high stop lenses

Dan Fromm · Nov 21, 2013

dynachrome said:
Lenses made for larger formats tend to be slower to begin with. A technique I have tried is to use a lens intended for medium format shooting or enlarging with extension on a 35mm camera. A 60mm f/4 enlarging lens needs only two stops to make it to f/8. A 55mm f/2.8 macro lens needs three stops to make it to f/8. If I need to use any front standard bellows movement the 60/4 [Bogen Wide Angle] gives me a little extra coverage because it was made for enlarging 60X60 rather than 24X36. I prefer enlarging lenses for this purpose. A lens with a helical mount or maybe even a built in shutter will involve hanging a lot of weight at the front end of the bellows. Another lens I have used this way is a 150/5.6 Rodagon.

Um, which question are you answering? I ask because the OP, a cinematographer, eventually came back and explained that he is looking for a deep focus lens with which to take a bug's eye view shot with a flying camera in which very near subjects and the distant horizon will both be in focus. He posted a link to a video that shows more-or-less what he wants to accomplish.

The ways still photographers get very near and distant in focus simultaneously can't be used with a flying camera. Focus stacking is out too, except perhaps for claymation.

Ask Google to find deep focus lens. Also "deep focus lens" and Frazier. The things exist, there's no magic involved (just a lot of money), and still photographers rarely if ever use them.

Jim Jones · Nov 21, 2013

Lennart Nilsson has done some amazing macro photography, although often with custom designed and constructed lenses. I don't have a link available to any of his technical information at the moment.

Dan Fromm · Nov 21, 2013

Jim Jones said:
Lennart Nilsson has done some amazing macro photography, although often with custom designed and constructed lenses. I don't have a link available to any of his technical information at the moment.

Jim, here http://www.lennartnilsson.com/close_to_nature.html are some examples of his work. Nice, but not what the OP asked about. Look at the video he posted a link to.

wildbill · Nov 21, 2013

dynachrome said:
Lenses made for larger formats tend to be slower to begin with. A technique I have tried is to use a lens intended for medium format shooting or enlarging with extension on a 35mm camera. A 60mm f/4 enlarging lens needs only two stops to make it to f/8. A 55mm f/2.8 macro lens needs three stops to make it to f/8. If I need to use any front standard bellows movement the 60/4 [Bogen Wide Angle] gives me a little extra coverage because it was made for enlarging 60X60 rather than 24X36. I prefer enlarging lenses for this purpose. A lens with a helical mount or maybe even a built in shutter will involve hanging a lot of weight at the front end of the bellows. Another lens I have used this way is a 150/5.6 Rodagon.

the op is looking for a lens to use on a motion picture camera, which doesn't have bellows.

AgX · Nov 21, 2013

On a professional cine-camera one can mount a lot of optics and accessories including a bellows. Dan has been hinting at special optics including extension tubes already.

wildbill · Nov 21, 2013

AgX said:
On a professional cine-camera one can mount a lot of optics and accessories including a bellows. Dan has been hinting at special optics including extension tubes already.

They also don't have the money. Having worked in the motion picture industry for quite a while, I've never seen bellows attached to a movie camera. I'm sure it has been done but with tilt/shift/macro lenses available.......
How would bellows help in this situation?

MDR · Dec 3, 2013

The Roessel copy of the Frazier system (T-Rex) should be cheaper. Dan has mentioned a split diopter this might be a good idea btw what 35mm camera will you use this is not unimportant since not every lens is suitable for every mount come to think of it most adaptors will cost more than a few days panavision, Arri or cpt rental.
Agx had a good idea about the bellow you can use enlarger lenses and repro lenses that do stop down to f45 etc...

Lomo made a 75mm macro lens with with 1:1 magnification Oct 19 Mount and it uses a bellow in macro mode. RAF Camera sold them for around 500$

Good luck

high stop lenses

Dan Fromm

Jim Jones

Dan Fromm

wildbill

AgX

wildbill

MDR

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