Close up filter, which lens to buy them for?

Ryan Armbrust

I am wanting to get into macro and am thinking about getting a close up filter set. Don't have the money right now for the macro lens I want.

My question is this:
Which lens of mine should I buy the filters for?
I have a Sigma 30mm F1.4 with a 62mm filter dia.
And also a Nikon 18-200VR F3.5 72mm filter dia.

Which will give me the better results?

Thanks

windoze

Ryan Armbrust wrote:

I am wanting to get into macro and am thinking about getting a close up filter set. Don't have the money right now for the macro lens I want.

My question is this:
Which lens of mine should I buy the filters for?
I have a Sigma 30mm F1.4 with a 62mm filter dia.
And also a Nikon 18-200VR F3.5 72mm filter dia.

Which will give me the better results?

Thanks

what about kenko extension tubes?


windoze

Ryan Armbrust

windoze wrote:

what about kenko extension tubes?


windoze

I thought about that, but some people told me to stay away from them.

I don't know one way or another.

Awais Yaqub

I have seen some good photos with closeup filter but don't know what is technically wrong

pathfinder

Ryan Armbrust wrote:

I am wanting to get into macro and am thinking about getting a close up filter set. Don't have the money right now for the macro lens I want.

My question is this:
Which lens of mine should I buy the filters for?
I have a Sigma 30mm F1.4 with a 62mm filter dia.
And also a Nikon 18-200VR F3.5 72mm filter dia.

Which will give me the better results?

Thanks

Your 30mm lens is not going to allow very much room between the subject and the front of your lens + macro filter screwed on the front.

I think you will be much better off with Canon's 500D in a 72mm diameter for your Nikon 18-200VR f3.5. Canon's 500D is a two element color corrected lens macro filter and is available in 58, 72 and 77mm diameters.

You can use extension tubes with telephoto zooms as well as primes, and could even use them in connection with a macro filter lens as well.

I find extension tube work very nicely with moderate telephotos for photographing insects and butterfiles . I have used extension tubes with my Tamron 200-500 Di, my Tamron 180 macro, my Canon 100 macro, and a 300mm prime as well. I do not know of any serious reason to avoid the use of extension tubes. There is very little to no optical degradation as there is no optical surfaces in an extension tube.

The effective aperture of the lens attached to an extension tube decreases slightly as the lens is moved farther and farther from the sensor plane, but the autoexposure ability of modern DSLRs renders this moot.

Macro filter lenses will allow getting closer to your subjects, but will not allow the closeness attained with real macro lenses, where a 1:1 ratio of subject to image size is expected.

GraphyFotoz

Awais Yaqub wrote:

I have seen some good photos with closeup filter but don't know what is technically wrong

With Close-Up filters the focus is so so critical and yields iffy results at best.
I tried em when I had my Sony 828 and wasn't impressed.

Best bet is to save up for a Macro lens.
Can get something really nice for $300 2nd hand.

Liquidating stuff round the house on Ebay has funded a LOT of my equipment!

Skippy

Ryan Armbrust wrote:

I am wanting to get into macro and am thinking about getting a close up filter set. Don't have the money right now for the macro lens I want.

My question is this:
Which lens of mine should I buy the filters for?
I have a Sigma 30mm F1.4 with a 62mm filter dia.
And also a Nikon 18-200VR F3.5 72mm filter dia.

Which will give me the better results?

Thanks

Hi there Ryan, the Kenkos are excellent, I take mine with me all the time.
The good thing with those is you can use them on almost any lens.

They come in a series of three to give you 3 different levels to play with.
I believe even if in the future you buy a Macro Lens, you would still use a combination of the Lens Plus the Kenko's.

I have seen many folks have good success with the 500D add-on as well.

... Skippy
.

Phil_L

If you are willing to be stuck with manual focus only and you are willing to chimp with the exposure histogram to get the exposure right then a second hand Nikkor MF 55 55 f3.5 AI or AIS or one of Nikons other oldies will get you going.

They are reputedly optically excellent.

A set of tubes and a Nikkor AF 50 f1.8 would also do well at a humane price.
You could also just reverse the prime on the camera.

Seen excellent pics with all three alternatives.