Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2007/09/17
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Henning, I do macro quite a bit and do use a 200 from time to time. One of the problems when you use a 50ish focal length is that you get right on top of your subject and do not have room to light the subject when you are at 2X life size. What I actually do is use a 200 with about 100mm of extension and a two element close up lens. If I stop down to 5.6 or 8 then the sharpness difference is not bad. My other actual choice is a 105 APO Nikor enlarging lens on a bellows which at full extension will give me something around 1.5X magnification. As to the new macro lenses with internal focusing, bah to the lot. At closest focus you are not at the stated focal length and I haven't found them to be as good as my older linear extension lenses near their intended mag factor. What Philippe was talking about sounded like a static object so if you were half a meter away it wouldn't hurt anything. On 9/17/07, Henning Wulff <henningw@archiphoto.com> wrote: > > Don, if you are working in this macro range you do _NOT_ want a 200mm > lens. Just work out the bellows extension. You're beyond arms length > from camera to subject. Also, the long lenses are not corrected for > these reproduction ranges. You want something 80mm or under; probably > something around 50mm is best. I would use my 50mm Photar. If you are > imaging something 5mm square, the lens is close to your subject > anyway, so at least try to get something not too cumbersome, and of > good optical quality. > > I really like my 200mm Micro-Nikkor, but it does not do well in this > sort of work, and neither do the 105's. A 55/3.5 Micro-Nikkor > (without floating elements) would do well, if reversed, as would > other macro lenses of similar types. Stay away from macro lenses with > floating elements, because they are disasters on bellows or extension > tubes. They are computed for use in normal, direct-on-camera > applications. They work better with achromatic close-up attachments > and teleconverters than with extension tubes or bellows. > > Enlarging lenses can do well, but look for 80mm or shorter, and best > reversed. The slower, symmetric types generally do better. A 50mm f/4 > usually does better in this situation than a 50mm f/2.8, but not > always. A reversed 50mm Focotar would be quite good. > > > > > At 8:56 PM -0500 9/16/07, Don Dory wrote: > >Philippe, > >If you have access to a bellows system then that and a 105 to 200mm > >enlarging lens will get it for you if you can get more than 200mm of > >extension. The 200mm macro lens will work assuming is will go to > 1:1. Then > >add another 200mm of extension to get to 2:1 magnification > ratio. Lighting > >by TTL flash will make your life much easier as it will prevent a lot of > >vibration induced loss of sharpness. Try to use a ring light and if you > >need to have something other than a 1:1 light ratio then use some ND film > >like a lot of Rosco gels(theatrical supply houses) on one side of the > ring. > >If you have access to one then a focusing stage to fine tune focus once > you > >have the magnification ration set will help immensely. Try to avoid an > >aperture smaller than F8 as diffraction effects at the magnification you > >will be using will kill the ability to enlarge to the size you desire. > > > >Summary: > >Really steady tripod and an immense head so that there is no camera > >movement. Ideally a camera stand from a studio originally using 4X5 > cameras > >Focusing stage to fine tune focus. > >At least a 100mm macro lens, preferably 200mm so there is room to light. > >Enough extension to get over 2:1 magnification ratio. > >TTL lights or a good ringlight. Might need some polarizing film if your > >subject is glossy to kill reflections. > >90 degree finder so you can see your subject with comfort > >Learn how to lock your mirror up and wait a couple of seconds. > >Cable release or other remote; at the least the selftimer. > > > >As an alternative to all the massive supports use the shutter at max > synch > >speed so that no ambient light exposes your sensor or film. You will > still > >need a tripod, focusing stage, and angle finder to get the subject in > >perfect focus as your DOF will be nil. > > > >If you are using non-Leica equipment both Canon and Nikon make very good > >multiple flash TTL systems that make the exposure very easy; all you need > is > >the proper understanding of how you want to light the object. Just use > >normal flash exposure compensation to keep your subject the proper > density > >as the TTL system will make your subject 18% gray. > >On 9/16/07, Philippe Orlent <philippe.orlent@pandora.be> wrote: > >> > >> Does anybody have experience with extreme close-up work? > >> > >> I looking for a practical solution to shoot (non detachable) 0,2 by > >> 0,2 inch surfaces in such a way that they can be blown up to 40 by 40 > >> inch prints. > >> Meaning shot out of hand or on a simple tripot setting. > >> I guess that would include some kind of a flash system. > >> > >> What kind of lens? Would a 200mm macro lens be sufficient? > >> What kind of flash system (ring or similar?) > >> > >> I have no experience with macro, nor with this kind of flashes, so > >> I'm a bit ignorant about this. > >> > >> Thanks in advance, > >> Philippe > >> > >> _______________________________________________ > >> Leica Users Group. > >> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > >> > > > > > > > >-- > >Don > >don.dory@gmail.com > > > >_______________________________________________ > >Leica Users Group. > >See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > -- > * Henning J. Wulff > /|\ Wulff Photography & Design > /###\ mailto:henningw@archiphoto.com > |[ ]| http://www.archiphoto.com > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > -- Don don.dory@gmail.com