Leica M's Macro Capability (w/ macro adaptor)

[jmui852]

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Hi Guys,

 

I am a restaurant operator and I love shooting food when I visit nice restaurants, and I would like to seek your advice regarding taking food shots with a Leica M. I currently use my Nikon D800 + a 50mm F2 Zeiss Makro-Planar to shoot when I go to a restaurant (please note I visit them as a diner, not a paid photographer). However, I would like to explore the capability of taking food photos with my Leica M.

 

I currently own an M240 along with a 50mm APO Summicron lens, a 35mm 8-element Summicron lens, and a 60mm F1.2 Konica Hexanon lens (however I would like to use my 50APO in this scenario due to its sharpness. The 50APO has a 0.7m minimal focusing distance, which is not close enough if I wish to shoot say a piece of sushi. My current setup with the 50mm Zeiss macro lens enables me to get as close as 0.3m to the subject. Furthermore, in a nice restaurant, even with a longer lens, it is rude to move all the way backwards (say a 100mm macro lens) to shoot my food, also a reason I went with a 50mm macro. So I am just wondering whether a macro adapter would help solve my problem. I heard from a friend that with an adaptor, I can only shoot within a particular range from the subject (say for example only from 0.3 to 0.4m from the subject), but this really limits what kind of food I shoot (say a small piece like a sushi, or a large plate of pasta). So I would really appreciate if someone who has experience in this area can help me out. Since I would wish to continue using my 50APO, would a macro adaptor help? And in what range (distance wise) would I be able to shoot if I added an adaptor? Also someone suggested I could also consider using my Zeiss (Nikon mount) on my Leica M with an adaptor, would that work? Would it impact the quality of the photo? Ideally I would wish to use my 50APO on my M to shoot food as I spent quite a lot on this lens and body. Appreciate if someone can help me out.

Thanks and regards,
J

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[EoinC]

The Leica macro adapter can work quite well with the Apo 50 Summicron. It's a bit hit-and-miss, but workable. These are with a M246...

a001 by Eoin Christie, on Flickr

 

a003 by Eoin Christie, on Flickr

 

a001 by Eoin Christie, on Flickr

 

a002 by Eoin Christie, on Flickr

[jmui852]

Can u let me know with the adaptor, what would the minimum and maximum focusing distance be? If I were to use it with a 50 APO? (As I heard there is also a maximum focusing distance with this adaptor)?

[esquire53]

there is the Novoflex tube set, here with a 50mm 1:1.4, work with any lens.

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[jmui852]

can anyone help?

[EoinC]

I don't have it with me at the moment, but the above handheld images should give you some idea. I don't know how much closer you would want to get to your sushi.

[Wilier]

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Here's my quick test with Leica macro adapter and Summicron 50 mm:

 

- adapter in it's shortest position, lens focused to 0,7 m: distance from target to camera back (sensor plane is not marked) is approx. 25.2 cm, you record a 8 cm wide subject

- as before, but lens focused to infinity: distance approx. 25.2 cm, you record a 9.1 cm wide subject

- adapter in it's longest position, lens focused to 0.7 m: distance about 22 cm, subject 5.2 cm wide

- adapter as before, lens focused to infinity: distance about 22.8 cm, subject 6.1 cm.

 

So the Leica macro adapter does not work for you. I'd suggest you get a Nikon to Leica M adapter for your Zeiss and Novoflex say their adapter will focus to infinity, too. My solution to this problem was to get a Macro-Elmarit-R, which are pretty cheap nowadays, and a Leica R-Adapter-M and it works with the Macro-Adapter-M, which I had bought before and which costs a fortune (I found a used one) and with which you get 1:1 ratio.

[Wilier]

I don't have it with me at the moment, but the above handheld images should give you some idea. I don't know how much closer you would want to get to your sushi.

 

The problem here is that if you want to get something bigger than sushi to your picture, it is not possible with a 50 mm and the Leica macro adapter. You need a real macro lens.

[JCR33]

Hi Guys,

 

I am a restaurant operator and I love shooting food when I visit nice restaurants, and I would like to seek your advice regarding taking food shots with a Leica M. I currently use my Nikon D800 + a 50mm F2 Zeiss Makro-Planar to shoot when I go to a restaurant (please note I visit them as a diner, not a paid photographer). However, I would like to explore the capability of taking food photos with my Leica M.

 

I currently own an M240 along with a 50mm APO Summicron lens, a 35mm 8-element Summicron lens, and a 60mm F1.2 Konica Hexanon lens (however I would like to use my 50APO in this scenario due to its sharpness. The 50APO has a 0.7m minimal focusing distance, which is not close enough if I wish to shoot say a piece of sushi. My current setup with the 50mm Zeiss macro lens enables me to get as close as 0.3m to the subject. Furthermore, in a nice restaurant, even with a longer lens, it is rude to move all the way backwards (say a 100mm macro lens) to shoot my food, also a reason I went with a 50mm macro. So I am just wondering whether a macro adapter would help solve my problem. I heard from a friend that with an adaptor, I can only shoot within a particular range from the subject (say for example only from 0.3 to 0.4m from the subject), but this really limits what kind of food I shoot (say a small piece like a sushi, or a large plate of pasta). So I would really appreciate if someone who has experience in this area can help me out. Since I would wish to continue using my 50APO, would a macro adaptor help? And in what range (distance wise) would I be able to shoot if I added an adaptor? Also someone suggested I could also consider using my Zeiss (Nikon mount) on my Leica M with an adaptor, would that work? Would it impact the quality of the photo? Ideally I would wish to use my 50APO on my M to shoot food as I spent quite a lot on this lens and body. Appreciate if someone can help me out.

