Unorthodox visoflex idea that worked.

[tom_bryant]

I went to a butterfly exibit today, and took the visoflex on my M3. I

found that my trusty 65mm elmar just didn't let me get close enough,

so in desperation, I replaced the elmar with my 135mm f/2.8 elmarit,

stopped down to f/11. Of course it was impossible to focus, but one

simply moved the entire camera. I used the table top tripod as a

chest pod, and found that the 135 gave me the reach I needed to be

able to get a close up of a blue morpho at 2 feet (~60cm) as opposed

to a foot. The butterflies spooked when you got too close. Overall,

I got shots I would never have been able to get with the elmar.

[john_layton]

I'm still curious to know how the new 90 Macro Elmar works with a Visoflex. Doesn't look

like this will get quite to infinity with the head retracted - but still should offer a great

working range - and lots cheaper than buying the existing closeup eyes for this. Any

comments?

[al_kaplan1]

You can also use the lensheads of the older "long" 90/2.8 Elmarit and the 135/4 Tele-Elmar on that focussing mount. Leitz made a short focussing mount for the 135/2.8 lens head also. The heads of the 135 and Hektor wiill fit the 65 mount with the correct extension tube.

[ronald_moravec1]

Viso is a great system and 65,90,135`s can all be focused from infinity to 1:1 with the proper focus mounts,tubes, or the bellows.

 

The trick is to find all the stuff you need. I found a lot 20 years ago. Not much around any more.

[SCL]

Tom - The 135 f/2.8 Elmarit can be fit to the Visoflex with a short focusing mount 16462 and will focus from infinity to 151cm; if you add a 16474 extension tube you can focus in the range of 85-220cm. Long live the Visoflex!!!!!!!

[ben z]

I picked up a cheap Visoflex a while ago, I rembered reading somewhere, I think it was J. Eastland's book, that any M lens mounted directly to it could be used for extreme closeups. I find the working distance a little tight with a 50, but I've used my 90 or 135 several times for quasi-macro shots with good results. Basically the Visoflex gives reflex viewing at the same time as acting like an extension tube. Exposures are a no-brainer with an M6, but with the M4 I found that it costs about 1 stop.

[eliot_rosen1]

The new 90/4 Macro-Elmar was not made for use on the Visoflex, this is a current lens and the Visoflex was d/c'd over 20 years ago. With the attachment, the 90 ME will focus as close as 1:3, which is the way it was designed.