Month: December 2012

My macro shooting rig

I thought I would do a little write-up on the equipment I’m shooting with for macro, since my rig is pretty unusual. I’m using a lens built for old Pentax M42-mount film cameras, along with a double cable release that allows the lens’ aperture to be closed down to my shooting aperture, and the camera’s shutter to be triggered, with one smooth motion.

My macro setup

Read on for details of these components! Continue reading My macro shooting rig

Carl Zeiss Jena Sonnar 135mm f/3.5 test on full-frame

This is a nice lens for 35mm cameras, with a built-in hood. The version I tested was M42 (Pentax screw) mount.

Briefly:

  • Vignetting is only an issue wide open, improves a lot at f/5.6 and is basically gone by f/8
  • The center of the frame is already sharp at f/3.5, and only improves a little bit at f/5
  • The corners are pretty good at f/5.6 and sharpest at f/8

Please read the full review with sample images here.