Thanks and regards,

J

 

Try R24 2.8

[jmui852]

Yea Coz if I were to shoot a large plate of pasta it will not work right? So would getting a Nikkn to Leica M mount work (use it with my Zeiss)? Would I be able to use to rangefinder? Or would it be liveview only? Will it focus to infinity as well?

[wattsy]

Yea Coz if I were to shoot a large plate of pasta it will not work right? So would getting a Nikkn to Leica M mount work (use it with my Zeiss)? Would I be able to use to rangefinder? Or would it be liveview only? Will it focus to infinity as well?

 

 

Liveview only. With an appropriate adaptor you will get infinity focus without any problems. If you want to use the RF your only options are the 90 Macro Elmar and goggles adaptor (which will give you 1:3 but also the problem of a limited focus range when you have the goggles mounted) or the 75 Summicron which, at closest focussing distance, will get you something like a 1:7 reproduction ratio. Pretty good for a plate of food but not so good for a small vol-au-vent.

 

Have you considered the Q? It might seem weird to consider a camera with a 28mm lens but, from what I gather, it has a dedicated macro range on the lens and can focus surprisingly quite close.

[jaques]

really one the easiest way to get a good all around macro lens solution for your M240 is to buy and old SLR macro lens like the Micro NIKKOR 55mm. This will give you a range all the way from a few cm's from the lens to infinity. These lenses also come with excellent reproduction ratio markings, etc.

 

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[Doc Henry]

JiMui , I'm curious.

What you want in your image just one sushi or several  ?
An image of an enlarged sushi with the lens ?
With your M240 and your 50 mm , you can reframe right  ?
I practice M macro photography  with analog and digital M
Ratio 1: 3 , distance focus 70 cms . Too much this ratio or

it's enough ? What is the image size you want  ? ,

Rg

Henry

[EoinC]

Maybe, to help us understand, you could take a shot with your 50, and crop it to the composition you want to achieve (without worrying about the quality of the crop), and post it here.

 

I'm not sure whether you're wanting 1:1, or less, or more.

[jmui852]

really one the easiest way to get a good all around macro lens solution for your M240 is to buy and old SLR macro lens like the Micro NIKKOR 55mm. This will give you a range all the way from a few cm's from the lens to infinity. These lenses also come with excellent reproduction ratio markings, etc.

 

 

I have a Zeiss 50mm F2 Macro Planar, so I could just get a nikon-to-M mount and use that? Would I still be able to use the viewfinder or would it have to be live view?

[jaapv]

Live view.

However, the old Leica solutions are not too bad: M240 - Visoflex -  Bellows2 -Tele-Elmar 135 head. I did not use the Visoflex for focusing, but I easily could have. In this case I used the EVF for the convenience of looking from the top. 

 

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[jmui852]

JiMui , I'm curious.

What you want in your image just one sushi or several  ?

An image of an enlarged sushi with the lens ?

With your M240 and your 50 mm , you can reframe right  ?

I practice M macro photography  with analog and digital M

Ratio 1: 3 , distance focus 70 cms . Too much this ratio or

it's enough ? What is the image size you want  ? ,

Rg

Henry

 

Maybe, to help us understand, you could take a shot with your 50, and crop it to the composition you want to achieve (without worrying about the quality of the crop), and post it here.

 

I'm not sure whether you're wanting 1:1, or less, or more.

 

 

I would like to take images such as these:

 

https://scontent-hkg3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xft1/v/t1.0-9/10346189_10102270717196335_7778608858566241956_n.jpg?oh=9ba3bb328d1ddaae800cad504bc31e45&oe=576B3AB6

https://scontent-hkg3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfa1/v/t1.0-9/7572_10101922882195465_7083697195203473189_n.jpg?oh=3273bd1e84956eed9e162fa6a32ba746&oe=5750B3F0

https://scontent-hkg3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfa1/v/t1.0-9/10378084_10102131637518125_4726133010354467439_n.jpg?oh=b1d26deeb23c17124bb743abf2be8656&oe=57670362

https://scontent-hkg3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xlf1/v/t1.0-9/10478237_10101724250365245_7636884557198087681_n.jpg?oh=cd0672581a625e912ca5b26ff51d8b3d&oe=574C0C8C

 

I normally take my camera to nice restaurants (fine dining) and for some smaller dishes 0.7M is a bit too far. Also if the dish is fairly large (and if I want to include the entire plate in my photo) I would have to move myself further back, which is quite a rude thing to do. My current set up with my D800 + Zeiss 50mm macro lens allows me to get close (as close as 0.3M) to the dish, while also offers me the flexibility of shooting the restaurant environment / the chef in action (if it were an open kitchen) / use it as a normal 50mm lens. Hope this clears things up a bit! Thanks!

[jmui852]

Live view.

However, the old Leica solutions are not too bad: M240 - Visoflex-Tele-Elmar 135 head. I did not use the Visoflex for focusing, but I easily could have. In this case I used the EVF for the convenience of looking from the top. 

 

post-2976-0-32138800-1456678194.jpg

 

Because ideally I would like to use my 50APO Summicron...

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[wattsy]

You can use your 50 apo but it is not designed as a macro lens so you will be unable to avoid the limitations associated with using an extension tube. You have been quite well advised already in this thread, I'm not sure what else can be said.

[mmradman]

iPhone

You can use your 50 apo but it is not designed as a macro lens so you will be unable to avoid the limitations associated with using an extension tube. You have been quite well advised already in this thread, I'm not sure what else can be said.