Which lens for 2-D art reproduction?

[rfe]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Looking to shoot 2D art (primarily paintings) for high quality reproduction, both commercial offset printing and generating giclees. I would definitely welcome any informed opinioins about which lens(es) might be the best for the task on the M8.

 

Thanks for your help.

Robert

[geoffreyg]

the 50/2 as it is decent enough close up, and yet has some depth of field to deal with curving field of focus?

[Advertisement]

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

[rfe]

I was thinking that the 50 would be flat enough. Not sure what you mean by "curving field of focus" ??

[lars_bergquist]

There are three things that you have to beware of in this field: curvature of field; linear distortion; and performance fall-off close up. Few people this side of the 1950's have considered a RF camera for reproduction work, so there are no specialized optics available for the M except the Macro-Elmar 90mm (which has some 1.2% pincushion distortion) and the old Dual-Range 50mm Summicron, which it is verboten to use on the M8. The best bet would seem to be the 1958 vintage Elmarit 90mm with a Visoflex (lens head and Universal Focusing Mount OTZFO/16464). No distortion and good definition at reasonable reproduction ratios. (The 65mm Elmar is not good enough at the edges.) This is my preference for a repro rig.

 

Enlarger lenses are by definition close-up reproduction lenses, but they have no focusing helicals of course. Viso + bellows + 39mm thread adapter would work.

 

My own quick and dirty trick is the old 'Spinnebeine' ('Daddy Longlegs') or 'Copying Gauge' or BOOWU-M device. This is three extension rings for the original reproduction ratios of 1:4, 1:6 and 1:9 (A6, A5 and A4 on film) and with screw-in extensible legs. You bayonet in a ring in the camera (no problems), attach the legs as per instructions, and in front you attach a collapsible 50mm lens – preferably an Elmar 2.8, which is the nearest thing to a copy lens that Leitz ever produced – by its inner bayonet. Works fine.

 

However, if it is artwork you are after, repro ratio no closer than c. 1:7, and if slight distortion is no issue, do by all means use any good 90mm lens directly on the camera!

 

The old man from the Age of the NOOKY

[carstenw]

Lars, my DR 50 Cron does fit on the M8 if set to about 1.2m, and can then focus from 1-3m, so it could be used for repro purposes on a stand with a distance of more than 1m, ie. a larger stand.

[luigi bertolotti]

I think if you plane to use M8 for paintings, a good choice can be a 90 as sharp as possible (I'd prefer Elmarit on Summicron) ; considering that thise kind of pics are by definition with tripod, you could also think of a Visoflex based gear (and maybe bellows, too...), if you are familiar with this tool... With a vertical Viso finder you have the best framing/focusing, and on the Viso you can mount Leitz lenses like Elmar 65 or 90/135 heads (Tele Elmar 135 is excellent), but you can also adapt lenses more specialized for reproduction (Leitz Photar or Rodenstock/Schneider: I remember to have seen such a combo in this forum) ; paintings reproduction, if one has to achieve real quality, is always a task much more difficult than one can think... but I think M8 sensor can prove good; just for chatting, I think that working digital, the best could be a some Linhof or Toyo with proper lens and scanning back...

[rfe]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Gentlemen, thank you much for your input.