Best Macro Bang for My Buck?

[Bifurcator]

No particular reason... The f/2 is cheaper and easier to find crystal clear. The Takumar f/1.4 are famous for their slightly radioactive coatings that turn yellow over time. I actually used the 135mm takumar more often on the bellows to give me working distance. I posted this example in the "shallow depth of field" assignment (using bellows+135mm).... yes.. if you wondering I was bored at home.. heheh lol

BTW.... at least on my Samsung DSLR, I still get autofocus confirmation with an M42.

As is par for your shots this is very interesting! But what is it? A chair leg/foot? or... umm?

Cool shot!

 

[usayit]

Banana!!

I was bored one day and my used Samsung GX-1L just arrived in the mail. I wanted to try it out... I'm guessing its close to 10:1 magnification.

 

[Bifurcator]

A banana??? I thought for sure I was looking at iron oxide and paint - Heh! Cool!

Q. What do you get when you cross a banana with a photographer?

A. A bananagrapher! Or pictures with appeal!

 

[usayit]

oooOOooo... just gave me an idea for yet another photo-portfolio to add to my bookshelf. A bunch of macros and the viewer has to guess what it is...

 

[Bifurcator]

BTW, what was the subject distance (either from the end of the lens or from the film plane)? I'm going to try and duplicate that shot with no macro and a close-up lens so PhilGarber can see the difference. Also, is that a crop or a scale, or both?

 

[PhilGarber]

Hey,

Thanks Bifurcator! (And others too, especially you guys giving Ebay advice!)

 

[usayit]

BTW, what was the subject distance (either from the end of the lens or from the film plane)? I'm going to try and duplicate that shot with no macro and a close-up lens so PhilGarber can see the difference. Also, is that a crop or a scale, or both?

I don't quite remember the subject distance...sorry No cropping was done. Just basic stuff in PS (levels, contrast, color balance). Just using a 135mm lens attached to a bellows on a tripod.

 

[Bifurcator]

OK Kewl, he's shooting with about 30mm ~ 90mm (equiv) if the math in my head is right and it's a 3.5 to 5.6. So here is that famous Minolta lens at 30mm (1st at f11 and then at f3.5) and at 90mm (1st at f11 and then at f5.6). The focal length (30mm and 90mm) was selected using the barrel markings so it won't be perfect - only very very close. This is using a cheeper MC #10 and at f11 30mm you can see some chromatic aberration on the ruler near the edge of the frame (see the funny colors?) around the "6". I think I have just about every close up lens made or close, so if you want to see different one just ask. This is the Kenko MC #10. As Kenco is the Japanese end of Hoya (at least on paper) the Hoya should be identical or almost identical.

I have an 8mp sensor just like you Phil, but yours is a bit larger and CMOS so it will be less noisy and a tad flatter. I scaled them like usayit did so if you want to know what you can get from a crop just enlarge it back to 8mp in photoshop - and I'll include a sample as well. These are all without any processing applied otherwise - and my banana is no where near as kewl as usayit's banana. Banana envy?

Focal distance (barrel reading) 30mm.
Focused at it's farthest (infinity) distance at f11.
Add 3 to the ruler reading to get distance from the end of the lens.


Focal distance (barrel reading) 30mm.
Focused at it's farthest (infinity) distance at f3.5.
Add 3 to the ruler reading to get distance from the end of the lens.
Crop area marked for the below image.


Focal distance (barrel reading) 30mm. Cropped.
Focused at it's farthest (infinity) distance at f3.5.
Crop area marked in the above image.


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Focal distance (barrel reading) 90mm.
Focused at 50cm (limits of Phil's lens) distance at f11.
Working distance from the end of the lens was about 5cm.


Focal distance (barrel reading) 90mm.
Focused at 50cm (limits of Phil's lens) distance at f5.6.
Working distance from the end of the lens was about 5cm.
Crop area marked for the below image.


Focal distance (barrel reading) 90mm. Cropped.
Focused at 50cm (limits of Phil's lens) distance at f5.6.
Working distance from the end of the lens was about 5cm.
Crop area marked in the above image.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________​

So basically the top three represent the farthest you can get away from the subject and the bottom three represent the closest you can get to the subject given the lens you have listed in your profile with a No.10 MC close-up attachment, let me know if you need to see others.

Also note that my focus wasn't perfect. It looks like I missed by a millimeter or two as I was using manual focus and then adjusting the camera distance to achieve focus. Auto focus works great through a close-up lens but my current camera doesn't show a focus point read-out in the VF or LCD.

 

[Bifurcator]

Best Macro Bang for Your Buck:

Also the lighting for these was basically like you see in the image above. But I never cut a hole for the lens. Just roll it around the flash head. Different papers will give different results too. Spit and tish make a great diffuser cap for example.

 

[usayit]

and my banana is no where near as kewl as usayit's banana. Banana envy?

Hehehehe!! :cheers:

Good work on the samples.

Here's another from the same "roll" but I posted the banana because I thought it was more interesting.

 

[Bifurcator]

Hehehehe!! :cheers:

Good work on the samples.

Here's another from the same "roll" but I posted the banana because I thought it was more interesting.

Thanks.

Nice shot! And here's a comparable shot (tho not as artistic) showing what a No. 9 AC type (so no chromatic fringing this time) close up lens looks like on my sensor within Phil's lens limitations. Phil, again with your setup it will be slightly flatter at these settings (I think...).

The difference in "warmth" is of course the lighting model used. This one was processed a little bit to get the basic yellow tone to match usayit's shot.

 

[hippyatheart]

A banana??? I thought for sure I was looking at iron oxide and paint - Heh! Cool!

Q. What do you get when you cross a banana with a photographer?

A. A bananagrapher! Or pictures with appeal!

Oh my oh my oh my, i love it!

 

[Bifurcator]

Hehehe, Of course. It would take a fellow hippy to appreciate the depth and magnitude presented there.

 

[PhilGarber]

Thanks guys.