Interesting. Has Rob claimed something about the Apo-Digitar-M? I thought he only tested the Apo-Componon 90 mm f/4.5... Isn't the Apo-Digitar-M specifically optimized for macro (hence the M?). Mark tested the Makro-Symmar 120 mm at infinity and found that it was also only mediocre in the corners. The Apo-Componon 90 mm however did pretty well at distance in his tests. Robert OToole told me similar things.
That does look really good indeed!
Here's a shot with a tiny, but mighty fine Tomioka Tominon 35 mm f/4.5 lens (made for the Polaroid MP4/5 system):
Swan to reckon with... by simple.joy, on Flickr
Apo-Digitar M 120mm f/5.6 is the very same lens as a little older Makro-Symmar HM. It was sold as optimized to 1:1 and recommended from 1:4 to 4:1 magnifications.
I think it is very good from 1:10 or 1:8 to 1:1. At bigger magnifications it starts to become softer, or so I feel. But everything shot over life size is very prone to user errors.
I don't remember who it was, but I also have read that claim. I thought it was Rob de Loe when you said so. Anyway, it's image quality is not acceptable focused at infinity. If I remember I took F8 and F11 shots. That is stopped down a bit, isn't it? Btw. who's Mark?
Yes, it was Apo-Componon HM earlier. My Apo-Digitar L 80mm f/4 was Componon-S before it turned to digital...đ It is also very sharp and free from CA's at landscapes. I have not tested it at near distances. I have to check it some day.
Very nice again!đ
I see you have balanced the hexagonal bokeh balls with the Swan Stabilo pens or should I say stabilised?đ
Do you know anything or do you have own experience with Tominon 75mm lens also made for Polaroid MP4 for macro?
I read somewhere, maybe in Delta lenses, that it's reversed Tessar type and quite OK.
Btw. did you see this www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsYbvniACtw ?
Rob de Loe has a google drive link somewhere to full size sample images to all the captures he took at distance (same scene, so easy to compare). I won't share them here in full but it's safe to say the Makro-Symmar is not excellent in the corners, but in the central portion of the frame it's almost indistinguishable, even when compared to a Fujinon GX 125 mm lens, so I wouldn't call that bad at all.
Here are some 100% crops from both lenses at f/11 from Rob de Loe's sample shots. Makro-Symmar 120 is left, GX 125 mm is on the right:
I'm sure he still has the linke somewhere online or will likely share it, if you ask him. Some parts are hard to compare due to different time of the year (and turbulences caused by heat) but it's safe to say that at f/11 the Makro-Symmar does indeed a fine job. It would be interesting to know which optimization he has. I have the one opmizied for 1:3, so perhaps there's a difference there as well. If your Apo Digitar M is optimized for 1:1 that might be part of the reason.
Sorry for not clarifying: Mark is the initiator of the deltalenses project and has tested hundreds of lenses at distance (his main goal is showing performance at suitable distances for product photography, portraits and perhaps something a little bit more distant... so kinda inbetween what Robert OToole/Ray Parkhurst and Rob de Loe are testing for).
I have a Componon-S 80 mm f/4 in Makro-Iris mount... I don't remember testing it. I'm sure it's a fine lens. Rob has an Apo Digitar 80 mm f/4 in his sample shots folders, but only at f/11 and no stiched panorma, so it likely didn't allow for any movements on GFX.
Yes, I've seen the video! He certainly has done some great research. I'm not sure it really is suitable for video content though with the amount of information - his review videos are way better in that aspect. Excellent presentation and it's obvious that he puts a lot of time into it.
Yes, the Tominon 75 mm lens will actually be part of my upcoming article (hopefully soon): It's indeed said to be a reverse Tessar design and mentioned to be usable between 3:1 and 1.5:1 Like all the magnification information in the official Polaroid MP4 material and price lists, that doesn't seem to be close to the truth though. I think it's quite good at 1:1 and not more than okay at higher magnifications or at distance. Here are some sample shots:
Opaque crystal clear pointer by simple.joy, on Flickr
Color-fall by simple.joy, on Flickr
Too hexy for my love? by simple.joy, on Flickr
As you can see it does have very nice rounded hexagonal bokeh, but to be honest - it really isn't anything special overall. It's usually quite cheap though, so it might be a good option for 1:1 macro stuff, like slide duplication etc. if you don't want to spend the money for a Laowa, Sigma or Apo-Rodagon D 75 mm 1x lens...
