PDA

View Full Version : close up gear



eduardtoader
14-Mar-2010, 01:43
Hello everyone.

I´m in large format one year ago. Untill now I learned a lot about the 4x5 gear and tecniques on this forum. I have a 90mm an a 210mm on a Sinar F2. I used bellows extensions with the 210 but I know it like a not well method for close up photogaphy.

Can you make me some 300 - 400$ budget reccomendation?

What about the lens from the attachements? Is a Zeiss Tessar 6,3/13,5cm T ?

Thanks and good week to all.

Dan Fromm
14-Mar-2010, 03:21
Your f/6.3 Tessar is a good lens but wasn't computed for close-up. There are better lenses for shooting closeup.

If you don't have one, buy a copy of Lester Lefkowitz' book The Manual of Closeup Photography. Then think about what you want to accomplish, i.e., the magnification you want to attain and (pardon my ignorance) your F2's maximum extension. The highest magnification you can attain with a lens of focal length f is ((maximum flange-to-film distance)/f) - 1.

In general enlarging lenses perform well as taking lenses closeup. In the Schneider line, Comparons are better for magnifications in the range 1:4 to 4:1 than Componons (including Componon-S), Componons are better between 1:6 and 1:10. Sorry, I'm not familiar with other makers' enlarging lenses used for shooting closeup. I have 105/4.5 and 150/5.6 Comparons, both are direct fits in #0 shutters.

Among lenses sold as macro lenses, Tominons for the Polaroid MP-4 system and Ysarons for the MP-3 system aren't too bad, are fairly easy to find, and are quite inexpensive. Real serious LF macro lenses from Nikon (AM-ED Nikkors) and Rodenstock (Macro Sironars) are better but are out of your price range.

Good luck, have fun,

Dan

eduardtoader
14-Mar-2010, 07:32
Lot of thanks for your answer Dan

I would like to make 1:1 photography but I dont know the bellows extension that I need or another gear item (beside the desired lens). I dont´t know anything about macro it in LF photogaphy. Well, my wish can wait for a better budget if your reccomendation is about low quality lenses.

So, I will look first for Lester Lefkowitz book and then, if I need bellows extension, I will take a look for another tripod, bellows and the aditional gear.

I´ve read a Viewcamera article about closeup lenses but I would like to read more. The book you´ve reccomended it´s good for it? Where can I see the set up for a LFclose up scene?


You told me that the lens from the attachements is a good lens. Can you tell me more about it?

Thank you again.

Dan Fromm
14-Mar-2010, 09:57
Eduard, Lefkowitz explains how to calculate extension (flange to film distance) needed to get the desired magnification given the lens' focal length. His book is oriented towards 35 mm but the ideas he presents apply to all formats.

Your 135/6.3 Tessar was made by Carl Zeiss Jena in the DDR. It is a very fine lens for general photography. Should cover 4x5 with room for some movements. But it is in barrel, not in shutter and I don't know whether its cells are direct fit in a standard shutter. If your Sinar doesn't have a behind-the-lens shutter, you can't use the lens easily.

duff photographer
17-Mar-2010, 14:58
Hello Eduard,

I would always recommend getting the best lens available for your money. Nothing can compensate for poor image results even if the lens you got was free!

While the enlarging lenses from Schneider and Rodenstock, and the dedicated 'microscope' lenses such as the Zeiss luminars (no longer made) will produce excellent results when reversed there is too much trouble in adapting them to large format (although I think some of the older Schneiders can accept copal shutters. I'm not sure about the newer and better Apo-Componons or other makes). I tried this route a while ago and worked out that for the same cost I could buy a brand new macro large format lens.

Those macro LF lenses that are available are as follows:

Schneider Makro-Symmar
f5.6 80mm HM. Back flange at 1:1 is 159mm
f5.6 120mm HM. Back flange at 1:1 is 235mm
f5.6 180mm HM. Back flange at 1:1 is 354mm

Rodenstock Apo-Makro-Sironar
f5.6 120mm. Back flange at 1:1 is 235mm
f5.6 180mm. Back flange at 1:1 is 356mm

They are all excellent performers and can be had, if you're lucky, for $300 to $400 second-hand but it depends where you are in the world.

Hope that helps a little.

Steve.

P.S. This link may be useful to you if the enlarging lenses interest you:
http://www.schneiderkreuznach.com/industrieoptik/pdf/makro.pdf