Best lens for detail shots

[Harpomatic]

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Hello everyone,

 

I had a look on the forum but wasn't able to find this info.

I need a lens for detail shots for a project I'm working on.

I am aware of the Leica 90mm F4 macro but that's completely out of budget and also too slow. The light in that place is really low.

I need a slightly longer than 50mm lens with a magnification ratio that is higher. I don't need any real macro capabilities.

Importantly, it is a very dynamic environment, so I might need to shoot the detail and suddenly something 4 metres away, then back to details, etc. This excludes the close-up lens options that I had already considered.

I know that Adan already mentioned the use of the 75mm lens for product shots: would that be the best? I have a 90mm Tele-Elmarit thin that, even at 1m MFD, gives me better magnification than the 50mm at 0.7m. Would a 75mm give me a significant advantage at 0.7m to justify the expense?

What other options would there be? I'm looking for a pretty high level of quality in the image, within reason, and I work with the optical viewfinder. The EVF is just too clunky and laggy on my M240. 

The options are really narrowed down this way: I would appreciate your advice!!

 

Thanks in advance.

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[wda]

You are rather vague on the nature of your subject. You cite low light. Have you considered using a tripod?

[a.noctilux]

Hello,

in same situation, I'd use my wife's Apo-Summicron-M 75mm asph. * that was created for that purpose.

My second would be the Summarit-M 2.5/75mm that I happen to have.

Not using in same time, as results of the two 75mm, I don't see much differences for about 1-2m .

The Apo 75 can close focus to 70cm while my 2.5/75 only to 90cm.

 

* as side note this 75mm Apo is sort of bargain, when used close-up the floating element can do magic to have best result,

...close followed by the Summarit-M 75mm

Edited April 18, 2021 by a.noctilux

[a.noctilux]

I can understand why I prefer the Summarit-M 75mm in general than Apo 75mm.

Looking at the large comfortable rubber focus ring in place of the narrow one on Apo 75mm

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Apo 75 from Wiki

 

I think that the focus is smoother in use on lesser lens,

Apo ring is a bit stiffer, maybe by the floating group mechanism.

 

Edited April 18, 2021 by a.noctilux

[crony]

Hi, the M 240 has live view. - I would suggest the Macro-Elmarit-R 2,8/60, which is a good all-round-lens, too.

(I have only Leica M9s. But it works beautifully on the SONY A7R2. - You need an R-to-M adapter, of course.

On the M9 (without live view)  it is not much fun to use.)

Edited April 18, 2021 by crony
addition

[Ko.Fe.]

I have no idea what OP is up to. Product details are visible with "slow" lens. Fast lens shows no details of the product, but fluffy clouds of bokeh.

[earleygallery]

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You need a DSLR with a zoom lens with macro that will focus close enough for your purposes, and then you can quickly focus on whatever it is 4m away and then back again.7

The Leica is the wrong tool for the job you have described.

[crony]

Hi, I am not sure how helpful my proposal of the Macro-Elmarit-R is. - But this is what I would use ...

I have the Leica M close-focus adapter OUFRO. This requires live-view, however.

Sorry, that's all I can suggest ... ---

Edited April 18, 2021 by crony
addition

[Harpomatic]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions.

I am aware that I would be better off with an SLR for this but Leica M is the system I use. 

I can’t use a tripod for the reason I mentioned, I need to be dynamic in what I am doing and macro adapters, non rangefinder coupled lenses and other contraptions are not practical.

My question is simple: is there a lens that would be more suited for the job than what I am using? 

F4 is too slow, and F2.8 is perfectly suitable for the amount of depth of field it gives and is the compromise I can use. It’s not a product shoot, it’s documentary work. I wouldn’t shoot any wider though.

So, I know very well what I can’t do and what doesn’t work. I don’t know if there is something that would make my job easier within these constraints.

Thanks a.noctilux for your contribution, that is giving me a workable solution but at a budget that is even higher than the Macro Elmar with the APO and I assume the 75mm Summarit might have less magnification at 0.9m than my 90mm at 1m? Or roughly the same...which puts me back to square one.

If no better solution exists at a reasonable budget (sub-1000) I will just work with what I have.

 

Thanks again!

[lct]

Nokton 75/1.5 asph. Fast, 0.7m MFD, less than €/$1k. I have no experience with it though.

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[Dennis]

14 hours ago, Harpomatic said:

Hello everyone,

 

I had a look on the forum but wasn't able to find this info.

I need a lens for detail shots for a project I'm working on.

I am aware of the Leica 90mm F4 macro but that's completely out of budget and also too slow. The light in that place is really low.

I need a slightly longer than 50mm lens with a magnification ratio that is higher. I don't need any real macro capabilities.

Importantly, it is a very dynamic environment, so I might need to shoot the detail and suddenly something 4 metres away, then back to details, etc. This excludes the close-up lens options that I had already considered.

