Macro - what to get?

[Guest DaveW]

I should have pointed out the video is correct in that there is no focusing movement with enlarger lenses, though he is using them for focus stacking on tubes or bellows at high magnifications where you could not hand them hold anyway. 

 

However with the coupling ring to provide your cameras bayonet mount you can mount enlarger lenses direct on camera without extension tubes behind them, or with very thin tubes for lower magnifications. Then if hand holding focussing is achieved by simply rocking backwards and forwards until the subject is in focus, as is the usual technique in macro when autofocus is not used.

 

http://fieldmacro.wordpress.com/2012/01/24/focusing-the-three-fold-way/

 

With all that extension he has on in the video, meaning considerable magnification, he should also be reversing the enlarger lens using stepping rings for best optical quality.

 

http://savazzi.freehostia.com/photography/enlargerlensespm.htm

[ChrisLumix]

Yes, you can buy the lens to lens revering ring from ebay. just get the different thread sizes right.

I have done it with my Panasonic FZ100.

I can't guarantee  the quality, but for a couple of £s it's worth it for something different to experiment with,

 

That'll be the same size as my FZ38 - can you let me know what you got? (Mind you, the filter size of the Rokkor will be MASSIVE, it's an f1.4 lens after all)

[NannyFerret]

That'll be the same size as my FZ38 - can you let me know what you got? (Mind you, the filter size of the Rokkor will be MASSIVE, it's an f1.4 lens after all)

It could possibly be the first picture of the minute moss plant, Chris. I can,t remember having tried it on my D60 which was the other camera that I had at the time.

I'm not sure what filter sizes the lens to lens rings come in though. You could have a problem getting one to fit if the lens that you want to attach is very big.

[Black Pearl]

Lots of great advice from people who shoot macro every day. The supplement lenses are a good way of getting close without spending large amounts of money, but ultimately you're limited in what you can achieve.

 

My advice - buy a dedicated macro lens.

 

Not only is the image quality considerably better they work with all the features of your camera and when you're not pointing it at something a few inches away they make fantastic portrait lenses.

I love my 60mm Micro and it is one of the only lenses I have never wanted to upgrade, haven't changed as my system has evolved and even though it is a good few years old it is razor sharp and in perfect working order.

Yes it will set you back more but the investment is worth it if you have the funds available.

[FUJI]

To add my Pennorth to this, I can only agree with BP............whilst you begin by reversing a lens, using a RAYNOX or magnifying filters, save all your pennies like mad to acquire a dedicated Macro Lens.

I bit the bullet when I forked out a considerable sum for my dedicated SONY 2.8/100 Macro lens, from my recent post, you will see that it produces more than excellent results........I was more than surprise to learn that it could also be used for other kinds of photography too such as a Portraits and Street.....it is regularly fitted to my A55.

So, drop very big hints close to your Birthday and Christmas, or stop spending on ciggies, chocolate and shoes etc, and save,save,save......the lenses never lose their value.

I have just looked on eBay for macro lenses there are at least four on the first page of my search, all well under £300........The best one was a SONY fit Minolta, 2.8/100 like my Sony version .......should you buy via eBay ensure that you check the status and feedback of the seller and read very carefully the description of the item.

FUJI

[ChrisLumix]

Lots of great advice from people who shoot macro every day. The supplement lenses are a good way of getting close without spending large amounts of money, but ultimately you're limited in what you can achieve.

 

My advice - buy a dedicated macro lens.

 

 

To add my Pennorth to this, I can only agree with BP............whilst you begin by reversing a lens, using a RAYNOX or magnifying filters, save all your pennies like mad to acquire a dedicated Macro Lens.

 

 

You're both assuming that everyone here has a camera with interchangeable lenses. I don't, unless I go back to my Minolta XD7 and film. So I need another solution and I'm grateful for all the advice concerning reversing rings, Raynox lenses, etc. 

