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Makro options for the SL


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Until a true SL makro lens will be out (still not in the line-up until 2018...), what do people use for doing makro photography with the SL?

 

Currently I am using one of two options, but neither is really satisfying. One is the 90mm M-Summicron with macro-adapter. Not really true makro-magnification, bit fiddly with the makro-Adapter. The second is with the EF 180mm Canon makro-lens and EF>SL adapter. Quite a long and heavy contraption all-together and a bit too long focal length for some of the applications.

 

Anyone experiences with any of the Leica-offerings (60mmTL makro, 90mm M makro, 100mm R makro, 120mm S makro)? Or perhaps other manufacturers (EF 100mm makro Canon, etc.)?

 

Focal length around the 100mm and magnification at least 1:2, but preferably 1:1 would be something I'd be interested in.

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My favorite lens of all times is the Apo Macro Elmarit-R 100. It is great for macro use and optically one of the best lenses of all times. The Elmarit-R 60mm Macro is much older, theoretically much worse in optics, but also a really great little gem. (Also the R and M 2/50mm are great).

 

Maybe the optically best macro 100 (even better than the R 100, but just by a tiny margin, only visible in lab tests) is the Zeiss Macro 2/100 (ZF.2). But I actually prefer the R 100 in daily use.

An old favorite is my Nikkor Micro 70-180, the most practical of all macro lenses.

 

I have lately seen some photos with the S 4/120 on the S2, that I liked very much (really made an impression on me). Unfortunately i have not seen any results of this lens on the SL, yet. (I expect the best).  (https://www.flickr.com/photos/royprasad/6300608481/in/photostream/lightbox/ look for the S2 photos.)

 

The Nikon 105 and 60 are also ok, but maybe not my favorites.

Maybe strange, but I also use the Contax 80-200 as macro lens (at 200mm) where I like it very much - especially the colors.

Generally I think most macros are great regarding optics. I would also like to try the Contax 60 and 100.

Very strange macros are maybe the Sigma 1.8/20, 1.8/24 and 1.8/28. Generally they are rather weak lenses, but close-up the results are excellent (not as good as the Leicas, but much better than you would expect).

 

So you see it's a wild mixture of old and new.  (All but the S lens used adapted to SL.)        :D

 

It will take at least 2-3 years until there is a real macro lens for the SL. In the meantime an SL-AF-OIS macro-ring could be helpful. The 90-280 with such an adaptor or the future Apo Summicron SL 90 could be great AF macro lenses. ( not "real" macro, but close enough).

Edited by steppenw0lf
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The best is the Apo Macro Elmarit 2.8x100mm, without Elpro you will reach 1:2.

With Elpro you reach 1:1.

 

Other Option is the Elmarit Macro 2.8x60 you reach 1:2

with Extender you will reach 1:1.

 

Both lenses you might find on the second hand market.

I am also using a Macro Elmarit 4x100 on the Novoflex bellow.

Or on an other bellow you can connect enlarger lenses.

 

I will produce some pictures tomorrow

regards Peter

Edited by Peter Bailer
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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!

The best is the Apo Macro Elmarit 2.8x100mm, without Elpro you will reach 1:2.

With Elpro you reach 1:1.

 

Other Option is the Elmarit Macro 2.8x60 you reach 1:2

with Extender you will reach 1:1.

 

Both lenses you might find on the second hand market.

I am also using a Macro Elmarit 4x100 on the Novoflex bellow.

Or on an other bellow you can connect enlarger lenses.

 

I will produce some pictures tomorrow

regards Peter

 

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Here are the Leica R Macro lenses

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The best is the Apo Macro Elmarit 2.8x100mm, without Elpro you will reach 1:2.

With Elpro you reach 1:1.

 

Other Option is the Elmarit Macro 2.8x60 you reach 1:2

with Extender you will reach 1:1.

 

Both lenses you might find on the second hand market.

I am also using a Macro Elmarit 4x100 on the Novoflex bellow.

Or on an other bellow you can connect enlarger lenses.

 

I will produce some pictures tomorrow

regards Peter

 

 

Actually, with the dedicated Elpro on the 100/2.8 Apo Macro Elmarit R the max reproduction ratio is 1.1:1.

 

A cheaper option is the 100mm f4 Macro Elmar R available for less than one third the price of the 100/2.8 APO Macro Elmarit and for which the R bellows or auto R extension tubes can be purchased very $€£ reasonably. 

 

And nearly all manual focus 'legacy'  90mm or 100 mm macro lenses can be easily adapted to the SL;  one worth considering using is the Canon FD 100/4 Macro. 

 

I also use Canon and Polaroid supplementary 'achromatic' close-up lenses with the SL 24-90mm  

 

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/262292-sl-macro-adapters/?p=3080877   and http://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/262292-sl-macro-adapters/?p=3080733

 

dunk

Edited by dkCambridgeshire
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I use both the Zeiss 100mm Makro Planar and the Leica S 120mm 2.5 macro. The Zeiss is 1:2. The Leica is 1:2 on the S so a bit closer on the SL.

