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 Replies: 7 / Views: 1,795 |
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
4592 Posts |
For SSuperDDave (and anyone else who is willing to jump in) In "Novice photos taken" you recommended the Canon 100mm Macro as your bespoke choice, specifically "Canon APS-C dSLR and Canon's 100mm Macro lens." You MAY (why I couldn't imagine, but stranger things have happened) remember that I have two repurposed lenses - an Olympus OM 65mm Macro and a Spirotone 150mm. I was showing the magnification and working distance on the 150 and you indicated (correctly I've come to realize) that I would not be able to focus it properly because of diffraction. The photos look lovely on screen, but just don't have the resolution for enlargements. Now the OM lens takes me comfortably to the 1:1 range on a 14mm trime. A little less working room but more than enough for proper lighting. Although as you can see I'm still getting some diffraction:  Never-the-less they print up wonderfully - I enlarged one to 12x12 and it looks great on the wall. So back to the recommendation part... I think you are talking about this $600 item, the "Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM Lens", not it's $900-after-rebate IS cousin ("Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM Lens"). What are your thoughts about that vs. this, the "Canon Macro Photo MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1-5x Manual Focus Lens for EOS" ( @B&H)? -----Burton 50+ year / Life / Emeritus ANA member (joined 12/1/1973) Life member: Numismatics International, CONECA Member: TNA, FtWCC, NETCC, EveryCountry (online) coin club Owned by three cats and a wife of 40+ years (joined 1983) Author: 3rd Edition of the Sample Slabs book, https://www.sampleslabs.info/ |
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Moderator
 United States
23522 Posts |
The non-IS 100mm is obviously the better deal than the IS version; they're optically equivalent and IS means nothing with coin photography. The MP-E is too much; I'm not sure you can even get it to function at the 0.42(ish) magnification required for a full-face Morgan on an APS-C sensor. Either way, the price is unjustifiable as an order of magnitude greater than what a decent bellows/microscope objective would cost to give you the same magnification capability.
You've probably still got room to improve with the OM. Diffraction isn't about the lens; it's about the aperture and sensor pixel density. You may be reaching the available resolution of the lens (in which case that's it) or you may need to be z-stacking exposures to maximize the result because it's limiting DoF. If you want to play with z-stacking, open the aperture up to one or two stops from wide-open - that'll maximize the lens' possible sharpness - and see what it'll do. Many lenses are at a sweet spot at f/8, but this one might not be.
I can't find a 65mm OM lens listed anywhere; are you sure that's the focal length? All I can find are 50 and 90 Macros and non-Macro 55mm and 85mm.
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
4592 Posts |
I do have it open - shooting series of shots at 5.6, 8, 11 and 16, without much difference in the middle. I definitely see f4 asis worse and f22 very much poorer. Maybe it's this lens: Olympus OM 80mm f/4 Auto Macro ( http://www.alanwood.net/photography...80-4a.html). It's at home, I'm not... and of course no EXIF data from those days. I bought it all used long ago (probably 20 years...) (and it was pricey back then) Alan Wood's site is amazing, he's got current data for close to the rig I have right there: "Magnification table for Auto Bellows with Canon EOS 40D" (although he uses the 14mm, I have the 25mm auto-tube so I have to adjust by -11mm). But according to his data while I can't quite image a 38mm Morgan, I should be fine with the smaller stuff. Magnification 0.5 ... 1.0 ... 2.0
Subject area (mm) 44.4×29.6 22.2×14.8 11.1×7.4
Lens to subject (cm) 20.4 12.4 8.4 But not down to the "mintmark full frame world". Which is what, 1mm? 5x might cover the whole date+mintmark. However I hadn't really thought of them as separate use cases... was more on the One-ring-to-rule-them path. Completely missed the fact that - if I can control the illumination - I already have the tool for the latter:  See that's what's wrong with the US economy, we're talking people out of spending money! Thanks! BTW and FWIW, coin photography is NOT the use case for the lens, it's aimed at shooting bugs and leaves and flowers in the wild, where the automatic exposure is a big deal. Yes, you are still bringing a honking big black thing right up to the bug praying "Please don't move, Please don't move". -----Burton 50+ year / Life / Emeritus ANA member (joined 12/1/1973) Life member: Numismatics International, CONECA Member: TNA, FtWCC, NETCC, EveryCountry (online) coin club Owned by three cats and a wife of 40+ years (joined 1983) Author: 3rd Edition of the Sample Slabs book, https://www.sampleslabs.info/ |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4038 Posts |
A real deal is a 100mm macro in FD mount. Add a 25mm extension and EOS adapter and you have a lens system custom-tailored for coin photography...
edited to add...just saw your post saying the lens is not just for coins...so the FD macro won't cut it if you need AF...Ray
Edited by rmpsrpms
11/11/2013 5:43 pm
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Moderator
United States
23522 Posts |
Quote:
BTW and FWIW, coin photography is NOT the use case for the lens, it's aimed at shooting bugs and leaves and flowers in the wild, where the automatic exposure is a big deal. Yes, you are still bringing a honking big black thing right up to the bug praying "Please don't move, Please don't move".
This is where you start making a very good case for the 100mm L. Autofocus and IS are very attractive capabilities for an outdoor macro lens. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4592 Posts |
Ray- no, I was responding to Dave's statement that the price was unreasonable - pointing out the use case they're selling it for.
I have adapters for OM->EOS and also an EOS Extension Tube Set... so I could look for a 100mm lens in either mount... hum...
What kind of coverage will I get with the 100mm + 25 extension? I'm more interested in trimes than Morgans so I'm playing with 1/3 the size you are used to
-----Burton 50+ year / Life / Emeritus ANA member (joined 12/1/1973) Life member: Numismatics International, CONECA Member: TNA, FtWCC, NETCC, EveryCountry (online) coin club Owned by three cats and a wife of 40+ years (joined 1983) Author: 3rd Edition of the Sample Slabs book, https://www.sampleslabs.info/ |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
9792 Posts |
I have the 100mm UMS f/2.8 NON IS lens, it is tack sharp and the reason I've kept it is the fact of AF through the computer, I no longer have to make any adjustments to the camera set-up once it's dialed in on a coin shoot. That + focus stacking becomes automated (if I'm using that) keeps me from touching any part of the rig. Comfortable and fast. Though I do use a bellows and the APO Rodagon lens for any enlargements.
"Buy the Book Before You Buy the Coin" - Aaron R. Feldman - "And read it" - Me 2013! ANA Life Member #3288 in good standing since 1981, ANS, Early American Coppers Member (EAC), Colonial Coin Collectors Club member (C4), Conder Token Collector Club member (CTCC), Civil War Token Society (CWTS) member, Liberty Seated Collectors Club (LSCC) & Numismatic Bibliomania Society member (NBS), USMex, Member in good standing, 2¢ variety collector. See my want page: http://goccf.com/t/140440 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4038 Posts |
If you use a 50mm extension the lens will go to 1:1, which will be about right for your trimes, or Gold Dollars. You might need a bit more to fully fill the sensor, so an extension set might be in order. Remember you can always shorten the extension using the lens' focus helicoid, so longer is OK.
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Replies: 7 / Views: 1,795 |
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Posted 11/11/2013 5:38 pm
