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macro lens questions for still-life+p65

studio347

New member
Hi,
I want to hear some advices regarding 120 macro view camera lenses.
Until now, for about 1:2~1:3(at about f11 or maybe f8) still life macro digital shooting, I have rented schneider 120 macro digitar lens which is better for this case than my own usual schneider 100 digiar. I want to buy a macro lens. But I don't want to spend too much money for it, since macro shooting is, kind of rare...
If money is not an issue, I would buy schneider 120 macro digitar and happy with it and no questions :)
There are some used macro lenses around at a cheaper price, such as schneider 120 macro HM(non-digital) and Rodenstock 120 macro sironar(non-digital).
What's your opinions about these non-digital lenses for my case? Is it worth to try these lenses for digital setting? Or Am I going to get less image quality with these non-digital lenses?

Another question is_
I have two camera settings, sinar and hassle H2 with 120H macro lens.
Are there meaningful differences between 120 view camera macro digital lenses and 120 H lens+52mm extension tube(which gives about similar magnifications and I have the setting..) other than the obvious focus and perspective controls of view camera? Obviously I need the sharp macro ability and view camera controls for some shootings..
Many thanks in advance!!
 

dougpeterson

Workshop Member
You might be able to get a relative deal on the 120mm Macro Digitar now that it has been discontinued in favor of the newer 120mm ASPH (which replaces the 120N and 120M and does both macro and flat field and distance all very very well). Feel free to give us a call so we can look into what we could do discount wise on our stock of 120 M lenses.

I don't have any experience with the 120 Roddy and 120 Schneider HM, or I'd gladly contribute. I therefore also can't compare the HC120 with the older view camera lenses. With the 120ASPH our cultural heritage imaging division has done a lot of comparisons of the 120ASPH (Schneider/view-camera) vs. the 120D (Phase/Mamiya) and HC120 (Hassy H) and the 120 ASPH - the 120 ASPH wins every time, but it should be noted the HC120 and 12D are very good, so to some extent you're comparing very good with very very good - a difference which may not matter for many commercial applications (but matters a great deal when shooting e.g. an important 2000 year old manuscript).
 

studio347

New member
Thanks for the infos.
It's surprising to hear about the new lens.
Even at the 1:2 macro level, do you think, the 120 ASPH is better than 120 Macro Digitar which is specialized just for that macro area?
It's hard to imagine...
What kind of technological advance was made in lens design?
I have never thought that it's quite possible to combine the normal and macro lenses.... without any compromise...
Thanks again.
But even with some discount, I think that the new 120 Macro Digitar would be out of my budget... for now... Considering my wonderful experiences( I mean it!!) with your company :)
 
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