Narsuitus
Close-up and Macro Equipment
Many times I am able to use the closest focusing distance of my lenses to take close-ups. However, when I need high quality close-up and macro images, I use the following equipment:
A. Nikon 28mm f/3.5 lens reverse mounted on Nikon PB-4 Bellows
B. Nikon 105mm f/2.8 macro lens
C. Nikon 55mm f/3.5 macro lens
D. Nikon 105mm f/4 short mount lens
E. Supplemental close-up lens (+10)
F. Supplemental close-up lens (+5)
G. Supplemental close-up lens (+3)
H. Supplemental close-up lens (+2)
I. Supplemental close-up lens (+1)
J. Extension tube for 55mm macro lens
K. Set of Nikon extension rings (5.8mm camera mount plus 5, 10, and 20mm rings)
L. Extension tube for 105mm macro lens
M. Set of extension tubes (14mm camera mount plus 9, 16, and 30mm tubes)
N. Nikon PB-4 bellows
· Reversal Ring—an adapter that fits between the camera body and the lens. It allows the lens to be used in a backwards or reversed position. In other words, in the reversed position, the rear of the lens is facing the subject and the front of the lens is facing the camera. A reversed lens usually has a different closest-focusing distance when compared to the lens used in its normal position. For example, a reversed 28mm lens may be capable of taking photos with a reproduction ratio of 8:1 compared to a reproduction ratio of 1:12 when used in its normal position. A reversed lens can be used alone or in combination with bellows and/or extension tubes. Reversed normal and wide-angle lenses produce better close-up and macro photos than reversed telephoto lenses.
Pro:
a. Great for close-up photography.
b. Great for macrophotography.
c. Low cost.
Con:
a. A reversed lens works only within a limited range of reproduction ratios.
b. Possible loss of camera auto-focus and/or auto-exposure features.
· Macro Lens—designed especially for close-up work. When compared to a regular lens of the same focal length, a macro lens’ focusing mechanism extends the lens farther from the camera body. The optics of the macro lens are designed for maximum resolution at close-focusing distances. For example, the optics of a typical 50mm normal lens is designed to deliver the sharpest images when the subject is between 10 feet and infinity. The optics of a 50mm normal macro lens, on the other hand, is designed to deliver the sharpest images when the subject is between 10 feet and 4 inches.
Pro:
a. Great for close-up photography.
b. Most can focus from infinity to a reproduction ratio of 1:1.
c. Great for macrophotography.
d. Ability to produce high-quality close-up images.
Con:
a. High cost.
b. Some loss of image quality when focused on distant objects.
c. Exposure is affected by a lens extension factor.
· Supplemental Close-Up Lenses—these lenses attach to the front of a lens and optically reduce the closest focusing distance. They are available in strengths from +.025 to +10. The higher number indicates a stronger lens. A set of supplemental lenses typically consists of a +1, +2, and +4 lens. These three lenses may be used individually or in combination with each other.
Pro:
a. Low cost.
b. Good for close-up photography.
c. Exposure is not affected by a lens extension factor.
d. There is no loss of camera auto-focus or auto-exposure features.
e. Able to use on cameras that do not have interchangeable lenses.
Con:
a. Not good for macrophotography.
b. Some loss of image quality.
c. Must use a small aperture in order to compensate for the loss of image quality.
d. The stronger the supplemental lens, the greater the loss of image quality. For example, the quality of an image formed with a +10 lens is of poorer quality compared to the image formed with a +3 lens.
e. Stacking supplemental lenses (such as combining the +1, +2, and +4 lenses) results in a greater loss of image quality.
f. Difficult to select the correct lens strength for the desired image magnification.
g. Difficult to remove tightly attached close-up lens from cameras lens.
· Extension Tubes—these tubes are available in varying lengths. They are inserted between the camera body and the lens to physically increase the distance between the optical center of the lens and the surface of the film or digital image sensor. These tubes may be used individually or in combination with each other. These tubes are also called extension rings.
Pro:
a. Great for close-up photography.
b. Great for macrophotography.
c. Relatively inexpensive when compared to a bellows unit or a macro lens.
Con:
a. Works only on cameras with interchangeable lenses.
b. Each tube can only extend the distance between the optical center of the lens and the surface of the film or the surface of the digital camera’s image sensor by a fixed length.
c. Difficult to select the correct tube length for the desired image magnification.
d. Difficult to quickly change tubes when you need to alter the image magnification.
e. Difficult to remove tightly attached tubes
f. Possible loss of camera auto-focus and/or auto-exposure features.
g. Exposure is affected by a lens extension factor.
· Bellows—these devices insert between the camera body and the lens. They physically increase the distance of the optical center of the lens from the surface of the film or the surface of the digital image sensor. Their main advantage over extension tubes is that they are adjustable in length.
Pro:
a. Great for close-up photography.
b. Great for macrophotography.
c. Provides a wide range of reproduction ratios.
