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This rare medical lens shoots super-sharp macro photos

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February 12, 2019 by Dunja Djudjic 3 Comments

Non-photographic lenses such as projector or spy lenses can be used for taking some stunning photos. But have you considered using a medical lens? Mathieu Stern got to test an Elicar 90mm f2.5 Macro Medical V-HQ, a relatively rare lens that was used by medical professionals in the ‘80s. And it turns out that it’s super sharp and great for close-up shots.

The Elicar 90mm f2.5 Macro Medical V-HQ was aimed exclusively at the science and medical industries in the early ’80s. It was used by dermatologists, ophthalmologists, and dentists. Since it’s not a photographic lens, the aperture scale is calibrated in ISO values and not f-stops. Mathieu put it on a test and took some close-up shots and portraits with it. He notes that it doesn’t focus to infinity, which can be very frustrated. But, it’s great for close-up photos, and it’s exceptionally sharp. Here are a couple of test shots Mathieu took with this lens:

At the time of writing this, a couple of Elicar 90mm f2.5 Macro V-HQ lenses can be found on eBay, costing between $225 and $440. Still, these weren’t made for medical purposes, and I wasn’t able to find the “medical edition” online. Still, it’s always interesting to see how a non-photographic lens can be repurposed, and sometimes the results are surprisingly good.

[This Rare And Weird Medical Lens Shoots Amazing Macro | Mathieu Stern]

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Filed Under: Gear Tagged With: Macro Lens, macro lenses, Mathieu Stern, Rare Equipment, Rare Lens, Weird Lenses

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  • Franco Kailsan

    u do NOT want to see a macro of your teeth. its very depressing. i look after my teeth well. but when I saw it using those HD telescopic cameras, i was shocked.

  • Ryan Matthew Barrett

    ” He notes that it doesn’t focus to infinity, which can be very frustrated”

  • Sada

    I think this lens isnt so intresting this sharpenss can be achieved even with the old canon 100mm usm or even better 😀
    If u want to get some real intresting lens get a Medical Nikkor 120mm f/4.0 IF that lens is intresting at every level but so rare 🙂

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Dunja Djudjic is a writer and photographer from Novi Sad, Serbia. You can see her work on Flickr, Behance and her Facebook page.

John Aldred is based in Scotland and photographs animals in the studio and people in the wild.

You can find out more about John on his website and follow his adventures on YouTube and Facebook.

JP Danko is a commercial photographer based in Toronto, Canada. JP
can change a lens mid-rappel, swap a memory card while treading water, or use a camel as a light stand.

To see more of his work please visit his studio website blurMEDIAphotography, or follow him on Twitter, 500px, Google Plus or YouTube.

JP’s photography is available for licensing at Stocksy United.

Clinton Lofthouse is a Photographer, Retoucher and Digital Artist based in the United Kingdom, who specialises in creative retouching and composites. Proud 80's baby, reader of graphic novels and movie geek!
Find my work on My website or follow me on Facebook or My page

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