[CTR01]

Sorry to open another post on this topic but just read some old (6+months) threads regarding macro photography on the cheap via these lens adapters, extension tubes and lens reversal adapters. From what I have read these are the 3 main 'cheap' ways to obtain macro pics.

I guess I'm just posting to ask for clarification as to what the needed gear for each of the 3 methods is...so far I understand:

lens adapters: such as this and for the record I am in no way advertising/promoting/recommending any products that I link too.

extension tubes: not quite sure about these...have read the least favorable reports about this type of on the cheap macro photography but have seen a couple nice pictures here on the forums.

lens reversal adapters: i know a bit more about these than the tubes but from what I know basically the adapter allows you to reverse the front/back ends of a lens to become opposite and thus allowing for, what I have seen on the forums, good macro pics...there was also some talk of attaching to the end of the 1st lens, a 2nd lens to allow for more magnification or something?

My current gear consists of my Kx w/ standard 18-55, Tamron 70-300 di LD 1:2 macro/zoom and I already have a Manfrotto 055XPROB tripod w/ Manfrotto 494RC2 Ball Head w/ QR.

Lastly, I read that ring lights are quite helpful for macro photography but from what I have seen the name brand ones are always more expensive and have few to no reviews. I have seen this and this as well as this.

Sorry for the long post and I look forward to reading your responses! PS: if it isn't too much to ask, please post/link pics along with the details of your setup! Also, please be thoughtful in your responses, as I try to be in my questions and/or responses as well.

PPS: I have the poll on here so that I can get a visual representation of responses or those who simply voted but left no written response. So please just vote for your favored choice of the three listed above, and you aren't limited to linked products but limited to those similar types of items. No I won't include an actual macro lens, as that would defeat the purpose of this post.

[Adam]

Moving this to the lens section.

[CTR01]

thanks. and sorry, i wasn't sure which to really post this in and didn't want to double post.

[RioRico]

Did you read https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-lens-articles/152336-cheap-macro-b...lose-work.html? Not quite 2 months old. Most of your questions are answered there. The adapter you link to is the DCR-250 and yes, it's very good -- see the Raynox Club in the the Lens Clubs forum. Your Tamron isn't macro, but lensmakers decided that MACRO was sexier (and used less ink) than CLOSE-FOCUSING. Ringlights are great in some circumstances, when you want your subject flat-lit. Anyway, see the article, and ask about whatever it doesn't answer for you. Good luck!

[CTR01]

Thanks for the fast reply with a link, not surprised I missed that thread due to me wanting to know what I need to know and buy the stuff and get started!

[Philoslothical]

extension tubes: not quite sure about these...have read the least favorable reports about this type of on the cheap macro photography but have seen a couple nice pictures here on the forums.

Tubes are wonderful, worth their weight in gold if you want to do handheld macro stuff. The A type tubes (such as the Vivitar AT-22) are especially nice, with at least an A lens. No darkening of the viewfinder when shooting at small apertures.

I've been using a 50mm f/2 on 68mm (one set) of tubes, which gives me about 1.45:1 magnification when focused right in. It's plenty for now, crawling around in fields and such. I've also started using them on a 135mm f/2.8 and while the magnification boost isn't as big, the farther working distance is nice for spooky subjects.

I wouldn't say I'm into "serious" macro, yet. I've had my K-r about 3 months now, and I'm having a blast with the cheap glass I have. You can see my macro stuff here.

Something you didn't ask about is bellows. They're like a variable length extension tube, and amazing for tripod work. Even better is to mount a bellows on focusing rails, so that you can adjust the camera position incrementally on two axes, while adjusting your bellows length for magnification. You can still use tubes, reversed lenses, or whatever else with a bellows, too.

There's a macro group on the board here. It may have some useful info for you.

[CTR01]

Thanks for the response. I would've asked about bellows if I knew/read about them before. They also sound interesting to take a look at too.

[RioRico]

Here are my own preferences:

* Enlarger lenses (ELs) on bellows and/or tubes . These are my general-purpose favorites. 75mm for portraits, 35-55mm for close studio work, 90-190mm for field work from infinity to as close as I can get. And great ELs are CHEAP!

