Canon 100mm + Reversed Minolta 49mm 1.7

Skippy · April 26, 2005

Hey there

Yesterday I posted an image of a little caterpillar that I found on one of my plants...........BUTTTTTTT :rolleyes I wan't to get closer.

So tonight I thought I'd try my Minolta 49mm 1.7 Lens reversed onto my Canon 100mm Macro, with a flash......and low and behold SUCCESS :clap :clap :clap

This shot is hand held even

taken inside the house even, and I am soooooooooooooooooooo happy I am, I am, I am :rofl

Here's the shot, for those who saw the shot of the caterpillar from yesterday, see how much closer I could get, and even the depth of field is great, I think it turned out pretty good for a first try......ohhhhhh geez I need to get to bed it's tomorrow already and I'm still here playing :lol4

Enjoy......... Skippy (Australia)

DoctorIt · April 26, 2005

a great shot using some ingenuity - good work! I've always wondered about macro with reversed lenses. never tried it, to be honest, not sure what you would need to do it.

pathfinder · April 26, 2005

DoctorIt wrote:

a great shot using some ingenuity - good work! I've always wondered about macro with reversed lenses. never tried it, to be honest, not sure what you would need to do it.

Doc, you need the macro lens and a reversing ring adapter available from B&H. I think mine was less than $10. You also need a standard 50mm normal lens that fits the reversing ring.

I found my old Olympus 50mm f1.2 - it takes the standard Oly OM-1 sized filter ring - 49 mm.

SO for a Canon 100 f2.8 macro - you need a 58mm to 49 mm macro coupler as B&H calls them - you can find this one here $7.95 - heckof a buy

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=126708&is=REG

wxwax · April 26, 2005

Excellent thread. Skippy, very cool shot.

So for those of us who don't understand all of this, how do the lenses attach to each other and to the body, and in what order?

MuskyDude · April 26, 2005

wxwax wrote:

Excellent thread. Skippy, very cool shot.

So for those of us who don't understand all of this, how do the lenses attach to each other and to the body, and in what order?

AJ

pathfinder · April 26, 2005

wxwax wrote:

Excellent thread. Skippy, very cool shot.

So for those of us who don't understand all of this, how do the lenses attach to each other and to the body, and in what order?

Waxy - the lenses couple front element to front element - that is what the macro coupler does - it screws into the filter threads on the front of the lenses and connects them face to face so to speak. The macro lens is plugged into the camera body as usual.

The 50mm lens is used wide open aperature - it is reversed and ONLY functions as a +20 diopter highly corrected close up lens - just like a single element close up filter lens - but of vastly better quality.

Anything I left out Skippy? Very nice demonstration of the quality available with a reversed 50mm lens coupled with a macro lens.

wxwax · April 26, 2005

Thanks PF. So as I understand it, the 100mm is in the body, and stuck to its front like a snout is the 50mm, reversed and attached with a connecting ring. And what's pointing at the poor little caterpillar is the end of the 50mm that is usually fastened inside the camera body.

BridgeCity · April 26, 2005

Great now I have a project! Any chance of the canon 50 f/1.4 fitting on the end of my 100mm macro??

Maybe ill go try it out!

thanks fot the ideas!

DoctorIt · April 26, 2005

pathfinder wrote:

DOc, you need the macro lens and a reversing ring adapter available from B&H. I think mine was less than $10. You also need a standard 50mm normal lens that fits the reversing ring.

I found my old Olympus 50mm f1.2 - it takes the standard Oly OM-1 sized filter ring - 49 mm.

SO for a Canon 100 f2.8 macro - you need a 58mm to 49 mm macro coupler as B&H calls them - you can find this one here $7.95 - heckof a buy

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=126708&is=REG

thanks PF

pathfinder · April 26, 2005

BridgeCity wrote:

Great now I have a project! Any chance of the canon 50 f/1.4 fitting on the end of my 100mm macro??

Maybe ill go try it out!

thanks fot the ideas!

