Interesting macro lens

[daniel_leavitt2000]

https://petapixel.com/2015/12/24/a-review-of-the-venus-optics-laowa-15mm-f4-and-its-crazy-close-4-7mm-working-distance/

Model railroad macro photography is quite different than any other macro photography out there. In most other cases, the goal is to isolate your subject from the background. Obviously, we tend to want to keep everything in focus.

The narrower, the angle, the more one is able to reduce depth of field. This actually works in our favor as a 50MM Canon macro lens costs less than one quarter their 180MM lens, while providing us a much better depth of field. That being said, even 50MM stopped down past F16 won't get you more than a few inches.

Enter the Laowa 15MM macro.

15MM is in ultra-wide territory. When shooting close up, it will give a fisheye appearance. Shoot from a slight distance, however, will provide a really nice ultra wide field of view with a very large depth of field. This may be the first macro lens that would not need focus stacking to get an entire layout section in focus.

This is on my list, after I get the Canon 10-18mm wide angle zoom and 40mm prime kit.  Both this macro and the 10-18 zoom should provide some interesting options when shooting trains.

[Kisatchie]

You can get expanded depth of field in 35mm film photography for objects diagonal to the film plane using just camera equipment - NO software.... I was doing some research into this, but I couldn't find out how much extra depth of field you could get.

First, you need an excellent lens... such as the Nikon 55mm f/2.8 Micro-Nikkor. You also need a Nikon PB4 bellows. It's the only Nikon 35mm bellows that allows you to tilt the lens mount front of the bellows so the lens is no longer parallel to the film plane.

For info as to what is going on, see:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scheimpflug_principle

Too much math for me, so I gave up on ever trying to do something with this idea.


Hmm... just like Kiz to
quit in the middle of a
project...

[Lenny53]

First, you need an excellent lens... such as the Nikon 55mm f/2.8 Micro-Nikkor.

I have the Nikkor 55mm f2.8 and don't care for it as nearly as much as my Tamron or Kino Precision made macros.

[robert3985]

https://petapixel.com/2015/12/24/a-review-of-the-venus-optics-laowa-15mm-f4-and-its-crazy-close-4-7mm-working-distance/

Model railroad macro photography is quite different than any other macro photography out there. In most other cases, the goal is to isolate your subject from the background. Obviously, we tend to want to keep everything in focus.

The narrower, the angle, the more one is able to reduce depth of field. This actually works in our favor as a 50MM Canon macro lens costs less than one quarter their 180MM lens, while providing us a much better depth of field. That being said, even 50MM stopped down past F16 won't get you more than a few inches.

Enter the Laowa 15MM macro.

15MM is in ultra-wide territory. When shooting close up, it will give a fisheye appearance. Shoot from a slight distance, however, will provide a really nice ultra wide field of view with a very large depth of field. This may be the first macro lens that would not need focus stacking to get an entire layout section in focus.

This is on my list, after I get the Canon 10-18mm wide angle zoom and 40mm prime kit.  Both this macro and the 10-18 zoom should provide some interesting options when shooting trains.

I agree with most of what you say, but...I don't think you're going to get any "fisheye" appearance at all with the Laowa 15mm macro.  Maybe a little barrel distortion, but very little, as this lens is specifically designed to reduce barrel distortion...so no "fisheye" effect.

I'm running a Tokina 11-16mm F2.8 DX zoom on my Nikon D7200, and although this lens is an excellent, sharp, almost distortionless lens overall, it isn't very close-focusing.  I took some photos with it yesterday just to see how it functioned in a macro, model train photo world, and I am quite impressed with the results.

However, the Tokina is a BIG lens, taking a 77mm filter, and if my layout's trackwork was not fortuitously raised above the foreground (thanks to the prototype I'm modeling) it would have been impossible to get down to N-scale eye-level with it since the center of the lens 38.5mm from the edge of the lens barrel.  That's 1.516", or 20.21 N-scale feet above the rails.

So...since the Laowa 15mm macro also has a 77mm filter diameter, it is going to suffer from the same getting-to-eye-level problems as my Tokina 11-16mm F2.8, but, it will focus a lot closer, and I hope it's got low diffraction at high f-stops designed into it, which I am going to assume it does, since it IS a macro lens.

However, I was pretty pleased with what I could get with my non-macro Tokina 11-16mm F2.8 zoom.

