The Mikra 1/3 - And Why You Need One Now

 

The history of science is dotted with people who have said - “ What If? “ - and in many cases have levelled entire city blocks finding out. Photographers too, have uttered those words, but generally have only managed to blow the doors off the darkroom.

I have passed by the Leica 1F in the secondhand Leica cabinet for years - the one with the MIKRA 1/3 attachment on the front of it - with never more than a passing recognition that it is a camera that has been in service for years and has never actually been used all that much.

This is a camera that has been adapted for use on the eyepiece of a standard clinical microscope. I am willing to bet it lurked in the back cupboard of some university departmental lab since the late 1950’s and was rarely taken out. To turn around an old slogan - it’s had fewer shots than you’ve had hot dinners…

 

Well, the basic camera is a screw-mount body with no slow speeds, no finder, and a variable synchronising control. It could readily be adapted to modern life with a fast black and white film, a push in finder, and a screw-mount Leica lens - a collapsible Elmar would be perfect. Add a skinny bald Frenchman and you would have the perfect street combination…

But what does the MIKRA1/3 do? I coupled it up to an M39 / Fujifilm X adapter this seek to see. After all, if it is optical, mirrorless cameras let you see it straight away.

Well, as it was built to peer down the throat of a microscope and record the beasties that the researcher has on the glass slide, it is fixed to approximately an infinity focus. I confirmed this on an X-Pro1 out in the yard. The resolution is reasonable but the focus is out to about 50 feet. field of view looks to be about the same as a 50mm lens.

This suggested another experiment. Inside to the Model car table and a Greenlight Volkswagen T2 van. These are tiny things in 1:64 scale - observe the 10¢ piece. The establishing shot is taken with the standard 35mm Tokina macro lens.

The VW logo was taken using an old Russian 50mm Industar lens reversed onto the front of the MIKRA. No mounting - I just held it on there. Older photographers will know the trick of reverse-mounting of one lens to the nose of another to give macro results. In this case the Industar is wide open and the DOF is like nothing at all.

Stopped down to f:16, the Industar actually does have DOF. The picture of the headlight’s a seriously small slice of VW, and if you were a film shooter, you could get this on the Leica 1F. You just wouldn’t know you had got it until the results came back from Fitzgerald’s Photo Labs.

Sooooo - who’s ready for some retro fun out there? Neither the body nor the MIKRA are bank-breakers and whoever uses that Leica 1F will become the undisputed Kewl King or Queen of Perth photographers. And score the envy of every old camera club shooter that sees it.

PS: The downside is that you need to know what you are doing with it.

The Personal Pick - Part Three - Which To Choose...

Which to choose...Oh to be in such an enviable position...

This pleasant reverie is brought to you by the Olympus shelves down at Murray Street - for a good reason - right now the shop can offer you the choice of a cutting edge new camera in the Micro 4/3 format or a range of refurbished Olympus mirror-less equipment at remarkably low prices.

This is not an apples vs oranges question - a keen enthusiast will find that this brand and this format is one of the very best choices for close-range and macro photography. Also for touring and for family shots. Sound like you could use something like that...?

First alternative. The Olympus Pen F. In the view you'll see it has a silver-coloured 12mm lens attached. I should say the photographer intends this to be used for architecture or a landscape. Perhaps a big wedding party in a large building. If the lighting is a little lower the result will still be superb - that is an f:2 lens.

It will also be a sharp shot - Olympus have designed their new cameras with more image stabilisation modes than most of the other makers. As a result you get a chance to work under dimmer light and at longer shutter speeds than ever before. In the course of some experiments with the newest of the OM-D cameras I saw for myself results down at 1/2 and 1 full second that defied belief - but I had taken them myself.

The experimenter is also well catered-for with this camera. It has a full suite of custom programs and art effects that can be called into play with adjustment dials. Some of the art this produces may be a little inadvertent, but that doesn't lessen the charm - it just presents it at surprising intervals. I should proceed cautiously at first with a finger ready on the reset button lest you get so far out in the swamp that you cannot get back...

So...what is the second alternative. Well, it is actually alternatives. There's are more than one temptation in the cabinet next door to the Olympus Pen F. Camera Electronic have secured a solid supply of refurbished Olympus mirror-less camera and lenses for sale at much-reduced prices.

