Vintage 35mm SLR Macro Lenses Are Great For Taking IWC Watch Photos!

Aloha all!

Obviously everyone here on the Forum can afford to purchase whatever this year's top-rated automatic-everything digital single lens reflex (DSLR) camera is - but not everyone wants to lug around a big camera - and some of us would prefer to use our hard earned money to purchase IWC watches instead!

Other than taking close-up pictures of watches, a point-and-shoot camera is fine for me 99% of the time so a while ago I picked up a Sony NEX series point-and-shoot camera that has the perfect feature for me for when I want to take watch pictures - interchangeable lens capability. (Please note that several manufacturers make point-and-shoot cameras with interchangeable lens capability and I'm not promoting Sony products by any means.)

Because of the comparatively shorter optical sensor to rear lens element distance (the film plane to rear lens element distance on 35mm cameras), you can easily use vintage 35mm SLR macro lenses with inexpensive aftermarket adapters and still retain the full range of focusing capability (i.e., the 35mm lenses will still focus to infinity).

Here is my Sony NEX series point-and-shoot camera:

Here (L-R) are some of my old Nikon, Leica, and Minolta 35mm macro lenses (complete with extension tubes for extreme closeups):

Here is what they look like on the camera (without the extension tubes) with aftermarket adapters that cost about $25 to $35 each:

Late 1960s Nikon 55mm F: 3.5 Micro-Nikkor:

Early 1980s Minolta 50mm F: 3.5 MD Macro:

Late 1980s Leica 60mm F: 2.8 Macro-Elmarit:

Finally, here are some pictures taken with these lenses (some of the pictures have been previously posted):

Nikon 55mm Micro-Nikkor:

Leica 60mm Macro-Elmarit:

Why bother to go through all this trouble to use these vintage macro lenses without automatic focusing and automatic exposure?

First, I like the results. Second, for some of the same reasons I prefer mechanical watches to automatic-everything quartz watches.

Bottom line - Don't get rid of your vintage 35mm macro lenses yet - they are great for taking IWC watch pictures if your only camera is going to be a point-and-shoot camera.

All that being said, I just ordered Sony's newly-released fully automatic macro lens for the NEX series and I should be receiving it any day now. (LOL)

Have a nice weekend!

Tracy

Aloha Tracy!

Did you mention "FUN?"

I think you have a lot of "FUN" with your photography.

I know I have a lot of "FUN" looking at your photos.

Nice work on this lot!

Best,
-Joe

Tracy, your new buddy looks right at home !

Tracy,

Thanks for posting those beautiful BP photos. This is professional standard. Love seeing them.

Tracy,

How do you get that clean, black background in all of your shots?

Very nice shots! Thanks for sharing Tracy.

Rgds
ks

Yes - I want to know too !

Fantastic shots Tracy! Thanks for sharing!

Try as I may to get a depth of field that can take oblique pics like those shown by Tracy, my efforts are not in focus across the image using Nikon D200 and Nikon 105mm AFD macro aperture priority and high f stop, even using extension tube can not get that level of DoF. When I add Nikon flash SB28 and or SB800 (non macro) into the equation results are burnt out whether TTL or auto. Also are you using black card or cloth or what? Need to know for my resulting efforts are no where near up to Tracy's watch shots. Need to learn more about photographing watches than I currently know!
Replacement of Tuesdays tour of the archive from the Cellar, "How to master photographing our watches!" Lessons from our resident experts needed.
Tracy and his Sony
MF and his Leica M series
Nad with ??
Shing with ??

Would like to see some shots of Tracy's set up taken with a second camera! Hope that is understood.

Tracy, perhaps you should consider a new blog where you could give us lessons in photographing our beloved IWC watches. I know I would follow it.
Thanks for posting.
Regards,
Kevin

Sorry, didn't see Greg's post before I spoke.

There's nothing wrong with old lenses. Excellent photos. In fact, to take decent shots you do have to resort to aperture control for depth of field, light management, tripods and composition skills. Without the basic skills, it is hit and miss and Tracy hits the spot perfectly.

Indeed, Tracy, you have proven how well your technique really works- great photos of your wonderful watches.

Nelson

Aloha Greg -

As far as my set up, I use a light tent that I purchased from the second-hand store. The light tent sits on my kitchen counter and there is an under-counter fluorescent light directly overhead. On both sides, I'm using old fluorescent light slide-viewer light boxes that I also purchased from the second-hand store.

I usually have the watch on a black pedestal - also purchased from the second-hand store - so I can get that background black-out effect that Alan and Shing were asking about. If you look closely you can see the pedestal in the picture.

As far as taking oblique-angled photos of watches which is really neat with IWC watches since they have anti-reflective front surface coating, it sounds like you're doing everything by the book but perhaps as Rave mentioned it could be that you aren't utilizing the extremely limited depth of field to your full advantage - hopefully you are manually focusing your lens so you can experiment until you are satisfied.

-Tracy

Aloha Kevin -

Did you know that one of our Forum members - Joseph White - has exhibited his beautiful photographs on several occasions in art galleries in the Boston area - including photographs of IWC watches?

Joe uses state of the art equipment (unlike me) and he’s the guy that should be running a “how to” blog!

• Tracy

Aloha Tracy, Thanks for sharing the tip and secrets!

Greg, I use a Leica Dlux 5 - which for me is a great camera that attempts to compensate my photography inadequacies.

Hmmm - a photography "blog" on how to take great pics of your watch - I think this is an interesting idea !!!

Funny, I know people who really like watches but not too much into photography besides the over-played camera phone shot of the wrist while driving. Then there are people who love photography but lack the love for watches. I guess we finally found someone who has the passion for both. We are just lucky to have him in our IWC community.

Keep them coming, Trace!

Thanks for the "how to lessons" Tracey. I will improvise and try but unless the end result matches my goal there is zero chance that any failures will make it on to the forum.