Finally found a use for my kit lens!

[Michael L.]

I finally found a use for my 18-55 Canon kit lens. I glued a cut-up body cap to a heavy duty cardboard tube and stuck a reversed lens on the other end to make a decent (and cheap) macro lens. I threw the whole thing together in about 20 mins. with a dremel and some duct tape.

The "N" in "Canada" on a Toonie:

The tip of a wood screw:

Enjoy!

 

[Keith Gebhardt]

wow. < simply describes my feelings for creativity and imagination.

 

[AUZambo]

wonderfully done...i've never been able to master the reverse-lens macro stuff.

I've also never put much effort into it as I'm afraid I'm going to mess up one of the lenses.

 

[Michael L.]

I was worried about ruining a lens as well. That's why I used the kit lens and duct tape, not something I actually paid for. The only thing that actually was ruined was a body cap that's worth a couple dollars at the most.

I also can't really say I've mastered macro photography with reversed lenses. I was thinking about buying an MP65-E lens for $1000 today, but figured I would do as much as I could without spending any money before I had to try and justify spending that much money when I don't have a job.

It's easy to try out reversed lenses. Just take a prime lens like a 50 or 100 mm. and flip it around on your camera body. The thing that really makes the magnification on this "lens" is the cardboard extension tube that is coupling the body and the reversed lens. Without the tube, the magnification isn't that extreme.