I know that Adan already mentioned the use of the 75mm lens for product shots: would that be the best? I have a 90mm Tele-Elmarit thin that, even at 1m MFD, gives me better magnification than the 50mm at 0.7m. Would a 75mm give me a significant advantage at 0.7m to justify the expense?

What other options would there be? I'm looking for a pretty high level of quality in the image, within reason, and I work with the optical viewfinder. The EVF is just too clunky and laggy on my M240. 

The options are really narrowed down this way: I would appreciate your advice!!

 

Thanks in advance.

Using DSLR Nikon for me) my choices for tomorrow would 58/1.4G + 105/1.4G Micro.

Shooting with Leica, with EVF or LV, I would probably use (as Ict said) the new CV 75/1.5. It's super sharp, even wide open. I don't own it, but I read a lot about it.

In the "1.5 - 4" f/stop range you should find, according to the distance and OOF desired rendering, your sweet spot for details shoot. Maybe knowing more about your project, we can help you more.

[a.noctilux]

I don't have one, but very tempting this Nikkor AF-S 1.4/105mm !

Very affordable 😄,

but is it Micro-Nikkor ?

I think not at MFD 1m.

Edited April 19, 2021 by a.noctilux

[andybarton]

11 hours ago, Harpomatic said:

If no better solution exists at a reasonable budget (sub-1000) I will just work with what I have

There is no solution for any problem, anywhere in the Leica world that comes in under a grand...

[Alan Friedman]

I expect this is beyond the parameters of your request, but using an L mount body (Leica SL or Sigma fp) with a helicoid m-l adapter (I've posted to the forum about the Haoge version, which is inexpensive and good quality) gives you some unique advantages over the M series camera including critical focus at close range and the ability to reach closer with almost any lens. I recently did some testing of several lenses between 80 and 90mm focal length (posted here) and was surprised and impressed with how well my Elmarit-M 90 2.8 performed. I would expect your earlier version of this lens would work about as well. The modestly priced Sigma fp body is an interesting carry - excellent image quality and low light performance, though artificial available light shooting can be challenging with its electronic (only) shutter. 

[MarkP]

8 hours ago, andybarton said:

There is no solution for any problem, anywhere in the Leica world that comes in under a grand...

...and you’re talking Euro, not dollars 😁

[LarsHP]

Among lenses in M mount that will perform well at close distance (using the rangefinder focus + without close-up filter), apart from the Macro-Elmar, I would suggest the 75mm Apo-Summicron-M. Unlike the 90mm Apo, it has floating element for close focus correction. It's also a relatively fast lens at f/2, but maximum magnification isn't much: just 1:7 according to specs.

The Voigtländer 75mm f/1.5 is another option, but it has no floating lens elements, so more stopping down will be needed. The 75mm Summarit-M doesn't have a floating lens element either.

Edited April 19, 2021 by LarsHP

[LarsHP]

Wait a minute! Even the 90mm Macro-Elmar-M doesn't achieve more than 1:6.7 in magnification without the macro adapter, so that doesn't make it much of a macro option as it is. In short, the M camera system doesn't offer a single truly native macro lens. You will have to rely on EVF and either need an extension ring / macro adapter or a close-up filter or both in order to get properly into the macro range.

[Dennis]

10 hours ago, a.noctilux said:

I don't have one, but very tempting this Nikkor AF-S 1.4/105mm !

Very affordable 😄,

but is it Micro-Nikkor ?

I think not at MFD 1m.

It's not the AF-S, it's the G version. I'm referring to this lens. I had the 105/2.8 for while, years ago. Great. But the 1.4 version, is out of this world. Nikon loaned me the lens for a couple of month to shoot a huge editorial project. It's 1kg lens. But besides that, wow wow! 

P.s. I can't post a Nikon photos here. If you're interested, I can DM you.

Edited April 19, 2021 by Dennis
added the PS

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[a.noctilux]

Dennis, thanks.

After searching a bit I can see only this 1.4/105mm lens, AF-S- ED, same as your link.

1m Mini Focus Distance and  985g .

 

Coming to the OP, if f/4 is ok, the Macro-Elmar-M 4/90 ( ratio 1:6.7 direct) so light is THE lens to use.

Second lens would be the Apo-Summicron-M 2/75mm asph. with floating elements and 1:7 as LarsHp wrote.

Edited April 19, 2021 by a.noctilux

[hdmesa]

3 hours ago, LarsHP said:

...

The Voigtländer 75mm f/1.5 is another option, but it has no floating lens elements, so more stopping down will be needed. The 75mm Summarit-M doesn't have a floating lens element either.

At MFD and f/2.8 it is razor sharp. At distance, the best setting is right at f/1.7, which retains the bokeh character of f/1.5 but is as sharp as f/2. There is no click-stop between f/1.5 and f/2, so you just have to move it there and not bump it.