Effective focal length of Dual Range 50?

[click]

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Hi,

 

I would like to know what the effective focal length is of a Dual Range Summicron 50 lens is? I want to use it for food photography and am on the fence betwixt getting a 90 APO or using the 50 DR. Anyone have experience with using these two lenses photographing food? Will the DR have enough depth of field to encompass a plate of food? Will the color look "old" because the lens is older?

 

Thank you,

Click

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I should clarify that I want to know the effective focal length in close focus mode.

[cbretteville]

The focal length of a DR Summicron is probably 51mm (seem to recall most of the 50s are). If you are using the lens on an M8 or an RD-1 the field of view will be different as they have sensors that have a 1.33 and 1.5x crop respectively. As you write nothing about the camera you wish to use the DR on it is really hard to give a better answer. Both for focal and colour rendition. DOF will depend on aperture.

Carl

[click]

Thank you for your response. I use a film M6 TTL. I am aware that My 50 sees at 46 degrees. I should have made all of this clear. In close focus mode is the angle of view in degrees more narrow, as in a 90 millimeter lens sees at around 27 degrees?

[ho_co]

1) I think all DR Summicrons are 51.9 mm. The actual focal length, I think, is engraved on your focusing mount, beyond the "infinity" mark at the end of the distance scale: The last full digit and first digit following the decimal point are engraved, so "19" means 51.9 mm.

 

2) The lens is still the same focal length in the close range. What happens is simply that the light cone stays the same, but only a smaller portion of it is available to the film. Same thing happens as you focus any lens away from infinity: Less and less of its projected image stays in the frame, just as you can see a wider field through a window when you're close to the window than when you're further away.

 

3) The DR's close-focus distance scale will reflect the focus distance.

 

4) Standard formulas for distance, depth of field, field coverage etc apply.

 

5) I don't know how Leica handled the width of view in the close-focus attachment. You'll probably (only a guess) get a little more on film than you see through the finder.

[elgenper]

Hi,

 

I would like to know what the effective focal length is of a Dual Range Summicron 50 lens is? I want to use it for food photography and am on the fence betwixt getting a 90 APO or using the 50 DR. Anyone have experience with using these two lenses photographing food? Will the DR have enough depth of field to encompass a plate of food? Will the color look "old" because the lens is older?

 

Thank you,

Click

 

Thank you for your response. I use a film M6 TTL. I am aware that My 50 sees at 46 degrees. I should have made all of this clear. In close focus mode is the angle of view in degrees more narrow, as in a 90 millimeter lens sees at around 27 degrees?

 

OK, let´s try.... As for colour rendition, I own a ´Rigid Summicron´ from around -68 that has the identical optics as the DR, and I certainly don´t perceive the IQ as ´old´ or second-rate in any way; it holds its own among my brand new lenses. And that should go for a DR in good condition, too, but look closely before buying: many of these oldies suffer from haze or microscratches from years of overzealous cleaning....

 

As for angle of view (expressed in what you call ´effective focal length´, which I interpret as the sum of true focal length and focussing extension). The true focal length doesn´t change when adding the closeup adapter, obviously. The close focussing limit then changes from 1 m to around 0.5 m, which is about par for the course for 50 mm primes for a SLR system. To get there, an extension of less than 10 mm is necessary, so your ´effective focal length´ will end up as at most 60 mm, a far cry from 90 mm.

 

A better (but more costly) alternative for you would be either the current Makro-Elmar 4/90, or the excellent ApoSummicron 2/75 Asph (which I happen to own and can´t praise enough...). Either of these will give an image field width of about 24 cm at the close focussing limit (even without the closeup adapter for the 90), which should be sufficiently tight for any decently sized plate of food....

 

As an afterthought: you should be warned that the DR Summicron cannot be mounted on the M8 or M9, even without the adapter.

[tobey bilek]

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For pro food work, a RF is the wrong camera. Use a Visoflex on the RF Leica or reflex camera.

 

I would not use a short lens like a 50. 65 Elmar + viso at least. Get a black one if you can find one.

 

90 2.8 Elmarit lens head on a bellows or short focus mount will work fine also and provide some decent lens to subject distance.

 

90 AA goes soft in close range as do many 90`s made. so it would not be the best choice in any case. The lens of choice if you really want to use RF, would be the CURRENT 90 4.0. It works well close and far and is 99% as sharp as the 90 AA at distance and way better up close.

It goes to 1:7 and with the adapter, 1:3. This is the absolute best you can do with RF focusing. Sharper than the old 90 2.8 Elmarit, but you lose critical gound glass focusing. The old 90 2.8 is a really fine lens , at least as good as the DR.

[Shac]

I agree about the recommendations for the 90/4 - and you can also use it on the Visoflex with the lens extended or retracted (just gives different repro ratios of course) and so obtain ground glass focussing

[hoppyman]

I shoot food and drink for fun when out with friends or travelling. A 50 or 75 will be fine to give the sort of coverage you are looking for. The Macro Elmar 90 will work as well.

 

I think that the Viso would be clumsy and not ideal for what you want.

50

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APO 75

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[luigi bertolotti]

For pro food work, a RF is the wrong camera. Use a Visoflex on the RF Leica or reflex camera....

 

.

 

I agree: for serious still works there is nothing like a reflex viewing with camera on tripod... I'd reccomend a Visoflex with the vertical ("chimney") finder: very clear, allows also a good evaluation of DOF at real aperture: lenses 65mm type 2 (black) ar some 90 that fits Viso... I have a special appreciation for the Elmar 3 elements...

[Nicoleica]

I shoot food and drink for fun when out with friends or travelling.

 

Is that the 'Great barrier salad' off the coast of your Australian meal Geoff?

[Keith (M)]

Obviously haute cuisine Oz-style! Mind you, the beers look good.

 

As to the original question, I too would suggest that for serious food photography a reflex would be the better choice.

[hoppyman]

I initially wrote a technical response for Click quoting minimum object sizes etc. However I looked again and I do not think that our OP is asking about the best tool for professional food photography. I think that the question is more about what can be tried with his M6 and a standard lens (or 75-90). It is too easy to get involved in technical comparisons and theoretical discussions, in my view

In any event I decided to just show that those lenses will easily accommodate subjects around plate size. In my experience (shooting for fun) Depth of Field management is going to be important and the framing precision of the Visoflex is outweighed by its disadvantages for this application. Closer focus options are not needed either.

 

But show some samples, or just links if desired.

 

By the way the food shown of course is nothing special but a popular "schnitzel" pub meal choice. The beer is first rate European produce though

Here's some more stylish Australian food with the APO75 that may appeal more!

 

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[Nicoleica]

By the way the food shown of course is nothing special but a popular "schnitzel" pub meal choice.

 

And I seriously thought that it was a local speciality as it was formed into the shape of Australia.

[hoppyman]

Good spotting Nicole. I thought that the "schnitzel" shape was too subtle to explain to the world, but that was indeed my inspiration!

Chicken or pork hammered out flat, crumbed and fried and with melted cheese. Served with fries in case there isn't enough saturated fat on your plate already .