Hello all, I need to take photographs of various decorative objects that range from 4 to 6 inches tall and about two inches wide with my 5x7 field camera, and I'd like to fill most of the negative with each object's height. Can anyone recommend a lens that would be up to the task? Many thanks in advance.
I dream in black and white.
I'd probably use my Nikkor 90mm.
How much extension do you available on your field camera? It may be an important factor in deciding which focal lengths are useable.
If you are looking for a dedicated lens for close up work, an 180mm APO-Macro-Sironar or Makro Symmar, or Nikkor AM 210mm would all work. A Fujinon 180mm A would also be an excellent option.
I have a 14-inch bellows draw.
I dream in black and white.
Then anything below a 175mm (14" is 355mm, half of 350 is 175) should allow you to reach 1:1.
There will be a bellows factor that you'll have to factor into your exposure.
Thank you; this has been very helpful.
I dream in black and white.
Look for a highly symmetrical lens as these tend to work better at 1:1. As you get close to 1:1 magnification, circle of good coverage increases markedly over the image circle at infinity. Hence, a 150mm G-Claron or a 180mm Fujinon A (tight on bellows draw at 1:1 ) will fit your 14 inch bellows draw and provide good macro capabilities. I suspect that at 1:1, 150mm dialyte pattern lenses like a Red Dot Artar, S-K Repro-Claron, or an Apo-Ronar should cover 5x7 adequately even though they would not cover at infinity focus.
Hmm. Will you be shooting in landscape or portrait orientation? If landscape, you'll work at a little over 1:1. If portrait, a little under 2:1.
1:1 needs total extension (~ flange to film distance) = twice focal length. 2:1 needs total extension = 3* focal length. You have 14" of draw, so you may need a lens with focal length ~ 7" if shooting landscape, ~ 5" if shooting portrait.
None of the lenses suggested so far will do the job, they're all too long. There aren't many 5"process lenses, the I can think of that will do is the 4" Artar. Not common but occasionally offered for sale, sometimes even in shutter. An alternative that's inexpensive and relatively easy to find is the 127/4.7 Tominon as sold on Polaroid Gel Cams (CU-5 and similar) and some oscilloscope cameras. All in shutter, very hard to reverse but in my experience are good enough mounted normally.
Nikon, Rodenstock and Schneider all offered 120mm macro lenses that, per specification, comfortably cover 5x7 at 1:1.
Oren, thanks for jogging my failing memory.
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