Home-made Macro Lighting = £3.30

Any ideas on where to buy the transparent acrylic?
 
Great marking my place on thread so hubby can make me both!
 
Wow great shots, especially the ladybug one at the end! Brilliant development of the idea.

I saw this thread last year and was desperate to give it a go, but completely forgot all about it. Maybe this week or next I'll get a chance to play around with it :)

Were the new set of shots done with the kit lens? extension tubes?
 
Great idea :)

RE: the original idea - I can't help thinking there's a Cyberman somewhere missing a bit of himself :lol:
 
travellingcello said:
Here's a plamp - but these are expensive which would defeat the point. I've seen them made out of those electrical wire clamps and a bit of tough wire as well though...

And this is also why you won't need a 3rd hand!

http://www.warehouseexpress.com/buy-Wimberley-The-Plamp/p1005586?cm_mmc=GoogleBase-_-Tripods-and-Monopods-_-Tripod-Accessories-_-Wimberley-The-Plamp_1005586
Click to expand...

If you fancy a bit of DIY on the clamp front as well as the flash tube, you can knock up a Plamp lookalike using machine tool coolant hose like this;
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-4-Round-Nozzle-Flexible-Coolant-Oil-Hose-Lathe-/150743518457?pt=UK_Home_Garden_Kitchen_KitchenFurniture_EH&hash=item2319038cf9
 
Good stuff and nice work on the photos too - not done any macro stuff myself but wanting to give it a go on a budget and recently came across a Pringles tube used as a diffuser for macro work: http://www.petapixel.com/2011/04/26/use-a-pringles-can-as-a-cheap-diffuser-for-macro-photos/ :D Looks a bit daft but does the job apparently.

Also came across these macro photos by another guy using a home made diffuser - some very impressive shots:
http://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/post-your-photos/51505-macro-my-macro-photos.html

Have also been looking at those Neewer / Meike fc100 led light rings which go for about 20 quid on amazon and fleabay - it is not a flash and can be used on any camera (despite the rather misleading keyword stuffing in the description!) + obviously the light is not as powerful as a ring flash, but constant light has some advantages too:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/...reativeASIN=B0050GSZCY&ref_=cm_cmu_pg__header Seems worth a try for 20 quid anyway - anyone used one?
 
Hey guys,

So sorry for delayed response, been quite busy at work lately.

Just to try and answer some questions:

You can get clear Perspex in any art shop, that's where I got mine; or... You could buy a few cheap ring binder or similar from any stationary shop and just cut the front and back sleeves up.

The last shots I posted were taken with a reversed 29mm manual lens. You can get my exact lens for £30-40 on eBay, and reversing ring is around £8. Have to admit though that one or 2 of the shots were using the reversed lens on a few extension tubes.
Have been playing around with macro for a while now and although am not getting super-amazing photos yet, have found that the best configuration for me has been a reversed old manual lens. You get so close for little money, and when I was using just a reversed lens I found that you could even use the on-body flash as it is and it lights the subject just as good as a ring flash.

Hope some of you guys give it a go.

GlAd it went down well and will post some more macro in the critique section when I've been out a few more times.

Take care,

Jay.
 
Jayceyned said:
No worries = no intention of any patenting... I've heard that patent lawyers cam be quite expensive - haha. Thanks for the comments though, hope someone else gives it a go.
Click to expand...

Just tried this but using some aluminium tubing that is a bit more rigid than yours. However, what I found is, as I might have expected, the subject - a children s toy figure- is heavily side lit. How did you avoid that effect. Presumably with a reflector of some sort but you never mentioned anything.
 
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