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SPECIFICATIONS
Below a table with main specs.
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Phoenix AF 100mm f/3.5 Macro Telephoto Lens
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| Diameter |
68.5mm |
| Length |
68.5mm |
| Weight |
307g - 10.8 oz |
| Filter Size |
49mm |
| Maximum Aperture |
f/3.5 |
| Minimum Aperture |
f/22 |
| Groups/Elements |
4/5 |
| Angle of View |
24° |
| Macro Magnification Ratio |
1:2 |
| With Macro Adaptor |
1:1 |
| Minimum Focusing Distance |
42.6 cm - 1.4 ft |
Price
As of Dec. 2003 at B&H Photo Video, New York, NY |
US$130 |
MECHANICAL PERFORMANCE
In the hand, the Phoenix looks and feels like a hard plastic toy. It is very
light weight. The autofocus is extremely slow and rather noisy - not really an
issue with macro lenses of course. The manual focus is quite loose, but has a
very long throw enabling quite precise focus to be achieved.
Looking into the rear of the lens, it is possible to see the focus gearing -
there is no dust sealing of any sort. It's possible that exposure to harsh
conditions would spell the death-knell of the little Phoenix. However, it is so
(relatively) cheap that one tends not to baby it. Over a couple of years mine
has been exposed to beach and desert conditions with no problems at all.
One small but thoughtful touch is that the body has a molded non-slip area
to grip when mounting or dismounting the lens. I don't recall seeing this on any
other optic.
The aperture ring has a notchy feel, and there are no half-stop detents.
There is no minimum-aperture lock. (Another common misconception - on current AF
Nikon bodies it is necessary to set the lens to its smallest aperture, but it is not necessary to lock it.)
OPTICAL PERFORMANCE
It is in the optical department that the Phoenix 100mm f/3.5 macro lens
shines. It is really quite sharp, with excellent center resolution, and pretty
good at the edges. Stopped down to f/8 or smaller, there is very little to pick
between this lens and more expensive types. It does not match the superb Tamron
180mm f/3.5 macro but it certainly is on a par with the Nikkor 28-105mm f3.5-4.5D IF AF in macro mode, and much better than that lens at the edges. It is possible to
count the hairs on an insect's body, though they don't show the hard-edged
crispness of the Tamron or a micro-Nikkor.
Mounting the 1:1 adapter (a 49mm screw-in two-element filter) allows the lens
to focus in to life size reproduction. Again, once stopped down the results are
quite respectable, especially in the center. The edges are quite acceptable.
Contrast is excellent in the "bare" mode, and not too bad with the adapter. Color rendition is a little cool.
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