I thought I'd post about a technique that I learned from various sources--this probably won't be new to some of you, but I hope that at least one person gets inspired!
A good macro lens is an expensive piece of gear. Macros are heavy, high quality pieces that are designed to project an image that is life size or larger on the sensor or film. They usually also have apertures that go farther down than other lenses, for increased depth-of-field.
Those of us who have a macro on our wishlists, but not actually on our cameras can try a different option:
Using an old 50mm lens in concert with a regular lens, it is possible, with some patience and a steady hand, to get some very interesting macro shots. Here is one that I took today:
To do this, simply take the old 50mm, open its aperture fully, and hold it, with the camera side facing out, against the front of your lens. I checked mine, and with my combination of the Canon 18-55 and the Pentax 50mm, it is not likely that I'll scratch the Canon. You should check yours carefully.
Here's an "exploded" view of the arrangement:
And from the top:
I set my lens to manual focus and zoom to 55mm, to prevent vignetting. To focus, I simply rock back and forth until the camera beeps, signaling that the image is in focus.
One final one that took some luck, and I think it's pretty neat:
And a link to a few more if you're interested: Here
I'd love to see others' macros, especially if you decide to run out and try it this way!
A good macro lens is an expensive piece of gear. Macros are heavy, high quality pieces that are designed to project an image that is life size or larger on the sensor or film. They usually also have apertures that go farther down than other lenses, for increased depth-of-field.
Those of us who have a macro on our wishlists, but not actually on our cameras can try a different option:
Using an old 50mm lens in concert with a regular lens, it is possible, with some patience and a steady hand, to get some very interesting macro shots. Here is one that I took today:
To do this, simply take the old 50mm, open its aperture fully, and hold it, with the camera side facing out, against the front of your lens. I checked mine, and with my combination of the Canon 18-55 and the Pentax 50mm, it is not likely that I'll scratch the Canon. You should check yours carefully.
Here's an "exploded" view of the arrangement:
And from the top:
I set my lens to manual focus and zoom to 55mm, to prevent vignetting. To focus, I simply rock back and forth until the camera beeps, signaling that the image is in focus.
One final one that took some luck, and I think it's pretty neat:
And a link to a few more if you're interested: Here
I'd love to see others' macros, especially if you decide to run out and try it this way!