* The Raynox DCR-250 is always with me, as are some cheap closeup adapters. They're small and easy and I retain all lens automation. For lenses in the 20-100mm range, a DCR-150 might be better. The article mentions them.

* A few old manual macro lenses. These are pretty easy to work with, within limits. My Vivitar-Komine 90/2.8 is great but rather heavy. My Macro-Takumar 50/4 (1:1) is great and light but not useful except as a macro lens.

I can and do use other techniques -- mount reversal, reverse-stacking, extension on camera lenses, etc -- but they don't really grab me like the Raynox and the ELs. One exception: I have a lousy old A35-80 that was Pentax's crappiest kit zoom EVAR but is rather OK reversed. I mention it in the article. But don't go out of your way to find one, eh?

If you're looking for cheap and easy, then closeup adapters are it. If you want to work a little harder, camera lenses on tubes are OK. If you want cheap and great (within limits) then ELs on bellows ROCK. If you want sharp and cheap, and don't mind working close, then lens-reversal is fine. If you want maximum magnification without a microscope, reverse-stacking is the way. If you have lots of money, get a 200mm AF macro lens. Send me a commission, eh?

PS: Thanks for my 300th LIKE!

[CTR01]

By any chance are you Canadian or some other nationality that also likes to say 'eh'? Haha, can't help but notice that you seem to always include 1 'eh' in a post somewhere, or maybe it just so happens to be only the posts from you that I have read, that all contain 'eh'; with exception to your 1st post to this thread . Thanks for the addt'l response and explaining your choices. I think I will still stick with the Raynox adapter because I'm pretty lazy and have limited space in my bag for more stuff and the Raynox adapter looks pretty small and...still deciding on which one...

[RioRico]

By any chance are you Canadian or some other nationality that also likes to say 'eh'?

In Central America I am mistaken for Canadian since I am polite and well-dressed, not like the usual arrogant gringo slob (and not as smelly and drunk as the usual Russian slob, nor wearing liederhosen and carrying a huge zoom like the usual German slob, etc) but the longest I've spent in Canada was a few weeks in jail in Winnipeg. I just like to add verbal tics to my writing, eh?

I think I will still stick with the Raynox adapter because I'm pretty lazy and have limited space in my bag for more stuff and the Raynox adapter looks pretty small and...still deciding on which one...

A Raynox and a set of 49mm closeup adapters (or 55mm adapters and some step rings) will be the easy way to start shooting close. You can get more gear as the fever takes hold, eh? Hint: both M42 and PK tubes are very very cheap, and handy for more than just macros. It's well worth your while to get a few sets.

[Lowell Goudge]

For me, all the options do exactly the same thing, they permit close focusing of the lens, by extending the lens further away from the focusing plane.

Mathematically, the only difference between extension tubes behind the lens, and putting some form of close up lens in front of your lens (either a close up lens or reverse mounted prime) is that with extension tubes, you directly extend the lens, where as with close up lenses or reverse mounted lenses, you change (shorten) the focal length of the optical group, and since you have not moved the group physically relitive to the focal plane, it is "etended"

The advantage of close up lenses is that when you change the focal length of the optical group, you have not changed the diameter of the aperture, and therefore the F number actually goes down (i.e. the combined lens is faster than the lens alone)

Some people refer to this difference as extension tubes eat light where close up lenses do not, but it is simply a question of mathematics and geometry.

The advantage of extension tubes is that you are not adding additional elements that create distortion to your lens, and given correct lighting, extension tubes will always five sharper images.

Macro lenses are in many cases lenses with the ability to extend the optical group further away from the focus plane due to longer focusing helixes, and therefore are most convenient. A bellows is simply very long variable extension tube.

Macro lenses have one distinct advantage over either close up lenses or extension tubes, specifically that they are designed to be the sharpest at close focusing distances, and they are designed to be "flat field" lenses being able to focus corner to corner on a plane as opposed to a small section of a sphere. This is useful in many macro applications where you need to "copy" flat opjects correctly.

