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Full Version: Manual APO lens for macro 4:1 and above: Recommendation?
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Guest

Just played around with older equipment with my 7D: Soligor bellows M42 + Chinon 24/2.5 M42 in retro position + EF-M42-adapter with AF confirm.

I'm planning to go for insect eggs this year and the magnification of this combination looks promising: 4:1 to about 8:1. DOF is almost non-existing of course. But bokeh CA (lateral CA) of this lens is very disappointing, stopping down to f/5.6 doesn't help.



Do you have a recommendation for an "affordable" manual apochromatic lens with focal length 24-50 mm? Mount doesn't matter that much, doesn't have to be a very fast lens, f/4 will do.* Affordable means: lower 3-digits in Euro.



My knowledge about old-fashioned lenses may be described as "non-existing". If I'm delusional about the price range, just drop a word.



Ciao, Walter



*EDIT: Field curvature isn't a big thing either. Focus stacking will be used.
Apo-Rodagon 50/2.8 or the newer version Apo-Rodagon-N.

[url="http://www.rodenstock-photo.com/mediabase/original/e_Rodenstock_Printing_CCD_43-62__8230.pdf"]http://www.rodenstock-photo.com/mediabase/original/e_Rodenstock_Printing_CCD_43-62__8230.pdf[/url]

Maybe any mid-tier 50 mm enlarger lens (Rodagon, Componon, EL-Nikkor) would be already good enough.

Do you know [url="http://www.zoerk.com/"]http://www.zoerk.com/[/url] ?



-- Ralf
Real apochromatic lenses in the 24-50mm range? And then "affordable"? Do those exist?



Apparently I have two lenses which are good in certain aspects for your described usage... the ultra micro NIKKOR 55mm f2 (designed for 4:1 usage) and the ultra micro NIKKOR 28mm f1.8 (designed for 10:1 usage). But those specialized lenses nowadays do a few 1000 euros or dollars a piece, hardly affordable.



I am not an expert in any sense, concerning macro photography... But I think you best bets will be to look for lenses which just are good CA and coma wise, and look what other "ultra" macro photographers use, besides the Canon MP-E.
Most 50s should be decent with respect to lateral CAs.

Just check out the manual focus macro lenses (Canon FD, Olympus OM, Minolta MD) - they are pretty cheap and should be good.

Guest

Thanks to all for your advice!



Ciao, Walter
[quote name='Walter Schulz' timestamp='1331467471' post='16550']

But bokeh CA (lateral CA) of this lens is very disappointing, stopping down to f/5.6 doesn't help.[/quote]

Which CA were your worried about? I assumed lateral CA was written in error as bokeh CA and looking for an APO lens seemed to go together. Unfortunately I don't have any suggestions...

karlmera

Schneider Apo-Componon HM 4/45mm in reversed position could be the solution.
Another option are loupe macro lenses with microscope lens thread, which are built for the magnification range you mentioned and which are also available in rather short focal lengths 12.5-50 mm. I'd say these are no apochromats though. At least I would guess that from the absence of the "Apo" tag in the lens designations. I know that microscope lens manufacturers (Leitz, Zeiss, Olympus, Wild) never fail to emphasize that a lens has that type of aberration correction. I have no idea about the optical performance of this lens type.



[url="http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lupenobjektiv"]http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lupenobjektiv[/url]

[url="http://www.macrolenses.de/start.php?lang=en"]http://www.macrolenses.de/start.php?lang=en[/url] via [url="http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/RMS-Gewinde"]http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/RMS-Gewinde[/url]



[url="http://www.ebay.de/itm/RMS-Thread-to-M42-Adapter-for-Zeiss-Luminar-Bellows-/140718400195?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20c37862c3#ht_890wt_957"]RMS to M42x1 adapter[/url]

[url="http://www.ebay.de/itm/Photar-1-2-5-25-Leitz-Wetzlar-Balgengerat-Kilfitt-Naba-/170803115669?pt=DE_Foto_Camcorder_Objektive&hash=item27c4a8b695#ht_500wt_972"]Leitz Photar 25/2.5[/url]

[url="http://www.ebay.de/itm/Leitz-Photar-1-2-5-25-/160761980853?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_77&hash=item256e2927b5#ht_601wt_1132"]Leitz Photar 25/2.5[/url]

[url="http://www.ebay.de/itm/Canon-Lupenobjektiv-3-5-20mm-/180833151081?pt=DE_Foto_Camcorder_Objektive&hash=item2a1a7ee869#ht_500wt_738"]Canon 20/3.5[/url]