Macro -- Do you have to have a Macro lens?? Basic question

[MTHall720]

To be honest I haven't decided yet what my subjects will be but likely to include small products to sell and a variety of nature stills like rocks, small sea shells, the moss growing on rocks, etc.

 

[TCampbell]

A true "macro" lens offers 1:1 scale image size. That ratio is based on the size projected onto the image sensor (since the size displayed on screen or on print would be whatever you want it to be).

Consider a US penny coin. The diameter is about 19mm. On a DSLR with an APS-C size sensor, the sensor is about 15mm tall by roughly 22.5mm wide. This means if you get as close as the lens can focus with a true 1:1 scale macro lens, you'll only capture about 15mm of the coin's height (cropping off 4mm ... probably 2mm on each top & bottom) and it will fit horizontally with just a a couple mm to spare on each side. In other words a penny would "fill the frame" if the lens is focusing on the coin as close as possible.

A true macro lens has a couple other features.

We think of the focus distance as being a "flat" plane... but it is actually a curve. Some work is done to try to flatten it somewhat... but it isn't perfectly flat. Since macro lenses are often used to photograph "flat" subjects, the lens makers do a bit more work on correcting the lens for a nice "flat" field. But is this important? It would be if you were photographing "flat" subjects... but you want to shoot a writing pen tip, which means you probably don't care if the field is flat all the way to the corners.

A true macro lens can also be used as an ordinary lens... it's focus can be adjusted all the way out to infinity (one notable exception is Canon's MP-E 65mm extreme macro lens... that lens's closest focus is 5:1 scale and it's "farthest" focusing distance is 1:1 scale (it can ONLY be used for extreme macro work and can't be used as an ordinary lens.)

Extension tubes are not very expensive and neither are close-up diopters. With these attached the lens will no longer focus to infinity (but that's ok... just take them off when you want to use the lens as a normal lens.) They'll let you focus on subjects quite a bit closer than the lens could ordinarily handle and for occasional close-up work, they are probably the best alternative.

An extension tube is *just* a hollow barrel. There is nothing inside ... no glass. But better extension tubes do have electrical contacts to they can pass the communication through between camera body and lens.

Canon (and for some reasons ONLY Canon) makes a couple of special close-up diopters that are much higher in quality. A normal close-up diopter just has a single lens element. It's like holding a magnifying glass in front of the lens. But if you hold a magnifying glass in front of a sheet of newspaper (or any black & white paper loaded with text), you'll notice you get magnified print (which you want) but you'll also notice that the quality of the image degrades near the edges of the field. Specifically the text will exhibit "color fringing" ... with the black letters near the edge of the view having a red fringe on the edge farthest from center and a blue-fringe on the edge nearest to center. Why would you see red & blue color fringing on something that is really black & white? It's actually the "white" paper... white is made up of all the colors. The curvature of the glass is behaving like a prism and *just* starting to separate the color into a rainbow (the effect is called "chromatic aberration). So Canon makes a couple of TWO-element close-up diopters. The front element is normal convex glass. the rear element is has a concave front surface and a nearly flat back-surface. This arrangement is called an "achromatic doublet" and it's meant to reverse the effects of color fringing (it isn't perfect but is far far better than nothing). Canon makes the diopters in a few different thread diameters.

According to Canon, the 500D is meant for lenses in the 70-300mm range. The 250D is meant for lenses in the 30-135mm range. BTW, you specifically want that "D" suffix (because Canon does make a Close-up Diopter "500" (without the "D" suffix). That version is single element ... it doesn't have the 2nd element to reduce color fringing.)

The 250D comes in 52mm and 58mm thread diameters.
The 500D comes in 58mm, 72mm, and 77mm thread diameters.

 

[Derrel]

The Canon 500D is one of the better two-element,screw-in close-up lenses currently in production. What lens or lenses do you have access to?

 

[MTHall720]

I really appreciate all the help.

 

[Fujidave]

Raynox 150 or the Raynox 250 are very good and just clip on your lens.

 

[ac12]

To be honest I haven't decided yet what my subjects will be but likely to include small products to sell and a variety of nature stills like rocks, small sea shells, the moss growing on rocks, etc.

Close-up and macro is a specialty in itself, and I do not even come close to being knowledgeable in that field.
But here are a few thoughts.

From this and your pen nib, you are talking a pretty wide range of magnification.
Each equipment option has pros and cons.

• The cheapest is the 3-lens closeup filter/lens kit.
  
  • But the quality is not great.
  • This is a cheap way to "dip your toes" into close up work.
  • You NEED to think about what lens you will use it on, as you have to match the size of the close up lens to to the filter size of your lens.
    
  • If you have different size lenses, this becomes more difficult. I don't know how well step up adapters work with the close up lenses.
• The clip-on macro/closeup adapter.
  • I have no experience with these.
• Extension tubes is the next step up.
  
  • But today with digital, you need the ones with electrical connections to control the lens. No connection = no aperture control.
  • If you use the ones without connections, then you need to use a manual lens, so that you can control the aperture.
• Bellows.
  
