Macro with the Avus

[matthew_rusbarsky]

<p>Following a hint on Page 18 of the <a href="http://www.cameramanuals.org/voigtlander_pdf/voigtlander_avus.pdf" target="_blank">Avus manual,</a> I removed the front element of Skopar and tried some close focus work. I calculated the maximum diameter of the iris using the numbers on the barrel and worked out the maximum aperture for a given extension using a tape measure, then just counted stops. The lens was nowhere near to fully stopped down (I should have been taking notes). Also, the manual promised 1:3 at full extension. You can see the front of the focusing rack at the bottom of the photo, so I was less than 1:1.<br /> <br /> Lessons: <br /> 1. I should be using a loupe or reading glasses<br /> 2. Stuff gets dim out there. A little flashlight would have helped quite a bit.<br /> 3. Slower film (I shot PlusX) would have allowed me to stop down and avoid quite a bit of the aberration.<br /> 4. I wonder if closer focus (nearer to 1:3) would have any effect on the image quality. I'm not sure if the lack of focus is due to my technique or the limitations of the lens at that focus distance.<br /> 5. A Focusing rail or a slider would be very nice for this sort of thing.<br /> <br /> A fun experiment. I managed to turn my beautiful early 20's Avus into a flipped lens Hawkeye flash.<br /> <br /> <img src="http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m137/Proteus617/Avus/img005a640x.jpg" border="0" alt="" /><br /> <br /> Regards,<br /> Matthew</p>

[marc_bergman1]

<p>That is an interesting experiment. I would think it could get rather expensive. Do you have a roll film adapter?</p>

[gabor_szabo3]

<p>Wow, Matthew, I never though of doing that. Interesting effects, and I imagine the very shallow DOF and focusing distance to be hard to work with.<br>

Still, this seems very suitable for table-top photography where you'd have more time to plan, set-up lighting , and make critical focus. <br>

Rollfilm back is best for film economy, but I gather that making paper negatives would be a fun experiment. Given the other-worldly quality of the images, you might as well use alternative methods in processing, too.<br>

Defintiely a fun project for the winter time - a worthwhile reason to exercise the shutter on my remaining Maximar, too.</p>

[ralf_j.]

<p>I like it, super coold fade away effect.</p>

[peter_de_waal]

<p>I have one of these interesting old pieces too. Must try that!<br>

Have a look at this posting from the 'Large Format' section:</p>

<p>http://www.photo.net/large-format-photography-forum/00EGBl</p>

[matthew_rusbarsky]

<p>Thanks for the interest everyone. Marc- I use a Suydam back with a 6x6 mask. I also have a few plate holders, but never had reason to use them. Gabor- I've been thinking about using this setup in the studio. These were shot in harsh light on a mountaintop in VT. Lots of scrambling, climbing and not much space for a tripod, not to mention the bit of math involved before every exposure!<br>

One more. Stopped down a bit more. Resolution starts to improve and the abberations are greatly reduced. Due to the greater DOF you can start to the the knurlings on the focus knob bottom right. Measuring the standard in the photo gave me a ratio of 1.3:1, not really even macro and still pretty far from the 1:3 the Avus should be capable of.<br>

<img src="http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m137/Proteus617/Avus/img007a640x.jpg" alt="" /></p>

<p>Crop from the center. Despite my cheap scanner with flatness issues, I'm sure I lost some resolution due to overexposure. Even more reason to try this in the studio.</p>

<p><img src="http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m137/Proteus617/Avus/img007a640xcrop.jpg" alt="" /></p>

<p>Regards,<br>

Matthew</p>

 

[dan_fromm2]

<p>Matthew, thanks for posting the link to the manual. They must have been desperate in the '30s. Talk about struggling to use an approach that is, by today's standards, no better than third best.</p>

<p>So you'll know, I shoot flowers and small objects with a 2x3 Speed Graphic, use a lens made for that job. Still not easy, but much less of a compromise than the Avus forces.</p>

[matthew_rusbarsky]

<p>Dan-It may be third best, but I like the lo-fi look. I'll persue this avenue a bit more as I'm sure the shortcomings of my images are mostly due to my technique. I would be very interested in seeing some of your work.</p>