[Leica] IMG: Macro Experiment with Leica-R 60 Elmarit Macro Lens

[Richard Clompus]

Jim, both images are clear but I prefer the one with the extension tubes.  I have the 2X R Apo extender that produces sharper images than the non-Apo extender.  The Apo is a lot more costly but it does provide additional clarity and contrast compared to the non-Apo version.  Most people probably wouldn’t notice the difference if the image is sharpened a bit.  

Thanks for posting.

Be well,
Richard

Richard Clompus
California

> On Oct 8, 2020, at 11:10 AM, Jim Nichols <jhnichols at lighttube.net> wrote:
> 
> I've been using the Leica-R 60 macro lens for a few days and began wondering which gave the best results, adding the dedicated extension tube or the tube plus the Leica-R 2X Extender.  So, I did a kitchen counter experiment.  Using kitchen lights and a shiny dime, I first combined the dedicated extension tube with the 2X extender and mounted the assembly on an old Star-D tripod.  I adjusted the height so that the image of the dime filled the height of the frame, and took several exposures.  Here is the resulting image:
> 
> http://www.gallery.leica-users.org/v/OldNick/20201008-DSCF2180.JPG.html
> 
> I then removed the 2X Extender and mounted the lens and extension tube as it was intended to be used.  I took several images of the dime, which now filled about half the height of the frame, and cropped the resulting image to match the first one:
> 
> http://www.gallery.leica-users.org/v/OldNick/20201008-DSCF2192.JPG.html
> 
> It is my opinion that the lens/tube combination is sharper without the 2X Extender, even with enlargement.  I am ignoring differences in lighting with this setup.
> 
> -- 
> Jim Nichols
> Tullahoma, TN USA
> 
> 
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