Close Focus lenses

[Belgarchi]

I am interested by SLR manual focus lenses that are able to close focus (not macro).

I know only a few, it would be great to establish a list, typical databases don't have minimum focus distance as a sorting criteria. The ones I know:

- Nikon AIs 28/2.8: 20 cm

- Voigtlander SL-IIs 40/2.0: 25 cm

- Leica R 90/2.0 and 90/2.8: 70 cm
- Voigtlander SL 90/3.5 Apo: 50 cm

- Tamron Adaptall-II SP 180/2.5: 1.2 m

- Voigtlander SL 180/4.0 Apo: 1,2 m

- Contax Zeiss 200/4.0: 1.5 m

- Canon FDn 200/2.8 and 200/4.0: 1.5 m

Thanks to complete this list.

 

[verybiglebowski]

CZJ Flektogon 20/2.8 and 35/2.4 both mfd at 19cm. Just to mention two...

 

[vyoufinder]

Pentax K 28mm f2 or Zeiss "Hollywood" Distagon 28mm f2 (same lens.) Closer than most 28's. and the only reason to use this lens instead of another IMO. Any Distagon should hold true to its name as a close focuser.

Pentax-M 35mm f2.8 focuses slightly closer than most other 35's.

--
Your focus is your reality

 

[armin304]

My two Sigma screw drive primes for Nikon have 18cm mfd.

Sigma EX DG 20mm 1:1.8

Sigma 24mm 1:2.8

The 24 and 28mm siblings (77mm filter) of the 20mm do have a short mfd too, but not the older 28mm 1:1.8 with the 58mm filter thread.

 

[Diacyclops81]

The Re Auto Topcor 35mm f2.8 focuses to 8” I think, and old tests remarked favorably on resolution. Don’t think it’s extraordinary in the sharpness department, but it does focus quite close for a normal lens.

 

[Patrick Lowe]

Also Meyer-Optik Gorlitz F1.8 50mm 0.35 cm

Carl Zeiss Jena Pancolar F1,8 0.35 cm &

Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar F4.5 40 cm

I always use them as my Marco lense.

 

[Sjak]

Meyer-Optik Görlitz Orestegon 29mm f/2.8 - 25cm (the identical Pentacon lens has the same specs)

 

[Letsgokoulos]

Vivitar 28mm MC Close Focus Wide Angle f2.8 - 13 cm

Vivitar 135mm Auto Telephoto Close Focusing f2.8 - 40 cm

Carl Zeiss C/Y Distagon 28mm f2.8 - 25 cm

Marc

 

[ThomasB]

I am interested by SLR manual focus lenses that are able to close focus (not macro).

I'm using close focusing adapters when adapting SLR or RF lenses to my Sony mirrorless cameras. Therefore I don't really care about the native close focus capabilities of the used lenses. That's very useful for almost every lens; particularly for the RF ones.

Unfortunately these adapters are only available for Sony E-mount (Leica-M to E-mount). However, almost every mount is already adaptable to Leica-M hence I'm stacking these adapters.

Anyway, at least for M42 lenses such close focus up to infinity adapters are available for other mirrorless systems as well.

At least there is one for your Fuji: https://goo.gl/M2qooi

 

[petrochemist]

Just about any zoom that claims to be 'macro' is only close focus. In addition a short extension tube used with a long focal length lens will make it focus closer without approaching macro. I've used a 10 mm tube on my lenses over 150mm quite often for shooting subjects 2-3 foot away.

If you want to avoid the hassle of extension tubes & prefer primes, Then adapting via a helicoid is the ideal answer. I've done this regularly on MFT with a MFT-EF helicoid then EF-lens adapter (for OM, PK, M42...) This gives me a fully variable extension just using a second focusing ring for when lenses can't go any further. It still focuses to infinity when the helicoid is at it's shortest...

But to add to your list of close focus primes the Tamron 54B 300mm 'telemacro' focuses to 1.4m (reaching just short of 1/3 life size) it's adaptall 2 so can be any mount you want.

