Macro question - canon macrophoto lens

Hi, <br>Anybody have any information about this lens? "Canon

Macrophoto Lens 35mm F2.8" What I know is that it's an FD lens

designed for use on the Canon Auto Bellows. What I don't know is

how it compares to other lenses I might use on the bellows (which I

own). There just isn't much info out there on the web that I can

find. So here are my questions:

<ol>

<li>If you've used or heard of one, please let me know what you

think of it.

<li>How would it compare, say to a standard 35mm lens? Does it have

the same angle of view (wouldn't it have to?)

<li>What is a fair price for one of these?

<li>Anyone find a link to pictures taken with one?

</ol>

Here is the only info I have found on the <a

href="http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/companies/canon/fdresource

s/fdlenses/fdmacro/2035macro.htm">Canon Macrophoto Lens.</a><p>

Thanks in advance,<br>

Greg

The link you posted goes to some very clear text. Its pretty explicit.

 

The lens in question is a high performance macro lens, competitive with Zeiss Luminars, Leitz Photars, Nikon Macro Nikkors (not to be confused with MicroNikkors in Nikon F mount), and the like. Look 'em up. No lens in this class is intended to be used at infinity.

 

All the lens in question has in common with "a standard 35 mm lens" from Canon is the name Canon and focal length. It is intended to be used only at high magnification and is useless for general out-and-about photography.

 

eBay prices are all I have to go on. < $200 is a steal, > $500 is too much.

Greg:

 

The link you gave gives you all the technical info. Let me add one comment.

 

When used for high magnification photography on the Canon autobellows, the 35mm macrophoto lens will give you an image quality that is far superior to using a standard 35mm lens on the same autobellows. That is because this lens is optimized for high magnification use.

 

Jim

Greg, If you are going to use the macro lens for digital, do not consider buying it. Instead, get the 65mm MP-E lens. This is for 1-5X and is guaranteed to do better than any other dedicated macro lenses.

 

Canon's macro lenses (like the one you pointed to) were not all that great of a performers to begin with. The famed Luminars, do alright ONLY when the lighting conditions are PERFECT with digital. Otherwise, you will see ghosts, veiling flares and what not. Macronikkors appear immune to these problems. A few test shots I have posted are taken with macronikkors.

Thanks Dan for pricing information and links, and your concern for my reading skills...

 

Thanks Jim for your comments.

 

Thanks Vivek for the information! Exactly what I was looking for. Yes, I am (or was) planning to use it with Digital equipment, Nikon digital to be specific. Unfortunately that leaves out the MP-E lens which I've always found quite interesting...

 

I was considering buying adapters to connect my nikon body to the bellows, and picking up a specialized lens such as this one...but if Nikkors work better anyway I might as well sell my canon bellows and buy all nikon stuff at this point. Nice creative use of equipment for your test macros too! That bee closeup is something else.

You are very welcome, Greg. I have the 35mm, 65mm and the 120mm macronikkors. All perform fantastically. An old micronikkor 105mm f/4 lens shell (without its glass), with an added matrix chip works as a variable extension tube for these lenses (all need the same extension to operate in the specified magnification range). I find this setup a lot more convenient than the PB-4 bellows.

FWIW, Tominons do alright, followed by the Luminars (as I mentioned when the lighting is PERFECT). I briefly had a 38mm f/2.8 Olympus macro lens. That was also a superb performer.

If you have Nikon equipment, and wish to work in the 5X to 15X magnifications, reversed prime lenses work very well. (I have even used a reversed Bell and Howell Super Comat for this purpose.) I want to try my 20mm f/2.8 Nikkor as it is recommended by Nikon for this magnifcation.

Further on Alex' point, a reversed Nikkor prime has one huge advantage over a short (< 50 mm or so) macro lens or even a reversed cine lens -- working distance. The Nikon F flange-to-film distance is 46.5 mm and the rear elements of lenses in F-mount hardly protrude behind the flange.

From my experience, I can say positively that the reversed lens ideas for D70 have their limitations. I find that the 20mm f/3.5 AIS reversed does quite poorly in comparison to Tominons.

I'm going to keep my eyes peeled for a 105mm Micro to canabalize Vivek, that sounds like a great idea.

 

Unless I can come up with some really-really cheap nikon->canon and canon->nikon converter to play with I guess my Auto Bellows will be on it's way to the auction block...or some other use.

 

I am going to try reversing my 50 and 35mm on my 105 and 200 micros...That should give me some higher magnification to play with in the mean time. I may also try reversing my 17-35, but I don't have very high hopes for it as a macro lens!

Greg, the adapters you have in mind are hard to find and not always as inexpensive as one would like. I put a variety of lenses in M39x1, RMS thread, and Nikon F mount on a Minolta Compact Bellows on a Nikon. At the front, some combination of Novoflex Niklei (or Niklei-K or Nikon EL-F), RMS to M39, female Nikon F-to-male T, and female T-to-male Minolta MD. At the rear, some combination of Minolta MD-to-male T, T-to-M39 + LTM tubes, female T-to-male Nikon or another Niklei. I also put the same lenses, and some threaded M40x0.75 at the rear, on my PB-4, which isn't as cute or portable as the Minolta Compact Bellows. For the M40x0.75 lenses, I use an adapter to male T mount made for me by srbfilm.co.uk .

 

Novoflex adapters are well-made, available new as well as used, and nowadays not as inexpensive as I want. Reverse T adapters (female camera mount-to-male T) are also hard to find, often very inexpensive at camera shows.

 

Good luck,

 

Dan

I picked up a $5 Canon mount Teleconverter in the bargain bin at my local photo store...now if I can just find a $5 Nikon one I can take 'em apart and make both Canon->Nikon and Nikon->Canon adapters. Should be fun.