> I am shooting with the Nikon 70-180 Micro
> AF Zoom (which I dearly love). With the 6T
> close up dioper attached I can get a life
> size image with no noticeable loss of sharpness.
> The problem is that I would like to get a
> greater than life size image, say 2X or maybe
> even 3X. Which would be the best way to accomplish
> this with this zoom?
The simplest way to double the magnification ratio
is to use a 2x teleconverter. Unfortunately, it'll
also turn your f5.6 lens into an f11 :-(
> Would extension tubes do the job (I am not sure if
> extension tubes will have the same effect on this
> lens as a normal zoom),
It takes a lot of extension to get 2:1 out of a
telephoto lens. You could do it, but at 2:1 it
would effect your effective aperture the same as the
teleconverter, your camera-to-subject distance would
be less, and you wouldn't be able to focus to infinity.
> or perhaps as John Shaw pointed out in his book
> "Close Ups In Nature", I could reverse mount
> another lens to the front of the Micro Zoom.
I've tried that. It's hard to find a lens combination
that doesn't vignette.
> Would a wide angle lens, say 35mm, be a more
> appropriate lens to use in this case, or maybe
> even a 20mm?
If you've got a 35mm, I'd suggest that you get a
reversing ring and some extension tubes and use those
for magnification ratios greater than 1:1, and use
the zoom for ratios up to 1:1.
> Maybe I should just do as some have suggested and
> purchase a Tokina 400mm and some extension tubes.
That wouldn't even get you close to 1:1.
-Don