Refurb is not a term to be sneezed at, nor is it a risk. These cameras and lenses carry warranties and you are protected against failure.

You'll see only a small portion of the choices in the picture, though you'll see that three main bodies are featured; the Olympus OM-D  E-M1, E-M5 Mark II, E-M10 and E-M10 Mark II. I note that there are some 12-50mm and 12-40mm f:2.8 PRO lenses on offer. Different horses for different courses, but look at the sign work behind the cameras for the price reductions!

My own choice in these would likely be the OM-D E-M1 with the 12-50mm lens...because I have seen how phenomenally well it copes with macro and close-up subjects. I used the combo for shots of my model petrol station and I don't think they could be bettered with anything at twice this price.

Sony Week - Part Three - The Model A Test

I regret that title. I suddenly realised that Sony - as well as Henry Ford  - used to make A model cameras too. Hopefully readers will be able to separate them in their minds*. The Sony products do not have wire-spoke wheels or rumble seats. A pity in some respects...

Well, the contest between a full-frame camera and an APS-C camera in the studio will always range around two things; the out of focus appearance behind the plane of sharpness, and how wide that plane can be spread in the picture.

You can quantify it easily - just go to the DOFmaster website and specify the focal length you will be using. The figures on the calculator are minutely accurate, and infinitely depressing if you are trying to get a deep depth of field. Nothing you can do at close range will increase it markedly. But you grasp for every millimetre you can get.

An APS-C camera with a 35mm lens will have the same angular field of view as a full-frame camera sporting a 50mm lens - the pictures will have the same look and perspective. But the 35mm will have more depth of field for every equivalent f stop.

If this is important to you - it can be a big factor in what you choose.

On the other hand, if you need a shallower depth of field for portraiture or atmospheric images, the 50mm on the full-frame camera is the way to go. You will also benefit from more resolution and the ability to blow the image up to a bigger print. You'll pay for it in more memory being used and a consequent longer time for processing, but the details will be there.

In my case, I rarely blow my work up enough to justify the increased quality, and I DO need every millimetre of DOF I can get.

Some words of practical praise for the Sony FE 50mm f:2.8 macro lens:

a. It is superbly sharp.

b. It has a very positive focus feel to it. No lag, no slip.

c. It goes a true 1:1 macro.

d. It has a focus-hold button - that little round one in the middle of the control panel - that freezes the action of the AF so that you can shift the lens slightly away from the original position. This allows you to follow a slightly moving subject without having the lens hunt back and forth and become uncontrollable.

This isn't all that useful for toy cars but it saves many a " Yike Yike " moment for the bee photographers...

* Mind you - the cameras only come in black...like Model T's...Hmmmm...

Sony Week - Part Two - How Do I Know It Is A Full Frame?

So as not to keep you in suspense...they announce it on the front of the box and you can look inside the mount to see.

Otherwise, you can hardly tell from appearances. The external size of a Sony Alpha 7 MkII is about the same as other makers' APS-C cameras. It's just a bigger sensor inside. And a lot of electronics. The electrons are the same size but what the computer makes them do is quite a bit bigger...but that is anticipating later in the week...Here is the device:

A classic 3/4 view. Some people feel it is better to use a lens to take pictures...

The result of turning the other cheek. Watch those little plastic doors under the strap-holder. Nice orange lens mount ring - lets you see the blessed thing in dim light.

The port quarter with the screen let half-way down. A vast unused tract of camera body on the top there...

The office. Note that there is a button referred to as " Fn " or function, but there are 4 others that bear the designation " C  " Custom buttons that you may configure to your own desires. Well-wrapped covering. The replay button is at the bottom but the zoom in and out feature has been slapped onto two buttons on top that occupy entirely separate positions and cionfigurations. You can bet on the new user spending time trying to figure this one out!

The video start/stop button is certainly separate from the others - no hitting it inadvertently. Some may have trouble hitting it in any case.

Still, the finger grip is well-proportioned and there are front/back control wheels

Note that the menu is rather well laid out. You are certainly presented with a series of divisions to deal with, but that is the case with most modern cameras. The language usage seems straightforward. Do remember to set your clock, time zome, and sharing commands, though, as the camera will suspend proceedings every time you turn it on and prompt you if you do not.

 Note the separate card door - a necessary feature for a modern camera.

