Macro Lenses

Sugarloafur

I was just searching smugmug.com and stumbled on this fantastic forum! I was also looking at some Macro 'lenses' that screw into the filter threads. http://www.camera-depot.com/closeup.htm Does anybody have any experience with these? Would they work well on the Rebel XT kit lens? I was thinking of getting one to test, but wanted to know if it would work on a telephoto, like the 70-200 F/4.0 L series. Would it be better to buy the 67mm for the telephoto, or the 57mm for the kit?

Bob Bell

Sugarloafur wrote:

I was just searching smugmug.com and stumbled on this fantastic forum! I was also looking at some Macro 'lenses' that screw into the filter threads. http://www.camera-depot.com/closeup.htm Does anybody have any experience with these? Would they work well on the Rebel XT kit lens? I was thinking of getting one to test, but wanted to know if it would work on a telephoto, like the 70-200 F/4.0 L series. Would it be better to buy the 67mm for the telephoto, or the 57mm for the kit?

Most filter companies make them. I have a B+W 10x for when I cant get to what I need to with extension tubes. Most companies like hoya and tiffen have 1x, 2x, and 4x sets. They work well if you are going after very fine details in inannimate objects like PCB's.

pathfinder

The lenses Bob is describing are simple one element devices (one lens) that acts like a bifocal for your camera lens and lets it focus closer. These are not true macro lenses, but can be useful and inexpensive.

Both Canon and Nikon make better close up filters like these - Canon makes a 250D and a 500D close up adapters. They come sized to fit a 52mm, 58mm, a 72mm and a 77mm diameter. The 250D and the 500D have two lens elements each, and are chromatically corrected. Many of the simple plus lens adapters are a single glass element and may not be color corrected or antireflection coated.

Here is a link to the 500D in 58mm size - http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=87494&is=REG&addedTroughType=search

There is nothing specific about manufacturer with these devices. You can use a Canon close up lens on a Nikon camera or vice versa.

I have used a 500D on a Canon G5 P&S as well as on a 70-200 f2.8 L

Here is a shot with a 500D and the 70-200 f2.8 IS L

ziggy53

Sugarloafur,

There are basically two types of close-up lenses, those with a single element and those with two elements. The ones with two elements are of much higher quality and tend to control color to the edges of the image. The single element lenses tend to produce rather strong color fringing at the edges.

If you crop in, to gain even more effective magnification (very much like "digital zoom"), the difference between the two is not too great. This can be fine for net images and monitor viewing.

If your intent is quality enlargements and prints, you may want to look at the two-element lenses.

These accessory lenses tend to work much better with specific camera lenses, and not so well with others. You may want to research to see if the intended camera and lens work well together.

Additionally, you can stack the close-up lenses to gain extra magnification, within reason. Again, results may vary with the quality of the accessory lens set and the host lens they are used with.

Some links:

http://www.cs.mtu.edu/~shene/DigiCam/User-Guide/A95/Close-Up/Close-Up-Lenses.html
http://www.waynesthisandthat.com/closeuplenses.html
http://shutterbug.com/refreshercourse/lens_tips/172/
http://www.schneideroptics.com/info/filter_tips_&_tricks/close_up_lenses/
http://www.rogercavanagh.com/helpinfo/18_500d-1.stm
http://www.mat.uc.pt/~rps/photos/macro/index.html

Sugarloafur

Thanks a bunch. Very informative and helpful. I'm not interested in buying a true macro lens yet, as I don't have the funds. I would really like the BG-E3 battery grip for my XT. I shoot a ton more vertically oriented photos and would rather have the luxury of the battery grip. I can still use the telephoto for 'macro' shots, which turn out to be nothing more than close-ups. My wish list just keeps growing... Thanks!