Hello,

Here's a question. I recently purchased a Hexanon 55mm F3.5 Macro lens from Adorama. It was billed as 1:1 Macro. The camera arrived without an extension tube. I called Adorama and their used sales manager had me describe the writing on the lens and then he said that the lens did not need an extension tube. It was already 1:1 This is at variance to the info in Mike Le Pard's Photobluebook.

I have never used a Macro lens and don't know if he's right. Every other 55mm Macro I see says "with 1:1 adapter."

Please help me determine if I need an an extension to make this lens 1:1.

An additional question is: What is the filter thread size of the 200mm F3.5 Hexanon. Greg Weber is sending me one. The 200 Hexar I used to own had 62mm threads. What's the answer?

Thanks, David S Smith

-- Anonymous, March 01, 2001

Answers

55mm Hexanon f3.5 Macro 1:2 w/o ext. tube

Hi David,

Congratulations on purchasing a fine Hexanon macro lens and for mentioning you found some helpful info at my webpage. To be honest, I have heard without the extension tube it is only a 1:2 lens and with the tube it is 1:1 so I think Adorama doesn't know this and you should explain nicely that it needs the tube to be 1:1.

I will be getting one in the mail tomorrow so I'll know 100% for sure, but right now I'm easily 99.9% sure it needs that ext. tube to be 1:1.

The filter size of the 200mm f3.5 Hexanon should be 67mm. It is a great lens (that I don't own...yet haha). Though I do own a 200mm f4.

Does this help you?

Happy Konica shooting!

Mike LePard The Photography Blue Book web site http://photobluebook.virtualave.net/

-- Anonymous, March 01, 2001

55mm Macro & other questions

Hi David,

The 55mm macro lens is not 1:1 without the extension tube. It is 1:2. Konica never made a 1:1 lens. (There were some 55's made that go all the way to 1:1, Vivitar for example, possibly the reason for the confusion. These are recognizable by the fact that they uses a double helicoid and have a huge amount of extension.) Some good news for you... KEH has two of the correct extensions listed on their website right now and they aren't expensive. One is $19 & the other is $21. The correct extension is important if you want to use it for auto compensation of the f/stop at longer extensions. (otherwise you could just use generic extension tubes, 50-55mm worth to get to 1:1, which would work with other lenses as well, of course)

As to the 200/3.5, that should use a 67mm filter. Now a question... my Hexar 200/4 has a 55mm filter size. ??? The only 62mm sizes I recall on the Konica lens line were the 57/1.2 & 135/2.5.

Hope this helps.

Alan Myers San Jose, Calif.

-- Anonymous, March 01, 2001