  • But here you need a MANUAL lens, as there is no electrical connection to the lens.
  • I would not use a bellows out in the field.
• Macro lens. Options here depends on your camera.
  
  • A low cost option is to use an older manual focus macro lens.
    
    • I use an old Nikon Micro Nikkor on my Nikon D7200, and the same lens via a Nikon->m4/3 adapter on my Olympus.
    • If you get the older manual macro lens, and shop well, this is actually an affordable option. My 55mm Micro Nikkor cost me less than $50.
• Stereo microscope with an eyepiece digital camera, or one with a separate camera adapter.
  • This lets you really get in there, to see the tipping on your nib.
  • Obviously, this is a desktop solution.

Tip1: Use a long focal length lens.
This gives you more working distance between you and the subject. I find it hard to illuminate the subject if the lens is only a couple/few inches away from the subject. Either I get in the way of the sunlight, or I have trouble positioning the lights.

I am planning to replace the 55 macro on my D7200 with a 105 macro, for this reason.​

Tip2: You will need small lights, when you get in close, to be able to position the lights to illuminate the subject.
My desk lamps which work fine for close up stuff (cup or model car), are too big and clumsy to use for macro work with the lens 3 inches or less from the subject. That is why you want a longer focal length lens.

Tip3: Use a 4-way rail on a tripod. 4-way = front/back + left/right.
It is easier to move the camera on the rail than to lift and move the tripod an inch, and get all 3 legs just right.

 

[petrochemist]

A true "macro" lens offers 1:1 scale image size. That ratio is based on the size projected onto the image sensor (since the size displayed on screen or on print would be whatever you want it to be).

Consider a US penny coin. The diameter is about 19mm. On a DSLR with an APS-C size sensor, the sensor is about 15mm tall by roughly 22.5mm wide. This means if you get as close as the lens can focus with a true 1:1 scale macro lens, you'll only capture about 15mm of the coin's height (cropping off 4mm ... probably 2mm on each top & bottom) and it will fit horizontally with just a a couple mm to spare on each side. In other words a penny would "fill the frame" if the lens is focusing on the coin as close as possible.

A true macro lens has a couple other features.

We think of the focus distance as being a "flat" plane... but it is actually a curve. Some work is done to try to flatten it somewhat... but it isn't perfectly flat. Since macro lenses are often used to photograph "flat" subjects, the lens makers do a bit more work on correcting the lens for a nice "flat" field. But is this important? It would be if you were photographing "flat" subjects... but you want to shoot a writing pen tip, which means you probably don't care if the field is flat all the way to the corners.

A true macro lens can also be used as an ordinary lens... it's focus can be adjusted all the way out to infinity (one notable exception is Canon's MP-E 65mm extreme macro lens... that lens's closest focus is 5:1 scale and it's "farthest" focusing distance is 1:1 scale (it can ONLY be used for extreme macro work and can't be used as an ordinary lens.)

Extension tubes are not very expensive and neither are close-up diopters. With these attached the lens will no longer focus to infinity (but that's ok... just take them off when you want to use the lens as a normal lens.) They'll let you focus on subjects quite a bit closer than the lens could ordinarily handle and for occasional close-up work, they are probably the best alternative.

An extension tube is *just* a hollow barrel. There is nothing inside ... no glass. But better extension tubes do have electrical contacts to they can pass the communication through between camera body and lens.

Canon (and for some reasons ONLY Canon) makes a couple of special close-up diopters that are much higher in quality. A normal close-up diopter just has a single lens element. It's like holding a magnifying glass in front of the lens. But if you hold a magnifying glass in front of a sheet of newspaper (or any black & white paper loaded with text), you'll notice you get magnified print (which you want) but you'll also notice that the quality of the image degrades near the edges of the field. Specifically the text will exhibit "color fringing" ... with the black letters near the edge of the view having a red fringe on the edge farthest from center and a blue-fringe on the edge nearest to center. Why would you see red & blue color fringing on something that is really black & white? It's actually the "white" paper... white is made up of all the colors. The curvature of the glass is behaving like a prism and *just* starting to separate the color into a rainbow (the effect is called "chromatic aberration). So Canon makes a couple of TWO-element close-up diopters. The front element is normal convex glass. the rear element is has a concave front surface and a nearly flat back-surface. This arrangement is called an "achromatic doublet" and it's meant to reverse the effects of color fringing (it isn't perfect but is far far better than nothing). Canon makes the diopters in a few different thread diameters.

According to Canon, the 500D is meant for lenses in the 70-300mm range. The 250D is meant for lenses in the 30-135mm range. BTW, you specifically want that "D" suffix (because Canon does make a Close-up Diopter "500" (without the "D" suffix). That version is single element ... it doesn't have the 2nd element to reduce color fringing.)

The 250D comes in 52mm and 58mm thread diameters.
The 500D comes in 58mm, 72mm, and 77mm thread diameters.