Here's that bare external patch we mentioned before. Sony have placed the Menu button there...an odd choice...and the internal microphone openings. Plus the focal plane mark ( and who ever uses it these days? ) and the assurance that there is an image stabilisation function inside the body. This is useful, but putting a sign on the outside to tell us smacks of an afterthought when the designers saw a bare patch of cover...

The Sony Alpha 7MkII is certainly a capable video camera - the front door of the access sections deals with an external microphone and headphones. It is colour-coded so that you get the similar-looking plugs in the right sockets. Not all that water-sealed.

The final note for configuration is the battery. It is small enough to fit in a slim hand-hold section and as a result contains less electricity than some. This is definitely a camera that needs a second and third battery - especially for video work.

The lenses were chosen for focal length but it was a nice discovery here at the studio that the 50mm f:2.8 is a macro lens - and a true macro as well - it screws out when you are doing manual focusing to a 1:1 ratio. It proved fast enough under AF control in the field as well. As with many modern lenses the aperture control is electronic from one of the control wheels under the forefinger or thumb. Lowest aperture of the 50mm proved to be f:16.

I cannot comment on the Sony vs Zeiss controversy with this camera brand. Presumably the higher-priced Zeiss glass has an advantage for some users but the smart arse in me thinks that most of the fuss that people make about one brand over another is a case of justifying their own choice or the power of their wallet. Most practical needs are served by either type. Again please refer to the geek forums to fight about MTF scores and distortion percentages.

If that seems cynical, at least it is consistent. I feel the same way about motor cars and shoes. I do make an exception for really well-made custom flintlocks...

Stacking It In the Studio - And not at the Motorcycle Races

I mentioned earlier in the week the unending quest for depth of field with studio tabletop illustration. In most cases of products or packs, we can shoot from such a distance that we avoid running out of depth of field. We select medium focal length lenses and stop down enough to get the thing sharp from the front of the product to the back.

 I do not know if anyone uses the facilities of the older monorail large format cameras to gain this sharpness - perhaps they would if there were an affordable digital sensor that you could slot into the back of the camera. But there isn't - no great new discovery of a 4 x 5 digital back has appeared.
The pack shots take care of themselves - people also have the option for tilting and shifting if they use the larger full-frame cameras. For an amazing amount of money they can get tilt and shift lenses for their DSLR. Few give way to the need for amazement and many save their money...

Well today I tried the Olympus solution to this problem - the focus stacking program inside the new OM-D E-M1 mk II camera. Thanks to YouTube I found out the difference between focus bracketing and focus stacking and watched the camera do both things.

 Focus bracketing is the automatic process of shooting slices of an image with different focus points and then having them ready to present to a suitable external processor - Zerene or Helicon or Photoshop - for combination. You get to specify how many slices and how deep they are, and once you press the go button the thing is automatic. You can apparently use it to fire flashes as it works, though I did not achieve this. In any case you can watch the back LCD screen as it shoots and see the focus travel back from the start point.

Focus stacking is similar, but you don't get to choose how many slices - just the depth.  Compensation is provided by the fact that this Olympus program does the processing in-camera after the final shot and presents you with a final result.

Here's an illustration of the basic problems - this Soviet motor bus is 1:43 scale, and ends up being about the length of your hand. A conventional shot with a macro lens leaves soft edges at the front and back bumper.

You don't have this sort of problem with a shorter model such as this taxi.

I was unable to get the 25mm f:1.2 lens to work with the focus stacking, but the 300mm f:4 lens did go very well. It meant retreating to the back of the studio to get the thing in frame...not a practical way to shoot... but look how well it stacked in front and back.

Perspective is different as it is a tele lens. But the fact that it has a much shallower intrinsic depth of field due to the focal length - but still renders the thing sharp - means that with one of the smaller Pro zoom lenses you could get even better backdrop. The smaller sensor size, allowing a shorter focal length for the same angle of view, scores here. The Focus stacking is the sweet icing on the cake.

Can it pass the Pontiac Test? The 60's Pontiacs were some of the longest American cars available to the general public and the 1:18th scale models of them are nearly impossible to adequately illustrate with a standard lens - they run out of focus front and back. But look what happens with the 300mm Zuiko and the focus stacking....

