I would like to learn how to do macrophotography with my 8X10.

[Drew Wiley]

I really like my 360/10 Fujinon A for close-up 8x10 work. It's better corrected than general purpose plasmats for this kind of usage, but superb at infinity too. Rare and pricey, unfortunately. My Apo Nikkor 240, 305, and 360 process dialytes would also be superb; but these are barrel lenses and would need to be shutter mounted. But they can be obtained quite reasonably these days, if you don't factor in the extra expense of a shutter, that is. Something like a 240, 270, or 300 G-Claron would also work quite well. You need a lot of bellows draw for closeup work, regardless.

But just getting a facial portrait onto 8x10 film would not be classified as close-up or macro photography in terms of special lens requirements. A wart on someone's nose filling 8x10 would. So that frees you up to think in terms of other priorities, namely, the kind of "look" you want from the lens - which will open a whole other can of worms with almost endless recommendations. Many portrait clients don't necessarily want too much detail accentuated, like warts and zits and wrinkles.

[EBJohnson]

Attachment 220121

...How do you even focus at that kind of bellows draw?...

[Drew Wiley]

I hope the dentist isn't ramming something like that down my mouth next month.

[carterwj]

Thank you. Great photos.

[carterwj]

Good inputs. Thank you everyone. So it sounds like there are no dedicated macro lenses like in the smaller formats. Bernice, that bellows extension is impressive. Lighting/metering is a whole other topic that I am going to ask about in another thread.

[Bernice Loui]

Skip the dedicated/speciality "macro" view camera lens, get an APO process lens in shutter then make images...

As for bellows factor compensation, at life size aka 1:1 add two f-stops and do a search on LFF as there has been lots of previous discussion on this.


Berince

Good inputs. Thank you everyone. So it sounds like there are no dedicated macro lenses like in the smaller formats. Bernice, that bellows extension is impressive. Lighting/metering is a whole other topic that I am going to ask about in another thread.

[Dan Fromm]

Good inputs. Thank you everyone. So it sounds like there are no dedicated macro lenses like in the smaller formats.

This depends on the magnification wanted. Bob Salomon will shortly be along to tell you about 180 and 210 mm Apo-Macro-Sironar lenses. There's also the 210/5.6 AM ED Nikkor and the 180/5.6 Makro Symmar HM. And then there are heaps of excellent process lenses that cover 8x10.

[Oren Grad]

So it sounds like there are no dedicated macro lenses like in the smaller formats.

There are. Two examples that are specified for 8x10 are the 210 mm and 300 mm Macro-Sironar-N.

[Drew Wiley]

I would functionally distinguish between tabletop closeup lenses like close-range corrected plasmat design G-Clarons from Schneider or Fujinon A's, which are highly versatile, versus very specialized lenses like Nikkor AM's, which are used for especially small things like photography of diamond rings, and are not very versatile at all. Many process lenses might also be used for up to 1:1 or so. Going smaller still, then the term "micro" versus "macro" takes over, and generally does not involve view cameras at all, but microscopes of one type or another, even if a sheet film holder is involved. But true micro setups for LF film have existed, employing many continuous Sinar rail and bellows sections mounted onto a long steel structural beam, for example.

[Oren Grad]

Bob Salomon will shortly be along to tell you about 180 and 210 mm Apo-Macro-Sironar lenses. There's also the 210/5.6 AM ED Nikkor and the 180/5.6 Makro Symmar HM. And then there are heaps of excellent process lenses that cover 8x10.

OK, so for completeness: the Apo-Macro-Sironars are 120 and 180, the Macro-Sironar-N's are 210 and 300. The Nikkor AM's are 120 and 210. And the Makro-Symmar HM's are 80, 120 and 180. The macros in 180mm and longer focal lengths cover 8x10 at 1:1.