Macro/close-up Filters for the Q2

[PhotoCruiser]

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vor 11 Stunden schrieb nicci78:

I cannot find any useful reason to use 28mm lens with macro diopter...

I rather have the macro converter with me in the fields to take a one of a lifetime shot than beeing pissed that i could not.
As the Q series has the macro funcion built in  (and that was a great detail added to the lens by Leica) so why not extend magnification factor?

I am not a big fan of any additional lens and not either too long macro lenses as both degrade the quality due the additional glass or the air between lens and subject.
Additional lenses are a help to make a shot otherwise not possible with the condition that optical quality will degrade, how much depend on the glass used.
I don't see a reason to shoot with 300mm macro (except of very dangerous or extremly shy critters) as it's my experience that
105mm just works fine and for studio work and motionless subjets i would prefer 60mm.

Even if i would have the SL2 and a macro lens i would have the ELPRO 52 as i don't want to carry both cameras with me.

There are several people here shooting awesome photos using the Q series cameras and some of them use a less expensive diopter so
the ELPRO 52 could e a step-up in quality and i think that the optical quality is great.

The "biggest"  problem is vignetting what is due the step-up ring, if Leica would produce a 49mm ELPRO 49 the vignetting would be neglectable.

Chris
 

 

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[nicci78]

 I just think that Leica did not list the Q not Q2 as potential recipient for the Elpro 52 for a good reason : it performs poorly together.

Then I also think that 28mm is way to wide for macro. You have to get so close, that you introduced lots of distortion due to the distance. Then with Elpro, you are getting even closer, introducing more distortion, more vignetting, less light etc...

300mm macro is an eye opener. I was used to 90mm equivalent macro. Never like 60mm equivalent, already way to close to the subject. 
Everything is easier at 300mm for 1:1 macro : working distance, tripod setup and flash. 
 

Of course 300mm is silly underwater. 

[Magic]

Hi Chris,

I am using the Elpro52 AND/OR the Macro-Adapter on the Summilux 50 and 28 for my M10. Both are giving great results -single or in combination- and when I use the Summilux 28, the object is sometimes literally touching the front of the lense. The biggest problem for me with that combination is, to get proper light.

However, I am just shooting non-moving objects and that makes me wonder how you can shoot a living insect with that short of a distance ?

[Leica Guy]

15 minutes ago, Magic said:

Hi Chris,

I am using the Elpro52 AND/OR the Macro-Adapter on the Summilux 50 and 28 for my M10. Both are giving great results -single or in combination- and when I use the Summilux 28, the object is sometimes literally touching the front of the lense. The biggest problem for me with that combination is, to get proper light.

However, I am just shooting non-moving objects and that makes me wonder how you can shoot a living insect with that short of a distance ?

You might consider using a macro ring flash. There are many available on B&H. I use the Canon MR-14 EX II. It works very well in manual mode where you just select a power setting for the right light. 
 

Check out the macro thread for the Q/Q2. Some extraordinary images. 

Edited April 12, 2020 by Leica Guy

[PhotoCruiser]

Hi Magic,
due the lack of time and not finding suitable critters i have no photos with life animals shot with the Q2.
The restriction of posting only Leica Camera photos i cannot post the macro photos  with my Panasonic Lumix LX100 underwater or with my D800 on land.
On the Lumix LX100 i use a SubSee 10x diopter with very short foyus distance as well while the D800 uses the Nikon 105mm Micro VR

However, regarding your question how i shoot live animals so near:
one of the best solutions i found and when i took two if my best photos of a mediterrean black widow and tiny snake with the D800 was:
depositing the animals in a rectangular ceramic dish like this one, but also white outside as this has two advantages:
- the extremy slick surface avoid that the animal can crawl - but fly - out
- the glossy and pure white color it create some kind of a soft box effect
- i use one Nikon SB800 strobe in wireless mode to illuminate from the side to add a bit of 3D depth

Underwater i use two INON Z-240 strobe on double aluminum arms so i can position them wherever i want to have them,
here is a similar setup as the one i use

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While writing this i realized that i could try to attach the Q2 to the whole strobe stup and use them instead of my Metz.
Nowadays in underwater photography we use slave strobes (what was available some years ago as well for land photography)
Slave strobes basically means that the strobe get triggered by the camera strobe and has a cell measuring the light bouncing back
and adjusting acordingly the time of the strobe's flash.
This sounds as a dumb, unreliable solution,
but i can guarantee that this works surprisingle very well as the cameras TTL will correct exposure.
But this is another story....

