[Leica] favorite macro equipments?

[Peter Klein <pklein@2alpha.net>]

At 12:52 PM 3/28/03 -0800, Richard F. Man wrote:
>For the M shooters, do you sometimes carry some sort of macro capable
>SLR/digicam equipments in addition to the M? If so, what's your favorite?
>Trekking up and down Yosemite with just 2 lens (35 and 75) seem to work
>fine, but there are several times I wish I have a macro lens....

Up until recently, I used an Olympus OM-2 with 50/3.5 Zuiko Macro lens and 
three extension tubes.  The problem was that I hardly ever used them.  I 
found that film was always in the Leica M, and I somehow never got around 
to loading the OM unless I had a specific reason for using it.  And then I 
would have to take it out and load it in the Leica, and wait for the end of 
the roll before seeing the results.

Recently, I picked up a used Nikon Coolpix 990.  The macro abilities of the 
split-body Coolpix cameras are astounding--you can fill the frame with an 
area 2 centimeters wide using the 990 "out of the box."

990 at closest focus:  http://www.2alpha.com/~pklein/temp/Bug2cm6221.jpg

But add a couple of adapter rings and a reversed camera lens, and you can 
do even better.  Here's the same subject with taken through a reversed 35mm 
pre-Asph Summicron, which becomes the Mother of All Closeup Lenses.  This 
lucky serendipity also makes my macro pictures on topic, as they were shot 
through Leica glass!  The field is an astounding 1 cm wide:

Full Field:  http://www.2alpha.com/~pklein/temp/Bug1cm6219.jpg
"Actual Pixels" Detail:
http://www.2alpha.com/~pklein/temp/Bug1cm6219Detail.jpg
Detail, with Neat Image noise reduction:
http://www.2alpha.com/~pklein/temp/Bug1cm6219DetailNRSharp.jpg

The above pictures were taken of a dead bug lying on a Leica M lens rear 
cap, and were just my first crack at trying things out.  They were shot as 
ISO equivalent 400 using a draftsman's lamp as the light source.  Aperture 
priority, f/8 and f/11 (as small as the 990 stops down) at 1/30 and 1/5 
sec, respectively  And I used the camera's high-quality JPEG mode.  Even 
with things less than optimum, the second picture resolves individual 
insect hairs and the facets of the compound eye.

I'm sure I'd have less noise and artifacting and things generally better if 
I started with TIFFs, ISO 100 and a more intense light or ring flash.  I 
suspect that f/11 at the Coolpix's short focal lengths probably has better 
depth of field (and certainly not much worse) than using a 50 or 90 
macro  at f/22 on a 35mm camera. And the instant gratification is very 
instructive as well as fun. I can try something and see it on the LCD using 
magnified playback.  If it isn't quite what I want, I can modify my 
technique and try again.

I hope to do some more "Small Game Hunting" as spring and summer 
progress.  I got the Coolpix specifically for its macro abilities, and to 
just try digital out without spending a bundle.  I'll consider pro-quality 
digicam when Moore's Law makes it worth it for me.  (Obligatory loyalty 
oath:  An M with fast film, usually black-and-white, is still my usual tool 
of choice).

- --Peter Klein
Seattle, WA


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