like macro, but no $$ for a macro lens? well lookie here :)

[osirus]

How about a macro/closeup lens with a few things laying around the house?
well sure!
I just came up with this, tested it out expecting it to be crap.. but
it works alot better than i expected!

so heres the dealy

what you will need is a pair of binoculars. ( want the 2 front lenses)
(everyone has an old crappy pair of binos they never use right? loli had some that were sitting here for 10+ years, if not, get some cheap ones from like the dollar store..may work fine )

Now, it will be different on your binocs and camera.
but the lenses from the front of the binocs that i had (what you want)
fit perfectly into a toilet paper tube, so i used one of them

some electrical tape.

the stepup ring that came with my fisheye adapter, so i can screw it on the front of a 52mm lens.

and i used a piece of foamboard, cardboard would do to make a snug fit into the stepup ring.

put it together like this



and here she is



tested it out here at the compter desk on the front of my nikon 50mm f 1.8

heres a shot from jsut the lens itself, as close as i can get.



put on my newly made creation and.




heres a 100% crop of that pic



another shot



and crop



and one more.




works alright for something i just made for free.

 

[Wilson1990]

Very nice, but there must be some kind of downside.

 

[Happy Hour]

Very nice, but there must be some kind of downside.

ummm... the downside would be **** quality thats a neat rigging but that is NOT 1:1 macro quality! huh things people will do to save a buck (lmao)

 

[Kazoo]

Rather MacGyver-esque :thumbup:

 

[osirus]

well i never said it was going to be 1:1 macro
and of course the quality isnt as good as a couple hundred dollar lens.

but its free, or a few bucks at most.

and if someone that has a P&S who cant get a macro lens wants to get a lil closer. well there ya go .

 

[Dannyc79]

Very Clever and Nicely done. :thumbup: Btw Osirus, you play xbox360? Your names sounds familiar.

 

[domromer]

Yeah for DIY!

 

[Chris of Arabia]

Who needs L series lenses? Excellent result on the cheap I'd say.










However, I won't be trading in my 60mm f/2.8 anytime soon...

 

[250Gimp]

NIce way to start into macro on the cheap.

The other option is holding the lense reversed to the body!

 

[osirus]

Very Clever and Nicely done. :thumbup: Btw Osirus, you play xbox360? Your names sounds familiar.

nope, have a PS3 though.


works well on my old kodak P&S camera as well.(can actually focus closer than those D50 pics are)
but the battery died on me. so no pics for now.

 

[(Ghastly) Krueger]

huh things people will do to save a buck (lmao)

Or a couple o hundred...

 

[nicfargo]

Wow Happy Hour, you sound bitter...like you spent a God awful amount of money on the Canon 180mm L Macro or something. The quality is not **** like you say, it's actually pretty good...especially for free. And he never claimed 1:1, and if you notice most lenses that claim macro are not even close to 1:1.

 

[mrodgers]

Wow Happy Hour, you sound bitter...like you spent a God awful amount of money......

Yup, there are quite a few members of society who think everyone has $100,000+ per year income. Try buying even an SLR camera, let alone all your lenses on my income.

I'm not into macro, but I love the DIY stuff. Great job.

 

[Sarah Elizabeth]

applause!

 

[osirus]

if you dont have a dslr,
heres a shot with it on my old 4mp kodak easyshare camera.
this isnt cropped at all. just 20% resized.