Method:

I used a Pentax Z-1 camera loaded with Kodak Ektachrome E100s. All images were taken with camera mounted on tripod (Sachtler, with a Foba Superball head).

The lenses involved were:

645-A 120mm f/4 + converter
SMC-M 100mm f/2.8 with/without a manual Chinon bellows
SMC 135mm f/2.5 with/without a manual Chinon bellows

Exposures:

In all shots, the camera was set to "A", which means automatic selection of shutter speed (for non-Pentaxians). I took care to cover the viewfinder completely with every shot. Also, all the pictures were taken with the 2 sec. self-timer. More detail on individual exposures is included with each test image on the Results page.

For every lens at each motif, tree exposures were made; at f-stop 4, 11 and 32 respectively. However, the SMC-M 100mm's smallest aperture is 22, so with that lens I had to settle for that...

Selection of motifs:

I chose to work in a pine forest, with lots of little details on the forest floor. I selected three motifs for their test value rather than beauty:

1. A small, trumpet-shaped lichen. Well suited for 1:1.
2. A larger bit of forest floor for "portrait"-distance; around 2m.
3. A distant hill-side with coniferous forest and snow for infinty.

Weather:

Was fairly constant troughout the test. Temperature was around -5°C, and the sky was overcast. I had some problems with unpredictable wind, which inreased towards the end of the test. Patience and vigilance was the remedy.

Digital treatment for this presentation:

Scans were made with a Minolta Dimâge Dual. This is a negative/slides-scanner that operates at 2400 dpi. The scans were transferred to Photoshop, where all cropping and rescaling for the web was done.

 

Link to: | Test overview | Results