Help with focusing with a reversing ring please.

[gresleysteve]

Sorry for cross-posting. I've asked the same question in the Macro Forum, but that's in the photo critique section, so I think I should have posted it here in the first place.

I've never really been into macro photography, but I thought I would buy a reversing ring and have a go just for a bit of fun.

I screwed it on to my Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D and attached it to my D300.

So far, so good. I know I have no metering, so for my 1st attempt I use my studio flash at a distance I know the correct aperture for. Exposure sorted!

I mount the D300 + 50mm f/1.8 (reversed) on a tripod and plonk my subject (a Jack Daniel's hip flask) in position. My correct exposure aperture was f/16 but to aid manual focusing I opened the lens up to f/1.8. Now to focus. I tried just looking through the view finder and I also tried using the D300's live view mode, but no matter how far I turn the focusing ring on the lens, the focus doesn't seem to alter.

Am I missing something obvious?

 

[RobertP]

The focus will be very close to the back of the lens and controlled by moving the camera towards or away from the subject. Not tried a single lens reversed in ages. Think the focus ring does next to nothing. I usually put a 50mm reversed onto the face of my macro lens if I want super close up.

 

[wontolla]

The focus will be very close to the back of the lens and controlled by moving the camera towards or away from the subject. Not tried a single lens reversed in ages. Think the focus ring does next to nothing. I usually put a 50mm reversed onto the face of my macro lens if I want super close up.

OR, keep your camera still (on a tripod) and move, if possible, the subject!!