DGMPhotography
Been spending a lot of time on here!
- Joined
- Mar 23, 2012
- Messages
- 3,161
- Reaction score
- 718
- Can others edit my Photos
- Photos OK to edit
Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.
Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.
Magnification when reversing lenses works like:
Focal length of the lens on the camera body - divided by focal length of the lens reversed onto it. (I'm unsure if this is added to the native magnification of the lens mounted onto the camera - I assume it is but for now I'm leaving it out of the maths - so the actual magnification might be slighter greater).
So for a 50mm on the body and a 300mm reversed onto it you get 50/300 = 0.167:1
Now true macro is taken as a ratio of 1:1 (size of the subject reflected onto the lens : size of the subject in real life). Half life size is 0.5:1 (typical maximum of zoom lenses with a macro feature). As a result the 0.167 you have there is a very tiny magnification and no where near macro.
Now if you put that 300mm onto the camera and reversed the 50mm onto it then you'd get a whole different experience. 300/50 = 6:1. That is a huge magnification (the most I've seen any lens go to is 5:1 and that is VERY challenging - you're down to crumbs being huge!)