Close up filters

SuthrnFlwr · Feb 21, 2013

What's the best close up filters to use on my camera? I'm talking about the +1 ect filters. My husband wants to use my camera to take photos of bugs. I have a nikon d5100 with the kit lens and an af-s dx nikkor 35mm f/1.8g lens. I appreciate the help!

Light Guru · Feb 21, 2013

You need a macro lens not a filter.

dxqcanada · Feb 21, 2013

Hmm, better off saving for a Macro lens.

I used close up filters long time ago, but found that the IQ dropped too much.

I think you can get a used Sigma macro starting at $150.00.

Ashlee_Duh · Feb 21, 2013

Amazon.com: Digital Concepts 1 2 4 10 Close-Up Macro Filter Set with Pouch (55mm): Camera & Photo

I use these since I don't have extra money to throw at a macro lens. I like them a lot. Here's an example of what I got (again it's not going to be best quality, but if it's just for fun I recommend them.)

They are fun, but you aren't going to get the quality of an actual macro lens. It's really up to you and your husbands budget.

tirediron · Feb 21, 2013

A dedicated macro lens is the best solution, but also the most expensive. Extenion tubes are the next best, and the next least expensive (~$150 for a set of Kenkos), and lastly a reversing ring (~$40) is next. This allows you to mount your lens backwards, giving you good optical quality, but no auto functions. I'm not aware of any of the better names of filter makers producing close-up lenses, but Tiffen and Hoya may make them.

Overread · Feb 21, 2013

A few thoughts to add to what has been said.

Extension tubes work by reducing the minimum focusing distance of the lens and thus increasing the magnification. They also strip a lenses longer distance focusing limiting you to a few feet down to maybe only a few inches in front of the lens (it varies from lens to lens and with the amount of extension you add).

The rough maths for extension tubes is:

(length of extension tubes in mm - divided by - focal length of the lens) + magnification of the lens = magnification :1

For example a 100mm lens and 50mm of extension tubes would give you:

(50/100)+0 = 0.5:1

Note I have left the native magnification at 0 since this will vary depending on the specific lens you use but will typically be a small value unless you are using a dedicated macro lens.

As you can see, for a given length of extension tube, you get more magnification gain with them on shorter focal length lenses. There is, of course, a limit as to how much extension tube length you can add; on the one side the more you add the more difficult the setup becomes to hold and use; on the other the minimum and maximum focusing points can, with enough length added for the focal length of the lens, move inside the lens itself (ergo it becomes impossible to focus the lens).

A 50mm lens with 50mm of extension tubes gets you to 1:1 which is called life size and is the same magnification that a true macro lens gives you. With a full set of most typical extension tubes being 65mm long you will get a bit more with your current kit lens and a set of extension tubes.

Kenko make the most affordable and well made tubes with the metal contacts that allows you to retain control over your lens. Cheaper ones are on the market but they lack the contacts which allow you to control your lens aperture and AF. Now most macro is done with manual focusing, but the loss of aperture control is a major pain.

2) Close up lens attachments/macro filters/diopters/ these are all the same thing (The first name is their correct name, others are those used in advertising or common chat) and work similar to extension tubes save that the magnification gain for a specific attachment increases with longer focal length lenses.
There are also two general grades of these, cheap kinds which are typically a poor quality single element lens; and a higher quality coated multi element setup. The former work but will do so poorly and earn this line of accessories a bad name in general (many people buy the cheap ones because they are cheap). The latter are often very high grade and can deliver fantastic results, they might be adding glass to the setup but often as not (esp if you're shooting with smaller apertures such as f8 or smaller) you can't see the optical difference very easily if at all on most shots.
The power of these elements is shown by their diopter number, the higher the number the greater the degree of magnification gain you can get.

My personal preference is close up lens attachments as they are quick and easy to add to and remove from a setup and they don't add much bulk to the assembly. Raynox make a very good range of these, their DCR 150 and DCR 250 are very popular starting options (I would suggest the 250 as it is the stronger); whilst they also have their MSN 202 and MSN 505 which are much higher powered yet again. They also have some other options and a few discontinued lines on the market - all of which are high grade optics. Canon also produces their own in the 500D and the stronger 250D - again good quality optics well worth considering.

THAT said with a 50mm lens you would be far better served getting a set of extension tubes, you'll get more magnification than you will with the close up lens attachments (unless you were to get ones with a very high diopter value).

Edsport · Feb 22, 2013

Extension tubes allow you to use your existing lens. I see some here with electrical contacts for a little over $50.00 with free shipping. Click on link below...

extension tubes d5100 | eBay

Dao · Feb 22, 2013

If I am in the same boat, I will get a quality close up diopter.
If primary focus is just insect, extension tube should works well too since the subject is usually in the center.

greybeard · Feb 22, 2013

Before I got my 105mm Macro, I used one if these Raynox DCR-150 Snap-On Macro Lens
It did a descent job with my kit lens.

It is not in the same league with a full blown macro lens but then it doesn't cost like one either.

SuthrnFlwr · Feb 22, 2013

Wow what a lot of great info and options! Thanks so much!

I'm trying to not have to shell out money on a whole new lens just so my hubby can shoot a couple of bugs in the back yard, lol. The tubes sound promising and really not that expensive either. Any one have examples of using the tubes versus not?