Planars are not macro lenses (in that they do not have the close focusing mechanism built in), but they are flat field. The 80mm is the standard supplied on Hassleblad and Rollei, the 135 is sold as a portrait lens. I think they could be considered popular with real professionals. Not many faces are concave in appearance so a curved field lens will make a persons ears even more out of focus than a flat field lens. I know which I'd choose. I'm burned out on this one, (and it's way off topic anyway), can I suggest an evening class on the Physics of Photography? I did it in my first year at college, before I considered myself a professional. I have deliberately left the original message for context. Ian Leonard. -----Original Message----- From: Laurie [mailto:laurie@advancenet.net] Sent: 29 November 1999 16:15 To: epson-inkjet@leben.com Subject: Re: Mamiya 120mm Macro for portraits I do not use the cameras you mention and am unfamiliar with the lens in question. Are they actually flat field macro lens? Most non-macro lenses have a curvature that is built in to account for the fact that reality is not a flat field so as to maintain clear in focus images around the edges. I do know of a few older Kodak large format lenses that are called "flat field" but are not macro lenses as such. By "flat field" lenses, I understand it to typically be referring to copy and enlarger lenses: other than true macro lenses, I do not associate the term with regular camera lenses or even with the zoom/semi-macro lens combinations on the market these days which are only to a limited degree macro lenses with flat fields. If the 80mm and 135 mm lenses you mention are truly flat field macro lenses, I question if the camera makers you mention intended them by design to be used for portraiture or scenic photography as opposed to close-up macro photography, scientific or forensic photography, or medical photography. I fully realize having said this that many photographers use lenses for purposes other than their intended ones so it is possible that photographers out there may be using flat field macro lenses to do portraiture. ----- Original Message ----- From: Leonard, Ian <ian.leonard@rchme.co.uk> To: <epson-inkjet@leben.com> Sent: Monday, November 29, 1999 3:46 AM Subject: RE: Mamiya 120mm Macro for portraits > > > Since, at shooting distances, > beyond two feet, it does not do as good a job as a standard non-flat field > lens would do in terms of sharpness toward the edges of the frame, given > that the lens is corrected to be a flat field close-up lens whose use would > be in situations with shallow depth of field such as macro-photography. > > ------------------------------------------------ > > Are you suggesting that flat field lens' are not suitable for portraiture?? > I'm sorry, but I find this amazing, What about all those 80mm and 135mm > planars on Hassleblads and Rolleiflexes around the world, surely zeiss > couldn't have got it that wrong? > > Ian Leonard. > - > Turn off HTML mail features. Keep quoted material short. Use accurate > subject lines. http://www.leben.com/lists for list instructions. > - Turn off HTML mail features. Keep quoted material short. Use accurate subject lines. http://www.leben.com/lists for list instructions. - ** Complimentary Subscription to Popular Photography Magazine ** *** Simply for writing a printer review! For details go to *** **** http://www.pcphotoreview.com/contests/popular.htm ****