Photo (1) - This is at 11mm and is only cropped enough to get rid of the white canvas at the corners after I straightened it up a bit.  F22, hand held at 1/15th sec., with an ISO of 2000.  I didn't fiddle with the RAW file, and this is from a large, Fine jpg:


If your camera is full frame, this is about what you'd get with it as far as degree of capture.  Barrel distortion will be about the same too.  My image isn't as sharp as I'd like, but that might be due to diffraction at F22, or camera shake because I took it hand-held at 1/15 sec.

Unfortunately, because of getting the camera as low and close as possible, I can't use a tripod. Distance to the signal bridge is approximately 4" from the front surface of the lens.

However, I really like the perspective lines this lens is giving me, and I really can't complain too much about the diffraction, which is a trade-off for increased DOF, which in this 24' long scene, is necessary.

You may find that for model railroad photography, the Canon 10-18mm zoom might fulfill your needs if it's a close-focuser, which would save you $500 bucks.

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

[robert3985]

I have the Nikkor 55mm f2.8 and don't care for it as nearly as much as my Tamron or Kino Precision made macros.

I have the Nikkor 60mm f2.8, and it is one of the sharpest, most distortion-free macros made....period.  I chiefly use mine to digitize my artwork for 100% art prints. 

However, I use mine for certain types of model railroad photography also.

I won the Model Railroader photo contest in 1992 using this lens, sooooo...gotta say that it's excellent!

Photo (1) - Here's a vertical composition I made during the same photo session in which I took the MR photo contest winning shot with my Nikkor 60mm f2.8:


This "micro" lens transitioned well into the digital age... 

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

[Lenny53]

I have the Nikkor 60mm f2.8, and it is one of the sharpest, most distortion-free macros made....period.  I chiefly use mine to digitize my artwork for 100% art prints. 

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

I am not familiar with the 60mm, it is a lot newer optical design than the 55mm, and has a good reputation.   This shot was taken with the beast, Vivitar Series 1 (Kino Precision) 90-180mm flat field zoom, that came to market in the late 70s.

 

[peteski]

Bob, way back in pre-digital days (with my Nikon FG and manual lenses) I used to use extension rings to get extreme close focus capability from any lens. But today, with all the electronic doo-dads in the lens, extension rings are probably not a viable option.

[Lenny53]

Bob, way back in pre-digital days (with my Nikon FG and manual lenses) I used to use extension rings to get extreme close focus capability from any lens. But today, with all the electronic doo-dads in the lens, extension rings are probably not a viable option.

Extension rings with contacts for chipped lenses are available, Kenko is one of the better known brands.

[daniel_leavitt2000]

I have been looking at two lenses very closely for next purchase. Right now I have the following:
Canon EFS 18-55 (retired) - the kit lens for my XTi.
Canon EFS 18-55 IS II (retired) - well worth the $100 I paid for it as an upgrade from the previous lens.
Canon EFS 18-135 IS USM - kit lens with my 80D. Not a bad all around shooter build quality is good but I hate the focus by wire system (a compromise required for video focusing apparently).
Canon EF 28-135 IS USM - my other daily shooter. The IS isn't nearly as good as the lens above but I like the manual override when auto focusing. Glass is marginally better than the 18-135, but not enough to tell without shooting test patterns. Also, this thing is down right sloppy. I need to use silicone hair elastics to control lens creep.
Canon EF 50 macro - also doubles as my portrait prime until I get something better.
Canon EFS 55-250 IS STM - also came with my 80D. Pleasantly surprised by the quality glass. It's slow and I won't be shooting sports at night with it, but it's excellent shooting landscapes during daylight, which is what I wanted it for.

So right now I have most focal lengths covered. Before I start the long, show, costly upgrade to L series glass, I only have a few areas to fill...

Ultra wide angle zoom. It's  between the newish Canon 10-18 IS STM mentioned above or the Sigma 8-16.
http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Sigma-8-16mm-f-4.5-5.6-DC-HSM-Lens-Review.aspx

The Sigma obviously has the advantage in optical quality, but I'm not sure it justifies costing more than twice as much.

Wide or ultra wide macro. This is where the Venus Optics macro comes in. I have a feeling it could totally change the way I photograph models, but also would require planning the layout around such a large field of view.

Wide prime for landscapes.

50 to 60mm prime for portraits.

80 to 120mm macro for conventional macro photography.