macro vs. telephoto

[Rolf Katzenstein]

I have a 6X9 camera and I like to use it for extreme close-up work with flowers. Currently, I'm using a Rodenstock Apo-Macro-Sironar f5.6/120mm. Would I be bett er served by using a telephoto or compact telephoto lens. My camera is an Ebony SV23 and the bellows min/max75mm/420mm. I want to get 1:1 to 2:1,

[Bob Salomon]

The lens you have is designed for what you want to do. The others would not give as good a result as you will lose resolution and contrast.

At the same time an Apo macro Sironar is not designed for infinity work.

To get to 1:1 with the 120 you have plenty of bellows. You will have about enough with 420mm of extension to reach 2:1.

[Dick Roadnight]

I think you know that you have the best tool for the job, and that you are just trying to make the rest of us jealous - if you do not appreciate your Macro-Sinaron, I would gladly give you a few pounds for it!

If the camera is the problem, get another camera.

[Mikhail Arkhipov]

You may also try to get 2-element diopters from Canon (250D) or Nikon for 58mm or 52mm and get 49-58mm step-up ring for the Sironar. Two element diopters are very good. I have been using them on 35mm and just began using them with exactly the same setup like you have (except my camera is Arca-Swiss 69F)

[Ole Tjugen]

Lucky you, to have a REAL macro lens. I have to swap the front and rear elements on a 300mm/f4.5 Xenar (the only lens I have with the same mounting thread on front and rear elements), which means I'll need the big 5x7" Technika - because the lens is too big to fit on smaller lensboards, which again gives me just a hair better than 1:1 (61cm bellows).

Do I bother? No. I use a Linhof Color, whatever lens give the ratio I want at a reasonable distance, stop down a lot, and shoot.

If you want huge reproduction ratios with 420mm bellows, get a short lens. It doesn't have to cover your negative size - try a 28mm lens for 35mm camera!

[neil poulsen]

Could one use a Componon-S for this type of photography, one that's mounted in a shutter. I know that one can mount a 100mm and 150mm in standard Copal shutters, I'm wondering if that's possible with a 75mm or an 80mm?

With that said, there was a macro M-Componon just on ebay that would have been ideal for this purpose. It looked like a neat lens, and was designed for greater than 1:1 enlargement. It was front mounted on a Copal 0 shutter. At 1:2, it would probably cover even 4x5, and definitely 6x9. With an 80mm, one is obtaining a depth of field advantage.