What is your ideal flower and garden lens, and why?

[Peter Kilmister]

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Using a 50mm APO Summicron I have taken some great shots of flowers. Many of them were grown and tended by Michele Hickman, a New Zealander who has an affinity with horticulture that many of us envy.

 

I am not even going to try showing examples on this site as my photos always seem to exceed the limits.

Go to my Flickr.com and search for 'Peter Kilmister'. Then go to page 3 and there are examples of Michele's work for all to see. Each of the photos required me to be aware of the breeze, a real destroyer of quality flower shots. Luckily those photos were taken in a walled garden. The Victorians knew a thing or two about how to use their green fingers ... first build a wall !  

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[pico]

Nobody will like this - Voightlander 25mm ƒ0.95 on mirror-less.

[jdlaing]

Nobody will like this - Voightlander 25mm ƒ0.95 on mirror-less.

Stellar lens.

[elgenper]

Clinical? (90/4 macro, Macro-Adapter-M)

 

In this case, certainly not; it´s beautiful!  But, a significant number of my images with the 90 seemed just too much of a good thing to me.  So, I sold mine and kept the 75.  Do miss the macro adapter´s extra range at times, though.

[lct]

Another one from the clinical 90/4 macro.

 

[wattsy]

Good flower photography really has little to do with lenses and everything to do with lighting, angle and composition. If you are pondering the subtle differences between the 90 Macro and the 75 Summicron I think you are concentrating on the wrong thing.

 

That said, and for what it's worth, here's a snap of some Irises I've just taken using the 90 Macro.

 

Edited February 20, 2018 by wattsy

[adli]

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75 cron to get close if you want to use an M. And a wide angel to taste.

[jmahto]

I prefer 135 so that you can control the background better. Obviously it has to be using EVF and most probably non Leica M for better MFD. I use cheap Konica hexanon 135 3.2 (in my avatar) that gets me plenty close if I want to.

 

Strangely I have found 28mm also good for macro use but again not Leica. I have used cheap 28-85 NIKKOR which has macro option at wide end.

 

If I have to use M lens then 90 macro elmar M Is best bet with RF focusing. But if you are serious then switch on LV.

[mmx_2]

Actually the R 35-70 f4 also has a macro option. Of course you need EVF or screen, but the lens is in many respects very useful albeit somewhat slow at f4. Performance wise it’s really good, also in the macro area.

[tsleica]

I also use a Nikon 28mm f2.8 manual focus for flower closeups...it has extremely high resolution and focuses insanely close..one of Nikons best ever..

[Narsuitus]

Nikon 55mm f/3.5 macro or Nikon 105mm f/2.8 macro adapted for use on Leica M10

[Stonewall Brigade]

I do a lot of tripod-mounted flower macro work, and usually find that my Summarit-M 75mm focuses closer than my Summarit-M 50mm, and gives me the added reach to fill the frame.  My wider M lenses 18, 24, 28, 35) don't focus close enough. I also use my 90 and 135 but find the 75mm to be the ideal perspective.

[tsleica]

DR Summicron..I almost forgot that one..is so great on film..