Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/05/03
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I'm adding to my original mail as below: I am also not fond of ringlight, because the light is completely flat. I'd rather use natural light with a tripod, with a diffuser and/or a reflector. Ring light flash produces images that are almost too anatomical and scientific for my taste. You don't get more DOF by using a longer lens either. DOF is a function of magnification, and the focal lengh really has nothing to do with it. While I occasionally used the manual-focus Micro-Nikkor 200mm/1:4 lens for a while, I found the lens to be harsh, and not particularly useful except for insect photography. For flowers, I would much prefer a shorter focal length (50-60mm). I even used a Nikon 28mm/1:2.8 lens that lets you focus down to 20cm for flower photographs with successful results. I wrote: > I don't know why you wouldn't recommend an R8, or a Leica for close-ups. > Macro-Elmarit 60mm is a brilliant lens, and what I hear of APO Macro-Elmarit > 100mm is nothing short of brilliant. I've used a Micro-Nikkor 55mm 1:2.8S, > but I ended up selling it (last week on eBay) because I was never satisfied > of the colour rendition. > > Indeed, autofocus is unnecessary, or even disadvantageous for close-up > photography. It is important to have a brilliant focussing screen for > accurate focussing, and Leicaflex SL, SL2, and R8 are among the best. Nikon > F3 has just a brilliant viewfinder, but you cannot use Leica glass with it > (not without a lot of pain) > > > I have done a lot of macro on flowers and can > > recommend the Nikon with ring flash. > > > > If you don't want or use flash try to get the 200mm > > micro nikkor the extra distance from the subject > > allows much more light and enables much better frame > > filling and better DOF. > > > > I found manual focus is much better for macro work as > > you can choose the critical point of focus which is > > not always in the centre of the frame. > > > > --- Kyle Cassidy <cassidy@netaxs.com> wrote: > >(snip) > > . . . I have things narrowed down to an R8, > > > an F3 which comes > > > >with some great glassware, or a new EOS body with a > > > 28 to 70 f2.8 L > > > >lens. I need an SLR because I do a lot of close ups > > > of flowers. (I've > > > >heard, by the way, that the Leica 60mm macro is a > > > hell of a lens.) > > >