Schneider M-Componon View Camera Lenses

True Microphotography lenses are extremely specialized optical designs optimized for a Subject to Lens distance of less than 1 Focal length.(Magnification larger than Life Size),  possessing great film Coverage that include 4x5 inch and, at high Magnifications ,even include 8x10 inch.(Coverage increases with Bellows extension since the image is projected as a cone of light that expands towards the film plane). Since these lenses are normally utilized to reproduce Jewellery , Minerals or Specimens that do not tolerate distortion, these lenses have extremely Flat Field characteristics and even Contrast across the Film Plane along with minimal or non existent distortion.

Schneider Kreuznach Manufactured M-Componons  on three focal lengths : 28 , 50 and 80mm,however it is important to emphasize that even though their short focal lengths and  large coverage would qualify them as Extreme Wide Angles lenses for Large Format Photography , they only do so at magnifications of 4:1 or larger . They were not designed to be focused at infinity. At infinity their image quality declines and , most important, coverage diminishes, restricting their use to smaller formats, where they become a Standard focal length lens of outstanding optical characteristics.

 The 80 f4 M-Componon, for example can be found in Leica-R mount, for the Universal Bellows System, as an alternative to the Luminars and Photars, for high performance Microphotography, such as Forensic or Microchip Quality Control. They are extremely hard to find and their price is about  $1000 used. However they generally tend to be in excellent condition since most of them have always been in Laboratory environments, used by careful professionals making photographs of Metallurgic Cracks, Engraving Plates, Crystallography or similar delicate uses.

The M-Componon  magnificent design is no longer available ,  the closest thing available is the 80/5.6 Makro Symmar HM , a well over  $2000 lens, that it is considered by many to be not as capable as the M-Componon, and not as versatile . Because of  its considerable larger size, the large protruding back element ,and its heightened weight ,the 80/5.6 Makro Symmar HM can  no longer be mounted on Leicas or Medium Size Camera bodies , it would be ,both, too big and too heavy for the camera mount.Now in this latest incarnation ,it really belongs to the View Camera world, where its one stop larger aperture helps focusing on the groundglass ,however, as it's name sugests, it should be considered a Macro lens, optimised for Life Size ratio only(1:1) and no attempt should be made to  push it into the range of Micro Photography (1:1 to 15:1) were the M-Componon dominates.

According to the tables provided by Schneider for the 80 f4 M-Componon the Maximum lens-to-Subject distances required to cover the 4x5 format are as follow:

28mm lens    17.6 mm   at Magnification of 7.4:1
50mm lens     45mm      at Magnification of 3.5:1
80mm lens    100mm      at Magnification of 1.9:1