LENS CHALLENGE

[Michael Erlewine]

How would you approach getting into the ballpark of the kind of photos that Solvin Zankle does. I am not interested in imitating what he does, but I would like to realize some of my own images with that kind of closeness. I am sorry I don't know much about combining lenses, etc. I know that my Nikkor Repro lens is a relay lens. I guess I would need some help here, if you would be kind enough to explain what I need. I have a bunch of lenses, most of them ones you recommended in one way or another.

Can you give me, please, a worked example of all the parts I would need to take photos of a subject (like a bug) up close in the manner I pointed out? And how they fit together. I have a lot of odd lenses, as you may imagine.

[Akira]

The lenses used should be of these kinds:

http://www.koheisha.net/bugseyelenses.html

The texts are all in Japanese, but hopefully the bunch of images would offer the general image of the special optics.

[Akira]

These are how the contraption is assembled.  The main optical parts are a CCTV lens as object lens, a microscope lens as relay lens (which magnifies the small image circle of a CCTV lens) and a light gathering optical section.

http://www.koheisha.net/microwidelenz/setumei03.html

[Roland Vink]

OK. I ran out in the back yard and took a quick photo. Imagine there is a big bug in the flower in the lower-right corner. That’s the setup. Now, what I would like is to be a little closer. As it is, I am “all in” with the Nikon AF 16mm Fisheye.

The AF 16mm fisheye already focuses fairly close. Try removing the rear bayonet filter, that will get you a little closer.

Otherwise, there is the Sigma 15mm fisheye which focuses to 0.15m (6") for 1:4 magnification, this is significantly closer than the Nikon 16mm.

[simsurace]

Can you point to a borescope that might work?.

Sorry, maybe my terminology was incorrect. I was talking about the sort of contraption that is shown in Akira's link. I thought that I had seen it called borescope somewhere. It's not the type of borescope that your doctor uses to get images of your stomach though.

I do not have any personal experience with these.

[Michael Erlewine]

The AF 16mm fisheye already focuses fairly close. Try removing the rear bayonet filter, that will get you a little closer.

Otherwise, there is the Sigma 15mm fisheye which focuses to 0.15m (6") for 1:4 magnification, this is significantly closer than the Nikon 16mm.

Thanks Roland. As usual, you are a fountain of valuable information. Thank you for all the the work you have done. We are both archivists. Your lens, etc. database is invaluable. As for me, with the help of a large staff, I archived all recorded music from 10" records onward, as well as all known movies/film, and all major rock n' roll concert posters, etc.

There is a new lens by a Chinese company called Venus, a 15mm 1:1 macro called Venus Optics Laowa 15mm f/4 Macro Lens for Nikon F. This lens goes close, 4.72" (12 cm), which should be very helpful. Another idea that was proposed by a fellow photographer was the use of chroma Key for these ultra-wide (deep) nature photos. In fact, this person ran tests on the work of Solvin Zankle and they show that his photos are composites, probably most easily done with chroma key. So there are two very useful approaches to deep macro/close-up work.

[Bjørn Rørslett]

Here is my own setup, centred around a cine lens of short focal length (an old Canon 6.5 mm, do note its angle of view is not very wide despite the 6.5 mm because its covering formal is small), an intermediate lens to relay the image to the taking camera (here I used 19 mm f/2.8 Macro-Nikkor, but a microscope lens of similar specification would do as well and likely be much cheaper), and the usual bits and pieces of step rings, focusing helicoids, lens mounts and whatnots.

The last incarnation even has a CPU implemented and support for using a ring flash that comes in handy for hand-held close-ups. The rig is able to focus to infinity.

Do not get fooled by having a short lens, the depth of field is not that great once you come close. But the main advantage from my point of view is that by having a very unusual steep perspective, the illusion of a great depth of field prevails.

[Bjørn Rørslett]

A few examples follow.

The last one, showing infinity focus, used a reversed 24 Nikkor as a relay.

[Michael Erlewine]

Thanks Bjørn! However, as usual I am initially intimidated by all the parts. I don't have the 19mm Macro-Nikkor, but I have the other three. Perhaps you can say more about how relay lenses work and the order in which these parts all go together. That would help.

[Dr Klaus Schmitt]

Tried some of that stuff in 2009:









[yep, this is me in his eyes...]

(Borescope + relay lens + aux. lens to have an upright image)

[Jan Anne]

[yep, this is me in his eyes...]

Thats a very cool Selfie Klaus

[Dr Klaus Schmitt]

Thats a very cool Selfie Klaus

Yep, he was very patient with me and allowed me to come quite close ;-)
Maybe he felt that frog legs are not part of my diet....