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Re: [OM] Performance of the Vivitar MFTC and 50/1.4, was: Zooms at Dawn

Subject: Re: [OM] Performance of the Vivitar MFTC and 50/1.4, was: Zooms at Dawn - the 50mm shootout - Teaser
From: Chuck Norcutt <chucknorcutt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 22 Apr 2010 07:16:10 -0400
I forgot to mention that the 50/1.4 used for these shots was serial 
number 1,089,751.  I had in my head that the magic number for 1.4 lenses 
was serial number > 1,100,000.  But I have a note in my lens inventory 
list that says it's actually > 1,085,000.  I don't recall where that 
comes from.  My inventory list also says I own one with serial number 
1,166,918 but I can't seem to find it.  I have an old safe downstairs 
where I have stored lenses when away.  It has a small interior 
compartment with a key lock.  The key has long been lost and I 
discovered the compartment locked recently... possibly bumped closed by 
the main door.  I hope the lens isn't in there. :-(

The 50/1.8 used in these shots was an MiJ version with serial number 
3,753,996.  The 50/3.5 macro is a silvernose 108,404.

Finally, after measuring the fully open blossom in the photos as being 
about 30mm in diameter I realized that the supposedly 1:1 shot couldn't 
be 1:1 since the diameter of the blossom should be larger than the 
vertical height of the frame.  I realized that I'd mis-read the 
magnification scale.  The actual magnification of the last shot is 1:1.5 
rather than 1.1.  Getting to 1:1 with the MFTC requires fully extending 
the focusing ring on the lens and the use of a different scale.

ps:  Using the 1.4 made focusing much easier than the other two lenses.

Chuck Norcutt


Chuck Norcutt wrote:
> Today I moved the crabapple blossoms indoors out of the wind.  Using the 
> Canon 5D I shot a bunch of photos using the Vivitar Macro Focusing 
> Teleconverter at 1:5, 1:3, 1:2 and 1:1 with the OM Zuiko 50/1.4, Zuiko 
> 50/1.8 and Zuiko macro 50/3.5.  I shot the full range of apertures on 
> the 50/1.4 but only used f/8 on the other two for comparisons.
> 
> The bottom line is that there isn't a hill of beans between the 3 lenses 
> (at least at f/8).  I didn't compare beyond f/8 due to diffraction. 
> There's little difference to be seen on the f/1.4 shots at f/11 and f/16 
> vs. f/8.  I think diffraction is taking away any increase in DOF.
> 
> This is what they look like.  Pardon the creases in the "sky".  It's a 
> blue shirt that wasn't large enough to get further away for better 
> blurring.  I'm tempted to clean up the "sky" in PhotoShop but, nah, 
> never mind.
> <http://www.chucknorcutt.com/Crabapple_blossoms_Vivitar_MFTC/>
> 
> Any differences between these lenses is more than totally swamped by my 
> errors in refocusing after changing lenses.  I should have added a large 
> crop of the 1:1 image.  There's much more detail showing there than I 
> ever saw with my eye.
> 
> Chuck Norcutt
> 
> 
> Ken Norton wrote:
>>> I have a Vivitar 2X macro converter that I've never used.  I discovered
>>> it on the bay about a year or two ago quite by accident and it was going
>>> for a low price.  I guess I should give it a try... if I can focus it.
>>>
>>
>>
>> Could you put it on the 5D and shoot some samples for us?
>>
>> AG
> 
-- 
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