Nikon 300mm F9 M

[PatrickMarq]

Patrick, Regardless of how close you focused?

Alan,

I don’t use this lens a lot for closeup images, so I did some measurements.
My bellows are 300mm and the closed I can focus is a distance of +/- 3meter, so for me no extra stops needed.

gr

[Alan Klein]

Alan,

I don’t use this lens a lot for closeup images, so I did some measurements.
My bellows are 300mm and the closed I can focus is a distance of +/- 3meter, so for me no extra stops needed.

gr

Thanks.

[Robert Opheim]

As said by PartrickMarq above, the Nikor M lenses are a bit soft close up. I have a 300mm and a 450mm and they are both wonderful for buildings and landscape / urban images. The 300mm does not have a great deal of coverage on 8x10 format but if you are not using a lot of movements it is great - sharp etc. The 300mm lens is small and light weight and in a modern shutter.

[tgtaylor]

If your camera isn't already equipped with it, a Fresnel will aid focusing immensely.

I'm planning on doing some wide field astrophotography with it mounted on a Toyo 45CF w/Fresnel.. The total weight of the camera with the 300-M is less than 4.5lbs – well within the 11lb weight limit of the tracker. For focusing I'm thinking of centering a bright star on the GG and fine focusing with a loupe/magnifier. Too bad that Acros II is not available in 4x5.

[Alan Klein]

My Chamonix 45H-1 4x5 camera also has an eye level reflex viewfinder that I use sometimes. It's easier to see through the Nikkor 300mm f/9 with it than through wide angle lenses.
https://www.chamonixviewcamera.com/a...es/viewfinders

[xkaes]

It has 350mm bellows draw so no worries.

I use a Fujinon 300mm f8.5 on a Toko 4x5 with 360mm of extension. It's plenty bright enough, and gets me plenty close enough -- so you're all set. When I want to get any closer than that I just use a shorter lens -- which something tells me you have.

[Drew Wiley]

I hate fresnels; never use em. And on 4x5, 300mm has such a narrow angle of incidence that there is no risk of a hot spot on the GG.

How do you plan to keep your film flat during such long exposures, Tom? Vacuum holder?

[Alan Klein]

I hate fresnels; never use em. And on 4x5, 300mm has such a narrow angle of incidence that there is no risk of a hot spot on the GG.

How do you plan to keep your film flat during such long exposures, Tom? Vacuum holder?

4x5 film moves around in the holder, even new ones?

[tgtaylor]

How do you plan to keep your film flat during such long exposures, Tom? Vacuum holder?

Not right off, Drew. All of my 4x5 holders are Toyo's and I am initially going to try without modifying one to see what I get. In the meantime, I'm starting with MF wide-field astro imaging using a P645NII with autoguider. The autoguider and guide scope attaches to the camera's convenient 2d tripod socket for vertical compositions with the actual guiding done with a laptop. I'm planning on trying the 645's 150mm f3.5 and 400mm f/5.6 edif lenses as well as the 200mm f/4 67 lens to see what works best from the darkest skies I can find around here. The 67II w/200mm is well within the trackers payload limits and balances well but it lacks the 2d tripod socket or hot shoe of the 645, so I will need to figure a way of mounting the autoguider to it without having to incur the extra expense of getting the wooden grip. I have a magnifier for the 67 and just ordered a magnifier for the 645 to aid focusing on a bright star. I'm waiting for enerything to come in but will go out starting this weekend, weather permitting, to see how the tracker performs without the autoguider.

[Drew Wiley]

Well, hope it turns out fruitful. Sounds fun. If it were me I'd chicken out and do what so many other widefield photographers have done before - use my P67 300EDIF lens on a smaller camera less vibration prone. But, prior to digital capture taking over much of that, they used P67's with vacuum backs adapted to 220 film, without any intervening paper backing, which is itself next to impossible to get today. I think someone in the club was privately respooling TMX100 from 120 rolls. There are entire web forums dedicated to amateur astrophotography. Interesting stuff; but not my calling. Their idea of a "tripod" might cost $40,000 by itself. Sometimes I've run into them up on the ridgeline of the White Mtn in the Bristlecones up around 10,000 ft, with even huge amateur reflector scopes towed in their dedicated trailers.

The 200 P67 lens in nowhere near as well corrected for these (or other) applications as the 300 and 400 EDIF's, which purposely don't even have a hard stop at ordinary infinity. I'm just about to give my 300 a good workout along the mountains. Sometimes with a deep red filter, it's important to use the eyepiece magnifier with red, and not trust the infinity mark. Hopefully, I won't encounter all the haze and residual forest fire smoke like last time, so can work with just a 22 deep orange instead (daylight work). Hoping to take advantage of some clouds and cooler weather before any potential Fed Govt shutdown interferes, just in case I want to spend an afternoon up around Tioga Pass before heading further south on 395.

I'll have along a 4x5 too, plus a set of Nikkor M lenses. The 300M is optically superior to even the superb Pentax 300 EDIF, and has the same angle of view on a roll film back, with the advantage of movements when those are called for. But for quick infinity work, especially in wind or rain, the P67 tele system is the ticket.

The rotating lens collar mount to the 300EDIF really helps stabilize it if directly attached to a solid platform, and the bit of extra mass of a wooden handle also helps, though I use that handle more like insurance to reduce the risk of dropping a heavier lens setup like that. I have no experience with the even bigger 400EDIF, which wouldn't pack well in my own carry system.

I also have a high quality Nikon F mount adapter for my P67 300, but so far have only used it for a bit of fun wildlife shooting.