[photolady95]

Nice capture but did you use AF to get it?

[Doundounba]

A few DCR-250 shots from this spring reposted from other threads - all of these were with the Raynox on the D-FA 100mm WR... Dollar for dollar, the DCR-250 is still my best photographic purchase, bar none.

[schnitzer79]

Nice capture but did you use AF to get it?

Thanks. no AF here. focus ring set to infinity and was moving back and forth

[WPRESTO]

A few DCR-250 shots from this spring reposted from other threads - all of these were with the Raynox on the D-FA 100mm WR... Dollar for dollar, the DCR-250 is still my best photographic purchase, bar none.

Outstanding, inspiring and intimidating.

[photolady95]

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Thanks. no AF here. focus ring set to infinity and was moving back and forth

Well, that may seem different to what I shoot as to why I asked if you used AF. I set my lenses to close focus, not infinity.

[Doundounba]

Outstanding, inspiring and intimidating.

Thanks! (I think! )

I also shot a little with the MSN-202 this spring - so powerful! I paired it with a Pentax-M 135mm F/3.5 and it worked pretty well, IMHO. But not easy to shoot, and you need really small subjects - with the lens at infinity focus, the APS-C frame is about 7mm. (And it doesn't change much when you change focus...)


Results (again, reposted from other threads):

[Perfessor5646]

A few weeks ago I bought a Raynox 250 DCR. This week I got the Raynox 150 just because I could. Today I tried out the DFA 100 with the 150 on the spider living on the baseboard of my recently remodeled work space. I used two Lume cubes, with diffusers, another experiment, to light her and placed a clear plastic ruler in the frame. The marks are 1/16” apart. This is a significantly cropped photo as well.

EDIT: Marks are 1/16th of an inch apart. Also while trying to adjust my gear and ruler on a hardwood floor while down on my 69 year old knees and elbows I managed to accidentally crush my model with the ruler. She has an even smaller cousin a little further down the baseboard.

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Last edited by Perfessor5646; 06-28-2019 at 12:56 PM. Reason: Epilogue.

[photolady95]

Also while trying to adjust my gear and ruler on a hardwood floor while down on my 69 year old knees and elbows I managed to accidentally crush my model with the ruler

That's why I lay down, my 69 year old knees and elbows can't handle the stress either.

[photolady95]

. focus ring set to infinity and was moving back and forth

Focus ring should be set to close focus, not infinity.

[Doundounba]

Focus ring should be set to close focus, not infinity.

Either are OK, at least in my book. You'll get more magnification with the lens at MFD, but if you're getting the shot you want with the lens at infinity focus, then that's fine too. AFAIK, the stronger the diopter, the less the focus ring will have an effect. Also, obviously, the less a lens can go to close focus on its own, the less using the focus ring will have an effect. Finally, I think the longer the lens, the less using the focus ring will have an effect. FWIW, the DCR-150 is a +4.8 diopter, the DCR-250 is +8, and the MSN-202 is +25.

One more with D-FA 100mm WR and DCR-250:

[photolady95]

In my experience close focus works best but I don't shoot lenses longer than 200mm. When I first start shooting with the Raynox DCR-150. someone on here told-me to put the lens on close focus not infinity. At that time I was using a Sigma 70-300mm. I don't remember now, why they said close focus instead of infinity but it's worked for me since that time.

[WPRESTO]

With respect to how to set a lens for best IQ when using a Raynox, from running a few casual tests, I suspect that:
1) whether to set the lens @ infinity or close focus will probably differ from lens to lens, and may make a greater difference with a lens that has internal focusing than one that is unit focusing. Also, some macro lenses perform better when in the macro range*, but some non-macro lenses perform better when in the "normal" range, commonly somewhere between infinity and closest focus.
2) for zoom lenses it is almost certain the best FL to use is the one where the zoom performs best without the Raynox. This commonly means something slightly less than the shortest FL, and never at the longest FL. For a 70~300mm, I would expect optimum IQ with the lens somewhere from 100 to 200mm.

*Lenses almost always perform better at some distances than others. A lens can be formulated to perform best in the macro range or at infinity. This is most obvious for lenses optimized for "deep macro" = 1/2 life size and closer. Lenses optimized for say 2X natural size will have a sharp falloff in IQ at greater and lesser magnifications. This phenomenon exists but is less pronounced when focusing a non-macro lens from infinity down to 20 inches. Somewhere in that distance range there will be a sweet spot for the lens.

So the lesson is the old one so often repeated: Experiment with what you have to see what provides the best results or what is satisfactory for you.

[audiobomber]

Diopter magnification is affected by the focal length of the host lens. If your lens suffers from focus breathing (focal length changes as focal distance changes), you can end up with significantly less magnification at close focus. For example the 18-250mm's actual focal length is only about 70mm (IIRC) when set to 250mm and minimum focus. Macro magnification is weak at 250mm and MFD.

If I have a Raynox mounted on a zoom lens, I use infinity focus and vary the focal length for magnification. If I have a prime mounted, I use the focus ring to vary magnification.

[photolady95]

Diopter magnification is affected by the focal length of the host lens. If your lens suffers from focus breathing (focal length changes as focal distance changes), you can end up with significantly less magnification at close focus. For example the 18-250mm's actual focal length is only about 70mm (IIRC) when set to 250mm and minimum focus. Macro magnification is weak at 250mm and MFD.

If I have a Raynox mounted on a zoom lens, I use infinity focus and vary the focal length for magnification. If I have a prime mounted, I use the focus ring to vary magnification.

And whatever works for one, don't always work for another. What works me, may not work for any one else. When I use the the 250 it's attached to a prime 50mm f2. When I use the 150 it's attached to any prime lens longer than 100mm. I no longer use it either on zoom lenses.

[schnitzer79]

Focus ring should be set to close focus, not infinity.

always used my raynox this way.i recall that i read it on here somewhere and it always seemed to work