[RioRico]

And Lowell is quite right. Extension (tubes and/or bellows) are always 'cleaner' than adding optical elements (close-up adapters, reverse-stacking, TCs, etc). The IQ loss may be significant or maybe not -- that depends on your needs / goals / comfort level / obsessions. For absolutely cleanest shots, I prefer EL's on extension. For wandering around snapping stuff, adapters are fine, and retain all lens automation.

[CTR01]

In Central America I am mistaken for Canadian since I am polite and well-dressed, not like the usual arrogant gringo slob (and not as smelly and drunk as the usual Russian slob, nor wearing liederhosen and carrying a huge zoom like the usual German slob, etc) but the longest I've spent in Canada was a few weeks in jail in Winnipeg. I just like to add verbal tics to my writing, eh?

I see, thanks for the explanation!

A Raynox and a set of 49mm closeup adapters (or 55mm adapters and some step rings) will be the easy way to start shooting close. You can get more gear as the fever takes hold, eh? Hint: both M42 and PK tubes are very very cheap, and handy for more than just macros. It's well worth your while to get a few sets.

Thanks again for all the help/info.

[CTR01]

For me, all the options do exactly the same thing, they permit close focusing of the lens, by extending the lens further away from the focusing plane.

Mathematically, the only difference between extension tubes behind the lens, and putting some form of close up lens in front of your lens (either a close up lens or reverse mounted prime) is that with extension tubes, you directly extend the lens, where as with close up lenses or reverse mounted lenses, you change (shorten) the focal length of the optical group, and since you have not moved the group physically relitive to the focal plane, it is "etended"

The advantage of close up lenses is that when you change the focal length of the optical group, you have not changed the diameter of the aperture, and therefore the F number actually goes down (i.e. the combined lens is faster than the lens alone)

Some people refer to this difference as extension tubes eat light where close up lenses do not, but it is simply a question of mathematics and geometry.

The advantage of extension tubes is that you are not adding additional elements that create distortion to your lens, and given correct lighting, extension tubes will always five sharper images.

Macro lenses are in many cases lenses with the ability to extend the optical group further away from the focus plane due to longer focusing helixes, and therefore are most convenient. A bellows is simply very long variable extension tube.

Macro lenses have one distinct advantage over either close up lenses or extension tubes, specifically that they are designed to be the sharpest at close focusing distances, and they are designed to be "flat field" lenses being able to focus corner to corner on a plane as opposed to a small section of a sphere. This is useful in many macro applications where you need to "copy" flat opjects correctly.

Wow, thanks for your detailed response. I'm coming to see why the ELs are so popular in the poll I posted. But for me, being the lazy-ish person I am, the idea of a close up adapter/lens and being able to clip on/clip off is quite appealing and not being a professional/semi pro/super serious amateur I don't need the greatest pics, especially since most of the pics I have will stay on my computer and the few I choose to edit and share will be online via Facebook, which degrades quality/size so, really no one will really be able to tell...heh

I guess this also somewhat a reply to RioRico's last post too...?

[Lowell Goudge]

Wow, thanks for your detailed response. I'm coming to see why the ELs are so popular in the poll I posted. But for me, being the lazy-ish person I am, the idea of a close up adapter/lens and being able to clip on/clip off is quite appealing and not being a professional/semi pro/super serious amateur I don't need the greatest pics, especially since most of the pics I have will stay on my computer and the few I choose to edit and share will be online via Facebook, which degrades quality/size so, really no one will really be able to tell...heh

I guess this also somewhat a reply to RioRico's last post too...?

I have every type of macro possible except for revers mounting lenses.

I use close up lenses mostly on my p&s for work since it is quite compact, I use macro lenses SMC-M 100/4 or SSC-macro tak 50/4 for close focusing and add extension tubes for true macro, or mount anything on my bellows when really going for high magnification

They all have their uses, and I even take close up lenses occasionally on vacation since they offer quick macro if I need it, (usually I rely on the 1:3 macro of my Tammy 28-75 when I need close focus