4x5 macro lens

[felix5616]

I am looking for a true macro lens that cover 4x5 and provides at least 1:1 macro. I would be using it on an ebony wide field camera. Any suggestions?

[Bob Salomon]

120 Apo Macro Sironar, 180 Apo Macro Sironar, 210 Makro Sironar, 300 Makro Sironar, 120 Apo Macro Sironar Digital are some from Rodenstock. The 210 and 300 are out of production.

[Ken Lee]

What is the maximum bellows draw for that camera ? Divide it by 2 and you'll find the focal length of the longest lens you can shoot at 1:1 magnification.

See this page for some formulas for bellows, magnification, etc.

You might find this brief article on macro and process lenses helpful.

[polyglot]

If a shutter is not too important for your purposes, you can use an enlarger lens as they're designed to operate at high magnification. Reverse it if doing magnification > 1.

For magnifications up to 2 you probably want a designed-for-LF lens, e.g. 135 or 150mm. For greater magnifications with reversed lenses, you will probably want to use shorter lenses designed for smaller formats. Pick the shortest focal length that will cover the subject area you're recording as if it were a piece of film that you're enlarging. You will probably need the shorter lenses in order to not run out of bellows, but a longer lens will give you more working room.

Note that for LF macro, you're often doing many-seconds exposures or using flash, so the shutter issue really isn't too limiting.

[Tom Monego]

I have used the 120 Nikon Apo-Macro ED extensively and it is a fine lens. This lens will cover 4x5 with some movements, I photographed pencil shaped microsurgical instruments. At infinity it will cover 6x9. To get 1:1 you will need 240mm of bellows extension. I used it on a Cambo monorail, was difficult on my Linhof Technika IV.

[Leigh]

I use the 180/5.6 Apo Macro Sironar, and think it's an outstanding lens.
This lens is superior to shorter FLs IMO because it gives you greater working depth.

Its ~207mm IC at infinity allows some movements, increasing as the subject gets closer.
At 1:1 the IC is 415mm which will cover 8x10 with lots of movement capacity.

It's a small lens, using 67mm filters, mounted in a Copal 1 shutter.

- Leigh

[Dan Fromm]

Why has everyone forgotten macro lenses from microscope manufacturers? Macro Nikkor, Photar, Luminar, and Neupolar come to mind.

[Leigh]

Hi Dan,

Do you know of a microscope lens with an image circle large enough to cover 4x5?

Different divisions of the company, different design departments, different optical designs.

- Leigh

[Bob Salomon]

Hi Dan,

Do you know of a microscope lens with an image circle large enough to cover 4x5?

Different divisions of the company, different design departments, different optical designs.

- Leigh

The macro lenses like the Luminars and M-Componons did not cover 45 but with the correct lens tube and shutter they could project an excellent image onto a large format negative. Linhof made two different lens/board/tubes/shutters for this purpose. The Linhof Macro Board for Luminars and then for M Componons and the Linhof Micro Board for shooting through a society drawtube on a microscope. Both were equipped with first a Compur 0 and then when they were discontinued with a Copal 0 shutter. These boards were availbale for both the Technika 69 and Technika 45 cameras and were frequently used on Linhof Kardan cameras with a Kardan to Technika adapter board. Since most other systems cameras also had Technika adapter boards the Linhof Macro and Micro boards were used on a very wide range of cameras.

[Leigh]

Hi Bob,

I was not aware that Luminars or M-Componons were microscope lenses????

- Leigh