However, the common solution for close up macro photography is a ringe strobe as LeicaGuy already suggested.
As Leica has no and TTL would not work with any other brand than LEICA there are only two solutions for a ring strobe
a) buy the smallest outer diameter ring strobe available and drive it manually, they cam cost from 50$ up to 450 for the Metz ring strobe
b) use one of this ring strobe adaptors who use the existing strobe and this would permit to use TTL if you use a LEICA strobe
the one linked above is too wide but there are some other products with a smaller diameter.
This would be also a nice and not too complicated project to engineer it for a Leica Strobe using a 3D printer

Chris

P.S.
On page one of this tread you can see:
a) the snake in the ceramic baking dish and some others on their natural ambient
b) my ring light what is too wide diameter and will touch the floor and it's also not strong enough to be the only source of light
     Excluding very strong video lights, there is no replacement for a strobe as it's light output is much higher than a allways on light

If you wonder why i use this McGyver solutions;
98% of my actual life i live either on the Island of Sardinia or in Costa Rica where photo shops are very rare and the existing ones sell only mainstream stuff.
So i must buy my things either ordering them online and wait for days/weeks or buy it while i'm back in my hometown in Zurich.
I dream of living in NYC where i just can walk over to Adorama or B&H ona buy whatever i need, but honestly, that would be my financial ruin...
So often i need to invent McGyver solutions to be able to take a photo for what i cannot wait for days till i receive the needed goods.

 

 

Edited April 12, 2020 by PhotoCruiser

[Magic]

Hi Chris,

thank you very much for the explanation....and you wouldn't want to live in New York...stay safe.

@Leica Guy - thank you too.

Greetings, Jurgen

[Leica Guy]

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Chris and Jurgen,

I’m really enjoying the thread and learning much new. Chris your underwater photography sounds really fun. Thanks guys!! 
 

If a ring flash is too large, one can use external stand alone conventional flashes pointed at the subject. Trigger them with another flash mounted on top of the Q. You use the optical transmission feature. Manual mode only. The flash on the camera can be at the lowest power (1/128) and it’ll still trigger the other flashes. I do this because the Q will not operate my radio frequency flash transmitter like my Canon DSLR will. It’s an alternative when a ring doesn’t work. 

[PhotoCruiser]

vor einer Stunde schrieb Leica Guy:

If a ring flash is too large, one can use external stand alone conventional flashes pointed at the subject. Trigger them with another flash mounted on top of the Q. You use the optical transmission feature.

Yes, i used till now sunlight, the ring light and/or strong torch, non of those is perfect.
I wanna do a try with my INON strobes, they are made for optical triggering and have a very sohisticated cirquit simulating TTL.
Surprisingly i could use tose strobes from D90 up to D800 and various Fuji, Canon and Panasonic compact cameras and it worked mostly right.

Zitat

vor einer Stunde schrieb Leica Guy:

Manual mode only.

The INON strobes work what they call s-TTL or manual mode, while the camera stay in TTL mode and together it works nice.
I would be surprised if the Q2 would not work as any other camera i and most other UW-Photographers use.
But as the Leica is a bit stubborn regarding other strobes i will try and post the results.

As im locked in a rental appartment in my home town for the next 12 days i am charging all my toys to be able to do some more tests, including the INON strobes.

Chris

 

Edited April 12, 2020 by PhotoCruiser

[Magic]

2 hours ago, Leica Guy said:

Chris and Jurgen,

I’m really enjoying the thread and learning much new. Chris your underwater photography sounds really fun. Thanks guys!! 
 

If a ring flash is too large, one can use external stand alone conventional flashes pointed at the subject. Trigger them with another flash mounted on top of the Q. You use the optical transmission feature. Manual mode only. The flash on the camera can be at the lowest power (1/128) and it’ll still trigger the other flashes. I do this because the Q will not operate my radio frequency flash transmitter like my Canon DSLR will. It’s an alternative when a ring doesn’t work. 

When I am using the Summilux 28 AND the ElPro52 AND the macro adapter, I use the Leica SF 60 Flash as a torch. I also have the remote trigger SF C1 but usually the flash, even when turned down, is too bright.

[PhotoCruiser]

vor 1 Stunde schrieb Magic:

When I am using the Summilux 28 AND the ElPro52 AND the macro adapter, I use the Leica SF 60 Flash as a torch. I also have the remote trigger SF C1 but usually the flash, even when turned down, is too bright.