[Guest DaveW]

For lash-up's for non removable lens cameras and flash diffusers this site is handy:-

 

http://www.bmpt1.com/

 

Not every adapter is available as a single unit to fit both lenses Chris you may have to construct what you want by ganging several adapters or step up/step down rings together to provide the combination you require.

 

http://www.cs.mtu.edu/~shene/DigiCam/User-Guide/filter/thread-rings.html

Edited September 26, 2013 by DaveW

[Black Pearl]

You're both assuming that everyone here has a camera with interchangeable lenses. I don't, unless I go back to my Minolta XD7 and film. So I need another solution and I'm grateful for all the advice concerning reversing rings, Raynox lenses, etc. 

I was assuming the OP did or he wouldn't have been asking about one.

[NannyFerret]

You're both assuming that everyone here has a camera with interchangeable lenses. I don't, unless I go back to my Minolta XD7 and film. So I need another solution and I'm grateful for all the advice concerning reversing rings, Raynox lenses, etc. 

I think that you will find that the Raynox is easier to use on a Bridge camera, Chris.

I'm sure Annie uses her's on her bridge.

I have only  been using mine on the DSLR as I couldn't carry the two camera's on holiday and wanted to try out my new one and lenses.

The close up lenses really work well on the Bridge too. I used the 10+ for my ladybird shot.

Very cheap off ebay too.

 

[Martyn]

This thread is turning into a positive mine of useful information, keep all the good ideas coming!

 

As for what I'm going to do; A dedicated macro lens is more expensive than my camera which I scrimped and saved for ages to get, and considering this is a new hobby for me, maybe I should not get too carried away with throwing money at it. I will be keeping a close eye out on Fleabay for all things camera related and will end up cobbling something together. After all, photography is engineering combined with vision and imagination. Problem solving is half the fun!

 

 

 

[ChrisLumix]

This thread is turning into a positive mine of useful information, keep all the good ideas coming!

 

As for what I'm going to do; A dedicated macro lens is more expensive than my camera which I scrimped and saved for ages to get, and considering this is a new hobby for me, maybe I should not get too carried away with throwing money at it. I will be keeping a close eye out on Fleabay for all things camera related and will end up cobbling something together. After all, photography is engineering combined with vision and imagination. Problem solving is half the fun!

 

I think you're quite right Martyn - you're a new convert to macro, so it's early days. Better to keep your powder (and bank balance) dry until you see if it's worth the considerable further expenditure.

[Guest DaveW]

I agree with Chris. If eventually you want to get into high magnification macro you will probably need to change your camera to an interchangeable lens one that can take a macro lens and later extension tubes or bellows. But make sure you buy a make that has all the specialist equipment you may eventually want available for it. Such specialist equipment is often not available for many of the cameras made by the electronics firms now entering the DSLR market, unless like Sony they took over a well known camera firm like Minolta and all the old Minolta close up stuff still fits their bayonet mount.  However no point on spending that sort of money for a casual dabble in the subject.

 

If people eventually specialise rather than just being general photographers, they tend to concentrate their spending power on the equipment for that particular subject rather than general photographic equipment. I bought specialist macro lenses and equipment when I converted to digital, but simply picked up a cheap wide-angle zoom kit lens second-hand off EBAY for occasional general photography. If my interest had been say landscapes or portraiture I would have prioritised equipment for that and economised on general photography items.

 

Most lenses can be used for other purposes, but as BP says for optimum image quality specially computed lenses for macrophotography produce the best results. Try all fields of photography to find what interests you most, then optimise your equipment for that subject in future.  If you can't afford new keep your eye out on places like EBAY for quality second-hand stuff rather than buying something inferior new for the same price.  There are now more megapixels on most five year old second-hand cameras than we will ever need, so you don't need the latest over-pixelled DSLR's in order to produce outstanding images.

 

http://www.digital-photo-secrets.com/tip/333/do-more-megapixels-mean-better-photo-quality/