New to Photography & photomicrography
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ZaZenWarren
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Wed Nov 14, 2012 7:47 pm
New to Photography & photomicrography
Hello everyone I ma ZaZen. About a year a go I got a Canon Rebel T3i, with the standerd 18-55mm & 55-250mm as a gift and well I am just now starting to get in to photography. I have been playing around and doing some reading and I find Microphotography interesting and would like to know more about it.. I am looking to buy a close-up filter or Mico lens. I just dont know a lot about them and would like some hands on accounts.
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Sharnbrook
- Posts: 49
- Joined: Fri Sep 10, 2010 11:51 pm
- Location: Toowoomba Australia
Suggestions for a starter
Hi ZaZen,
I assume that you are not at the moment contemplating the purchase of a microscope, as you mention trying close-up filters or a micro/macro lens
There are a few options, and I shall list 5 in order of expense outlay.
1 Try a reversing ring (search eBay for 58mm Canon Macro reverse adapter ring) It'll cost you about $5 only, and you fit it to the front of the lens, and then fit the lens onto the camera in reverse. The problem is that none of the automatic features of the lens or the camera will work, but you can have some fun for next to nothing.
2 The next cheapest way to try out close up photography is to buy a set of close-up filters for your 18-55 lens, and for this lens you will need a set of 58mm lenses. You can spend $20 or $110 for a set, or you might find a set secondhand for just a few bucks. These go on the front of the lens, and you have the advantage of everything working through your camera in the normal way. Search eBay for 58mm close-up lens. Cheap glass won't give very good results, and even the more expensive set won't be very good in my experience.
3 If you have an old 35mm camera lens (or you can buy one VERY cheap, just a few dollars) you can purchase a step-up ring with a 58mm male thread which fits on your 18-55, and a suitable 49/52/55mm male thread which will fit the front your old 35mm lens. You then mate the two together, and you can take very close up shots with fully automatic camera features, although you have to set the focus and diaphragm on the old 35mm lens manually. Good results can be got, but you will almost certainly need flash due to the drop off in light transmission.
4 The next option is a set of 3 extension tubes. These fit either singly or in combination (dependent on the magnification you require) between the lens and the EOS body. If you buy an automatic set, you will have the full functions of the camera and lens. Kenko produce an excellent product, and a set of 3 will cost about $140-150. Good value I believe.
5 The most expensive and best option by far, is to buy a dedicated macro lens, but a new EOS 100mm macro lens is around $850. You could possibly find a secondhand one for less, or buy a Tokina Macro lens for about $450, or even an old Canon/Nikon 35mm lens for much less, and fit it with an EOS adapter. In this case, you will again lose the automatic facilities for the lens/camera.
One of the very best articles available on the web is by LordV (Brian Valentine who is a member here) This article can be found at the following link. http://photography-on-the.net/forum/sho ... p?t=807056
I hope this is of some use, but it is very general, and reading the detail in the link will be of great value to you.
I assume that you are not at the moment contemplating the purchase of a microscope, as you mention trying close-up filters or a micro/macro lens
There are a few options, and I shall list 5 in order of expense outlay.
1 Try a reversing ring (search eBay for 58mm Canon Macro reverse adapter ring) It'll cost you about $5 only, and you fit it to the front of the lens, and then fit the lens onto the camera in reverse. The problem is that none of the automatic features of the lens or the camera will work, but you can have some fun for next to nothing.
2 The next cheapest way to try out close up photography is to buy a set of close-up filters for your 18-55 lens, and for this lens you will need a set of 58mm lenses. You can spend $20 or $110 for a set, or you might find a set secondhand for just a few bucks. These go on the front of the lens, and you have the advantage of everything working through your camera in the normal way. Search eBay for 58mm close-up lens. Cheap glass won't give very good results, and even the more expensive set won't be very good in my experience.
3 If you have an old 35mm camera lens (or you can buy one VERY cheap, just a few dollars) you can purchase a step-up ring with a 58mm male thread which fits on your 18-55, and a suitable 49/52/55mm male thread which will fit the front your old 35mm lens. You then mate the two together, and you can take very close up shots with fully automatic camera features, although you have to set the focus and diaphragm on the old 35mm lens manually. Good results can be got, but you will almost certainly need flash due to the drop off in light transmission.
4 The next option is a set of 3 extension tubes. These fit either singly or in combination (dependent on the magnification you require) between the lens and the EOS body. If you buy an automatic set, you will have the full functions of the camera and lens. Kenko produce an excellent product, and a set of 3 will cost about $140-150. Good value I believe.
5 The most expensive and best option by far, is to buy a dedicated macro lens, but a new EOS 100mm macro lens is around $850. You could possibly find a secondhand one for less, or buy a Tokina Macro lens for about $450, or even an old Canon/Nikon 35mm lens for much less, and fit it with an EOS adapter. In this case, you will again lose the automatic facilities for the lens/camera.
One of the very best articles available on the web is by LordV (Brian Valentine who is a member here) This article can be found at the following link. http://photography-on-the.net/forum/sho ... p?t=807056
I hope this is of some use, but it is very general, and reading the detail in the link will be of great value to you.
Regards,
Mike
Mike
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rjlittlefield
- Site Admin
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- Location: Richland, Washington State, USA
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ZaZen, I apologize for my late reply. I had not noticed your post earlier.
Sharnbrook has given a good summary of the options, but let me add a couple of details.
1. See Shooting with a reversed 18-55 mm Canon kit lens for some more information about this method.
2. For "close-up filters", most of the inexpensive ones are disappointing because the image goes blurred away from center. However the Raynox DCR-250 and its lower power cousin the DCR-150 are quite good. In the U.S., they are sold at all the major dealers for about $75-80. Google search on "DCR-250" will get you a lot of information.
I hope this helps!
--Rik
Sharnbrook has given a good summary of the options, but let me add a couple of details.
1. See Shooting with a reversed 18-55 mm Canon kit lens for some more information about this method.
2. For "close-up filters", most of the inexpensive ones are disappointing because the image goes blurred away from center. However the Raynox DCR-250 and its lower power cousin the DCR-150 are quite good. In the U.S., they are sold at all the major dealers for about $75-80. Google search on "DCR-250" will get you a lot of information.
I hope this helps!
--Rik