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www.pentaxforums.com

 

[SteveInNZ]

The Laowa 15mm f/4 (the one with shift) will focus right up to the front element (on Canon DSLR).

Steve.

 

[D Cox]

The Re Auto Topcor 35mm f2.8 focuses to 8” I think, and old tests remarked favorably on resolution. Don’t think it’s extraordinary in the sharpness department, but it does focus quite close for a normal lens.

RE Auto Topcor 35mm on NEX-5N:

 

[GoldMark]

Thx, for the tips

 

[E Dinkla]

Some conversions of film compact camera lenses allow changes to the helicoid or the focusing ring cam. The Canonet 45mm 1.9 lens I changed (helicoid throw) has an MFD of 54.5 cm now, used to be 80 cm. The Color Skopar 50mm 2.8 recently converted (cam) probably a similar number but I have to shorten the adapter tube first to get infinity bfore I can measure the actual distance. The last is a Tessar alike design that usually behaves better close up.

The Tokina ATX Pro 17mm and the Olympus OM 21mm 3.5 have a low MFD as with most WAs of that focal length.

Reverse mount short focal length lens stacked on a longer one with a male/male 58mm filter ring also in the bag could solve that request too when on a trip without a macro lens. MFD or WD not taken in account here.


Met vriendelijke groet, Ernst
No photographer's gear list is complete without the printer mentioned !

 

[Belgarchi]

I am interested by SLR manual focus lenses that are able to close focus (not macro).

I'm using close focusing adapters when adapting SLR or RF lenses to my Sony mirrorless cameras. Therefore I don't really care about the native close focus capabilities of the used lenses. That's very useful for almost every lens; particularly for the RF ones.

Unfortunately these adapters are only available for Sony E-mount (Leica-M to E-mount). However, almost every mount is already adaptable to Leica-M hence I'm stacking these adapters.

Anyway, at least for M42 lenses such close focus up to infinity adapters are available for other mirrorless systems as well.

At least there is one for your Fuji: https://goo.gl/M2qooi

I have issues with these adapters, but I never tried one, then maybe I am over-pessimistic:

- Many 'simple' adapters are skewing the optical axis of lenses, their planes of attachments (camera side and lens side). Adapters with variable length 'should' be worse. I had a terrible experience with Nikon 28/2.0 and 28/2.8 lenses, I nearly sold them for a low price because they were really bad in the corners. But after trying 3 mid-price adapters, I found out that these lenses were both good with one of them only!!!

- If a lens has floating elements, adding an extra distance from the sensor (or the film) plane should increase the aberrations, especially in the corners;

- If a lens doesn't have floating elements and is not symmetrical, image quality goes down at close distances, except if calculated for these distances (dedicated macro lenses). But hopefully lenses with symmetrical optical design, like some 50/2.0, will do well.

 

[Belgarchi]

Vivitar 28mm MC Close Focus Wide Angle f2.8 - 13 cm

Vivitar 135mm Auto Telephoto Close Focusing f2.8 - 40 cm

Carl Zeiss C/Y Distagon 28mm f2.8 - 25 cm

Marc

How good is the Vivitar 28/2.8 on a M43 Olympus camera?

 

[E Dinkla]

- If a lens doesn't have floating elements and is not symmetrical, image quality goes down at close distances, except if calculated for these distances (dedicated macro lenses). But hopefully lenses with symmetrical optical design, like some 50/2.0, will do well.

Depends on what distance a "symmetrical" designed lens is designed for. You might find some WA RF lenses for 135 film that are "symmetrical", not really modern ones though. Their performance on tubes will be equal if mounted reversed or normal but there is no guarantee that their performance is as good as when mounted normally. Not all aim at infinity or hyperfocal distance. 40x the focal length can be a design goal as well. They are not really symmetrical with film formats smaller than large format. With asymmetrical designs like a Tessar at least you gain ground again above the magnification 1:1 when the lens is reversed and approaches the scaling it was made for.

https://kenrockwell.com/leica/21mm-comparison.htm mentions symmetrical for two lenses. Check the lens diagrams and even that can be taken with a lump of salt https://kenrockwell.com/leica/21mm-f4.htm

Met vriendelijke groet, Ernst
No photographer's gear list is complete without the printer mentioned !

