Herb's math. Check here:

 

http://wetpixel.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=12305

 

But I never felt my images at f22 or above were bad. I guess I will find out when Nikon comes out with a full frame camera, that's only when I will upgrade as I am very please with what I have now...

 

Luiz

 

P.S.: Don't avoid shooting at f22 or above because of this. My 1st place macro shot at the Scuba Diving contest was taken with the D2x at f25.

[davephdv 0]

Look at the pictures and tell me where the diffraction limitation is. I don't care about theoretical calculations. I'm a photographer not an engineer.

 

As an Optometrist I can tell you engineers make the worst patients. ALL Optometrist agree with this.

 

In further explanation I ran the diffraction theory by several professionally trained photographers. They all looked at me like I was nuts and asked "Where are the photo tests to prove this?"

 

So here they are. Rather informally I have been shooting both F16 and F22. The better depth of focus makes the F22 images seem sharper to me. These shots lack depth so I was wondering if you can see a difference in sharpness. Yes I realize they are low res. Jpegs. But can you tell anything from them?

[Rocha 0]

Look at the pictures and tell me where the diffraction limitation is.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Frankly, I don't see it. Are those 100% crops?