Elpro-S 180 on the 120?

[dritz]

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It has the same filter thread size as the 120 (72mm). Any experience with it, especially on the 120?

 

I hold up the Elpro for the 120-Macro-R and am drooling at the possibilities.

 

Thanks.

[dritz]

S2 ISO 160, 120 Macro, f2,8 at 1/15sec (cropped to 3546 x 3646), and then the 100% crop. Barely processed in lightroom. Wouldn't a 120 Elpro-S be a splendid addition...

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[01af]

I hold up the Elpro-S for the Apo-Macro-Summarit-S 120 mm and am drooling at the possibilities.

Forget it.

 

The Elpro-S 180 is meant for the Apo-Elmar-S 180 mm lens at distances between 1.1 m and 2.7 m. This means a strength of approx. +0.4 dpt. So on the Apo-Macro-Summarit-S 120 mm at or near maximum magnification, it will hardly make any perceptible difference.

[jlehrer]

Funny you mention this because when the ELPRO was announced I was curious myself. In New York at the photo expo, I put the ELPRO on the S-120mm to see if it would make a difference, and you are correct that it does not. All it does is make the lens heavier. It does work beautifully on the 180mm however.

[dritz]

So, we're left with non-existant extension tubes or a screw-on after-market diaper?

 

Dean

[albertknappmd]

Josh is correct!

Just consider the physics.. The ELPRO adds nothing to the 120mm...

[dritz]

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What about after-market close-up adapters? B+W and Heliopan make several 72mm screw-on filters in the range of +1 to +5 diopters.

 

Thanks for your advice.

Dean

[01af]

What about after-market close-up adapters? B+W and Heliopan make several 72 mm screw-on diopter lenses in the range of +1 to +5 diopters.

Yes, these would work well due to their higher strengths. Those by Heliopan are high-quality double-element achromatic close-up lenses, and I guess those by B+W are basically the same.

 

To bring your Apo-Macro-Summarit-S 120 mm from a magnification of 1:2 up all the way to 1:1 (life-size), you'd need a diopter strength of at least +8 dpt or, more likely, +10 dpt or thereabouts. The exact strength required depends on the design of the focusing mechanism, or, more accurately spoken, on the effective focal length at the 1:2 setting which most likely is not 120 mm.

 

With a +4 dpt close-up lens, you'll get a maximum magnification of, umm, 1:1.4 - 1:1.35. With a +5 dpt close-up lens, you'll arrive somwhere near 1:1.35 - 1:1.25 (these estimated figures assume an effective focal length between 100 and 120 mm at the 1:2 setting). That's not quite life-size but still a worthwhile improvement over 1:2. At apertures between, say, f/5.6 - f/16, image quality should be just fine. Just avoid full aperture when using 3rd-party close-up lenses.

 

Of course, you can always use two +4 or +5 dpt lenses (or one +4 dpt plus one +5 dpt; their strengths simply add up) to arrive at or near life-size ... but then, image quality probably will take a dip. Might still be good enough for many purposes though.

[dritz]

I purchased a Canon 500D close-up adapter threaded for the 120-APO. The results are promising. This photo is ISO320, 1/125th at F3.4.

 

The second picture is provided to give context to the third picture, which is 100%, grabbed from the edge of the frame, 1/60th, F6.8.

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