Macro Lens to Filter or not?

[celticfish]

have just been searching for information about closeup filters for macro photography. it is not a good time to stress the brain lemmings at this hour...

a) from my understanding a, say, +4 close up filter cuts the distance by four so a standard 1000/4 gives you 250 mm or 25 cm to work.

b) am i correct to say the filter effectively "fixes" the focal distance to 250mm?

c) are these mainly used on non-macro lens? like prime and zoom lenses?

d) would this mean having one of these +4 close up filters for fish macro (fish size 3cm) on a 100mm macro would limit our flexibility by fixing the distance? so could i say unless we have a specific setup to shoot at that particular distance this filter is useless for fish macro photography? or, what is the effect of a +4 close up filter on 1:1 magnification.

what filters do you guys use? regular UV or something else?

would appreciate some advice on this or information on your own filter choice!

Thanks!!

[hwchoy]

if you have a macro lens you will not use a close-up filter. I used them on my G5 to reduce the working distance (and hence increase magnification). I think you can use them (like the 500D which is +2) on a non-macro lens.

[celticfish]

i think i have a better idea now.
thanks for your input!

[bclee]

Yes, you can attach a close-up lens (edit: opps... not close-up filters...) to a macro lens. The result: you get greater than 1:1 magnification at the closest focusing distance. That also means that you get 1:1 magnification without having to work at the minimal working distance.

I know of guys who use Nikon 6T on their 60mm micro-nikkors.

You can read this cool site on close-up photography:
http://www.jimdoty.com/Tips/Closeup/closeup.html

BC

[bclee]

if you have a macro lens you will not use a close-up filter. I used them on my G5 to reduce the working distance (and hence increase magnification). I think you can use them (like the 500D which is +2) on a non-macro lens.

The Jim Doty sit I posted above has 2 classifications: close-up filters and close-up lens. The 500D is classified as close-up lens.

BC

[hwchoy]

actually I use the 250D on my G5. I thought they just differ in diopter power?

anyway I paid extra for the 250D but as far as visible looks like same result as cheapo Hoya +4 filter

tried the 250D on my 100mm Macro also, very difficult to work with, I think DOF is paper thin. maybe that's why people only use 500D.

If you just stack cheapo close-up filters on your lens (especially a macro lens) isn't that going to degrade the optics (whether visible or not is another issue).

[hwchoy]

I was thinking of reversing a 50mm onto my 100mm macro, that only gives 2x magnification? how come not many people reverses 35mm?

[benny]

I was thinking of reversing a 50mm onto my 100mm macro, that only gives 2x magnification? how come not many people reverses 35mm?

Most folks uses the reverse macro technique because they are on a tight budget. The 50 mm f/1.8 is the cheapest lens to use for reverse macro.

Cheers,

[hwchoy]

I was actually thinking of getting a 50mm f/1.4 for portrait and reverse use. but must make a protection for the mount contact.

[Ibn]

Nikon makes an attachment that you can use on a reverse 50mm to protect it. It works well enough and will even allow you to screw on a filter on the reversed rear end of the lens.

With both the 250D and the 500D, what it does it just cuts down the minimum focusing distance, IIRC. Extension tubes can also be used to achieve the same effect.

[celticfish]

information overload....

[ranmasatome]

Think i may just do reverse soon...!! timing so good ah you all..