That should work great!
I fear that sooner or later i will buy a Leica Strobe, a TTL strobe is just handy some times!

Chris

 

[Magic]

Sorry for capturing the thread - here is an example for M10, Macro Adapter, ElPro52 on Summilux 50

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[Magic]

And (back to topic 😀 ) one taken with the Q2 in macro mode, no ElPro52, no crop

[img=https://up.picr.de/38283097ti.jpg]

Don't know why it is not showing - hence the new post below 😡

Edited April 13, 2020 by Magic

[Magic]

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[PhotoCruiser]

vor 6 Stunden schrieb Magic:

Sorry for capturing the thread - here is an example for M10, Macro Adapter, ElPro52 on Summilux 50

Yes, i consider the ELPRO  as another very nice piece of glass and Montblanc a very nice pen 🙂

Chris

[Leica Guy]

On 4/12/2020 at 7:24 PM, Magic said:

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Where did you find the beautiful little magnifier? I like it. The GMT Master is also nice. I used to have one until it was stolen. 😩

[Magic]

Hi Leica Guy,

I live in Dubai and received a call from the store manager Asaad Abboud (very humble and nice guy) that they received these magnifiers. I wasn't really looking for one but thought it is somehow cool. It is an official Leica product but -as to my knowledge- limited edition.

Anyway....they still have it in stock and they ship also worldwide - in case you are interested. Price is around US$ 500 plus shipping I guess.

https://www.leicauae.com/shop/lifestyle/gifts/leica-magnifying-glass-10x-enlargement-made-of-brass/

The GMT is the "poor man's GMT", meaning it is a Tudor but nonetheless very nice. I was looking for the Rolex Pepsi 126710 but the prices and waiting time are sky rocketing and that brought me and many others to the Tudor which now also has a waiting time of around 2 years or so....unless you are willing to pay "a little extra" 💰

 

Greetings, Jurgen

[Leica Guy]

On 4/13/2020 at 10:46 PM, Magic said:

Hi Leica Guy,

I live in Dubai and received a call from the store manager Asaad Abboud (very humble and nice guy) that they received these magnifiers. I wasn't really looking for one but thought it is somehow cool. It is an official Leica product but -as to my knowledge- limited edition.

Anyway....they still have it in stock and they ship also worldwide - in case you are interested. Price is around US$ 500 plus shipping I guess.

https://www.leicauae.com/shop/lifestyle/gifts/leica-magnifying-glass-10x-enlargement-made-of-brass/

The GMT is the "poor man's GMT", meaning it is a Tudor but nonetheless very nice. I was looking for the Rolex Pepsi 126710 but the prices and waiting time are sky rocketing and that brought me and many others to the Tudor which now also has a waiting time of around 2 years or so....unless you are willing to pay "a little extra" 💰

 

Greetings, Jurgen

Thanks Jurgen. I will check it out also ask Leica Miami if they can get it. It looks very nice. 
 

I understand about the Rolex cost and availability. They’re beautiful watches. Enjoy your Tudor. 

[Leica Guy]

On 4/13/2020 at 7:25 PM, Leica Guy said:

Where did you find the beautiful little magnifier? I like it. The GMT Master is also nice. I used to have one until it was stolen. 😩

 

On 4/12/2020 at 7:24 PM, Magic said:

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Magic,

Tag, You're it! I found a magnifier that was picked up for me at Wetzlar last year. Mine is not nearly as powerful as yours, but the glass is much larger. Leica Q2, 4 sec, f/16, ISO 200, eliminated shadows and cleaned up details in photoshop. Once again I found that product photography is very challenging. Managing light and reflections is very difficult. I used a white soft box and still there were many areas that I had to work on. 

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica Q

[Magic]

Congrats 👍 - yours is of course more challenging because it's shiny.

[PhotoCruiser]

Ok, back to the topic!

I made a short test using my new watch to show the 3 macro modes available using the Q2 and the ELP52
Again, the vignetting is minimal at f/16
I made also the same photos only with the paper to check distortion, but due the lack of a useful tripod the results are not very clear.
I could take sharp photos, but is twas virtually impossible to hold the Q2 alignet on the paper and that lead to more distortions.
There is cushion distortion clearly visible,
but for natural things without straight lines or non scientific photograpyh it's certainly not perfect but neglectable.

Q2 lens set to macro mode, no ELP52

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Q2 Lens set to NON macro mode, ELP52 used

 

Q2 lens set to macro mode and ELP52 used

Edited April 25, 2020 by PhotoCruiser