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[OM] Re: ?simple? problem driving me nuts... calculating magnification

Subject: [OM] Re: ?simple? problem driving me nuts... calculating magnification from focal length and focusing distance
From: hiwayman@xxxxxxx (Walt Wayman)
Date: Wed, 02 Nov 2005 16:30:35 +0000
Down from the mountains and out of the woods for half a day so the ladyfolk can 
get hot baths and the menfolk can buy more beer and ammo.  With half a week of 
camping still to go, we've already drunk and shot more than we thought we 
would, so we're obviously having a good time!  Nothing killed, nothing intended 
to be, but lots of mangled cans and paper targets with holes.  We're all half 
deaf and at least that hungover.

I thought I'd see if my e-mail was still screwed up, and it seems to be doing a 
little better today.  Saw this thread and thought I'd put in my two cents' 
worth, having had a bit of experience in this area.  I do a fair amount of 
macro work with old 6x9cm Graphics.  I've made measuring sticks from pieces of 
mini venitian blinds marked in 1/4 stops for the half dozen lenses I regularly 
use.  Going strictly from memory, which, like the old grey mare, ain't what it 
used to be, the formula is this:

                     Marked f-stop x lens-to-film distance
Effective f-stop = ___________________________________________

                         Marked focal length of lens

The lens-to-film distance is easy to figure out with the simple, uncompromised 
lenses a "real" camera uses; I just measure from the approximate position of 
the diaphragm, which is easily determined, to the film plane.  With lenses like 
the 90/2 Zuiko and its ilk, your guess is as good as mine about where to 
measure from.  With the OM gear, I usually just depend on the camera to do the 
figuring and let the flat side drag.

Walt, going back to the boonies

--

"Anything more than 500 yards from 
the car just isn't photogenic." -- 
Edward Weston

 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: jking@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> 
> Thanks for the email Bart,
> I will have a go with the equations.
> Thanks James
> 
> >
> > These formulas are the basic ingredients:
> > The direct connection between focal length (f), distance from the object
> > to the optical centre (o) and image
> > distance from the optical centre (i) is given in:
> >    1/f = 1/i + 1/o
> > Normally, the distance scale (d) on a lens is measured from the object to
> > the film plane:
> >    d = i+o
> > Now we should know that the magnification ratio (N) can be defined as:
> >    N = i/o
> >
> > Some solid handwork shows how we can express o as the result from f and d:
> > o = 1/2 * f * (d/f - SQRT(SQR(d/f) - 4d/f))
> > We also learnt that i = d - o , so:
> > i = d - ( 1/2 * f * (d/f - SQRT(SQR(d/f) - 4d/f)) )
> >
> > Now, the idea was to express N as a finction of f and d:
> > N = i / o =
> > N = (d - ( 1/2 * f * (d/f - SQRT(SQR(d/f) - 4d/f)) )) / (1/2 * f * (d/f -
> > SQRT(SQR(d/f) - 4d/f)) )
> >
> > Nope, I haven't checked this. Try it, a 90mm (f) lens should do 1:1 (N) at
> > a working distance (d) of 360 mm.
> > You do the math :)
> >
> > One additional nastiness is that many lenses (esp. zoom lenses) use
> > floting alements while focusing. Efectively,
> > this means that the focal length of the lens depends on the distance you
> > focus on. This effect is not present when
> > you use a bellow of course.
> >
> > Or you could put a ruler in your composition and see how many mm's on the
> > subject side fit into the 36 mm's that
> > are resembeled by your focusing screen (allright, multiplied by 98% or
> > whatissit).
> tried that! its a pain for wide angles!
> 
> >
> > Or follow Chuck's advice, and forget about the math and figure it out in
> > an emperical way. :)
> trying that too!
> 
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