Lens for studio use

[Robot]

Ken,

Ha. Sorry if my descriptive flourish lead to confusion. I really enjoyed the Macro article and am glad to have read it. I think you may have have hit the nail on the head with,

I'm not an expert, but I've never heard of lenses that are optimized for that "intermediate" distance.

Maybe that is my problem. I may simply be on a wild goose chase because intermediate optimization is exactly what I want.

[aduncanson]

I don't think I will ever be shooting 1:1 or greater magnifications (small subject/large image). Rather, the subject size I am working with will always be reduced to film size. Ex. 9" head reduced to 2.5" on 4x5" film.

Does anyone have published charts comparing conjugate ratios for different lenses?

2.5:9 = 1:3.6 or right in the middle of the range suitable for the Apo-Macro-Sironar that Ken referred to. Schneider makes similar claims for the Macro-Symmar HM.

Additional thoughts:
The Rodenstock looks to be optimized for smaller than 1:1 (your portrait situation) while the Schneider seems to be optimized for exactly 1:1.

Like Ken, I have a hard time believing that a general purpose taking lens would not be adequate for most purposes, particularly when considering the very high prices that these specialized lenses fetch.

[Ken Lee]

The 120 and 180 APO Macro Sironars are fairly rare, but there is a 180 available on eBay right now - at what looks like a very fair price.

There's also a 210 Macro Sironar N on eBay, for an even lower price.

Either of these would certainly meet your requirements - as well as any available LF lens could.

"Does anyone have published charts comparing conjugate ratios for different lenses"?

These charts are probably theoretical, but that aside, stopped down to f/16, these lenses are superb performers.

For an MTF chart of the APO Sironar, see http://www.rodenstock-photo.com/medi...7-42__8226.pdf

For the Macro Symmar, see http://www.schneideroptics.com/pdfs/...r_56_120_2.pdf

[Dan Fromm]

What distracted me, is that you asked for top performance at close range - "sharp like a bullet hole through a stab wound through a bee sting" - but want neither a macro, nor a strictly general-purpose "landscape" lens. You want to make 10x enlargements, too.

I'm not an expert, but I've never heard of lenses that are optimized for that "intermediate" distance. So it seems to me that any of the 210mm lenses you've mentioned should work fine.

Enlarging lenses, Ken. Process lenses, too.

10x enlargements from film that will bear close scrutiny are a stretch, require meticulous technique.