Scratched Filter???

maytay20

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www.mwphoto.info
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So yesterday I found a set of magnifying filters at goodwill for 79 cents. They were super dirty so I thought what the heck I will clean them up and see what I can do with them. So I cleaned them last night and put them on my only 58mm lens 18-55mm kit lens. And I got a few ok pictures but for them most part the lens just hunted for focus even when I did manual focus I got maybe 1 good photo from it. There are a fem small scratches on them so I though maybe this was why I had focus issues. Is there something to repair very small scratches like this?? Or is there something I am doing wrong that the camera is hunting for focus so much? Is there any tips for using these types of filters you guys can give me?? I mean the were only .79 cents but I would like to try to use them just for fun. LOL Oh and all the photos were taken in M mode with some on af some mf.
 
I really doubt it was the scratches that made it hard to focus. I'm guessing that you were too far away from your subject...or too close.

When you use close up filters your focus range becomes very narrow. You might only have a few inches of distance (away from the lens) that can actually be in focus. You can use the AF, but only if you are in that range...otherwise the camera/lens will 'hunt' back and forth.

A good (maybe better) way to focus when shooting macro, is to alter the distance rather than focus the lens. So find your range and then move in or out (ever so slightly) to find your desired focus point.
This is one reason why a tripod is recommended for macro shooting.

Also, know that your DOF will become very narrow. So you might only be able to get part of your subject into sharp focus. If you want a deeper DOF, then you need to stop down the lens (use a smaller aperture (higher F number)). This will, of course, cause you to need a slower shutter speed...which is another reason why a tripod is recommended.
 
Yeah, I use color correction filters for my black and white photography and most of them have some light scratching of some sort in the viewing area. They have had no effect on my photographs' quality.
 

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