Fujinon 20x7.5 Macro Question

I'm doing a shoot on Monday with an F900 and I want to get very close to some small objects. With an SD Fujinon 14x8 lens at 8mm I can use the macro to focus on objects that are nearly touching the front element of the lens.

Will the HD Fujinon 20x7.5 macro do the same thing?

Art Adams, DP
Mountain View, California - "Silicon Valley"
http://www.artadams.net/

In a word, yes. However, you will be better off getting a set of Century Precision Apochromatic Proxars to really get that close focus.

Dave Satin

>In a word, yes. However, you will be better off getting a set of Century >Precision Apochromatic Proxars to really get that close focus.

Hmmm. Okay, I'll put that in my notes. Those aren't in the budget for this one, sadly.

Art Adams, DP
Mountain View, California - "Silicon Valley"

Art, if you're used to the SD 14x8, then you'll have no problem at all with the macro on the HD 20x7.5... I keep a UV filter on to protect the lens on doc shoots, and I've been able to focus on dust on the filter using the macro. (well, at least at f8!)

That said, I typically only use the macro in documentary shooting conditions, where a slight focus buzz isn't the end of the world, and not a bad trade-off for being able to get the shot in a hurry. For pretty much any other application, I'd rather use a diopter for better control.

George Hupka
Director/DP
Downstream Pictures
Saskatoon, Canada

Art,

The 20x7.5 Fujinon lens is a great lens. Very, very little breathing and sharp as a tack. Macro mode should get you at least to within a few inches from the front element. It's a little bigger and heavier than I'd like for hand held work but it's worth it where resolution counts.

By the way, I've always been told by my rental house not to travel with that lens mounted to the camera.

Too bad they stopped making it.

Randy Miller, DP in LA

Thanks, all, for the great responses.

As of this moment, though, I've had to drop the diopters. There was a mistake in the budgeting process and I've had to trim $450 off the package. I'm basically ending up with a Cine Alta, sticks, a lens and a 17" monitor. No waveform. I'll have a paint box, but without the waveform we won't be using it much.

So, I guess I'll be finding out how well the macro works. I love getting as close as I can to objects to force the perspective, and it's easy to do some of that with the SD 14x8, so hopefully I have as much luck with the HD 20x7.5.

Even if it isn't totally optically perfect I'll take the cooler composition and forced perspective over a slight buzz any day.

Art Adams, DP
Mountain View, California - "Silicon Valley"