Yes I agree. More a presentation than a movie. A little too quick for a movie, I had to stop at almost every slide to read the content. Still interesting.
Nice pictures again!đ
But, isn't it Too hexagonal? Not too hexy.
Try to sing it: "I'm too hexagonal for my cat. I'm too hexagonal for my hat. I'm too hexagonal!" đđđ
I think it's better if we leave those lyrics for the next Scooter song... đ
I found a lens (no idea what it was made for... perhaps some tube, condensor or laser lens - certainly not meant for photography), which is shockingly fast and allows for some crazy rendering. I love experimenting with it, even though I hope I'll find a way to mount it in a way which lets me focus a little bit further away as well...
Firepearl by simple.joy, on Flickr
Wow! @simplejoy that is crazy good rendering. Hope you find a way to mount it for easier focusing and post more images.
Unfortunately, I've been too busy to shoot anything. Subzero windcill hasn't helped. Do have some filters on the way.
Thanks for sharing,
barondla
Componar 4.5/105mm at f/8. Surprisingly Schneider went hexagonal with this three element lens!
Edit. Now I'm not sure of the lens design. I found the diagram of this lense's successor Componar-S. It was a four element in three groups design. Maybe this older one too?
Read an article once, probably by Keppler, saying most consumer lenses are optimized at ~ 10 feet. Consumer macro lenses at ~ 1 meter. I imagine specialized macro lenses are optimized for nearer distances. Always thought that was interesting. Wonder if the same optical formula can be adjusted for different distances or if totally different optical designs are used?
Thanks,
barondla
Great shot - I like the clarity and the colors in the background! You should be able to find all the Componars here:
deltalenses.com/?s=componar+105
If the information (my colleague Mark has assembled most of it... I don't know too much about the specifics myself) is correct the older Componar 105 is indeed a 3/3 design, while the Componar-S is a 4/3 one.
Hexagonal bokeh is fun to use from time to time:
Hexagons: Sinking outside the box by simple.joy, on Flickr
Putting bokeh into perspective... by simple.joy, on Flickr
I haven't been able to use it a lot. It is certainly a challenging lens and limited in its abilities. But it finally let me do a first version of this kind of image, which I had attempted a couple of times:
Light weight by simple.joy, on Flickr
I think most lenses are at their best shooting distances at around 10ft/3m. And most pictures are taken focused at distances between 1 to 5 meters.
Many macro lenses are claimed to be optimized for 1:1 magnification, but that's maybe not true. My experience is that my macros are fine at magnifications from 1:10 to 1:2 but not so good at 1:1 or higher. But seldom I shoot at the life size. Do you?
I'm sure the same formula can be adjusted. What is even more interesting the very same lens without any adjusting can render as well at close-ups as landscapes!
Thank you.đ Yes, my lens is the version 4. The biggest aperture 4,5 is engraved with comma, not dot as I wrote in my post. Its 4,5/105mm at the lens body.
This is great! You can show how a cube in 3D space becomes a hexagon in 2D.đđ And that with your colours!
Btw. My Componar is a very good ball machine at wide open. I don't need (m)any more Meyer Trioplans when I have that Componar and Travegar.
I tend to shoot a fair amount at 1:1 or more magnification. Past 1:1 I usually get better results with a Nikon EL-Nikkor 50mm enlarging lens on bellows. This makes me think a lot of macros aren't optimized for 1:1, that is pushing them to their max.
I need to try more focus stacking to improve my high magnification results. Would love to have a motorized macro rail to make it more consistent and less tedious
Thanks,
barondla
It would be very nice to see your photos at 1:1 or at higher magnification.
Which version of the EL-Nikkor 50mm do you use? I searched, there's many: deltalenses.com/page/3/?s=EL-Nikkor
Do you use it reversed? Or stacked?
