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70 years facing the same problem...


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... how to achieve next-to-macro with a rangefinder - coupled camera... :)

 

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From right :

M3 with SOMKY-UOORF and Summicron 50 lens head

IIIc with NOOKY and Elmar 50

M8 with 14409 and Macro Elmar 90

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I know its nice to play with all the toys, and the first accessory I had for my IIf was a BPM Prismeter, but thats just trying to adapt the wrong tool for the job, cant fight parallax.

Best just get a reflex, or a technical camera and enjoy the experience, even a Visoflex is a pretty clumsy tool for the job, I once tried to photograph a grand prix with a Visoflex III and a 280mm Telyt, much easier and more enjoyable with a Pentax or a Nikon, or even a Leicaflex.

 

Gerry

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I agree with Wilson, I use the Novoflex bellows much more often than the Leitz Bellows II. The Elmar 65 is still wonderful, but I also use some Schneider lenses on the bellows. For moving objects, ans certainly in the macro-field, the wonderful Novoflex PIBAL can come in. It is the follow focus pistol grip with bellows, not the longer grip for longer lenses. Once you get used to Visoflex and other older equipment, it works great.

Lex

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Once you get used to Visoflex and other older equipment, it works great.

Lex

 

Completely agree. The Visoflex II and III are outstanding solutions for close-ups and long lenses. 

 

Nothing wrong with the rangefinder applications above, either.

Edited by Michael Hiles
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I have the NOOKY, NOOKY Hesum, SOOKY and the Visoflex II. If I were doing serious close up work on film, I would use my Visoflex II with the 65mm Elmar. For 'walking around' close ups, say in a botanical gardens, I would use one of the NOOKY/SOOKY series or, if I were using an M, I would use the 50D R which, of course, now works on the M10. The 50 DR is one of the best lenses ever made by Leica for both close ups and normal use. The M10 does not show it up at all, even though there are 60 years or so between the two products.

 

I also have this close up set up from the very early days (I Model C on BEVOR with close up lenses), but I must admit that I have not used it 'in anger' yet. I need to get a suitable subject that is quite small and does not move!

 

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William

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I will have a Leitz BEOON waiting for me when I get back to the UK in two weeks time. Although this has been bought for film scanning, it would also work well for macro, with top rather than bottom lighting. I have a bag of snoot lights left over from when I did yacht interior photography. As well as the standard letter coded extension tubes that come with the BEOON, I also have the set of 5 Periflex L39 extension tubes of different lengths. I will try with 2 of 50mm lenses I have, the ZM Planar and Series 5 Summicron and I also have a couple of old 50mm enlarger lenses, a Componar and a Rolleigon but they were cheap when new and they are now old and cheap. Having been researching this a lot over the last few weeks, I have come to the conclusion that either a Schneider Componon-S or the newer Rodenstock APO-Rodagon-N (both 50mm) are the way to go for film scanning with my SL. 

 

Wilson

Edited by wlaidlaw
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Sandro, 

 

I will be buying a new LED lightbox for illuminating the BEOON. I have an old (about 25 years+) Jessops lightbox that is fine for viewing films but when you try to scan using it (to date using a Novoflex Bellows) I was getting horizontal light and dark striping. The lightbox uses 4 low voltage caravan/boat type fluorescent tubes behind a diffusor and although you cannot see the striping by eye, when you scan, my M240 does see the variation in illumination. Now I could build a template to correct but in reality it is better to get a new lightbox with a more even output. The fluorescent light box also gets quite hot. 

 

I haven't started scanning with the BEOON yet as it is sitting at my UK house. I did not want to risk French post losing or damaging it. It took three and a half weeks for my M7 base plate which needs its latch tightening, to reach the UK and until it hit Heathrow Airport and appeared on UK tracking, had disappeared totally off French tracking after the single entry of being handed to La Poste in my village. It was sent Express Registered post. I am back to the UK two weeks from today. 

 

Wilson

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Sandro, 

 

I will be buying a new LED lightbox for illuminating the BEOON. I have an old (about 25 years+) Jessops lightbox that is fine for viewing films but when you try to scan using it (to date using a Novoflex Bellows) I was getting horizontal light and dark striping. The lightbox uses 4 low voltage caravan/boat type fluorescent tubes behind a diffusor and although you cannot see the striping by eye, when you scan, my M240 does see the variation in illumination. Now I could build a template to correct but in reality it is better to get a new lightbox with a more even output. The fluorescent light box also gets quite hot. 

 

I haven't started scanning with the BEOON yet as it is sitting at my UK house. I did not want to risk French post losing or damaging it. It took three and a half weeks for my M7 base plate which needs its latch tightening, to reach the UK and until it hit Heathrow Airport and appeared on UK tracking, had disappeared totally off French tracking after the single entry of being handed to La Poste in my village. It was sent Express Registered post. I am back to the UK two weeks from today. 