 

Both are absolutely fantastic lenses on the SL. The S 120mm is a bit better optically wide open and it has slow AF on the SL but it is very expensive.

 

Gordon

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I use both a Macro-Elmarit-R 60mm f/2.8 and Macro-Elmar-R 100mm f/4 in short mount on the Leica Focusing Bellows R. Both produce excellent results. My 1964 Summicron-R 50mm f/2 also produces remarkable results on the bellows.

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My favorite lens of all times is the Apo Macro Elmarit-R 100. It is great for macro use and optically one of the best lenses of all times. The Elmarit-R 60mm Macro is much older, theoretically much worse in optics, but also a really great little gem. 

 

 

 

With you on this, the R100 and 60mm are really excellent in the studio. 

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Second the praise for the 100mm f/2.8 R. Great lens, can be found for relatively little $$, easy to use if you don't want to use bellows, and a great lens also in non-macro applications, which is definitely a plus.

 

Best,

 

Vieri

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Thank you all for your insights, very valuable! It sounds like the 100 /2.8 R is a great way to go.

When looking at options to buy I come across ROM-versions and non-ROM versions. Can anybody explain the difference and which is better? Also, how can you tell which one it is if it is not advertised as such?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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Leica APO Summarit-S 1:2,5/120mm would be the best option with the Leica S adapter for SL, you will retain autofocus, and probably the highest possible image quality. 

 

 

… and also be spending c. £6K !! :( … There are more cost effective solutions. Few photomacrography enthusiasts rely on autofocus - in fact there is a good case for using manual focus - especially if photo stacking. I'd wager as good results could be obtained using a budget price legacy macro lens or an enlarging lens on a bellows. If the OP wants to explore cost effective close-up photography techniques and apparatus he might consider investigating the Photomacrography Forum where enthusiasts produce amazing results using simple lenses; in fact serious photomacrography enthusiasts will usually concentrate more on the subject illumination and subject / camera support rather than the lens; the lens is the last link in the chain and not that important.  

 

http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/viewforum.php?f=27&sid=45a44ef8568121894bf8fa5558f4530c

 

At the end of the day the SL is just another mirrorless camera which can use all manner of legacy lenses for close-up work. 

 

Spending £6K on an S lens and S to SL adapter to take a few close-up images is plain daft.

 

dunk 

Edited by dkCambridgeshire
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Thank you all for your insights, very valuable! It sounds like the 100 /2.8 R is a great way to go.

When looking at options to buy I come across ROM-versions and non-ROM versions. Can anybody explain the difference and which is better? Also, how can you tell which one it is if it is not advertised as such?

 

 

All it takes is a clear photo of the lens mount. ROM lenses will have their contacts clearly visible. Between 1-, 2-, and 3-cam lenses, see this page for details: http://www.photoethnography.com/ClassicCameras/Lens-R.html

 

If you're using the two-adapter stack for the SL (R Adapter M fitted to M Adapter L), it doesn't make any difference to the camera whether a lens is 1,2,3 cam, R only, or ROM. With the two adapter stack, you must set the lens profile using the SL's menu.

 

If you're using the R Adapter SL, then you should only use 3-cam, R-only, and ROM lenses. With ROM lenses, the lens data is automatically available to the SL and the lens profile is automatically set. 

 

The APO and ROM lenses in the R lens line tend to be the latest optical formulations and the most recent lenses; they also tend to be the most expensive. Even the pre-APO 100mm macro produces outstanding quality, and the 60mm macro is one of the best macro lenses ever made in or near this focal length, regardless of how it compares to the APO 100mm. 

Edited by ramarren
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I use the Leica 100/4 on the focusing bellows black version one.

 

My Macro-Elmar R100/4 is the older version, with the extendable hood. I also use the Macro-Elmar R100 on my Cambo Actus alongside with my ancient Zeiss S-Planar 72mm. The Zeiss is optimized for copying and I use it to digitize my film archive. It is much better at 1:1 than any Leica, but it's a one trick pony, maximum resolution around 1:1 and terrible out focus areas rendering at the table top distances.

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

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I use both the Zeiss 100mm Makro Planar and the Leica S 120mm 2.5 macro. The Zeiss is 1:2. The Leica is 1:2 on the S so a bit closer on the SL.

 

Both are absolutely fantastic lenses on the SL. The S 120mm is a bit better optically wide open and it has slow AF on the SL but it is very expensive.

 

Gordon

 

Hello Gordon,

 

again you seem to be the only one with S 2.5/120 and the S adapter. (Not even Farkas has both ;-).

Did you ever show any macro photos with this combination ? Or also non-macro use is interesting. Do you have a link ?

I liked the results on S2, so I'd like to see what to expect adapted to the SL. In another forum part, people thought that attaching MF lenses would not give anything special (mainly bulk). I am not so sure, especially regarding this lens.

Although I probably would not buy the S lens, however great the results are. (Simply outside of my budget).

 

Thanks.    Stephan

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Hi Macro Lovers,

Enclosed a picture taken today with Apo Macro 2.8x100 and Elpro 1:1

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

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