| Author | Thread |
|
|
08/22/2003 09:32:09 AM · #1 |
OK. Back during the "In the Garden" contest there were so many macros flying around (and good ones to boot) that I got a hankerin' for shooting some closeups of little critters and the like. I have a Quantaray 70-300 zoom tele with macro. It gets close but not like I want. I asked a guy at B&H about diopters since some people posted that they used them in the pursuit of their macros. Its my understanding that diopters only aid the photographer to see what the lens is capturing clearly (kind of like glasses). How many out there have utilized zoom filters and are they worth investing in for macro shots?
I'm looking at a set of Hoyas (+1, +2 and +4). Anyone had any experience with sets like this?
|
|
|
|
08/22/2003 09:36:18 AM · #2 |
I've used them in the past, through necessity. They will shorten the minimum focus distance, thus increase your maximum magnification. With a longer lens, the shortened working distance should not be a problem. Overall, the image quality will be OK with a good, coated diopter set. It will not compare to a dedicated macro lens, however.
|
|
|
|
08/22/2003 09:40:43 AM · #3 |
My garden and secondary colours shots were taken with these stacked. They soften the focus but allow you to move in closer.
Hoya also has a +10 closeup filter. (BTW. I use the terms diopter and closeup filter interchangeably. If there's a difference maybe someone could explain)
|
|
|
|
08/22/2003 09:44:25 AM · #4 |
For the 10D a better option would be extension tubes - no extra glass = better quality. I use closeup filters because I can't use anything else on the 602. Both of these simply bring the minimum focusing distance closer to the lens.
|
|
|
|
08/22/2003 09:57:45 AM · #5 |
bod, Good idea. I'll look into that. Thanks.
Collette,
First off, my wife loves your name. She's actively campaigning for our next daughter (lord willing).
Originally posted by cpanaioti:
(BTW. I use the terms diopter and closeup filter interchangeably. If there's a difference maybe someone could explain) |
The helpdesk person on B&H Photo told me that a diopter goes on the back of the camera over the eyepiece so that it corrects the photographer's view of what the camera sees. Hmmm. His example went something like this: If you wear glasses and you take them off to take a photograph, when you look through the lens and focus, you're really unfocusing because your eyesight isn't perfect. A diopter corrects for the photographer's vision in place of glasses and from what I understood the helpdesk person to say, once you buy a diopter, you'll probably use it until your vision worsens (if it does) and you get a stronger diopter. He said that a magnification filter fits the lens in the front of the camera and it affects the image that the camera captures rather than just what the photographer sees.
I guess succinctly (like I can do that now):
magnification filter - affects both camera and photographer
diopter - affects only the photographer; not the camera
Just what I think I understood him to say.
|
|
|
|
08/22/2003 10:44:14 AM · #6 |
The B&H dude is both corrrect and incorrect. Diopter is a general term for the "strength" of a lens. It's mathematically the reciprocal of the focal length in meters, so a 2-diopter lens has a focal length of 1/2 meter.
"Filters" to change the minimum focal distance of a lens are in fact commonly referred to as "diopters", but the correction applied to the view finder is referred to as "diopter correction" as well.
|
|
|
|
08/22/2003 10:54:27 AM · #7 |
|
Home -
Challenges -
Community -
League -
Photos -
Cameras -
Lenses -
Learn -
Help -
Terms of Use -
Privacy -
Top ^
DPChallenge, and website content and design, Copyright © 2001-2025 Challenging Technologies, LLC.
All digital photo copyrights belong to the photographers and may not be used without permission.
Current Server Time: 08/28/2025 04:40:27 AM EDT.
