Macro the hard way...

[vickersdc]

Hi there,

I've just been and bought myself a Visoflex I, with bellows and lens shade to tack onto my 1937 Leica II for macro work.

The Visoflex and bellows are in really good condition and I was fortunate to get a stack of adapters for it as well. I've just shot a couple of rolls of Velvia 100 using my pre-war 9cm f4 Elmar lens.

As for exposure - well I did that the hard way too Out came 'The Leica Way', several formulas and a calculator. Now I've to wait and see what the results are when the film comes back from the lab (if I'd have been clever, I'd have shot B&W and processed it myself!).

Anyhow, here's the setup...



I'm also going to start a blog based on the trials, tribulations and success(?) with using this setup at Leica Macro

Cheers,
David.

[Doc Henry]

David,

If you want to make macrophotography it will be on the contrary a pleasure and it will not be hard
I have a group M7 macroadapter 90mm and I really like it
Your Visoflex looks like new

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-...acro-fuji.html

Best regards
Henry

[jc_braconi]

Dear sir,
if you use only the head from your Elmar 4/90 you can focus from infinity to 1:1 ratio.

[vickersdc]

Originally Posted by jc_braconi

Dear sir,
if you use only the head from your Elmar 4/90 you can focus from infinity to 1:1 ratio.

Funnily enough I was using just the 90 head on the bellows today to photograph an orchid. Unfortunately, I don't have the adapter to mount the 90 head directly on to the Visoflex I housing (actually, I'm not sure what adapter I need to look out for!).

Am I right in thinking that you can achieve the same thing (infinity focus) using the 13.5cm Hektor head and bellows? That's likely to be the next lens purchase...

[storybrown]

A spectacular setup that looks like a lot of fun. Good luck with it!

[doubice]

Originally Posted by jc_braconi

Dear sir,
if you use only the head from your Elmar 4/90 you can focus from infinity to 1:1 ratio.

JC,

If I may, I will respectfully disagree. The combined thickness of the Visoflex I and the Bellows I is more than the focal distance needed to obtain ininity focus with the 90mm Elmar. The lens heads with the shortest focal length that allowed infinity focus on the Bellows I were the 125mm and 135mm Hektors.

Only the Visoflex II and III, combined with the Bellows II and the 16558 adapter, will allow infinity to 1:1 focusing with the 90mm Elmar's head.

All the best,

Jan

[doubice]

Originally Posted by vickersdc

Funnily enough I was using just the 90 head on the bellows today to photograph an orchid. Unfortunately, I don't have the adapter to mount the 90 head directly on to the Visoflex I housing (actually, I'm not sure what adapter I need to look out for!).

Am I right in thinking that you can achieve the same thing (infinity focus) using the 13.5cm Hektor head and bellows? That's likely to be the next lens purchase...

David,

The adapter needed for the 90mm Elmar head has code 16575 (old code UOOTG). It will however, not allow infinity focus. You will be able to achieve that with the lens head of the 4.5/135mm Hektor. Your Bellows I was originally delivered from the factory with an adapter that allowed this - code 16570 (or UOOST).

Best,

Jan

[jc_braconi]

Originally Posted by doubice

JC,

If I may, I will respectfully disagree. The combined thickness of the Visoflex I and the Bellows I is more than the focal distance needed to obtain ininity focus with the 90mm Elmar. The lens heads with the shortest focal length that allowed infinity focus on the Bellows I were the 125mm and 135mm Hektors.

Only the Visoflex II and III, combined with the Bellows II and the 16558 adapter, will allow infinity to 1:1 focusing with the 90mm Elmar's head.

All the best,

Jan

Jan, you are surely right, I am too far from my gear at the moment to check about, but if I remember well the rules sidind the base of the bellow are for the 125 and 135 heads.

[vickersdc]

Originally Posted by jc_braconi

Jan, you are surely right, I am too far from my gear at the moment to check about, but if I remember well the rules sidind the base of the bellow are for the 125 and 135 heads.

The markings on the base of my bellows are definitely for the 12.5cm and 13.5cm heads.

[vickersdc]

Can anyone provide suggestions / advice on cleaning the mirror in the Visoflex unit? Mine has a couple of 'smudges' that look as if they'll wipe off using lens tissues - but I don't want to do it and completely ruin the mirror!

Comments / advice / helpful hints and tips?...

Thanks,
David.

[dennersten]

Originally Posted by vickersdc

Hi there,

I've just been and bought myself a Visoflex I, with bellows and lens shade to tack onto my 1937 Leica II for macro work.

