Raynox 250 advice please.

WillyB

WillyB

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William
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Did a quick search but couldn't find what I needed.

I have just taken delivery of my new Raynox 250 and am going to use it on my Nikon 70-300 VR. Can anyone advise which is the best focal length to use or does that depend on the subject etc?

Thanks
 
I always find with a new peice of kit that experimenting is the most fun!

Start at the long end and work closer, using the same subject, lighting etc, then you can see if you can find the sweet spot of the lens with the raynox on.
 
It is important to get the distance between the Raynox lens and the subject right. You will probably find this is about four inches for the 250. If you do not get the distance right (within a fairly narrow band) your pictures will not be sharp.

The magnification you get will vary depending on the focal length - the longer the focal length the higher the magnification. You may get some vignetting at the wide angle end.

I think your 70-300 lens extends as you increase the focal length - this will decrease the distance between the Raynox lens and the subject. So, if you have got the subject in sharp focus and then decide to change the focal length (and hence the magnification/framing/composition), you may have to move the camera towards or away from the subject to gain sharp focus again.



You may find the VR has little or no effect while using the Raynox.
 
Thanks very much for that information Nick, appreciated as always.
 
William,
I have just bought one too, and like others have said, you need to use fine adjustment on your tripod when refocussing at different focal lengths.
What are you using for lighting? I had a quick play and found lighting was a challenge. I tried using an led camping lamp to throw as much light as I could on to the subject.
 
I use a basic macro rig with mine, which solves lighting issues.

Macro Rig by S_M_Photography, on Flickr

It isn't always necessary when using a tripod, as a longer exposure can be used. When getting shots of moving insects, handholding the rig, the above does the job quite nicely.
 
Hi Ian
The only lighting I have at the moment is the 'on camera' flash. Not satisfactory I know. I am stuck with available light at the moment. I must admit I do find the last bit of fine focusing a challenge!
What lens are you using?
 
Thanks Scott. That setup is interesting. Can you show me a pic of the other side please? How is the flash attached?
 
WillyB said:
Thanks Scott. That setup is interesting. Can you show me a pic of the other side please? How is the flash attached?
Click to expand...

I can't post a pic at the moment, as all my gear is at home, and I'm at work.

This is the sort of bracket I use though:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/C-Shape-Flash-Bracket-Canon-EOS-50D-7D-20D-30D-40D-/380235616600

It also serves as a handle so you can hold the camera more steadily when trying to focus. Manually focusing, and moving the camera until the subject is sharp is the easiest way, I find.

There are much sturdier brackets out there if you're happy to pay for them. This one does a decent enough job for me though. :thumbs:
 
That's great,thanks. Didn't even know those brackets existed!!
 
Wow, elaborate is right. Appreciate your posts.:thumbs:
 
WillyB said:
Hi Ian
The only lighting I have at the moment is the 'on camera' flash. Not satisfactory I know. I am stuck with available light at the moment. I must admit I do find the last bit of fine focusing a challenge!
What lens are you using?
Click to expand...

Willy, I am same as you, new to this and only have the on camera flash.
Why is photography such a money pit! :lol::lol: :bonk::'(

I am using my Tamron 70-300 DI - I already has a macro function so I select this and put the Raynox on the end.

The depth of field is so shallow,I have only managed to focus on fairly flat objects like coins. I have only had one try but am looking forward to getting more out of it.

Scott, that information on your setup is useful to me too, thanks.
I have seen some people direct the on camera flash light with a foil covered card board contraption. I may have a go at this before I buy a flashgun etc.
 
Yeah, you can just knock something together out of card/foil/sticky-backed plastic in the meantime. :thumbs:

You have to use a high f-number to get a manageable depth of field, hence the need for a flash. I typically aim for f16 and higher. Even so, at 300mm it will still be a struggle to get the focus right.

Having said all that, I'm quite new to the macro game myself (I've only been doing it since last summer), so I'm sure there's loads of stuff that I should be telling you but don't yet know about!
 
Well I am looking forward to having something decent enough to put in a post. Mind you, when I look at some of the examples on here, that's going to take some time!! :)
 
IanT74 said:
I am using my Tamron 70-300 DI - I already has a macro function so I select this and put the Raynox on the end.

The depth of field is so shallow,I have only managed to focus on fairly flat objects like coins. I have only had one try but am looking forward to getting more out of it.
Click to expand...

The exact same setup as me... zoomed out to 300 with macro on, plus the Raynox 250 is challenging to say the least! Then again, I am brand new to macro, already had the Tamron, and wanted a cheap and easy way to try out macro work without shelling out for a true macro lens.

Patience and practice seem to be the order of the day when it comes to the Raynox! Just need to find some time, and better weather to get out and shoot more.
 
I got one of these recently. Struggled to use it on a 70-300 lens but easy with a 50mm though not sure I am making the most of it (new to macro let alone SLR)
 
mithrandir said:
I got one of these recently. Struggled to use it on a 70-300 lens but easy with a 50mm though not sure I am making the most of it (new to macro let alone SLR)
Click to expand...

Interesting that you say that. It would seem that most people find the zoom lens easier to use with the Raynox than, say, the 50mm. Do you not get vignetting?
 
Easier to focus, perhaps, but I don't like using my 50mm for macro stuff. It doesn't cause vignetting, but it doesn't focus close enough for my liking. It all depends what you're aiming to shoot though.
 
WillyB said:
Interesting that you say that. It would seem that most people find the zoom lens easier to use with the Raynox than, say, the 50mm. Do you not get vignetting?
Click to expand...

To be honest, I've not used it much and especially not with insects, etc. I've just tested it at home on some everyday objects.

Here are a few test shots I took.

PS If anyone is using a Raynox 250 on 70-300 lens, what distance are you from the object?

img3230trim.jpg


img3257trim.jpg


img3256trim.jpg
 
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