The 85mm f/2.8D PC Micro Nikkor
by
Roger Eritja
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FIELD TESTS
We began field testing after engaging
a group of ants and agreeing on a suitable portion of honey
as compensation. With their help we tested the 85mm PC Micro
Nikkor alone and with a PK-13 extension ring. In the course
of the test were able to attest the conservative design of
objective: no lightfall nor vignetting were present ever.
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85mm f/2.8D PC Micro Nikkor in the field
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The image above, made near 1X (life-size)
at f/22, shows the clear benefit of tilting the 85mm
PC downwards, with a PK-13 ring, over the classic conventional,
and only possible alternative made with the 105mm Micro
Nikkor as show at right.
By
clicking over any of the two you may see a comparative
composite. |
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Later,
tests with longer working distances and bigger subjects were
made possible thanks to the flowers in the dinning room.
This
time we just worked with the 85mm PC. The image was
proposed at a distance of 0.90 meters, approximately
one yard, and pro ceded to shoot without any shift or
tilt, at normal position, as shown at right. |
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Then
we completely tilted the lens to a side. We wanted to
explore tilting as a creative resource, not to have everything
in focus, but to apply focus selectively. The result of
inclining the lens towards the right and then recomposing
is shown at right.
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The
composition is now successfully altered, placing emphasis
in just one flower. The inclination of the lens allowed for
a symmetrical tilting movement without change in the perspective.
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then our interest was turned to the flower in focus, since
it had kept its fragile and interesting stem. As customary,
all were at the same plane at a certain height over the
petals, which forces a conventional take, basically frontal. |
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| After
making the classic image, we took advantage of tilting.
Displaced the tripod to the right, rotated the entire
camera to the left and then tilted the lens to the right.
¿Result? Optical magic allowed for keeping all
stem in focus. |
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With
a normal objective a closed-down aperture approach would have
been required, altering the background.
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