As usual a highly informative post, but Canon are not the only ones who make high quality achromatic dioptres. The Raynox models are I believe 3 element achromats, and historically there have been many other suppliers of Achromatic close up filters, Nikon, Olympus, Pentax, Sigma, Heliopan, Konika, Sony, Sigma, Schneider, Kenco, Leica & Cosina have all made them. Read more at Cheap extreme macro magnification with achromat close up lenses. A quick google shows SLR magic currently make achromatic close up lenses too (https://www.amazon.com/SLR-Magic-Achromatic-Diopter-0-33/dp/B00JH8KQ0A - Somewhat expensive but possible useful where you need good working distance the 0.3 dioptre model being just what I'd need to reduce the 2.2m minimum focusing distance of my 150-500mm giving 3.3 to 1.3m focusing range instead)

Close up filters are usually measured in dioptres (as these can simply be added for combined lenses) The Canon models are not particularly strong the 250D being +4 & the 500D being +2. The normal Raynox models are +4.8 for the DCR150 & +8 for the DCR 250.

I find it odd that Canon suggest that their dioptres are for different focal length lenses - both will work on any focal length lens you put them on, just giving different magnifications. If you want more than 1x magnifcation the 250D on a lens over 135mm might be a better bet than the 500D.

With a close up lens fitted a normal lenses maximum focusing distance will be 1/dioptre meters, with the magnification being higher on a longer focal length lens.

 

[TCampbell]

As usual a highly informative post, but Canon are not the only ones who make high quality achromatic dioptres. The Raynox models are I believe 3 element achromats, and historically there have been many other suppliers of Achromatic close up filters, Nikon, Olympus, Pentax, Sigma, Heliopan, Konika, Sony, Sigma, Schneider, Kenco, Leica & Cosina have all made them. Read more at Cheap extreme macro magnification with achromat close up lenses. A quick google shows SLR magic currently make achromatic close up lenses too (https://www.amazon.com/SLR-Magic-Achromatic-Diopter-0-33/dp/B00JH8KQ0A - Somewhat expensive but possible useful where you need good working distance the 0.3 dioptre model being just what I'd need to reduce the 2.2m minimum focusing distance of my 150-500mm giving 3.3 to 1.3m focusing range instead)

That's good info! I new several manufacturers *had* made them, and at one point I could even find a few. But in later years, I could no longer find anything on the market besides the Canon 250D & 500D (the previous models I had once found were gone).

 

[Solarflare]

Why, you dont have to have a macro lens, but they give best results, and they're quite cheap.

My two Nikon macro lenses are the AF 60mm f2.8 micro and the Tokina 100mm f2.8 macro. Both are only about $250 on the used market. Both are excellent lenses in general, too. Both can be used on a dumb bellows, since aperture and focus can be changed without electronic contacts.

 

[RodKlukas]

This may sound ignorant on my part, but I am unclear about this. For example, if I wanted to take a real close up shot of the nib (the writing tip) of a fountain pen would it require a dedicated macro lens?

Thanks in advance for any ideas.

There are questions you need to decide first: First, What size do I want it to be verses the frame or format I want to use. If I want it to be life-size,or 1:1, or larger, the lens would either need to extendable via bellows or extension tubes to at least twice the focal length.

Using close-up lenses will help, but quality will be less than using a macro lens and bellows or extension tubes. Even there there are quality differences in Close-up lenses. I would only try Helipoan or B+W.

So second, I need to decide what quality of image I will be satisfied with. This will lead me to the lens apparatus I need to achieve the image I am looking for.

Macro lenses are designed to work in the realm of 1:1. They usually go to 1/2 life-size and then use an extension tube to reach life-size. But that is the best lens until you get to about 2x-3x up. Then reversing the Macro lens or a duplicating lens on a bellows is required for that or greater magnification magnification to get highest quality. Hope this helps.

 

[deeky]

Mmmm, Sheaffer snub. Love them. Have a Touchdown with a fine nib in my pocket pretty much every day.

If you aren't quite ready to jump into macro lenses yet and want close-ish shots, use your telephoto lens. Set it to the longest length, probably on a tripod, and move your pen in to about the minimum focal distance. I did a lot of floral stuff with my 300mm from about 5 feet away.

Not floral, but to give you an idea, this is a pretty standard wood screw shot at 300mm.

IMG_7582a1 by breckmiller, on Flickr

 

[petrochemist]

[
Using close-up lenses will help, but quality will be less than using a macro lens and bellows or extension tubes. Even there there are quality differences in Close-up lenses. I would only try Helipoan or B+W..

I would insist on an achromatic close up lens. IMO you can't beat the Raynox series.

 

[Dao]

It really depends on how close and what subject you like to shoot. Sometimes, a point and shoot with macro function may already good enough.

The following photos were shot with a Canon point and shoot G11. Not the best, but good enough.

 

[Original katomi]

I use extension tubes pluse a macro ring light. To hold the pens I use an old carving knife holder

 

[Derrel]

Raynox close-up lenses (filters), the Canon 250D and 500D lenses, and Nikon's older 5T and 6T screw-in lenses (filters) ALL yield good quality results. The 6T when reverse-mounted on the front of the Nikkor 100-300mm f/5.6 AI-s lens is _astoundingly good_.I have owned at used this combo for 5+ years.