Macro Lens

[Anonymous]

Hello all –

I’m just starting to get into taking more photos and trying to get a bit better. I’ve got a Canon S1-IS (not very fancy, I know, but nice enough for a light user/beginner), and I want to get a macro lens for it. I have no idea where/how to start looking for one. I don’t need something ultra great since I’m just beginning, but I want something that is good (not going to fall apart, something that takes good pictures, etc.). Anyone have suggestions on how to go about this?

Thanks for any replies. You all continue to amaze and hopefully one day I’ll be taking pictures as awesome as yours!

[Encyclopedia Galactica]

I have an S1 IS, but I use a different camera as my primary now. What I did to enable macro shots was buy the Canon LAH-DC10 52mm lens adapter and some Hoya macro lenses. Probably $50 in total.

The lens adapter is very very useful. I use it with a standard polarizer a lot.

You might want to consider a tabletop tripod if you plan to do a lot of still macro shots.

Example results with the S1 and a macro lens:
http://www.pbase.com/image/32433373/large.jpg
http://www.pbase.com/image/32119511/large.jpg

[Anonymous]

Thanks, man. That looks like exactly what I want at this point. I did just buy this cool little table top tri-pod deal with 3 little bendy legs, so that should work. Any preferences on the Hoya lenses? I’ve never been in the market for anything like this. Are they just called “Macro Lenses”?

/n00b

[Encyclopedia Galactica]

There are several makers of inexpensive add-on lenses. They’re sometimes called macro lenses or close-up lenses.

Here’s the same kit I have… http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=88779&is=REG&addedTroughType=categoryNavigation

[Anonymous]

Awesome. I’m excited to see that this isn’t going to be super expensive. Thanks for your help!

[veruca]

Those kits are awesome looking. I have a noob question though – what size would you buy for a 55mm lens? Smaller, bigger, or same size? And…do they fit all types of lenses?

[Born Slippy]

They’re pretty much standard filter sizes, and fit standard filter threads (my set of Hoya lenses are about 20 years old) so you can use them on any lens with the same filter diameter (unless you use step rings, but that’s a different topic)

For 55 mm you’d by this set:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=22747&is=REG&addedTroughType=categoryNavigation

[Encyclopedia Galactica]

Macro photography is cool, but there are a couple of things to watch out for… For one, your camera’s auto-focus may not work well with a macro lens, so manual focus is a good idea. Second, the depth of field is very small, so I’ve found it easier to lock the focus and move the camera back and forth to get what I want. Third, high powered macro attachments usually have a *lot* of fringing outside the focal point. Maybe more expensive lenses would cure this, maybe not. Finally, you should consider reviewing macro photos on a large screen during your photo shoot because what may look fine in the tiny viewfinder could really be slightly out of focus or otherwise ruined.

[veruca]

They’re pretty much standard filter sizes, and fit standard filter threads (my set of Hoya lenses are about 20 years old) so you can use them on any lens with the same filter diameter (unless you use step rings, but that’s a different topic)

For 55 mm you’d by this set:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=22747&is=REG&addedTroughType=categoryNavigation

Thanks 😀

[stupido]

I will reiterate the macro/close-up lens adapters. I usually keep a set with me. I have gotten very good results with them. I do have lenses with macro, extension rings and bellows, but the adapters are the way to start out.

Basically they are magnifying glasses. The +1, +2, and +4 is their power in diopters. You can stack them to get higher power. IE a +2 and +4 together is the equivalent of a +6. You have more surfaces so there is more chance for reflections. They differ from your drug store magnifying glass in that the back glass surface is concave instead of concave. That is they are shaped more like reading glasses than a hand held magnifier.

Extension tubes and bellows fit between the lens and the camera and move the back focus of the attached lens. Basically you can focus closer to the subject and hence get greater magnification.

My HP912 digital camera works with them best with it set to macro mode. My K1000 of course has no setting. I have not tried my new *istDS with the close-up adaptors. I used a focal length doubler which had a macro feature (adjustable extension tube) on my light bulb pics.

Ditto on moving the camera instead of focusing the lens. There are really nice focusing jigs sold by Edmund Scientific which seem like they would fit the bill. Basically shifts the camera via a thumb wheel. I have been meaning to buy one.

Remember lots of experimentation and lots of bad shots but its fun.

[stupido]

They’re pretty much standard filter sizes, and fit standard filter threads (my set of Hoya lenses are about 20 years old) so you can use them on any lens with the same filter diameter (unless you use step rings, but that’s a different topic)

For 55 mm you’d by this set:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=22747&is=REG&addedTroughType=categoryNavigation

Thanks 😀

You can also buy filter adaptors to adapt them to other thread sizes. They are called step up or step down adaptors. When you buy one, you buy it from the lens perspective and not the filters.

IE, if you had a lens with a 52mm thread size and a 55mm filter (or close up adapter) you would need a 52 to 55 mm step up adapter.

Stepping up is usually not a problem. Stepping down can be especially with wide angle lenses.

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