Some time in the past, after I reviewed an inexpensive shift lens, Pergear contacted me to overview a lens obtainable solely in Sony and Nikon mounts. I instructed them I didn’t have cameras that may take the lens. Later, I realized that they reissued their 60mm f/2.8 macro lens, Mark II.
I then wrote and inquired in the event that they have been fascinated with my overview. Right here we’re! They despatched me the Pergear 60mm f/2.8 Macro Mark 2, Canon RF mount to overview. I want to level out on the outset that this isn’t a technical optical high quality overview, I’m merely not outfitted to do this. It’s a hands-on consumer overview.
Full disclosure: A pattern lens was offered totally free for the aim of this overview. This text additionally incorporates affiliate hyperlinks.
The lens arrived in a well-padded bundle. Eradicating the delivery bag and the interior foam padding revealed a well-made field containing the lens, a microfiber cleansing fabric, and in a small plastic bag what they known as the Focus Wrench.
I eliminated the lens from the field, feeling its heft and stable construct. The entrance and rear caps have been tightly in place. The main focus and f-stop scales have been simple to see in white in opposition to the black physique. I attempted the focusing ring and realized why they included the main target wrench to assist rotate the ring. Each the focusing and f-stop rings are stiff and exhausting to show. Listed here are some images of the outside of the lens and the bundle.
There have been no directions or another paperwork within the field. The specs are on their web site, so I cannot repeat them right here once more except I’ve one thing so as to add, right, or make clear. I additionally couldn’t discover any serial quantity on the lens or lens mount. It could be there and escaped my consideration, however I attempted exhausting to seek out it. No luck!
It’s available from Amazon at a 15% low cost for those who use this link. The low cost will likely be utilized at checkout routinely. Or go to the Pergear website, the place you should utilize the code 99K1V3BFDJYJ at checkout for a similar 15% low cost. It’s obtainable in Sony, Fuji, M43, L, and Canon RF mounts.
First Time on the Digital camera
I mounted the lens on my digicam to see the way it felt, and the additional weight of the steel development was noticeable. Not too heavy however heavier than my 18-150mm Canon RF lens. I additionally realized handbook focusing with the stiff focusing ring could be tough when hand-holding the digicam. For my wants, this lens will go on a tripod-mounted digicam. The aperture ring doesn’t have click on stops however rotates easily with out clicking and with the identical stiffness because the focusing ring.
I got here near a flower, targeted by shifting forwards and backwards, and clicked the shutter. Nothing! The shutter wouldn’t launch. I used to be puzzled and wrote to my contact at Pergear for clarification. After that, I searched on the Web and located the reply: I needed to change the setting to permit the shutter launch to work with no lens mounted.
Please make an observation of this. For the reason that lens has no electronics, the digicam doesn’t acknowledge it. Then I remembered having the identical downside with one other lens I reviewed. Forgetfulness goes with the age!
Document Holding
A managed workflow turns into obligatory since this lens doesn’t transmit data just like the aperture, distance, or lens used. For every body, I must document the lens-to-subject distance, focus ring place, the f-stop setting, and the body quantity. My protocol will likely be:
- Take the image, preview it to point out the body quantity, and document the body within the digicam viewer utilizing my telephone; this can document the body quantity.
- Comply with that by taking an image of the lens exhibiting the main target and aperture ring positions.
- I’ll add the lens and f-stop data utilizing a Lightroom plugin, LensTagger. (This plugin works!) The main focus distance data will likely be lacking in EXIF information, however I can in all probability enter that into the label subject.
Analysis Setting
For evaluating the macro pictures efficiency, I’ll use the next:
- A Canon R7 32.5 MP APS-C CMOS sensor digicam.
- A sturdy tripod.
- Macro focusing rail.
- Cable or distant launch.
- A pair of LED gentle panels as wanted.
- My good friend Dennis will take part in taking check footage and writing his impressions; he’s very experienced in macro photography.
Handheld Check
I went out to the yard with the Pergear 60mm Macro lens mounted on the digicam. A lot of the flowers light, however there have been nonetheless a number of. I took a sequence of pictures of the spirea flowers. Guide focusing with no focusing support, stiff focusing ring, and the light breeze resulted in a sequence of photographs I’ll chorus from sharing. Manually passing the f/cease data to every body with the LensTagger plugin labored.
The stiff focusing ring made shortly adjusting the main target an enormous problem. My foremost checks will likely be completed on a tripod and primarily indoors. I’ll consider close-up and macro pictures for testing, though the lens and its focal size are additionally appropriate for portraits.
On the Tripod, however Nonetheless Exhausting
Taking pictures macro pictures is tough, particularly at life-size or twice the life-size. Any tiny motion, slightly shake, begins shifting the picture within the rear viewer, making judging focus tough. Along with the magnified picture motion, the very shallow depth of subject at shut focus distance provides to the issue. The stiff focus ring doesn’t assist in any respect.
