Macro on a budget - Help Please!

jammy_c

jammy_c

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James
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So i'm looking to start taking some macro shots, but at the moment I've got a very tight budget and cant afford to buy any new lenses.


I’ve tried an old skool macro, but can’t get enough light in or get it to work with my flash gun. I currently have an 18-55 Kit lens and 70-300VR

The way I see it is I have a few options:


  • 1. Get my hands on a Raynox DCR 250 and use it with both my existing lenses.
  • 2. Use cheap extention tubes on either lens and accept that flash gun won’t work.
  • 3. Use expensive tubes with CPU connections so I can use the flash gun.
  • 4. Use Diopters/Macro/Close-up filters on the 18-55
  • 5. Use Diopters/Macro/Close-up filters on the 70-300
  • 6. A combination of some of the above
  • 7. Something else :shug:

Any recommendations will be gratefully received…

cheers!
 
I am playing with A Raynox 250 and some close up filters. I haven't got the lighting right yet.

I use them on my Nifty Fifty. Too be honest, for posting on the web ect.. I think they don't look to bad. Not sure what they would look like large size.

Shot with the Raynox (clickable)


Shot with a closeup filter (clickable)



Cheers

MIP
 
mipevo6 - thanks for the samples. very useful.
what brand of close-ups do you use, and what would you say is a better buy, those or the Raynox?
 
Denyerec said:
The raynox adapters are great, however they will magnify any issue seen with the lens used. So put it on a 50mm at f8 and you're golden. Put it on a superzoom at f4.5 and you'll wish you hadn't :)
Click to expand...

Does that go for filters too?
Well my 70-300VR is a much better quality lens than the kit one, but how will it perform magnification-wise? surely it will be better than the 18-55? or will it? :thinking:
 
Raynox DCR250 without a doubt, can be had for around £30 - £35 secondhand on eBay of you're patient.... Some samples from me all taken with my kit 55-200mm zoom:

Watch movement
4032237253_6bc4ba2da2.jpg


Ferrofluid
4316946016_221034a931.jpg


Bubble surface
4156396812_e0dccd8159.jpg
 
CReid said:
Raynox DCR250 without a doubt, can be had for around £30 - £35 secondhand on eBay of you're patient.... Some samples from me all taken with my kit 55-200mm zoom:
Click to expand...

So you'd say that the DCR250 is well worth it? looking at the images on your site I certainly get that impression :clap: are they all done with the Raynox?
 
micloi said:
You could also look at older M42 Macro lenses i.e. Takumar Macro 1:1 or similar
Click to expand...

yeah, i've considered that. The only issue that i'll have is that I can't use my flashgun with "Non-CPU" lenses as the D40 wont let me disable TTL Mode, and the flash fails to fire, atleast with a Raynox I could use the flashgun :thinking: and maybe make my own ring-flash adaptor :naughty:
 
If you do decide you fancy going down the lens route, the Sigma 50mm Macro lens is a cracker and well worth a look :thumbs:
 
andyred said:
If you do decide you fancy going down the lens route, the Sigma 50mm Macro lens is a cracker and well worth a look :thumbs:
Click to expand...

Thanks :thumbs: that'll be worth looking into when I have the budget available. unfortunately, I think i'm right in saying, I would need the HSM model to be compatible with my D40, so that bunks the price up a little more also. they certainly seem very good value thought!
 
jammy_c said:
mipevo6 - thanks for the samples. very useful.
what brand of close-ups do you use, and what would you say is a better buy, those or the Raynox?
Click to expand...

They are both worth a go...

I got the closeups of ebay for like 8.99 :-) they give you a nice magnification without going crazy.

The Raynox is a nice bit of kit that gives some great results, I am guessing its better quality than the close ups :-)

Cheers
MIP
 
oh and the raynox only costs about 35 new

amazon
 
Randolf McKinley said:
Hang on, though, the Ranox seems to be compatible with max 67mm filter screw size. That'll fit you 18-50mm, but not the 70-300.

Or am I missing something?

Randy
Click to expand...

The 70-300vr has a 67mm screw size...

imo, the Nikkor 28-105mm Macro is a great piece of glass for this application, it's focal range makes for a great walkabout lens too! :)
 
MScotts said:
The 70-300vr has a 67mm screw size...
Click to expand...
So it does. Must have clicked on the wrong link when I checked!

Reason I'm interested is that I have an 18-200 VR which has a 72mm screw, but I'd like to fit a Raynox macro adapter. Sadly, if I stick a bit of cardboard with a 40mm hole in it over he front of the lens I get significant vignetting on all zoom levels, so I don't think it'll work.

Randy
 
MScotts said:
The 70-300vr has a 67mm screw size...

imo, the Nikkor 28-105mm Macro is a great piece of glass for this application, it's focal range makes for a great walkabout lens too! :)
Click to expand...

It is, but its also an AF-D lens so would require manual focusing on a D40. I like mine on the D5000, really need to use it more though :D I've seen them for sale but about £100. Not sure if that means the flash won't work as i haven't tried it with the flash :thinking:

P.S. I'm keeping for the day I finally get a D90 on which it will work beautifully.
 
Randolf McKinley said:
Hang on, though, the Ranox seems to be compatible with max 67mm filter screw size. That'll fit you 18-50mm, but not the 70-300.

Or am I missing something?

Randy
Click to expand...

DrRusty said:
It is, but its also an AF-D lens so would require manual focusing on a D40. I like mine on the D5000, really need to use it more though :D I've seen them for sale but about £100. Not sure if that means the flash won't work as i haven't tried it with the flash :thinking:

P.S. I'm keeping for the day I finally get a D90 on which it will work beautifully.
Click to expand...

Sell the D40 and buy a D80 as an interim measure Richard, used ones are very reasonably priced these days. In doing that you won't be so restricted to what glass you can buy/use :thumbs:
 
The Raynox DCR250... it's a triplet lens, therefore better colour correction, than the singlet cheapy dioptre filters... I think the Canon closeup is a doublet, so better than the singlet, but not as good as the triplet in that regards. It also clips on and off the lens, and can be done in but a couple of seconds with one hand, so you can quickly convert you're macro to telephoto. I use mine with my 55-250. A couple of examples

IMG_0180.jpg


IMG_3787.jpg
 
andyred said:
If you do decide you fancy going down the lens route, the Sigma 50mm Macro lens is a cracker and well worth a look :thumbs:
Click to expand...

I bought a used HSM version from the classifieds here for £100 (they are on eBay for about the same) and it is brilliant! Not too shabby as a portrait lens either, only it is f2.8.
 
Raynox all the way fella!!

Here's mine:

On cheap Kenlock 80-200mm manual focus lens @ 200mm:


On Panasonic 14-45mm @ 45mm:
 
thanks for all your help so far guys. some fantastic samples too! :clap: I still think that the Raynox seems like a good option for me. it sounds excellent vfm compared to a full-on macro lens which is out of my budget for the time being, and although the manual-focus/aperture/etc doesn't bother me with the M42s, the fact that I can't use flash does :(

The raynox is 52mm-67mm and my lenses are all 52mm or 67mm, so it seems sensible. They're certainly very popular so it will sell again if I don't get along with it I suppose.

On the budget front, I also quite fancy the idea of making my own Macro Ring-flash ;) or maybe a DIY braket/rig and TTL cord
 
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