My budget ultra macro set-up

[petrochemist118 142]

My new ultra macro set-up (with my wife's cyanotype print as a background):
ultra macro lens set up by Mike Kanssen, on Flickr

A 0.7x to 4.5x microscope objective (£50) used without the supplied 0.5x relay lens/c mount adapter

Here Connected to MFT via a T2 mount outer tightly held in place with a length of flex (the white bit), to a EF helicoid.

At maximum zoom gives ~6mm FOV with a very useful working distance of about 9cm.

With this set up vignetting starts to be seen below ~2x ( the original c-mount connection vignetted at full zoom and due to the relay lens would not exceed 2x).

 

[Jeff1548 48]

I look forward to seeing your results.....

 

[Gary A.]

Cool ... I'm with Jeff15 ... let's see what it can do.

 

[Derrel]

Quite the lash-up! Impressed by your photo gear rigging skills. I would love to see some pics!

 

[petrochemist118 142]

I'll have to see what I can do.
So far my shots have been pretty much just test shots like a millimeter scale to judge FOV. (I can share a few of those if you'd like but I'll assume not) There's a bit of wooden furniture here
The only other thing I've tried to date (with the relay lens still fitted) is an ancient family photograph. The only image I know of showing my 'Van der Meulen' G.G. grandparents, in which they are both pretty tiny. I couldn't get a super sharp image of my relatives but did find the numerous scratches etc the print has picked up over the last century or so were impressively sharp!
To give you some idea here it is (with the full size image on flickr) VDM grandparents by Mike Kanssen, on Flickr
That's about 2x on the sensor only 9mm across on the print, which I suspect was a contact print of a box brownie negative. From a family history point of view it's a shame they weren't bigger in the frame!

 

[petrochemist118 142]

I'm now compiling test shots in to an album on Flickr ultra macro test shots
Ranging from a $1 bill at maximum magnification at 9cm working distance (sadly quite not square on)
$1 Max zoom test by Mike Kanssen, on Flickr
to infinity focus (around 0.8x on the scale, lower zoom settings don't focus on anything)
infinity focus test - shipping by Mike Kanssen, on Flickr

Most of the zoom range gives macro images. IIRC this was at the marked 1x and about 22cm working distance:
dollar P1340020 by Mike Kanssen, on Flickr

 

[Derrel]

The dollar bill shots gave me a pretty good idea. George Washington's $1 bill portrait is a face I am familiar with, and have used to test out macro setups.

 

[petrochemist118 142]

The dollar bill shots gave me a pretty good idea. George Washington's $1 bill portrait is a face I am familiar with, and have used to test out macro setups.

I thought it might be a familiar image, and like banknotes everywhere it's a good sharp original to work with.
Hopefully at some point I'll manage to get the whole FOV in focus! I must admit I'm glad I've finally found a use for this bill, I've had it for ages as one on it's own has got negligible value in the UK.

It is actually illegal to photograph our British banknotes without written permission from the Bank of England. I got permission once (for a year) but it didn't allow me to share the images.
Euro bank notes have very different permissions freely granted, but specifically exclude putting the images on-line without complex conditions.

 

[Gary A.]

I like bank notes also.

Maybe you can MacGyver up a frame like affair for a specific focal length, which attches to the camera/lens. It may make handholding easier.