Reverse Macro? Can somebody explain the basics?

[fmw]

Nobody is discussing the downside so I'll take that role. When you reverse a lens several things happen. The first is that the rear element becomes the front element. Since the area of the front element determines the light gathering ability or "speed" of the lens, reversed lenses are much, much slower. Next, lenses are corrected to be used so that the light passes in the expected direction. As a result, reversed lenses suffer from all the maladies of uncorrected lenses - chromatic and other aberrations, distortion etc. Finally you lose the camera automation with a reversed lens.

These issues can be serious or minor depending on the lenses involved.

I'm not knocking the technique. I've used it myself. I'm just bringing the rest of the issue to bear on the subject. Good shooting.

 

[keith204]

Nobody is discussing the downside so I'll take that role. When you reverse a lens several things happen. The first is that the rear element becomes the front element. Since the area of the front element determines the light gathering ability or "speed" of the lens, reversed lenses are much, much slower. Next, lenses are corrected to be used so that the light passes in the expected direction. As a result, reversed lenses suffer from all the maladies of uncorrected lenses - chromatic and other aberrations, distortion etc. Finally you lose the camera automation with a reversed lens.

These issues can be serious or minor depending on the lenses involved.

I'm not knocking the technique. I've used it myself. I'm just bringing the rest of the issue to bear on the subject. Good shooting.

great input. I'm not too worried about those downfalls, since I don't have reason to spend $600 on a lens.

It's good to hear both sides though.

On a side note, I got my 52mm reverse camera mount for my 50mm 1.8. It is super (compared to having to hold the lens against the camera)