Yashica Dental Eye for portraits?

[wew82]

Hey guys,

Just wondering if anyone on the forum has much experience using the Yashica Dental eye cameras?

I'm currently interested in getting one to take portraits (head and shoulders) with - I'm most drawn to the 50mm as in theory it means I won't have to stand as far away to get the shot, and that I can make the most of the lenses built in flash. However its farthest magnification/focus setting is 1:10, and I'm not sure whether or not this will allow enough of the subject to be fit in the frame for a portrait shot, or at least a portrait shot without noticeable perspective distortion.

The II and III versions of the camera both have 100mm lenses with max 1:15 magnification ratios.

My lack of previous macro knowledge/maths skill means I'm not sure whether the 50 or 100mm lens would give me most framing space to play with to get the subjects head and shoulders into the shot at the max magnification setting of the respective lenses.

Just wondering if anyone has had any experiences with these cameras, or macro photography in general to be able to advise me?

Many thanks,

Will

 

[Rob-F]

I am not familiar with this camera. What is the format: 35mm? Or is it digital? Full frame? I suspect the answer has to be that it won't be much of a portrait camera. At 1:10 I believe it will be too tight for a head and shoulders shot, and you would be too close, which is not a good thing for portraiture. At 1:15 with a 100mm lens, I think you might be in the ball park. But first, what is the format?

 

[CMur12]

As I recall, the Yashica Dental Eye was a 35mm SLR designed for macro photos of teeth.

A wedding photographer once told me that you want to be at least 5' away from the subject of a portrait, to avoid perspective distortion. For this reason, I find a 135mm lens especially good for tight head-and-shoulders shots. If you are getting closer than 5', you risk distortion. This doesn't mean that it can't be worked around, as I have seen good portraits taken with a wide-angle lens from up close, but the photographer knew how to control perspective effects.

Since the Dental Eye, from what I have always understood of it, is a dedicated macro set-up, it sounds like it would require you to be too close for pleasing portrait perspective.

I have never actually seen or handled one of these cameras, however, so I can't be absolutely sure of these assumptions.

- Murray

 

[Rob-F]

So then it's a film camera. Why not just get a Nikon FE2, or other Nikon body, with a 105mm lens? It's an excellent portrait outfit.

 

[wew82]

I am not familiar with this camera. What is the format: 35mm? Or is it digital? Full frame? I suspect the answer has to be that it won't be much of a portrait camera. At 1:10 I believe it will be too tight for a head and shoulders shot, and you would be too close, which is not a good thing for portraiture. At 1:15 with a 100mm lens, I think you might be in the ball park. But first, what is the format?

Hey - yes the camera is a 35mm film camera. I guess it was actually the novelty/limited use aspect that appealed to me, but not if its not fit for my intended purpose.

 

[mfogiel]

Martin Shoeller has done once a "dentist" close up series of famous people. He probably even made nice money out of that:
https://www.google.com/search?q=mar...X&ved=0CB4QsARqFQoTCOLVjYeUqMgCFQTXGgodE2YJCg
However, I'd prefer a 105-135mm or even 180-300mm lens for such a job.

 

[charjohncarter]

Looks like ring flash with a macro lens that will back off to fill the frame with a portrait. Somewhat limiting and not that flattering a focal length. I have similar set up which is a standard SLR with a Vivitar Macro 500. It gives the versatility of longer focal lengths and any other length that is above 40mm (35mm film). Here are a couple with the ring flash and 50mm lenses or equivalent:

Ringflash by John Carter, on Flickr

K-01 Vivitar Macro Flash 5000 by John Carter, on Flickr

Pentax K-01 Ringflash by John Carter, on Flickr

This is what the flash looks like:

Vivitar Macro Flash 5000 by John Carter, on Flickr

 

[GarageBoy]

The difference is the Dental Eye wont focus to infinity
https://www.flickr.com/photos/beemantv/14221060367 Here is a portrait I found on flickr- pretty sure that's the 55mm Dental Eye

 

[mike rosenlof]

1:10 on a 35mm camera gives you a subject size of 24x36 cm or about 9.5 x 14 inches. That's a tight head shot. 1:15 gets you about 14 x 21 inches.

You're probably not going to do an environmental portrait with either, but I would say a portrait of some sorts is possible. But it's not the most flexible portrait system either.

 

[Dwig]

1:10 on a 35mm camera gives you a subject size of 24x36 cm or about 9.5 x 14 inches. That's a tight head shot. 1:15 gets you about 14 x 21 inches.

You're probably not going to do an environmental portrait with either, but I would say a portrait of some sorts is possible. But it's not the most flexible portrait system either.

+1, 1:10 on 35mm will not yield a "head and shoulders" shot. You'll get a tight face only shot at best.

Also, as stated elsewhere, the 50mm FL will not yield what most would consider pleasing rendering of a human face. It will accentuate the nose and diminish the ears (if they are even visible in the tight framing) when shooting near straight on. A profile pose might have a chance at reasonable appearance.

 

[GarageBoy]

OTOH: 1:15 on the 100mm version might seem to fit the bill for head shots, no? It'd be cool- kinda like the Polaroid Big Shot- 1 trick pony (well, portraits AND macros)

 

[charjohncarter]

One other consideration when using a ring flash for portraits is the 1:1 lighting so no accent ratios. Another problem is you have to be AWAY from a backdrop, you'll have to experiment with this, as you will get a unpleasant halo of shadow around the subjects head. As in this image:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/52964625@N00/14860702370/in/pool-ringflash/

I guess more than one or two problems, another is you will get a circular catch light in the eyes which maybe you will like but I don't:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/carlosgarciafiestas/20136294040/in/pool-ringflash