[bertwert]

I hear lots of people talking about the Raynox-250, I'm not about to get it but what magnification does it do?
What sort of magnification would you get when used with a 1:1 lens like the DFA 100 macro?
What sort of magnification when used with a super tele like the DA 300/4?
How much does it degrade the IQ?
Etc..

[stevebrot]

I believe this thread will provide the answers you are seeking:

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/10-pentax-slr-lens-discussion/130066-how-...tion-rate.html

As for image degradation, I believe there is a Raynox thread on this site. Or simply do a Flickr search on "Raynox"

https://www.flickr.com/search/?q=raynox


Steve

[pacerr]

I've owned and used various lenses and accessories for 'serious forensic-like' business purposes since the early '70's and I honestly can say my primary reasons for choosing were for personal convenience. I've used bellows, extension tubes and 1:1 lenses and I can't say when diopter 'filters' (close-up filters) wouldn't have filled the bill for field use.

I've carried a stack of four filters (+1, 2, 4, & 10x) chosen to fit the filter size range of lenses in hand in a fifth the space and weight of any single lens I could add to the kit. You can try it yourself for less than $15 on eBaay. Cheap enough that if you can't use 'em, give 'em to the kids as educational magnifying toys.

The Raynox lenses are considered among the best but you'll have to look very,very close to differentiate among those available in field use.

There's an ol' sayin' to the point that the 'best' lens is the one on the camera when you just have to make a shot or loose it; I've found a +4 close-up filter in the shirt pocket to be invaluable in that regard.

[DeadJohn]

I have the Raynox DCR-150 (less magnification than 250). The 150 yields greater than 2:1 on my 55-300 and 1.5:1 on DFA 100.

For your 100mm lens, get the DCR-250 since you can already reach 1:1.
For your 300mm, use the DCR-150. The 250 will yield *extreme* magnification and be difficult to use.

[bertwert]

For your 100mm lens, get the DCR-250 since you can already reach 1:1.
For your 300mm, use the DCR-150. The 250 will yield *extreme* magnification and be difficult to use.

I don't have either lenses...

It was just a bit of knowledge to add to my mind what they will do *if* I had one of those lenses and the Raynox.

[pacerr]

For the price of a college textbook you can acquire an better older zoom lens of any type you're interested in plus a stack of close-up filters from eBaay and gain a priceless hands-on education -- and have fun too.

[bertwert]

For the price of a college textbook you can acquire an better older zoom lens of any type you're interested in plus a stack of close-up filters from eBaay and gain a priceless hands-on education -- and have fun too.

I've got some diopters (+1, +2, +3) I found in a thrift store, but the filter size doesn't fit any of my lenses so waiting for step-up rings to arrive from ebay.
Also have some cheap extension tubes I've been using with my Takumar.

[DeadJohn]

I don't have either lenses...

It was just a bit of knowledge to add to my mind what they will do *if* I had one of those lenses and the Raynox.

... and that was very clear in your original message. I failed today's reading comprehension exam.

Macro is on my mind because I'm going to try my first snowflake macro when the east coast storm hits me tomorrow.

[bertwert]

... and that was very clear in your original message. I failed today's reading comprehension exam.

I can't tell if that is sarcasm or not

Macro is on my mind because I'm going to try my first snowflake macro when the east coast storm hits me tomorrow.

Nice, I'm hoping to do some with some soon with my current gear.

[BrianR]

I hear lots of people talking about the Raynox-250, I'm not about to get it but what magnification does it do?
What sort of magnification would you get when used with a 1:1 lens like the DFA 100 macro?
What sort of magnification when used with a super tele like the DA 300/4?
How much does it degrade the IQ?
Etc..

Cheap extreme macro magnification with achromat close up lenses

The Raynox-250 is a +8 dopter lens. The calculator won't be dead on. For the dfa100mm, I get ~2x magnification, the optics of the dfa100mm are deeply recessed from the front filter thread, which hurts according to the equations in stevebrot's link above. The dfa*300mm should give just over 3x magnification, I've step down rings on the way for this purpose for a practical test.

I'm new to the Raynox-250, but so far it's pretty impressive. It also seemed pretty capable on a da50-200mm, which maxed out at about 2x magnification (200mm zoom and at minimum focusing distance).

[photolady95]

FWIW, the DCR-250 was originally intended to be used with lenses under 100mm. The DCR-150 with lenses over 100mm.

[bertwert]

The DA* 300/4 with the 150 would be around 2:1 when at minimum focus and around 1.4:1 when at infinity?
With the 250 around 3.2:1 at minimum focus and around 2.4:1 at infinity?

Is that right?
So in the (long) future I could get a DA* 300 with a Raynox and I wouldn't have that much IQ lost vs using the D-FA 100/2.8 Macro WR?

As I'm currently saving up for the 100, but want the 300 in the future...

[BrianR]

The DA* 300/4 with the 150 would be around 2:1 when at minimum focus and around 1.4:1 when at infinity?
With the 250 around 3.2:1 at minimum focus and around 2.4:1 at infinity?

Is that right?

Should be about right. I can do a ruler test to check the actual magnification (and working distance) for the Raynox 250 + da*300 when my step down rings arrive.

So in the (long) future I could get a DA* 300 with a Raynox and I wouldn't have that much IQ lost vs using the D-FA 100/2.8 Macro WR?

As for the IQ, I'm not sure as I haven't seen much in the way of samples out of this combo. I'll find out soon enough. Higher magnification is always harder to work with and the da*300mm is massive compared to the dfa100mm, so I can never see a time when I'd have the da*300mm and not the dfa100mm with me.

[jcdoss]

Here's an example I took just the other day. I was mucking around trying to fulfill a weekly photography goal of "macro" and "blue" and found very few blue things to experiment with. This (clean) kitchen scrubber sponge was the winner.

These two shots were taken with the M100/4 Macro lens, which does 1:2 on its own.


Scrubber Surface taken with Sony NEX6 and Pentax-M 100/4 Macro at closest focus by Jason Doss, on Flickr

Scrubber Surface taken with Sony NEX6 and Pentax-M 100/4 Macro and Raynox 250 at closest focus by Jason Doss, on Flickr

I was pretty impressed despite the bland subject.