Improving the Leica C close-up performance

[dkCambridgeshire]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Illustrations showing use of ancient Leitz Elpros harnessed to my recently 'won' Leica C camera to improve its c/u performance. Initial results are encouraging i.e. the Elpros work fine and enable a much better lens to subject distance … but await additional stepping rings so can use smaller diameter VIb Elpros … the Elpro 2 and 3 are a bit large for the job. These are just Q&D pics taken with an ancient Fuji compact camera.

 

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

 

 

 

 

Thus 14mm of the ruler fills the frame - still have to work out the exact magnification on the sensor. Lens was set to max. tele focal length and does not seem to make much difference whether the 'macro' mode is set. The accessory adaptor was obtained from SRB but needed a bit of modification via shims plus some filing to make it fit.

 

More results to be posted when experiment complete.

 

Best wishes

 

dunk

[dkCambridgeshire]

Facts and figures:

 

Elpro 1 (2.51 diopter) plus Elpro 2 (4.92 diopter) … total 7.43 diopter .

 

Zoom lens focal length max = 42.8mm

 

Sensor width is 7.44mm

 

Subject width of ruler visible on monitor = 14mm

 

Magnification = 7.44/14 = 0.53 …i.e. approx half life size on sensor. But appears to be greater because camera magnifies the sensor image onto the monitor.

 

More experiments/tests to be conducted e.g with 2 x VIb Elpro lenses i.e. 9.84 diopter… and with camera on a focus slide and tripod to obtain optimum close focus.

 

Best wishes

 

dunk

[Advertisement]

The Leica Q3 is available for pre-order at B&H Photo Video and Adorama

[dkCambridgeshire]

Following arrival of additional stepping rings from SRB the Leica C camera is now usable with smaller diameter Elpro close-up lenses.

 

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

 

One Elpro VIb and one Macrotar V1b (both 4.92 diopter) screwed together onto the front of the accessory bracket … thus 9.84 diopter total in front of the 'C's zoom lens which can now be close-focused at the tele end to provide higher magnification with a greater and more comfortable lens to subject distance (compared to native macro mode). A Leitz Macrotar is exactly the same as a Leitz Elpro; the Macrotar designation pre-dated the Leitz 'R' Elpro.

 

 

 

 

Orchid at taken using both c/u lenses (9.84 diopters)

 

 

 

 

Orchid taken with one 4.92 diopter Elpro lens attached to the accessory bracket

 

 

 

 

 

Compare to orchid photo taken with Leica C at native closest focus distance at the widest zoom setting - not a comfortable way of taking a close-up photo as is too close to the subject and the resultant wide background creates a very untidy photo. Forgot to use a reflector to fill in the shadows but the photo serves its purpose.

 

 

Orchid photos taken using kitchen window afternoon daylight - subject on the top of my gas stove. All at f8 and between 1/13sec and 1/3sec ISO 100 using camera's 2 second self timer

 

 

More experiments to follow ... hopefully 'in the field' next time instead of indoors.

 

 

Best wishes

 

dunk

Edited May 15, 2014 by dkpeterborough