Are there any proper macro lenses from Fujinon?

[redu]

For table top product work. Say optimized for 1:1 to 1:5 magnification, between focal lengths 120-180 and similar to Macro Sironars, Macro Symmars or Nikkor Macro AM ED. I have been checking Kerry Thallman's Fujinon knowledgebase without any luck... couldn't even come accross a single macro word in the whole site.

[Dan Fromm]

-A and -C are process lenses. What more do you want?

[redu]

Thanks Dan, I didn't know they were process lenses. C lenses are too long for me. There is one A 180mm f9 which i believe more like g-claron 150 type. I would prefer a brighter lens for macro.

[Bob Salomon]

But a process lens and a macro lens perform differently. Process lenses are best for copying, that was what they were made for. Macro lenses are best for product/things/flowers/etc. That is what they were made for. Process lenses shorter then 600mm are designed to be used at f22 only. Macro lenses are designed to be used over a wider range of apertures.
No, Fuji has no macros.
Rodenstock and Schneider offered both macro and process lenses.

[Ken Lee]

The Fujinon A designs look just like plasmats. I have posted here before, showing that the Fujinon A looks quite a bit like the Rodenstock Sironar design.

I have never been able to find any Fuji literature that described the A series as process lenses, or even as macro lenses: only as highly corrected "super-apochromats", which is the why they have a letter A in their name. The C stands for Compact, and I don't recall ever seeing them touted for close work either. Dan knows a lot about lenses, but I believe the C designs are modified Tessar and Dynar designs, while classic Process lenses are symmetrical like the Artar, Ronar, Dialyte, etc.

From what I can tell, the A series lenses are a sort of "hybrid" or "compromise" design: the wide coverage and correction of a plasmat, the diminutive size and weight of f/9, corrected to work nicely at all distances. I may be wrong of course, but this wouldn't be the first time that Japanese optics took inspiration from German designs, and then applied some creative modifications.

I have a 240 Fujinon A and a 210 Macro Sironar. As Bob has pointed out many times here, professionals use macro lenses in the studio, and the Macro Sironar is much better to work with at close range, not only because of its wide coverage, but because its f/5.6 aperture is twice as bright as the Fujinon's f/9 aperture. When you get in close to 1:1, things get pretty dark. Under bright sunshine of course, it's less of an issue, but for table top photography, you just can't beat lenses designed for table top photography.

The Fujinon A and C lenses are really best for travel, and "the field" - where you need general purpose lenses of small size, light weight, and which take small filters. The Fujinon 240 A and the Fujinon 450 C, for example, take 52mm filters. They do this because the 240 only opens to f/9, and the 450 only opens to f/12.5.

[redu]

But a process lens and a macro lens perform differently. Process lenses are best for copying, that was what they were made for. Macro lenses are best for product/things/flowers/etc. That is what they were made for. Process lenses shorter then 600mm are designed to be used at f22 only. Macro lenses are designed to be used over a wider range of apertures.
No, Fuji has no macros.
Rodenstock and Schneider offered both macro and process lenses.

You are right Bob. I believe process lenses are designed 2D flat work in mind hence there is no need for movements and the "circle of good definition" (sometimes referred as IC) shouldn't be any bigger than the targetted film size. So these process lenses can be tiny and inexpensive to produce while maintaining superb resolution within the limited IC. Yes good for 1:1~1:5 ratio macro work, but not good for product shooting where one will need movements; lots of movements depending on the subject.

I think a good lens for product shooting, shall read APO MACRO somewhere on the barrel regardless of what make it is. Rest is just poor mans gold.

[Arne Croell]

May I humbly suggest this thread: http://www.largeformatphotography.in...ead.php?t=9940

[Ken Lee]

Arne - What conclusion do you draw from the thread that you cited ?

[Arne Croell]

Arne - What conclusion do you draw from the thread that you cited ?

Well, that the Fujinon A series is corrected for something close to 1:5 which I thought was the original question. And yes, they are similar to process lenses, but at least the 240 A works fine at f/16 in my experience, not only at f/22 as Bob suggests. As for my personal preferences, I regularly use one Fuji lens, but that is the 450C. In the macro range, I would either use one of the Docter Apo-Germinar, Apo-Germinar-W, or Germinar W (process) lenses I have, or the Schneider Macro-Symmar HM - but again, that is a purely personal preference.

[redu]

I guess he is pro Fuji A. At least that's what i've concluded. But my resolution is, Fujinon A is nothing more than a G Claron type of solution regarding to the question of this topic.