 

Wilson

 

I look forward to seeing the results from the BEOON etc. 'Bonne chance' with the French delivery system. 

 

William

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Just acquired a 35-90mm M42 Helicoid ring for use with my Leica T and SL (via an M42 to L/T adapter) but which would also easily adapt to an original Visoflex via an M42 to L39, or M42 to M, adapters  … mine's for use with various M42 adapters on the front end thus enabling fitting e.g. reversed enlarging lenses for c/u imaging. 

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/KECAY-Mount-Focusing-Helicoid-Adapter/dp/B01HM29TE6/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1506957334&sr=1-1&keywords=M42+helicoid+ring

 

dunk 

Edited by dkCambridgeshire
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Just acquired a 35-90mm M42 Helicoid ring for use with my Leica T and SL (via an M42 to L/T adapter) but which would also easily adapt to an original Visoflex via an M42 to L39, or M42 to M, adapters  … mine's for use with various M42 adapters on the front end thus enabling fitting e.g. reversed enlarging lenses for c/u imaging. 

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/KECAY-Mount-Focusing-Helicoid-Adapter/dp/B01HM29TE6/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1506957334&sr=1-1&keywords=M42+helicoid+ring

 

dunk

Useful device, indeed, and at a good price : funny how it resembles the old OTZFO :) (which maybe has a better mechanics... but is surely less universal...)

 

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I will have a Leitz BEOON waiting for me when I get back to the UK in two weeks time. Although this has been bought for film scanning, it would also work well for macro, with top rather than bottom lighting. I have a bag of snoot lights left over from when I did yacht interior photography. As well as the standard letter coded extension tubes that come with the BEOON, I also have the set of 5 Periflex L39 extension tubes of different lengths. I will try with 2 of 50mm lenses I have, the ZM Planar and Series 5 Summicron and I also have a couple of old 50mm enlarger lenses, a Componar and a Rolleigon but they were cheap when new and they are now old and cheap. Having been researching this a lot over the last few weeks, I have come to the conclusion that either a Schneider Componon-S or the newer Rodenstock APO-Rodagon-N (both 50mm) are the way to go for film scanning with my SL. 

 

Wilson

Wilson,

for scanning film or dias I use an Illumitran from Bowens and a M 8/9 with great succes

btw the writing on the pict is not from me

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I will have a Leitz BEOON waiting for me when I get back to the UK in two weeks time. Although this has been bought for film scanning, it would also work well for macro, with top rather than bottom lighting. I have a bag of snoot lights left over from when I did yacht interior photography. As well as the standard letter coded extension tubes that come with the BEOON, I also have the set of 5 Periflex L39 extension tubes of different lengths. I will try with 2 of 50mm lenses I have, the ZM Planar and Series 5 Summicron and I also have a couple of old 50mm enlarger lenses, a Componar and a Rolleigon but they were cheap when new and they are now old and cheap. Having been researching this a lot over the last few weeks, I have come to the conclusion that either a Schneider Componon-S or the newer Rodenstock APO-Rodagon-N (both 50mm) are the way to go for film scanning with my SL. 

 

Wilson

 

 

Hi Wilson,

I use the same set up, with a Schneider f2.8 50mm Componon-S over an LED lightbox, masked down to the BEOON opening. Using the iPhone SL app, and the SL's spot metering mode, you can review the image on the app, and move the spot around the image to get the best exposure, and then shoot without touching the camera. Then move to the next frame etc.. it is a very quick method.

 

Cheers,

John

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Even some 87 years ago, they were facing the problem - with no coupled rangefinder. The solution was printed tables to be kept in the waste pocket of the avid photographer with his collection of "Vorsatzlinsen" - commonly called "Elpro", "Elpik" and "Elpet".

 

From the booklet "Leitz Tabellen zur Leica=Kamera" from March 1930:

 

 

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(Reproduction with BOOWU and Summicron 5cm, M10)

 

 

 

 

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In 1932 - with the Leica II - they already were somewhat advanced with different devices - Belun, Bemar, Bevor - and even Beins and Bekur for the 3.5cm Elmar which I have never heard of before.

 

From the booklet: "Hilfs-Geräte zur Leica-Kamera" from Dec. 1932:

 

 

 

 

 

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Thanks UliWer.  A lot of those instructions and a wealth of other material are available in English in the 'Leica Instructions for use of Reproduction Devices including Visoflexes and Bellows etc' published by Hove Foto Books and still available from here http://www.hovebooks.com/lib/index.html. On page 407 of Denis Laney's Leica Collector's Guide he gave some numbers for using the BEVOR and on page 405 he gave some details about the ELPRO, ELPIK and ELPET lenses which are shown in my photo above.

 

William

Edited by willeica
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