I see a few shiny blob artifacts where the lights bounce off the chrome but the overall rendition is sharp. You see the same compression of perspective in the heading image round the studio Muzz Buzz bar.

The process of the stack is very fast, but you need to have the camera on a tripod, as well as constant lighting. I selected Incandescent WB for the strobe modelling lights and it all worked well.

  

The Long-Awaited Fujifilm Flash Gun

As an honest weblog columnist I can do no better than to send you off googling for a YouTube clip made by the Fujifilm Guys. It features our own Warrewyk and Will - Australian photographers and Fujifilm demonstrators - putting the new Fujifilm EF-X500 speed light through some of its paces.

I'll wait here until you go see it and then come back. You'll probably want to search up the official Fujifilm Australia site as well to check out the technical specifications of the new gun.

Okay, if you're back you'll have seen how easy it is to use the EF-X500 to do fill flash with the new Fujifilm X-T2 camera in broad daylight - making use of the supplied diffusion box to soft the result. No longer should anyone have to struggle with fill-flash ratios and get either black or blasted results.

The simplest drive - that of TTL - should work flawlessly with all hot shoe-equipped Fujifilm X series cameras. The other modes require some learning but the estimation of power should be pretty straightforward if you are going to use Manual. Unless you know you are going to need all the power of the full dump, you are probably best trying a first exposure at 1/4 power and then going up or down from there.

People who are familiar with the previous Fujifilm EF-42 flash will be pleased with a number of improvements:

1. More flash power. GN is now 50. Illumination even with direct flash is remarkably even. 5 Metres away from the backdrop muslin.

2. Metal foot to the hot-shoe mount. There is also a locking lever rather than a plastic wheel to keep it fastened to the camera.

3. Manual power levels down to 1/512 of full power in 1/3 EV steps. Macro work particularly catered for. The Chevy and the Airstream trailer are 1/64 scale and that's done with one on-camera flash + diffuser

4. Master and remote modes available with optical command. Regular TTL and Commander are indicated by green panel and Slave mode is indicated by the amber panel.

5. LED video boost light available on front of unit.

6. Locking flash head tilting and stiff detent swivelling of flash head.

7. Up to + or - 5 EV in 1/3 EV steps. And Glory Be, it is done with a simple rotating thumb wheel rather than a series of button presses!

8. Socket for EF-BP external battery pack. ( YES! )

9. Up to 3 separate lighting groups in the master/slave relationship.

It is the unit all we Fujifilm users have been waiting for. For myself, the stiff detent and the locking tilt mechanism are wonderful, as they allow better control of the flash head when a heavy diffuser like a Gary Fong or Mag Mod unit is fitted. An event shooter can mount the flash, turn the head 90º to the right, and then just raise and lower it from portrait to landscape orientation to perfectly match the light angle to the camera. The EF-42 can do this too, but is weaker and allows the head to flop out of place as you move around.

The battery pack, when available, should also take some burden of waiting for recharge in the middle of a fast-developing event.

Sirui For The Serious - Part One

Sirui? Are you serious? Sure we are.

The larger of the Sirui tripods that appeared in the Little Studio turns out to be a compact design - the company recognizes that people are travelling more these days and need to travel lighter. We also know that they may be travelling with the DSLR rather than the mirror-less systems - hence the need to hold heavier loads.

The Sirui T 2204X and the Sirui K30 X are partners - albeit partners that you have to purchase separately and mate together. They are designed for supporting the larger system cameras while still retaining lightness and compact size themselves. These are components for people who are going to stand at the airline counter and look over the excess-baggage price list with nervousness.

The tripod starts out as a carbon fibre design with screw-lock legs. The yoke is a lightweight forged casting - more weight saved. It folds back 180º into itself for space saving. it packs into a nylon case with the K-30 X head still attached.

You might just get away with it in the cabin locker or at least not get charged extra in the hold. Give it a try and remember to be pleasant - you never know your luck.

The whole rig only weighs 1.9 Kg all up and can support up to 30 Kg. You want to ponder going out in the morning with 30 Kg of photo equipment stacked around you - mainly ponder what you'll feel like as you come back at night. Perhaps best to take only three giant telephoto lenses out at a time, eh?

Whatever the state of your joints and back at 6:00 PM at least you will know that the Sirui T 2204X / K30X combo is not responsible for the pains. Hope the pictures come out okay.