WOW -Get yourself a great Christmas Present Nikon 120 Macro

[Ted Harris]

Thanks to Ken Grooms for posting this in the thread about budget macro lenses.

B&H is selling out their remaining Nikkor 120 Macro lenses at $299! An unbelievable price for a great lens. IIRC, the last new price I saw on these was in the $1000 range and the Schneider 120 Macro sells for around $1200 new. Heck a new Copal #0 shutter is ~ $220 so you are paying near nothing for the glass. At the moment they have them both USA and gray market at that price.

This is a great macro lens but it will not cover 4x at infinity.

Even as a specialized optic I can't imagine they will last long at this price. I just ordered one ..... I seldom take my 180 macro out in the field because it is large and heavy and no reason to carry it if I don't need it but this 120 will travel for flowers and leaves, etc.

[David Millard]

Greetings Ted -

I'll graciously accept some credit for that alert The lenses are a steal at that price, but I'm still seeing used ones sell for more on eBay!

Regards,
David

[Ted Harris]

A tip of the hat to David too. More than that on eBay and in various used departments all over the place.

[chris jordan]

Does anyone knokw if it covers 8x10"?

[chris jordan]

Whoops, never mind, I found out the answer (it doesn't...).

[Kirk Gittings]

Just orderd one. Thanks Ted.

[rob]

I felt sorry for people who bid more than $400 for it on ebay recently. I'm wishing the prices of other nikkors LF lenses would go down close to the shutter prices, then I could modernize my lenses.

[Tom Coverdale]

Merry Christmas All! I m confused, the original post commented the lens would not cover 4X5 but the B&H web site listed max format as 5X7. Can anyone clarify for me...Thanks!

[Claude Sapp]

The coverages quoted are @1:1. As you move toward focus at infinity, the coverage circle will get smaller.

[QT Luong]

The image circle of a lens increases with the magnification, as you rack the bellows out.

My understanding is that this lens has a coverage of 55 degrees. Therefore it will cover 5x7 at magnification 1:1, and not even 4x5 at magnification 0. The interesting question left to the geometrically inclined reader is:

what is the minimum magnification for which it will cover 4x5 or 5x7 ?