ZEISS Luminar 25mm f/3.5

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Yawns
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ZEISS Luminar 25mm f/3.5

Post by Yawns »

Is this a "good" lens?

I bought the one in the pictures (but stills in the mail), I don't have it yet...
The question is ... I am stressing as I bought it for "impulse" and payed a little fortune (for my income) .. mainly because I couldn't find a Leica Photar I could afford...

I was ( am) wanting something to use in the 4:1 - to 7:1 range
I guess I just have to wait and see what happens when it arrives...

Anyway .. If you own /ed one or have experience with this lens and can provide relevant info about it and how to use it at best,... I will apreciate your opinion

Guided by Savazzi website , it looks to be a Version 1 from the 60's but looks to be in very good condition (the barrel is at least)

Image

Image
Last edited by Yawns on Sun Nov 26, 2017 10:46 am, edited 1 time in total.
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rjlittlefield
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Post by rjlittlefield »

I do not have any experience with the Luminar 25mm f/3.5.

I do have a Luminar 16 mm f/2.5, and to be honest I found it disappointing compared to even inexpensive microscope objectives. See the comparison at http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/v ... php?t=9393 .

But that was at 10X, and on APS-C. I expect that the Luminar would do relatively better on full-frame, where coverage is often a problem with microscope objectives. It would also do better at lower magnification, in comparison to lower NA objectives instead of the NA 0.25 - 0.30 that I was testing against.

--Rik

Yawns
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Post by Yawns »

Thank you for your answer (and for the HOL2017, coupon .. I just got Zerene)

Yep .. I'm starting to think I bought for impulse a nice "collectible" ... :)

Purchasing / choosing lense is an headache and a nightmare. (if you live in Europe) .. not only for the cost but because they are hard to find (in Europe) .. and to buy outside (USA, Japan) adds to the listed price like 40% in taxes and shipping ...

I'm not a great fan of microscope objectives.. the more I fiddle with it the more I dislike it .. it's a very awkward system.. specially the Infinity corrected system (and finite conjugated also start to be hard to find).

So i'm looking for 3 "good" lenses.. tired to spend 50 here, 100 there in Rodagons, and El-Nikoors and alikes. one to cover 1 to 4x (I got it.. the Schneider 40mm APO HM) .. one to cover 4x to 7X .. and one 7 to 10X (finite conjugated I think it has to be) ...
All working on bellows, without having to mount / dismount the rail , the lighting system etc.. everytime I swap from bellows to "tube lenses"

My "problem" is better described here..
"Infinite problems.. 4 always ready tube lenses..."
https://acmakro.weebly.com/infinite-problems.html
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Choronzon
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Post by Choronzon »

The Leitz Photar 25mm F2 is indeed the gold standard of macro lenses. All others are #2 or lower. The Zeiss Luminar 25mm F3.5 is no slouch itself, but does not have the capability to match the resolution of the Photar. Keep in mind that both of these series of macro lenses excel at large format transmitted light photography. This is what they were designed for. The Zeiss to be used on the Ultraphot, the Leitz on their Aristophot. When set up properly with a condenser that fully fills the back aperture, there is no microscope objective that can match them for projecting a 5" image circle.
Times change, however, and nobody likes to use film anymore. Everybody seems to have adapted their entire macro routine to small sensor cameras together with microscope objectives that just barely will fill the format. If the small sensor era in digital ever ends, you will see a complete about face regarding lens desirability.
This image of a tangential section of oak stem, was taken with the Leitz Photar F2 at full aperture. 7X on a Leitz Aristophot with diascopic base and Canon 1000D. Slight sharpening and contrast adjustment, otherwise straight jpg.

Image
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kds315*
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Post by kds315* »

This is the older type of the 25mm Luminar you got (I call them Luminar I type), had later been superseded by the much better Luminar II type (has a colored dot on its barrel, slighly changed barrel type too)
Klaus

http://www.macrolenses.de for macro and special lens info
http://www.pbase.com/kds315/uv_photos for UV Images and lens/filter info
http://photographyoftheinvisibleworld.blogspot.com/ my UV diary

Yawns
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Location: Benavente, Portugal

Post by Yawns »

@ Choronzon

Thank you for your patience and detailed explanation ... at least now i now the correct use ... I should have asked first before buying...
Have to wait and see what I can do with it ...

@kds315*

yes.. it's no doubt a Version I ... the other versions don't have 2 knurled rings.. only one.
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Choronzon
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Post by Choronzon »

Image

Here is the field of view if you were shooting the same subject in 4x5 film. The bellows has been extended to just eliminate vignetting. The optical quality looking at the arial image with a 6x magnifier is astounding. There is no microscope objective equivenant to this field of view/ resolution.
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dickb
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Post by dickb »

FYI, the adapter shown on the Luminar is a Leitz RMS to M40 adapter, intended for using the old Mikro Summar 24mm, 35mm and 42mm on the Aristophot.

Yawns
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Post by Yawns »

dickb wrote:FYI, the adapter shown on the Luminar is a Leitz RMS to M40 adapter, intended for using the old Mikro Summar 24mm, 35mm and 42mm on the Aristophot.
I was hoping it was a M42 normal adapter ... did not try it.
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Yawns
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Post by Yawns »

Just did a quick test during the week .. very bad lighting :(

at 6:1 on APSC (Nikon D7000)

I need to do a customized hood and diffuser and flock everything .. lenses are never Plug & Play . I also had a lot of troubles to "tame" the golden Nikon 10x and get decent results ...

here is the TIFF unedit

Image

and with some quick "corrections"

Image
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Choronzon
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Post by Choronzon »

Well, I think that's nothing to sneeze at considering it will cover any film size or sensor ever made. I would be happy with that result.
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Yawns
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Location: Benavente, Portugal

Post by Yawns »

Choronzon wrote:Well, I think that's nothing to sneeze at considering it will cover any film size or sensor ever made. I would be happy with that result.
yes.. thank you for the support and explanations...

it only can go better :) .. tonight I was working in a diffuser and a hood and the difference for better is visible..

Image
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kds315*
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Post by kds315* »

Looks quite good to me!!
Klaus

http://www.macrolenses.de for macro and special lens info
http://www.pbase.com/kds315/uv_photos for UV Images and lens/filter info
http://photographyoftheinvisibleworld.blogspot.com/ my UV diary

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