The Visoflex and bellows are in really good condition and I was fortunate to get a stack of adapters for it as well. I've just shot a couple of rolls of Velvia 100 using my pre-war 9cm f4 Elmar lens.

As for exposure - well I did that the hard way too Out came 'The Leica Way', several formulas and a calculator. Now I've to wait and see what the results are when the film comes back from the lab (if I'd have been clever, I'd have shot B&W and processed it myself!).

Anyhow, here's the setup...



I'm also going to start a blog based on the trials, tribulations and success(?) with using this setup at Leica Macro

Cheers,
David.

Cool, and please show us the pictures! It would be great to see!

[vickersdc]

...and I've just managed to get hold of a 1937 13.5cm Hektor lens to go with this setup too!

The two rolls of Velvia have been sent off and I'm awaiting the results...

[doubice]

Originally Posted by vickersdc

Can anyone provide suggestions / advice on cleaning the mirror in the Visoflex unit? Mine has a couple of 'smudges' that look as if they'll wipe off using lens tissues - but I don't want to do it and completely ruin the mirror!

Comments / advice / helpful hints and tips?...

Thanks,
David.

David,

Should be quite simple - the Visoflex mirror is no different from any other in-camera mirror. It is silvered on the front surface, you don't want to scratch it by cleaning it too vogorously.

A cotton swab moistened with lens or glass cleaning solution will do fine. I have also used a soft chamois leather - just be careful and wipe very gently. If it is just a surface 'smudge', you should not have any problems.

You'll enjoy using the head of the 135mm Hektor - continuous focusing from infinity to 1:1! I do recommend a steady tripod though.......

Best,

Jan

[vickersdc]

Thanks Jan, the steady tripod is no problem - I've got a Manfrotto 058 with an Arca-Swiss Monoball on it. It's one heavy piece of kit, and for ages I didn't use it because it was just too heavy to lug around; anyway, I refused to part with it and now I'm glad I didn't

I did ponder on which 13.5cm to get (later or earlier), the later ones generally seem to be in better condition and have coated glass (and the lens shade fits them properly), but I really wanted something that was contemporary with the camera (and the 9cm is an uncoated 1934 model), so to getone made in the same year as the camera is, for me, the right choice. And yes, I realise that the Viso 1 came much later!

Can't wait to try it out and see what these old lenses do...

Thank you,
David.

[dkpeterborough]

Originally Posted by vickersdc

Can anyone provide suggestions / advice on cleaning the mirror in the Visoflex unit? Mine has a couple of 'smudges' that look as if they'll wipe off using lens tissues - but I don't want to do it and completely ruin the mirror!

Comments / advice / helpful hints and tips?...

Thanks,
David.

Try the edges of the mirror first using a microfibre lens cloth after breathing on the mirror ... and if it cleans the edges ok without damage then gently wipe the centre. But make sure the mark is actually on the mirror and not a reflection from the prism. The Manfrotto and ball head is a substantial support but you might be better off using a copystand with the camera in vertical position - this would ensure the subject on the baseboard is parallel to the film plane. Also, if you are attempting high magnification you could add a focusing rack to the copystand but use it horizontally to enable horizontal movement of the camera across the subject.

This is my setup using a Viso 1 on a copystand . The Manfrotto focus slide has a very fine thread (1 screw turn = 1 mm travel) . There are two slides piggy backed together here to give 'X' and 'Y' movements



Here the Leitz Bellows I and Visoflex with 5 x viewfinder magnifier are mounted but without camera.



Here's the older Elicar focusing slide ... this also has 'X' and 'Y' movements but the adjustment is not so fine as on the Manfrotto slides.

The Elicar is in use with a G1 and Leica bellows on a copystand . Copystand is a basic Krokus model.






Cheers

dunk

[vickersdc]

Blimey Dunk, I thought my setup consisted of enough doodads and gadget... quite clearly I could learn a lot from you

Here's the first image posted (of a Carnation) from my setup...



Details:
Camera: 1937 Leica II, 1934 90mm f4 Elmar (uncoated lens), Viso I.
Film: Fuji Velvia 100

[Lotw]

Wonderfull artistic image, worth the effort!

[vickersdc]

Thanks for that, here's another one that I shot with the same setup, although I'm not as taken with this one...

[Lotw]

Quite surgical this last one! Do I sense some hunger for magenta in Velvia 100? I think Provia 100 would give even more beautiful results here