I’ve a sturdy tripod and ball head. However the focusing rail helped lower than I anticipated. Though it permits setting the main target to 1:1 after which shifting the digicam forwards and backwards, it sounds simpler than completed!
Dennis commented on the unlucky design restriction by Canon; the designers couldn’t embody aperture management from the digicam. He stated utilizing a macro lens hand-held continuously requires the usage of a flash to cease each the movement of the topic in addition to the movement of the digicam. An digital connection to the digicam permits the consumer to seek out the topic with the lens aperture extensive open, and transfer the digicam/lens to realize focus. The lens aperture closes to the specified f-stop to extend the depth of subject when the shutter launch is pressed.
Getting Actual Shut
Taking pictures primarily at half the life-size to twice the life-size to check the shut focusing capability of the lens made it obligatory to seek out appropriate topics. The distances marked on the lens confused me slightly. When working with Dennis, we measured the space from the topic level in focus to match the indicated quantity, 0.62″, and determined that it mirrored the space from the topic to the sensor airplane. It isn’t the lens-to-subject distance, which is way nearer.
Among the many images is a penny on the desk that sat at a slight angle to the digicam. I photographed it at totally different f-stops to point out the change within the depth of subject, albeit a tiny quantity. That’s much more seen within the watch mechanism Dennis photographed at totally different apertures. The main focus was set on the brass gear within the center, and the remainder of the innards got here into focus at smaller apertures.
Flowers are usually enjoyable to {photograph}, and I take pleasure in doing that. However at such shut vary, one shortly realizes that the petal edges are usually not as sharp as they seem. After many makes an attempt, Dennis photographed a sequence of flowers at totally different f-stops. The problem continues!
I continued the flower pictures experiments the subsequent day however from slightly higher distance. Nonetheless close-up however not life-size. That was a tad simpler. I even tried a rudimentary focus stacking and macro panoramic stitching.
Impressions
- The lens appears to be well-built, with easy-to-read markings.
- The focusing and aperture rings are far too stiff and tough to make use of.
- A disconnected lens jogged my memory of the photographers of the previous taking handbook notes of their settings and exhausting to get used to at this time.
- The Pergear 60mm Macro Mark II can get very near yield twice the life-size photographs.
- That comes at a slight value of decrease picture high quality if the aperture is stopped down to achieve additional depth of subject.
- The value is engaging on the $199 checklist value.
Potentialities
I’ll current many full-frame images within the gallery on the finish of the article. None of these photographs are edited or cropped.
Right here, I’ll current a number of that I chosen to edit to some extent. They’ll present how a lot authentic captures might be improved. And these may even be additional edited. So, all isn’t misplaced on the lens.
Earlier than Enhancing, the Watch Faces
After Enhancing, the Watch Faces
Focus Stacking or Stitching
I experimented with rudimentary focus-staking by manually (after all) altering the main target between pictures. After positioning the digicam for a selected framing, I took a sequence of 5 images, all at f/5.6, whereas shifting the main target barely backward by eyeballing the targeted level. I loaded them into Photoshop, auto-aligned the pictures, after which auto-blended them for the ultimate consequence. It was not too dangerous! Listed here are the originals and the main target stacked consequence.
I additionally took 4 images, barely shifting the digicam on the rail to 1 aspect in between pictures. Then, I sewed the pictures right into a macro panorama and edited them in Lightroom with numerous instruments. Right here is the consequence, about 65 megapixels authentic, down-sampled for this text:
Suggestions
- Ease up on the ring rotations; with no autofocus, fast focusing will likely be an asset.
- The main focus wrench didn’t appear to be it will assist a lot, so I didn’t stick it on the lens focus ring.
- As a replacement, a 2-3 inch screw-in rod might, simply might, assist with the focusing.
- That is an experimental lens for a lot of. If the worth is lowered to round $150-$175, it could grow to be an impulse buy for some customers.
Pattern Photos
The pictures beneath represent a variety from among the many samples we’ve got photographed. They aren’t edited or cropped however offered of their authentic import situations. There are minimal changes related to the digicam however to not the extent that they’d change the picture high quality. Use them for reference; they don’t seem to be aesthetically pleasing or icons of picture high quality.
I thank Pergear for offering the overview copy of the lens. I additionally thank my good friend Dennis for making a visit to take part within the testing course of. Like all device, a lens can produce totally different leads to totally different fingers. You could get a lot sharper outcomes. Who is aware of.
Who is aware of.
Concerning the writer: A. Cemal Ekin is a photographer based mostly in Warwick, Rhode Island who has been taking pictures for roughly 60 years. The opinions expressed on this article are solely these of the writer. Ekin retired as a professor of selling emeritus from Windfall School in 2012 after 36 years of service there. Go to his web site here. This text was additionally printed here.
