B+W close-up/macro, are they any good

greenspun.com : LUSENET : Leica Photography : One Thread

Does anywone have any expirience with the B+W macro and close up filters? How do they compare to the Elpro's? Is the quality as good as the other B+W filters?

I can get them very cheap (about $9), so don't want to miss it if they are any good.

Reinier

-- ReinierV (rvlaam@xs4all.nl), January 30, 2002

Answers

I've a set of the B+W closeup filters for a couple of years now and am very happy with them. I have used them with excellent results on a 90mm Summicron and just recently on a 35-70. I use them to copy originals to slide and find that they are very sharp (with a 10X loupe) in the centre with very little falloff at the edges. For the price you've stated I'd grab them immediately.

-- Bob Todrick (bobtodrick@yahoo.com), January 30, 2002.

Nikon makes 3T,4T,5T,6T close-up filters which are multi-coated 2- element achromats. They are much better corrected than single- element closeup lenses by any manufacturer. Their cost is of course less than the Leica product. They come in 52mm and 62mm which can be adapted to R lenses with E55.

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), January 30, 2002.

I'm intrigued... I assume you are referring to using close-up filters on R lenses, but could they be used on M lenses? Could I do something like use the other framelines to estimate the frame if I put a close-up filter on a 35mm Summicron M? How would the rangefinder focus? Please forgive if I'm being completely idiotic, I can't quite wrap my brain around how/if this might work. It sure would be fun (and cheap!) if it did. I've never used close-up filters so don't understand how they work. Again, I realize I'm possibly being completely stupid here, so be gentle.

-- Ken Geter (kgeter@yahoo.com), January 30, 2002.

Ken, it's not really a "filter" it's a lens which has a magnifying power. Added to the power of the camera lens, we are then able to focus closer than we can without the added closeup lens. As we move in closer, the angle of view diminishes somewhat, and along with that, the field covered diminishes also. It's not a very practical method with the M camera, for the reason you mention: it would be too hard to see what you're doing. There are other closeup methods for M cameras, like the Leitz copying stand, the BOOWU device, or a Visoflex housing. With any of these methods, you can at least know what area you are covering. To use a closeup lens on a Leica M would also mean very uncertain focusing. It would have to be done by measurement.

-- Bob Fleischman (RFXMAIL@prodigy.net), January 30, 2002.

Actually - extremely early (read: 16-year-old geek) in my photo career I needed to photograph one of my model cars using my mother's fixed- lens Yashica rangefinder. I managed to do so successfully by holding a magnifying glass over the camera lens (accessory closeup lenses are just fancy magnifying glasses) and 'bracketing' the focus by moving the camera slowly closer to the subject between frames - figuring that at least ONE of them would be in focus! It worked, more or less (magnifying lenses have very - ummmmh - INTERESTING aberrations near the corners).

In theory you could mount any accesory close-up lens on an M and shoot test exposures to see where THAT lens with THAT closeup attachment actually focuses when set for infinity or 1 meter and then use a measuring tape to insure correct placement of the camera - which is kind of how the Leica copy stands (and the Nikonos underwater closeup frames) work - a set distance, a set lens, and you're in business.

Back in the real world - I used the Nikon pseudo-Elpros and found them to be extremely good - I've never owned a macro lens in 30 years of picture taking.

-- Andy Piper (apidens@denver.infi.net), January 31, 2002.



I agree with Bob, please don't call them "filters", they're not, they are supplementary close focus lenses in diopters of +1 or +2. Yes, B+W is excellent, and I have had great results with quite large butterfly enlargements when used with an Olympus 35-70 zoom. I suspect they are not quite up to a 1:1 macro such as the lovely Leica 60 or 100 R lenses, but you could always max the quality with fine grain film such as Fuji Velvia. Short answer: buy them!

-- David Killick (dalex@inet.net.nz), January 31, 2002.

Using B+W close up lens is very simple, there is no need to 'bracket" distance, if you know some basic optics

If you want 1:1 you can use another Summicron, attach to the camera Summicron with reverse ring. Set distance of reverse Summicron to object distance = camera flange to film plane distance, use tripod and stop down.

This method can be used on any rangefinder/viewfinder cameras.

Basic optics:

Close up lens convert object on focal point into parallel rays

Camera lens focused at infinity refocus parallel rays at film plane.



-- martin tai (martin.tai@capcanada.com), January 31, 2002.


Moderation questions? read the FAQ