Reading the other "macro vs process lens" thread got me thinking about what I've seen used. Many people seem to use tessar-formula lenses, like Ansel Adam's "Driftwood and Rose", and there have been at least two artists mentioned in "View Camera" using a Schneider 210mm Xenar f:6.1 for at least "close" work. I seem to remember seeing that maybe Edward Weston (probably) also used a Zeiss Tessar close up.
The thought was what did photographer's use before macro lenses? All the professional photographers I know are sensitive to things like distortion and shortcomings in lenses under conditions of actual use, so I find it unlikely that so many are using tessars for close up work.
So is anyone using tessars for macro or close work and how are they doing? Or am I thinking I'm seeing something that isn't there?
Cheers, Steve
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