210mm Macro and 240mm Caltar

[jetcode]

I have these lens in my kit and am wondering if the Caltar is even necessary. The macro is optimized for 1:3 while the Caltar is likely optimized for 1:20. Can the macro effectively replace the Caltar in landscape work at infinity? The macro appears to be quite sharp at infinity.

[Greg Lockrey]

Yeah, sell the Caltar.

[jetcode]

Yeah, sell the Caltar.

Thanks Greg. By the way I like your watercolors. I collect original art in the $250 range and you have a piece on your website that caught my eye and was in this price range. Unfortunately I'm not collecting at the moment and probably won't be for several years.

[Greg Lockrey]

Thanks Greg. By the way I like your watercolors. I collect original art in the $250 range and you have a piece on your website that caught my eye and was in this price range. Unfortunately I'm not collecting at the moment and probably won't be for several years.

Well thank you for looking. I do sell prints And everytime I sell a print, the original goes up that much more. Some of them I need to update.

[jetcode]

Well thank you for looking. I do sell prints And everytime I sell a print, the original goes up that much more. Some of them I need to update.

I prefer originals to prints. I have made a lot of investments lately.

[Greg Lockrey]

I prefer originals to prints. I have made a lot of investments lately.

As I tell my clients as the come to my studio..."everything is for sale".

The wife and I watch "Antique Road Show" and one time there was a lady who had "original mechanicals" for poster art made during the 30's. They guy told her that the posters were worth more. Just a thought.

[Brian K]

I have these lens in my kit and am wondering if the Caltar is even necessary. The macro is optimized for 1:3 while the Caltar is likely optimized for 1:20. Can the macro effectively replace the Caltar in landscape work at infinity? The macro appears to be quite sharp at infinity.

Well the best way to determine this is to shoot test film at a smaller repro ratio or infinity with both lenses side by side and examine the neg under high mag or make carefully focused enlargements. I have tested my 180 macro sironar versus my 180 sironar-s, my 300 macro sironar versus my 300 APO Ronar and have found that the macro lenses do not do as well.

[Greg Lockrey]

Well the best way to determine this is to shoot test film at a smaller repro ratio or infinity with both lenses side by side and examine the neg under high mag or make carefully focused enlargements. I have tested my 180 macro sironar versus my 180 sironar-s, my 300 macro sironar versus my 300 APO Ronar and have found that the macro lenses do not do as well.

I always thought that it was more of an issue of field flattening. Where the macros are designed for flat field focus and "normal" lenses focus on a curvature. I just recently purchased a 180 Macro Rodenstock that really snaps at infinity.

[Bob Salomon]

No. The macro will not be as good at infinity and the 240 will not be as good at macro.

[jetcode]

Time to test and see for myself. If the difference is marginal bye bye Caltar.