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SCHNEIDER (APO) MACRO VARON f4.5 85mm CAS takes a walk
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 16, 2018 3:27 pm    Post subject: SCHNEIDER (APO) MACRO VARON f4.5 85mm CAS takes a walk Reply with quote

Now this is a very different beast, made to beat even the most modern sensors,
it is a pure Schneider understatement, that they would not even include "APO"
it its name and oh yeah, it certainly is. Further it has a unique feature, adjustable
aberration control CAS, adjustable for the whole covered range this lens is designed
for, the largest on the market: 0.5 ... 2x. And I took the freedom to use it on a
walk and from infinity to close up I tried it out....

And please DO NOT LOOK UP ITS LIST PRICE, I don't want to be held accountable
for having caused heart attacks or such... it is a mere $4500, but I was lucky Wink

Lens data: https://www.schneideroptics.com/pdfs/industrial/MacroVaron%20Brochure.pdf

All shot at f4.5 with CAS setting to lowest magnification:
















Full set is here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/kds315/albums/72157694462023690


Last edited by kds315* on Fri Aug 17, 2018 8:28 am; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Thu Aug 16, 2018 10:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

So this is the best of the best?

Very nice samples!


PostPosted: Fri Aug 17, 2018 12:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Wow! I wouldn't trade it for the 100/2 Takumar. Laughing

Like 1 Like 1


PostPosted: Fri Aug 17, 2018 6:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

blotafton wrote:
So this is the best of the best?

Very nice samples!


One of the best when it comes to special macro lenses (like Printing Nikkors etc.)
and THE best considering its wide magnification range of 0.5 ... 2x


PostPosted: Fri Aug 17, 2018 4:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

That's impressive. It would probably do well at digitizing film, that's always the first thing I think of Smile


PostPosted: Sat Aug 18, 2018 9:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

blotafton wrote:
That's impressive. It would probably do well at digitizing film, that's always the first thing I think of Smile


A 75mm Apo Rodagon would certainly do well enough for that, costing only a fraction Wink


PostPosted: Sat Aug 18, 2018 5:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Like 1 Like 1 Amazing shots,amazing handler,amazing price.


PostPosted: Sat Aug 18, 2018 11:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm using Schneider Componon 100 f5,6 enlarging lens. Also I have Rodagon 135 f5,6, Componon 150 f5,6 and Apo-Gerogon 210 f9.
This vintage German glass is amazing on full frame!


PostPosted: Mon Aug 20, 2018 5:51 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The close-up shots look stunning, but in terms of colour, sharpness & bokeh..

The 1st one looks really sharp in the centre, but I cannot make up my mind if I like the bokeh that's going on in the foreground. It's unique, that's for sure.


PostPosted: Tue Aug 21, 2018 10:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks guys!


martinsmith99 wrote:
The close-up shots look stunning, but in terms of colour, sharpness & bokeh..

The 1st one looks really sharp in the centre, but I cannot make up my mind if I like the bokeh that's going on in the foreground. It's unique, that's for sure.


Well, it was never intended to be used, how I used it. Just wanted to see how it would behave then, and actually I'm positively surprised. Of course it cannot be compared to lenses which were made for infinity use.... Wink


PostPosted: Wed Aug 22, 2018 11:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

[quote="kds315*"]
blotafton wrote:
So this is the best of the best?

One of the best when it comes to special macro lenses (like Printing Nikkors etc.)
and THE best considering its wide magnification range of 0.5 ... 2x


Apart from being usable at infinity, why do you rate it above the Printing-Nikkor 150mm?

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/55509772

http://www.savazzi.net/download/manuals/Printing-Nikkor.pdf


PostPosted: Thu Aug 23, 2018 9:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

[quote="e6filmuser"]
kds315* wrote:
blotafton wrote:
So this is the best of the best?

One of the best when it comes to special macro lenses (like Printing Nikkors etc.)
and THE best considering its wide magnification range of 0.5 ... 2x


Apart from being usable at infinity, why do you rate it above the Printing-Nikkor 150mm?

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/55509772

http://www.savazzi.net/download/manuals/Printing-Nikkor.pdf


Re-read what I wrote please: "...and THE best considering its wide magnification range of 0.5 ... 2x"
I find it the best if used within THAT WIDE RANGE it has, in a much narrower range, like at 1:1 the
PRINTING NIKKORS ARE EVEN BETTER of course. I was also referring to the coinimaging site, one
can clearly see that there....

So in layman terms: the Macro Varon is an ALLROUNDER lens, the Printing Nikkors SPECIALIST lenses
[for macro photography in their defined magnification range(s)]


PostPosted: Thu Aug 23, 2018 5:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

[quote="kds315*"]
e6filmuser wrote:
kds315* wrote:
blotafton wrote:
So this is the best of the best?

One of the best when it comes to special macro lenses (like Printing Nikkors etc.)
and THE best considering its wide magnification range of 0.5 ... 2x


Apart from being usable at infinity, why do you rate it above the Printing-Nikkor 150mm?

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/55509772

http://www.savazzi.net/download/manuals/Printing-Nikkor.pdf


Re-read what I wrote please: "...and THE best considering its wide magnification range of 0.5 ... 2x"
I find it the best if used within THAT WIDE RANGE it has, in a much narrower range, like at 1:1 the
PRINTING NIKKORS ARE EVEN BETTER of course. I was also referring to the coinimaging site, one
can clearly see that there....

So in layman terms: the Macro Varon is an ALLROUNDER lens, the Printing Nikkors SPECIALIST lenses
[for macro photography in their defined magnification range(s)]


Thanks for explaining! Thank you!


PostPosted: Sat Aug 25, 2018 2:22 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

e6filmuser wrote:


Apart from being usable at infinity, why do you rate it above the Printing-Nikkor 150mm?

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/55509772

http://www.savazzi.net/download/manuals/Printing-Nikkor.pdf


Well, the 85MV is indeed better than the 150mm Printing-Nikkor, even the one with variable mag control! The specialty of the 85MV is its wide coverage. From the coinimaging.com site:

On APS-C Sensor

150mm Printing-Nikkor f2.8A
mag=0.5, sharpness = 1700 center, 900 corner
mag=1, sharpness = 1600 center, 1280 corner

85mm Macro-Varon f4.5
mag=0.5, sharpness = 1600 center, 1520 corner
mag=1, sharpness = 1400 center, 1340 corner

So while the 150mm Printing-Nikkor wins marginally in the center (1700 vs 1600 at m=0.5, and 1600 vs 1400 at m=1 in the center), the 85mm Macro-Varon wins handily in the corner of APS-C at m=0.5 (1520 vs 900) and marginally at m=1 (1340 vs 1280). The only lenses which win against the 85MV are the 105PN at 1:1, and the 95PN at 0.5:1. The 85MV and 95PN are about equal at m=2, but likely other lenses will beat both at this magnification.