 

[Letsgokoulos]

Vivitar 28mm MC Close Focus Wide Angle f2.8 - 13 cm

Vivitar 135mm Auto Telephoto Close Focusing f2.8 - 40 cm

Carl Zeiss C/Y Distagon 28mm f2.8 - 25 cm

Marc

How good is the Vivitar 28/2.8 on a M43 Olympus camera?

Sorry, I can't help with the M43 cameras advices. You can find samples on a Sony Nex-3 in my galleries .

It is not my favourite 28mm, but it is pleasant to use and gives quite consistent results with its own character... The close-up capabilities are definitely a plus for this little lens.

Marc

 

[ThomasB]

I am interested by SLR manual focus lenses that are able to close focus (not macro).

I'm using close focusing adapters when adapting SLR or RF lenses to my Sony mirrorless cameras. Therefore I don't really care about the native close focus capabilities of the used lenses. That's very useful for almost every lens; particularly for the RF ones.

Unfortunately these adapters are only available for Sony E-mount (Leica-M to E-mount). However, almost every mount is already adaptable to Leica-M hence I'm stacking these adapters.

Anyway, at least for M42 lenses such close focus up to infinity adapters are available for other mirrorless systems as well.

At least there is one for your Fuji: https://goo.gl/M2qooi

I have issues with these adapters, but I never tried one, then maybe I am over-pessimistic:

- Many 'simple' adapters are skewing the optical axis of lenses, their planes of attachments (camera side and lens side). Adapters with variable length 'should' be worse. I had a terrible experience with Nikon 28/2.0 and 28/2.8 lenses, I nearly sold them for a low price because they were really bad in the corners. But after trying 3 mid-price adapters, I found out that these lenses were both good with one of them only!!!

- If a lens has floating elements, adding an extra distance from the sensor (or the film) plane should increase the aberrations, especially in the corners;

- If a lens doesn't have floating elements and is not symmetrical, image quality goes down at close distances, except if calculated for these distances (dedicated macro lenses). But hopefully lenses with symmetrical optical design, like some 50/2.0, will do well.

That's interesting. I didn't notice any of your mentioned problems up to now. However, my LM to NEX close focusing adapter wasn't really cheap.

Also my Techart PRO AF adapter (basically also LM to NEX) does offer such possibilities when the focus is set to MFD on the used lens. That's a nice extra feature besides the additional auto focus functionality for every manual focus lens.

 

[petrochemist]

I am interested by SLR manual focus lenses that are able to close focus (not macro).

I'm using close focusing adapters when adapting SLR or RF lenses to my Sony mirrorless cameras. Therefore I don't really care about the native close focus capabilities of the used lenses. That's very useful for almost every lens; particularly for the RF ones.

Unfortunately these adapters are only available for Sony E-mount (Leica-M to E-mount). However, almost every mount is already adaptable to Leica-M hence I'm stacking these adapters.

Anyway, at least for M42 lenses such close focus up to infinity adapters are available for other mirrorless systems as well.

At least there is one for your Fuji: https://goo.gl/M2qooi

There are a wide variety of them for SLR lenses on mirrorless mounts. A few may not quite reach infinity (my first MFT-M42 model didn't being 0.1mm too long) But the MFT-EF one allows nearly all my SLR lenses to focus at infinity & also have considerable close focusing ability. It works on my NEX6 too when mounted via a NEX-MFT adapter. I've seen them to other SLR mounts (F, OM, CY, MD, Leica R, FD...) but not seen the need where stacking adapters works. They might be useful in FD or AR mounts (not easily adaptable to EF) but FD is less than 1% of my lenses (& not good examples either) I don't have any AR...

The range is certainly a lot smaller with rangefinder lenses. I've not explored the options there yet. A short M42 adapter, V short M42 helicoid & M42-M39 ring might be a solution for LTM lenses but I expect it would be difficult to find a combination quite short enough.