Photography Article Product Review: Close-Up Lens Set|Photography Artist Statement

A near-up lens is a tool for taking pictures close-up or macro pics. This article will overview a particular set of close-up lenses, the Digital Concepts 58mm four-Piece Multi-Coated Camera Lens Filter Set. (Review in quick: I love these close-up lenses and use them all of the time for the majority of my macro and near-up photography paintings!)

If you want to read about how to use close-up lenses in general, check out Inexpensive Close-Up Photography: close-up lenses or read Cheap and Easy Macro: comparisons and recommendations for a comparison of several methods of close-up and macro photography.

Sunbursts from melting frost on a window, focused on a 10x near-up lens

What is a Close-Up Lens?

The name "close-up lens" is a bit of a misnomer. A close-up lens is not a standalone camera lens but rather is a glass element that screws on to the front of an existing camera lens like a filter. The close-up lens acts like a magnifying glass and allows you to focus-in closer on your subject, which effectively increases the size at which you can photograph.

When purchasing a close-up lens, you need to buy lenses that fit the diameter of your lens (or lenses). You can find the diameter size of your lens by looking for the Ø symbol on your lens. The Canon 18-55 mm kit lens, for example, has a diameter of 58 mm, while the Canon 50 mm f/1.8 lens and the Nikon 18-55mm lens have diameters of 52 mm. You can also purchase an inexpensive adapter ring to use larger filters on a smaller lens. I use a52-58 mm step-up adapter to use my 58 mm close-up lenses on my 52 mm diameter lens.

52-58 mm step up adapter shown with10x Macro Lens (close-up lens)

Product Review of the Digital Concepts Lens Filter Set

The Digital Concepts 58mm 4-Piece Multi-Coated Camera Lens Filter Set is a series of four close-up lenses at different strengths of magnification: +1, +2, +4, and 10x. It also comes with a nylon carrying case that has pockets for each of the four lenses, and it currently retails for around $12 USD. Filled, the case is the length of a sunglasses case and takes up about the same amount of room in your wallet or camera case. You can also bring a single close-up lens along, which slips easily into a pocket.

Ease of Use

To use a close-up lens, first remove any UV filter or other filters already on the front of your lens. Then, simply screw the close-up lens onto the front of your lens. You can even stack lenses on top of each other to amplify the magnification. I commonly use the +4 and 10x close-up lenses together.

Cropped photograph of snowflakes, taken with +4 and 10x close-up lenses on 50 mm lens.

One benefit of close-up lenses is that you are nonetheless capable of use all of the features and features on your digital camera, consisting of autofocus. While I endorse the usage of manual recognition while taking pictures macro and close-up snap shots, having autofocus as an alternative is continually useful.

The one problem that I have on occasion skilled is that the close-up lenses can get caught together in case you are stacking a couple of or using a step-up adapter. The solution is similar to any time you get a clear out caught to your lens: use a rubber band. Wrap the rubber band around simply the outside filter out or near-up lens. It will generally come up with enough grip to loosen the stuck one and dispose of it.

Magnification Results for the Close-Up Lenses

All of the following photographs were taken with one or more of the Digital Concepts close-up lenses on the Canon 50 mm f/1.8 lens using the Bower 52-58 mm adapter.

The image below provides a comparison of a mini bottle of nail polish (one inch wide) photographed using each of the four close-up lenses. The graphic on the bottom was created by re-sizing each of the individual items to show what portion of the nail polish and background were captured in each photograph. The closest-in result, taken using both the +4 and 10x close-up lenses, is right in between the actual physical size of a full frame and cropped sensor, which means that it is a "true macro" photograph. (Read more about true macro in the article onTips to Improve Your Macro Photography.)

Comparison of Close-Up Lenses used on a single challenge

Another consideration when shooting macro and close-up photographs is the working distance of the lens. Each of the shots above was taken at the greatest magnification possible, which means that the camera and lens were as close as possible to the subject, while still maintaining focus. For the 50 mm lens alone, this working distance (approximate distance from the front of the lens to the area of the subject in focus) was around 13.5 inches. Adding the +1 close-up lens brought the working distance down to 9.5 inches. The +2 close-up lens focused at a minimum distance of 7.5 inches, while the +4 close-up lens focused at 5.5 inches. The working distance for the 10x close-up lens was 3.5 inches, and the +4 and 10x combined was around 2 inches. This is not much of a concern when shooting stationary subjects, like the bottle of nail polish, but it can make it difficult to shoot a moving subject. Skittish butterflies are not always too keen on photographers sneaking up three inches away from them, for example.

A final consideration is light loss. Because a close-up lens is simply an additional piece of glass on the front of your lens, it does not significantly affect the amount or quality of the light captured by the camera. Each of the photographs of the nail polish, above, were shot in Aperture Priority mode with ISO 100 and f/5.6, using a tripod to eliminate any possible shake. The shutter speed was 1/15 th of a second for the 50 mm shot, 1/20 th of a second for the four photographs with a single close-up lens, and 1/13th of a second for the +4 and 10x close-up lenses combined.

Aperture Results for the Close-Up Lenses

Depth of field (the area of the photograph in focus) is always a concern in macro photography. The closer you get to your subject, the thinner an area will be in focus, even at the same aperture. The shots below of bubbles on a feather were all taken using the +4 and 10x close-up lenses on a tripod. (Want to take this type of shot? Read how in Fun with Fizzy Fruit Photography.)

The impact of converting the aperture is obvious. At f/22 it's miles just about possible to get the bubbles on the front and the back of the feather in consciousness - a complete distance of below an inch from front-to-back. The f/five.6 and f/2.Eight pix really display the narrowing down of the depth of subject, as an increasing number of bubbles fade into heritage blur, which isolates the vanguard bubbles that remain in awareness. By f/2.8, most effective the nearest bubbles stay in focus. Some of the bubbles themselves are too large (deep) that the entire bubble, the front-to-lower back isn't always in focus. This razor-skinny intensity of discipline is a feature of close-up images, no longer simply the close-up lenses, but it's miles critical to maintain in mind whilst taking pictures near-up and macro photography.

Final Verdict

I am a big fan of myDigital Concepts 58mm four-Piece Multi-Coated Camera Lens Filter Set. They are my move-to close-up images accent, and I typically deliver the 10x near-up lens with me while visiting or happening a image stroll. It simplest takes some seconds to seize it out of my pocket, screw it on my lens, and begin taking pictures near-up snap shots. No need to switch lenses outside. Plus, for round $12 USD, why now not attempt a fixed of close-up lenses earlier than allotting $six hundred for a committed macro lens (Canon 100 f/2.8)?

Kiwi photographed with 10x near-up lens

Addendum: Bryan Peterson, in his book Understanding Close-Up Photography, speaks very highly of the Canon 500d close-up lens, which works as a filter, just like the Digital Concepts version. At $90-150 USD, depending on which diameter you need, this is still a pricier investment. Peterson bemoans the quality of cheaper close-up lenses, but I have been quite happy with mine.

What about you? Do you shoot with close-up lenses? Are you happy with your results?  Share your thoughts or a link to relevant pictures in the comments below.

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