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 07/17/2011 10:13:09 PM · #1
so what can you tell me about Close-up Lens? Are they worth it...have you used them...what's your opinion about them...

Finally, what do you know about ring flashes/macro flash lights again...are they worth it...have you used them...what's your opinion??? Why such a wide range in pricing? What should I look for?

Thank you...

Janine
 07/17/2011 10:22:55 PM · #2
I bought a close-up lens and immediately took it back because it didn't give me enough magnification. Instead, I bought a set of kenko extension tubes.
 07/17/2011 10:37:32 PM · #3
I also had some close up lenses.. IQ was very soft, not very powerful. As levyj413 mentioned, extension tubes or using a reversing ring on a 50mm or kit lens are better options.
 07/17/2011 10:38:28 PM · #4
I have a close-up lens, which I got because my camera doesn't have interchangable lenses (to use a macro lens); I actually got the "wrong" one for my model (they make two versions) but it seems to work OK. Basically it lets me use my maximum zoom (436mm) up close, maybe less than a foot away from the subject. One downside is that it seems to yield an extremely shallow DOF, so it can be hard to get the subject in sharp focus. There's some more discussion of this in the recent macro lenses thread ...

I don't know the exact magnification value, but the best example I have is this bumblebee; this is an uncropped image.

07/17/2011 10:42:21 PM · #5
well, the Close-up lens are pretty cheep...IMO they are ranging from 9.99 to 20.00 for 4 lens, and I don't really understand the xfactor per say

ETA: I use extension tubes all the time...I guess I'm thinking that this will let me get closer with my 70-300mm??? Maybe not as close as Paul's picture...but "closer"....it will do that right...

Message edited by author 2011-07-17 22:43:48.
 07/17/2011 10:52:22 PM · #6
Originally posted by Ja-9:
they are ranging from 9.99 to 20.00 for 4 lens, and I don't really understand the xfactor per say


Mine were different strengths: +1, +2, +4, +10 and they stack so that their magnification is added together. Mine were fun to play with, I'd never done macro before, but the quality wasn't there. ... also -

Message edited by author 2011-07-17 23:00:27.
 07/17/2011 10:53:51 PM · #7
Originally posted by fldave:
Originally posted by Ja-9:
they are ranging from 9.99 to 20.00 for 4 lens, and I don't really understand the xfactor per say


Mine were different strengths: +1, +2, +4, +10 and they stack so that their magnification is added together. Mine were fun to play with, I'd never done macro before, but the quality wasn't there.


so your saying the razor sharpness isn't there...right
 07/17/2011 10:55:27 PM · #8
Originally posted by Ja-9:
so your saying the razor sharpness isn't there...right


Right. It probably depends on the lens you put them on also. I tried mine on the 18-55 kit lens as well as a 135mm 2.8 prime, and this watch photo was about the best I ever got. (edit for typos.)

Message edited by author 2011-07-17 22:56:31.
 07/17/2011 11:05:49 PM · #9
Originally posted by fldave:
Originally posted by Ja-9:
so your saying the razor sharpness isn't there...right


Right. It probably depends on the lens you put them on also. I tried mine on the 18-55 kit lens as well as a 135mm 2.8 prime, and this watch photo was about the best I ever got. (edit for typos.)


so possibly if you weren't necessarily using it for "macro" but rather close-up....say closer than 5' but not "inches" away it might work better...(2-3' range)
 07/18/2011 01:30:56 AM · #10
Since no one responded to the ring light question, I'll give it a try. The ring light puts the light on the subject, when the on camera flash would be shadowed by the front of the lens, usually when the front of the lens is very close to the subject. There are alternatives to the ring flash. My wife uses a couple of LED units that were designed to fit into the hot shoe, but she places them off camera to get the lighting that she wants. The ones she uses have 10 LEDs and provides decent light for close-ups for about $30 each (Dynex, from Best Buy). You can also get away with using a couple of desk lamps if you are in a fixed location and have access to wall power.
I have never used the diopters, so I can't speak to the quality of the resulting photos.
 07/18/2011 03:39:16 AM · #11
A ring flash is an excellent accessory, and in my opinion a must. I use a Marumi DRF14 Ring Flash which is a lot cheaper than the Canon or Sigma offering.
I have used close up filters (+1, +2 etc) but they are hard work.

Macro photography, even with a dedicated macro lens, is probably one of the hardest disciplines in photography, I find it hard.



Message edited by author 2011-07-18 03:43:12.
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