Check out the filter size thread on the front of the Canon f1.4 - The Canon 50mm f1.4 sports a 58mm filter thread size and so does the Canon 100mm f2.8 macro ( Many of Canon's lenses are either a 58mm or 77mm - but it is always on the lens cover that comes with the lens )

So, to mount a Canon EOS 50mmf2.8 reversed to a Canon 100mm Macro requires a 58 to 58 macro coupler as shown here for $7.95

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=81929&is=REG

But it does not have to be a Canon lens - ANY 50mm lens that can be reversed via an adapter/coupler can be used - even old Canon FD lens, or horrors, or horrors, an old Nikon lens. You can even reverse an Canon 50mm on a Nikon macros lens via the appropriate coupler lens.

Skippy · April 26, 2005

Hey Doc

DoctorIt wrote:

a great shot using some ingenuity - good work! I've always wondered about macro with reversed lenses. never tried it, to be honest, not sure what you would need to do it.

All you need is simple cheap reversing ring ...... I got mine from B&H in New York, you can get them in lots of different combinations.

The one I am using is 58mm on one side and 49mm on the other the ring just has two sets of Male threads......the results my friend are very pleasing indeed, I have tried this once before with my Sony camera, but didnt get it to work very successfully at all........ can't wait till the weekend to see if I can find some more bugs to try this out on

........ Skippy (Australia)

Skippy · April 26, 2005

Hey Wxwax

wxwax wrote:

Excellent thread. Skippy, very cool shot.

So for those of us who don't understand all of this, how do the lenses attach to each other and to the body, and in what order?

The set up is very simple, all you need is another lens to use in reverse, I noticed in threads I have seen in the past that most people choose a lens that is around 50mm, I don't have a 50mm, so the closest I had was a 49mm

You need a Reversing Ring or Macro Cuppler I think its called, I got mine from B&H in New York.......now these rings come in allllllll sizes, so mine has two different size 58mm on one side (Male Thread) and 49mm (Male Thread) on the other side.....so the Reversing Ring is Male Threads Both Sides.

Now what you have to remember is you need to get the correct size, so if your wanting to use your main lens that has 57mm and the one your reversing is 50mm you must buy one that s 57mm - 50mm

So in effect what you have on your camera is two lenses facing each other, it looks odd because the 50mm has it's entire back open (the end that would normally attach to your camera)

You have to manually focus and experiment with distances, lighting is very important, as your distance from your subject has now become so close there is not a lot of room for light......... I used a desk lamp as well as an external Canon 580EX Flash to achieve this shot.

Hmmmmmmm did I leave anything out? Cost? I think I paid about $10 for the Reversing Ring, it was not expensive at all.

Take Care......... Skippy (Australia)

Skippy · April 26, 2005

Hi there Pathfinder

pathfinder wrote:

Waxy - the lenses couple front element to front element - that is what the macro coupler does - it screws into the filter threads on the front of the lenses and connects them face to face so to speak. The macro lens is plugged into the camera body as usual.

The 50mm lens is used wide open aperature - it is reversed and ONLY functions as a +20 diopter highly corrected close up lens - just like a single element close up filter lens - but of vastly better quality.

Anything I left out Skippy? Very nice demonstration of the quality available with a reversed 50mm lens coupled with a macro lens.

You gain more depth of field using a Lens in reverse, thus gaining the ability to hand hold in almost an extreme macro situation that would normally require you to use a tripod......though I am sure using a tripod will result in an even clearer image.

The sharpness is just amazing using this type of set up, it is a matter of experimenting with distances, and lots of light is a MUST.

Yep you covered it all my friend......... Skippy (Australia)

Skippy · April 26, 2005

Hi Again Wxwax

wxwax wrote:

Thanks PF. So as I understand it, the 100mm is in the body, and stuck to its front like a snout is the 50mm, reversed and attached with a connecting ring. And what's pointing at the poor little caterpillar is the end of the 50mm that is usually fastened inside the camera body.

Surprisingly my friend your subject has about 2-3 inches of air around him

Yes you can get extremely close, but you still have room to move.
This is where you need lots of light because you are blocking your light source by being so close to the subject.

