Blackmagic Forum

Which macro lenses do you use or recommend for S35 sensor?
And which one is the sharpest macro lens?

Many classic Macros are very sharp. I really like my Zeiss C/Y 60mm f2.8.
It's successor, the Zeiss Compact Prime CP.2 50mm T2.1 Macro should be at least as good.

I'd go for a legacy manual focus macro rather than a later AF one for video. Many good ones available and it's perhaps not the best idea to go for the sharpest as depending on the subject matter you may be inducing moiré.

Uli Plank wrote:Many classic Macros are very sharp. I really like my Zeiss C/Y 60mm f2.8.
It's successor, the Zeiss Compact Prime CP.2 50mm T2.1 Macro should be at least as good.

Does it gives a vintage look or closer to clean/modern look?

John Griffin wrote:I'd go for a legacy manual focus macro rather than a later AF one for video. Many good ones available and it's perhaps not the best idea to go for the sharpest as depending on the subject matter you may be inducing moiré.

I am searching manual lens no AF at all. Which one do you use or used before and would like to advise?

bmpcc6k wrote:

Uli Plank wrote:Many classic Macros are very sharp. I really like my Zeiss C/Y 60mm f2.8.
It's successor, the Zeiss Compact Prime CP.2 50mm T2.1 Macro should be at least as good.

Does it gives a vintage look or closer to clean/modern look?

Zeiss / Contax are very 'modern' looking.

bmpcc6k wrote:

John Griffin wrote:I'd go for a legacy manual focus macro rather than a later AF one for video. Many good ones available and it's perhaps not the best idea to go for the sharpest as depending on the subject matter you may be inducing moiré.

I am searching manual lens no AF at all. Which one do you use or used before and would like to advise?

I have AF lenses for stills and haven't used one for video but if I was and wanted smooth focus control I'd go with Uli's suggestion of a Contax. Nikon also come up regularly as a good option and Olympus if you are on a budget.

There's the older Tamron SP 90mm 2.5, which came in different mounts. A bit more classic, aka vintage, but a very nice lens. Depending on your use case, it might be a bit long for static objects or just right for insects and such. It has very smooth focus.

Zeiss CP 50mm Makro.

Great cinema lens version in CP or you can also get the stills version in EF mount.

Here's an EBAY sale for the E mount version
https://www.ebay.com/itm/283792801522?c ... 1&mkcid=28

But it has interchangeable mounts. MFT, Nikon, EF, PL

Here's a Nikon mount version of the stills version
https://www.ebay.com/itm/124935990441?h ... SwvxBgehtK

JB

Have you tried extension tubes with your existing lenses?

lost_soul wrote:Have you tried extension tubes with your existing lenses?

Non macro lenses used with extension tubes typically have poor resolution towards the edge of the frame due to excessive field curvature.

Some lenses are pretty good if used in reverse.

The Micro-Nikkor 55mm f3.5 is able to focus to about 8".

Before dedicated optics came along, early chip lithogrpahy was apparently done using this lens.

You may find this lens will bind on modern Nikon F-Mounts tight enough that the aperture ring will become jammed. The older F-Mount lenses have an overhang from the aperture ring. The older four-screw F-Mounts on cameras such as the FM2n had a small shoulder around the flange face which was from memory 1.7mm deep. On the later mounts, this shoulder was only 0.7mm deep and very slightly wider.