Con:
a. Works only on cameras with interchangeable lenses.
b. Bulky and difficult to use in field work.
c. Bellows material is susceptible to damage.
d. Possible loss of camera auto-focus and/or auto-exposure features.
e. Exposure is affected by lens extension factor
Close-up and Macro Equipment
Many times I am able to use the closest focusing distance of my lenses to take close-ups. However, when I need high quality close-up and macro images, I use the following equipment:
A. Nikon 28mm f/3.5 lens reverse mounted on Nikon PB-4 Bellows
B. Nikon 105mm f/2.8 macro lens
C. Nikon 55mm f/3.5 macro lens
D. Nikon 105mm f/4 short mount lens
E. Supplemental close-up lens (+10)
F. Supplemental close-up lens (+5)
G. Supplemental close-up lens (+3)
H. Supplemental close-up lens (+2)
I. Supplemental close-up lens (+1)
J. Extension tube for 55mm macro lens
K. Set of Nikon extension rings (5.8mm camera mount plus 5, 10, and 20mm rings)
L. Extension tube for 105mm macro lens
M. Set of extension tubes (14mm camera mount plus 9, 16, and 30mm tubes)
N. Nikon PB-4 bellows
· Reversal Ring—an adapter that fits between the camera body and the lens. It allows the lens to be used in a backwards or reversed position. In other words, in the reversed position, the rear of the lens is facing the subject and the front of the lens is facing the camera. A reversed lens usually has a different closest-focusing distance when compared to the lens used in its normal position. For example, a reversed 28mm lens may be capable of taking photos with a reproduction ratio of 8:1 compared to a reproduction ratio of 1:12 when used in its normal position. A reversed lens can be used alone or in combination with bellows and/or extension tubes. Reversed normal and wide-angle lenses produce better close-up and macro photos than reversed telephoto lenses.
Pro:
a. Great for close-up photography.
b. Great for macrophotography.
c. Low cost.
Con:
a. A reversed lens works only within a limited range of reproduction ratios.
b. Possible loss of camera auto-focus and/or auto-exposure features.
· Macro Lens—designed especially for close-up work. When compared to a regular lens of the same focal length, a macro lens’ focusing mechanism extends the lens farther from the camera body. The optics of the macro lens are designed for maximum resolution at close-focusing distances. For example, the optics of a typical 50mm normal lens is designed to deliver the sharpest images when the subject is between 10 feet and infinity. The optics of a 50mm normal macro lens, on the other hand, is designed to deliver the sharpest images when the subject is between 10 feet and 4 inches.
Pro:
a. Great for close-up photography.
b. Most can focus from infinity to a reproduction ratio of 1:1.
c. Great for macrophotography.
d. Ability to produce high-quality close-up images.
Con:
a. High cost.
b. Some loss of image quality when focused on distant objects.
c. Exposure is affected by a lens extension factor.
· Supplemental Close-Up Lenses—these lenses attach to the front of a lens and optically reduce the closest focusing distance. They are available in strengths from +.025 to +10. The higher number indicates a stronger lens. A set of supplemental lenses typically consists of a +1, +2, and +4 lens. These three lenses may be used individually or in combination with each other.
Pro:
a. Low cost.
b. Good for close-up photography.
c. Exposure is not affected by a lens extension factor.
d. There is no loss of camera auto-focus or auto-exposure features.
e. Able to use on cameras that do not have interchangeable lenses.
Con:
a. Not good for macrophotography.
b. Some loss of image quality.
c. Must use a small aperture in order to compensate for the loss of image quality.
d. The stronger the supplemental lens, the greater the loss of image quality. For example, the quality of an image formed with a +10 lens is of poorer quality compared to the image formed with a +3 lens.
e. Stacking supplemental lenses (such as combining the +1, +2, and +4 lenses) results in a greater loss of image quality.
f. Difficult to select the correct lens strength for the desired image magnification.
g. Difficult to remove tightly attached close-up lens from cameras lens.
· Extension Tubes—these tubes are available in varying lengths. They are inserted between the camera body and the lens to physically increase the distance between the optical center of the lens and the surface of the film or digital image sensor. These tubes may be used individually or in combination with each other. These tubes are also called extension rings.
Pro:
a. Great for close-up photography.
b. Great for macrophotography.
c. Relatively inexpensive when compared to a bellows unit or a macro lens.
Con:
a. Works only on cameras with interchangeable lenses.
b. Each tube can only extend the distance between the optical center of the lens and the surface of the film or the surface of the digital camera’s image sensor by a fixed length.
c. Difficult to select the correct tube length for the desired image magnification.
d. Difficult to quickly change tubes when you need to alter the image magnification.
e. Difficult to remove tightly attached tubes
f. Possible loss of camera auto-focus and/or auto-exposure features.
g. Exposure is affected by a lens extension factor.
· Bellows—these devices insert between the camera body and the lens. They physically increase the distance of the optical center of the lens from the surface of the film or the surface of the digital image sensor. Their main advantage over extension tubes is that they are adjustable in length.
Pro:
a. Great for close-up photography.
b. Great for macrophotography.
c. Provides a wide range of reproduction ratios.
Con:
a. Works only on cameras with interchangeable lenses.
b. Bulky and difficult to use in field work.
c. Bellows material is susceptible to damage.
d. Possible loss of camera auto-focus and/or auto-exposure features.
e. Exposure is affected by lens extension factor