I use a white cardboard box that has two sides cut out, I actually lined the box inside with stiff white cardboard, so that is totally white inside, I didn't have any black material, so I just used an old Black T shirt and lay it inside the box, then I use what they call a set of Helping Hands ( a tiny metal clamp system for doing soldering ) the pinchers come in so handy to hold things in place while your photographing.... I paid $4 for mine

I don't have a studio, but I do have a kitchen bench :lol
So my light source came from a Desk Lamp and a Canon 580 EX flash, I chose to hand hold the shot, but using a tripod will always result in a sharper cleaner image. .......... Skippy (Australia)

Skippy · April 26, 2005

Funny You Should Ask That

BridgeCity wrote:

Great now I have a project! Any chance of the canon 50 f/1.4 fitting on the end of my 100mm macro??

Maybe ill go try it out!

thanks fot the ideas!

I have a Canon 50mm 1.4, but chose not to try it out, you need to be really careful when doing a reversal because the back of the lens is exposed, and if you get way to close to your subject, you can end up touching an object with the back of the lens, and risk scratching or marking the actual glass.

Figured it didn't really matter if I had an accident with the Minolta, not that I want that to happen but depending what it is your photographing it is possible to get so close as to touch the subject.......I'm sure it will work, I just didn't want to do it that way.

Skippy (Australia)

wxwax · April 26, 2005

Skippy, great posts and excellent explanations.

This is an excellent thread, and once it quiets down, will be Hall bound.

Angelo · April 26, 2005

I'm sooooo confused

David_S85 · April 26, 2005

Skippy, you always amaze me with your enthusiasm and of course your great results when you get curious like this. You ought to do a seminar on bugs and macros for us when you're here in the states this summer (er, your winter).

The DOF control with the cattypillar shot at the top of this thread is wonderful. I can tell you're going to have lots of fun with this new combo. I'm still waiting to see molecules and smaller stuff when you get really really really close.

Now I knew I kept this old lens of mine (FD mount) around for some future purpose. Now you've given me a reason to think about cleaning it off. I hope the coating is still OK.

Its been sitting around for about a quarter century now in my old moldy photo bag.

devbobo · April 26, 2005

Hey Skippy,

what can I say but WOW

That is totally awesome, only reminds me how deperately I want a 20D

Keep up the great work and thanks for the inspiration.

David

gus · April 27, 2005

wow...your all over this macro thing skip

Skippy · April 27, 2005

Hi there David

David_S85 wrote:

Skippy, you always amaze me with your enthusiasm and of course your great results when you get curious like this. You ought to do a seminar on bugs and macros for us when you're here in the states this summer (er, your winter).

The DOF control with the cattypillar shot at the top of this thread is wonderful. I can tell you're going to have lots of fun with this new combo. I'm still waiting to see molecules and smaller stuff when you get really really really close.

Now I knew I kept this old lens of mine (FD mount) around for some future purpose. Now you've given me a reason to think about cleaning it off. I hope the coating is still OK. Its been sitting around for about a quarter century now in my old moldy photo bag.

How you doing David........ I really enjoy experimenting, I guess because I am not technically minded, I keep trying to achieve, even if I fail to understand how it all works

I love finding new bugs to photograph, and when other people give them to me too, I try and decide how I am going to take the photo.........I get heaps of failures, but heck the joy of getting a good one is worth it all

........... get those old lenses out and have go, you might be very pleasantly surprised at what you can do.

Skippy (Australia)

Skippy · April 27, 2005

Hi David

devbobo wrote:

Hey Skippy,

what can I say but WOW

That is totally awesome, only reminds me how deperately I want a 20D

Keep up the great work and thanks for the inspiration.

David

Thanks David.....Lemme see what I can do for you.........

Dear Santa, please bring David a Canon 20D for Christmas, I'm sure he's been a good boy *cough*cough*

Andy Williams kept telling me I would not be disappointed in the Canon 20D, and he was right I am not disappoint one little bit

Hope you get your new toys........... Skippy (Australia)

Skippy · April 27, 2005

Hey Gus

Humungus wrote:

wow...your all over this macro thing skip

The need for more bugs is strong hehehe

I wish we got beetles down here rarely do you ever see them at all, one of the girls I work with told me they have a heap of frogs over on their property so I will have to take a drive out there and check them out.

I want to get into Bird watching, this is why I intend on getting a 400mm Lens.
Another lady that I work with and her hubby are right into Bird Watching and said they would help me out with locations of places they go to watch birds.

Thanks for the Thumbs Up Gus............ Skippy (Australia)

Canon 100mm + Reversed Minolta 49mm 1.7

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