[AggieDad]

Howdy!

After delaying for apparently no reason other than inertia, I finally bought a Raynox, the M-150, to use with my K-5IIs. This whole thing is the fault of this Lens Club.

Anyway, I wanted to share some first attempts and hopefully get some positive critique to help me get started in the right direction. These shots were taken with NO regard for light, shadows, posing, etc. I also know (now) I should have paid more attention to using a lower ISO. My only concern was messing with focus to see what I could accomplish.

In all instances I focused by using live view to focus and then enlarging the live view to fine-tune the focus on a very small portion of the subject. Then I went to mirror-up and used a wireless remote to trigger the shot.

Any comments, criticisms, thoughts, and ideas are welcome.

Thanks.


This is a photo of Pentax Wireless Remote which is actually 30mm wide. The red letters of "waterproof" are 1mm high. The photo was taken with the Raynox on a Vivitar 35-205 F/3.5 close focus manual zoom.



This is the full photo of a penny taken with the same Raynox/Vivitar combination.



This is a 100% crop from the photo above



Here is a dime taken with Raynox on a Pentax 55-300mm kit lens at 300mm.



Finally something a little bit more creative. This leaf on a holly bush is with the Raynox on a Pentax 18-135mm at 135mm.

[schnitzer79]

DA 50mm with DCR-150

[schnitzer79]

another one with the same combo

[Regentag]

The M 35-70 2.8 has a minimum focus distance of 1m, so with the M-250 you get quiet a nice working distance.

[schnitzer79]

DA 55-300 with DCR-150

[schnitzer79]

A few more with the dcr-150. First is with the Helios 44-2 and the rest with the 55-300WR

[schnitzer79]

Seems like nobody else is posting in here Heres a few more with the DCR-150

55-300 HD




Sigma 35mm Art (just for fun)

[Culture]

Not that I am not posting here. It just that I hate you for posting all those beautiful shots.

Is hate too strong?

[schnitzer79]

Not that I am not posting here. It just that I hate you for posting all those beautiful shots.

I hate too strong?

i'll take that as a compliment

[schnitzer79]

One of my first shots with the Raynox, 55-300 and K-50

[brightseal]

How do you focus? Oh , some one on here recommended I use only a 50mm lens with it.... how do I focus with this contraption?

[WPRESTO]

How do you focus? Oh , some one on here recommended I use only a 50mm lens with it.... how do I focus with this contraption?

The focus distance is four inches from the front of the lens with the 250 attached, regardless of the FL of the lens. Guestimate and get your camera that close, fine focus by either 1) having camera in MF and moving it fore-aft to get precise focus - LV with focus peaking is probably quickest, easiest, and most reliable; 2) have camera on AF and move slightly closer than 4 inches ,maybe 3 or 3.5 inches, then press the button and AF might lock onto the subject. BUT CAUTION, the range of focus provided by lens focus ring when either Raynox unit is attached is extremely short. If you're too close or too far by 1/4 inch, AF will not work. The majority of us who do macro at such a short distance use MF just about all the time.

[brightseal]

Are you saying, I must be 4 inches from the subject in order to focus? Not 3 inches not 4.5? 4 inches?

[WPRESTO]

Are you saying, I must be 4 inches from the subject in order to focus? Not 3 inches not 4.5? 4 inches?

With a Raynox 250 attached to any lens, any FL, you could not focus on an object 4.5 inches away. To be in focus, the subject would have to be four inches away or less, but I'm uncertain how much less is possible, but not much, maybe an inch, maybe much less than an inch closer than four inches

The 250 Raynox, when attached to a lens of any focal length, or a zoom lens set to any focal length, with the lens set to a correct infinity focus*, causes the lens to focus on an object that is four inches from the front of the lens (not from the position of the camera's sensor). If the focus ring is turned the lens will focus closer, but not by a great deal. Focusing using the focus ring may be complicated because the lens may extend forward, which will also change the focus distance. If it is a zoom lens, focused @ infinity, with a Raynox 250 attached, an object four inches from the end of the lens should be in focus regardless of the focal length to which the zoom is adjusted. However, if you have (as an example) a 55~300mm Pentax on your camera, set to 55mm, focused @ infinity, with a Raynox 250, and there is an insect four inches from the filter threads of the lens, it will be in focus, but if you zoom out even a little, to 75mm, the insect will go out of focus because the lens will extend so the insect will now be less than 4 inches from the filter threads. You might be able to re-obtain focus by pressing the shutter release and allowing the AF to hunt, but the AF might not be able to refocus. The surest way to obtain focus when the subject-to-lens distance is very short is to move the entire camera + lens, camera set to MF. The problems of focusing at such short distances are the reason why focusing rails are made, and why most high-quality bellows have some kind of rack and pinion focusing mechanism in addition to the bellows extension.


*Some lenses can focus past a "hard" infinity stop.

---------- Post added 07-04-17 at 09:37 PM ----------

RECOMMENDATION FOR FIRST TIME RAYNOX USER. Sit down at a table with camera, lens you intend to use with the Raynox, and some small object - - a coin. little figurine, six-inch ruler. Mount the Raynox, set the camera to MF, using the lens' focus ring set the lens to infinity. Now aim at your selected object through the viewfinder and move the entire camera + lens back and forth until the object is in focus. Somewhat better: turn on the camera, turn of live view, turn on focus peaking (if the camera has this feature) and again, move the camera + lens until your selected object is in focus. Look at and take note of the distance from the lens' front edge (filter ring) to the object when it is in focus. Now turn the lens' focus ring to the closest possible focus distance and repeat the procedure to see what the minimum focus distance is with the Raynox. This will give you a mental picture of how close the lens must be to a subject when you're actually trying to take a picture.

Another way to run this test: Mount the camera + lens + Raynox on a tripod, a little table-top works especially well. Take the object selected for the test and MOVE THE OBJECT fore-aft in front of the lens until it is in focus. Again, two trials, one with the lens manually set to infinity focus, another trial with the lens set to its closest focus distance. There are additional ways to run these tests, for example, if you have a table-top tripod, you can slide the camera + lens + Raynox on the table top to focus on some object such as the cover of a book that has been placed upright on the table.

[brightseal]

Whew! Maybe I should sell my Raynox.....

Ok, so if I'm understanding correctly - set to infinity , then "move in" towards the subject (4 inches from the lens) without turning the focus ring? Then hope my arms don't fall off in the mean time....

You guys make it look so easy