Photography Article Cheap and Easy Macro: comparisons and recommendations|Photography Artist Statement

Macro or near-up images is not restrained to people with huge budgets and costly macro lenses. There are numerous clean and inexpensive approaches to reap macro-stage outcomes with your modern-day DSLR digicam and lens, and I actually have written a chain of articles that explains every of these strategies in element (close-up lenses, opposite earrings, and extension tubes) in addition to guidelines approximately how excellent to use them. This article will offer a evaluation of these strategies, so that you can parent out that are right for you. If you need to explore extra, one e book that has come surprisingly endorsed isUnderstanding Close-up Photography: innovative close encounters without or with a macro lens by using Bryan Peterson.

Close up image of burrs captured with a +10 close-up lens

Burrs Up Close with the aid of Archaeofrog on Flickr

Your Zoom Lens

First, you should evaluate your current macro capabilities. One often overlooked method for close-up photography is to use your longest zoom lens. Figure out the minimum focusing distance of your lens (the closest you can get to your subject and still have it in focus), which is often written on the lens itself. (On Canon lenses it is the length written after the flower symbol.) Then, pick a subject at that minimum distance, zoom your lens out to its longest zoom, and see how close-up of an in-focus image you can capture. This is your starting point for macro photography. Tip: if you really want to know how close of an image you can make, take a photograph of a ruler.

Close-Up Lenses: overview

Close-up lenses are filters that screw on to the front of your existing lens (read the full review about close-up lenses here). They act like a magnifying glass to decrease the minimum focusing distance, allowing you to get closer to your subject. You can still use all the automatic functions of your camera, including autofocus and setting the aperture of the lens, and there is a minimal loss of light. Close-up lenses must be bought to fit the filter diameter of your lens, or you could buy a set to fit the filter diameter of your widest lens and then buy a step-up adapter to fit them on any lenses with smaller diameters. (Shop for close-up lenses on Amazon.)

Close-Up Lens Set by using Archaeofrog on Flickr

Reverse Rings: evaluate

A reverse ring mount adapter allows you to secure your lens backwards to your camera body, and this reversal of the optics allows for close-up photography (read the full article about reverse rings here). You will lose autofocus with a reverse ring and will have to set the aperture of the lens before reversing it. Reverse rings work best if you have a prime lens, and you must purchase a separate reverse ring that matches the filter diameter of each lens you plan to reverse. (Shop for reverse rings on Amazon.) Excellent prime lenses include the Canon 50 mm f/1.8 or the Canon 35 mm f/2.

A 50 mm lens opposite-established via Archaeofrog on Flickr

Extension Tubes: evaluate

Extension tubes are hollow metal tubes that fit between your lens and the camera body (read the full article about extension tubes here). They move the lens further from the camera’s sensor, allowing the sensor to record a smaller area of the subject. The pricier, brand-specific versions maintain the electrical connections and allow you to use autofocus and easily adjust the aperture of the lens, while the cheaper generic versions do not. Extension tube use results in a substantial loss of light on the sensor, so you will need to compensate with a higher ISO, longer shutter speeds, or wider apertures. Extension tubes are bought to match your camera and will work with all your lenses. (Shop for extension tubes on Amazon.)

Set of three generic extension tubes by way of Archaeofrog on Flickr

How Close: a evaluation

The big question in macro photography is always how close-up of an image you can take. The definition of true macro photography is the ability to capture an image the same size as the sensor of the camera, indicated as a 1:1 ratio, or better. For reference, my Canon T1i camera has an APS-C sensor that is approximately 22.3 x 14.9 mm (0.87 x 0.59 inches), which means I would need to capture an image of that size or smaller to be true macro. Practically speaking, however, most photographers are happy to capture an image that appears to be life-size or larger-than-life when viewed at a standard print size like 4 x 6 inches.

The chart under is a difficult approximation of ways close-up of an image you can create the usage of each of the distinct strategies. The gray grid in the background is in inches, and the out of doors crimson rectangle represents the regular area of view for the Canon 50 mm lens: 4 x 6 inches. An photograph captured at that factor could be precisely existence-size whilst revealed as a 4 x 6. Not proper macro, however an excellent starting point. The indoors purple rectangle represents the field of view for the Tamron 18-270 mm lens zoomed out to 270 mm: 2.Five x three.5 inches, which might create an picture nearly two times existence-size while printed as a 4 x 6.

Comparison of the close-up potential of different techniques

The series of green rectangles represents the effect on the 50 mm lens of each of the four strengths of close-up lens: +1, +2, +4, and +10. These differing strengths are particularly useful if you want to capture a composition of a specific size, such as an entire Lego minifigure. If you just want the closest image you can capture, use the +10 (or try a combination).

The series of yellow-orange rectangles represents the effect at the 50 mm lens of successively including each of three widths of extension tubes: 7, 14, and 28 mm. The 7 mm extension tube by myself has the most dramatic impact, bringing the location captured even closer in than the near-up lenses. Adding additional extension tubes result in even closer pictures.

The blue rectangle represents the area in attention whilst the 50 mm lens is opposite-set up at the digital camera body. This is close to half life-size when as compared to the size of the sensor.

Conclusions for Cheap and Easy Macro

• Closest-in image captured: extension tubes
• Ease of use (autofocus and the ability to change aperture in-camera): close-up lenses
• Range of composition sizes rather than just as close as possible: close-up lenses

In my experience, I find that I reach for my close-up lenses the most often, then the extension tubes, and then the reverse ring. The close-up lenses are quick, easy, simply screw in to the front of the lens, and you can use different strengths depending on what you want to accomplish with your composition. There is a minimal impact on the amount of light reaching the sensor, so you can more easily shoot hand-held. You can also easily take them on-and-off in the field without worrying about dust or debris getting into the camera body.

The extension tubes are most beneficial whilst you need to get as close as possible to something. Because every successive tube diminishes the amount of mild achieving the sensor, however, it is greater difficult at hand-keep with out sturdy lights, a extensive aperture, or bumping up the ISO. I advocate using extension tubes indoors, in which you can be less concerned whilst continuously putting off and changing the lens.

The opposite ring is useful while you want to get a completely close-in photograph with out getting as near the difficulty itself. I even have located that the minimal focusing distance is more whilst using the reverse ring than with extension tubes, that means that you could be similarly away from the difficulty while nevertheless taking pictures a near-up photograph. This is specifically useful when photographing something skittish, like an insect, that could reply if you get too close.

Each of those strategies is straightforward and inexpensive, and $10-15 can get you commenced with any individual of them. Below are the specific manufacturers that I use and would propose, but ensure that you get the correct size for the filter diameter of your lenses and/or the model of your camera body.

Close-up lenses (purchase a fixed to match the clear out diameter of your widest lens plus a step-up adapter to in shape smaller lenses)

• I use: Digital Concepts 1 2 4 10 Close-Up Macro Filter Set with Pouch (58mm)

Search for close-up lenses on Amazon

Extension tubes (buy a set that fits your camera model)

• I use: Fotodiox Canon EOS Macro Extension Tube Set Kit

Search for extension tubes on Amazon

Reverse rings (buy one that fits both the filter diameter of your lens and your camera model)

• I use: Fotodiox Macro Reverse Ring Camera Mount Adapter for Canon

Search for reverse jewelry on Amazon