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11-05-2014, 05:28 PM - 3 Likes   #1
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My Macro Cameras - Dedicated















My dedicated Macro camera's and their set ups .
The Kx is my budget Macro set up , and at around $310 Dollars (Cost) offers exceptional value .. You don't need to spend big to Macro , the Kx set up is the proof of that .
The K50 because It was the replacement for the K7 , which simply did not work for me in Macro
The K10D is now my experimental camera , currently wears the Tamron 90mm BBAR , and as I now know produces a blue dot when used with a flash :
The cure looks to be the Vivitar 2x Tele converter , which is supposedly matched to a 75-205mm Vivitar lens .. ( But it works , and that's what counts )
Now that does mean a lot of zoom , 180mm + Crop factor , making this lens very hard to hold still . On the plus side , lots of zoom and the point of focus is relatively far away compared to other Macro lenses making disturbing the wild live far less likely , there for offering more opportunity for a photo . So there are some positives and negatives in this set up .. ( Might be brilliant on a tripod )
Lastly the K20D:
I do like the K20D , I also like the Ricoh 2x Tele Macro adapter . Turns any 50mm lens into a 100mm Macro lens ( how could you not like that ? ) In fact I like it so much I own two of these adapters now .


You will notice Im running a lot of tele converters ..
Why would you do that ?
A few reasons ,
1. You can turn a relatively cheap lens ( 50mm ) into a decent macro lens , also remember when you double the magnification , you also double the aperture . So a F22 lens @ 50mm becomes a 100mm F44 lens ( Try buying one of those )
2. Aperture , we do know that the closer we get , the smaller the DOF , more or a smaller relative aperture gives us more DOF which is already critical at Macro levels ( so more or smaller is good )
3. So far , these combinations can compete with dedicated macro lenses ( This is good ) And I do own a few macro lenses ..


Anyhow , a short blurb on my current set up's , which over time are sure to change .. ( Looking forward to trying a 1.5x tele converter on a 100mm Lens )

11-05-2014, 05:38 PM   #2
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i love the diffuser on 1st photo.
11-05-2014, 05:41 PM   #3
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Hmmm

QuoteOriginally posted by rrstuff Quote
i love the diffuser on 1st photo.

I sprayed a little deodorant on the cover/lid so as to defuse the light .. ( Hair spray works better I think , but I don't have any )
11-05-2014, 05:55 PM   #4
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Thanks for this. You weren't kidding when you said you were going to post something up. So it looks like with proper rigging, you can use most any flash, even something like the budget Pentax? I'll PM the rest to you

11-05-2014, 06:10 PM   #5
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Yeah

QuoteOriginally posted by esrandall Quote
Thanks for this. You weren't kidding when you said you were going to post something up. So it looks like with proper rigging, you can use most any flash, even something like the budget Pentax? I'll PM the rest to you

Yeah , you can use just about any flash .. The only limitation is your imagination ...
Its what macro is , the right way is the way that works for you !
For some people a $20,000 Macro set up works , other people can make due with a little less ..


Damn , I got a little lazy , Im supposed to write a macro guide , well I did .
Just need to get my brother to proof read it for grammar ( my grammar blows chunks )
I also wanted to sit back and distance myself from it , then come back and read it again to see if it makes sense or not


I will definitely need to write a few guides , the next one will be dedicated to Macro and the Flash .... ( No not the super hero )
11-05-2014, 06:20 PM   #6
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QuoteOriginally posted by old4570 Quote













My dedicated Macro camera's and their set ups .
The Kx is my budget Macro set up , and at around $310 Dollars (Cost) offers exceptional value .. You don't need to spend big to Macro , the Kx set up is the proof of that .
The K50 because It was the replacement for the K7 , which simply did not work for me in Macro
The K10D is now my experimental camera , currently wears the Tamron 90mm BBAR , and as I now know produces a blue dot when used with a flash :
The cure looks to be the Vivitar 2x Tele converter , which is supposedly matched to a 75-205mm Vivitar lens .. ( But it works , and that's what counts )
Now that does mean a lot of zoom , 180mm + Crop factor , making this lens very hard to hold still . On the plus side , lots of zoom and the point of focus is relatively far away compared to other Macro lenses making disturbing the wild live far less likely , there for offering more opportunity for a photo . So there are some positives and negatives in this set up .. ( Might be brilliant on a tripod )
Lastly the K20D:
I do like the K20D , I also like the Ricoh 2x Tele Macro adapter . Turns any 50mm lens into a 100mm Macro lens ( how could you not like that ? ) In fact I like it so much I own two of these adapters now .


You will notice Im running a lot of tele converters ..
Why would you do that ?
A few reasons ,
1. You can turn a relatively cheap lens ( 50mm ) into a decent macro lens , also remember when you double the magnification , you also double the aperture . So a F22 lens @ 50mm becomes a 100mm F44 lens ( Try buying one of those )
2. Aperture , we do know that the closer we get , the smaller the DOF , more or a smaller relative aperture gives us more DOF which is already critical at Macro levels ( so more or smaller is good )
3. So far , these combinations can compete with dedicated macro lenses ( This is good ) And I do own a few macro lenses ..


Anyhow , a short blurb on my current set up's , which over time are sure to change .. ( Looking forward to trying a 1.5x tele converter on a 100mm Lens )
Great write up! One thing is that if we put a macro converter into a 50mm macro( eg : pentax 50mm 2.8), what will happen?
11-05-2014, 06:36 PM   #7
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QuoteOriginally posted by old4570 Quote
I sprayed a little deodorant on the cover/lid so as to defuse the light .. ( Hair spray works better I think , but I don't have any )
I think that's a good engineering. If you use a spray paint, you could event have a cheap gel in front of the diffuser. It will take eating some tzatziki, but you could have a set of colors pretty cheap.

I like to hack things like that: here's a 28mm prime https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/10-pentax-slr-lens-discussion/250380-got-...-prime-af.html .

11-05-2014, 07:23 PM   #8
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Very interesting. You've made some great images with these rigs. Thanks for posting!
11-05-2014, 07:44 PM   #9
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Wow

QuoteOriginally posted by starjedi Quote
Great write up! One thing is that if we put a macro converter into a 50mm macro( eg : pentax 50mm 2.8), what will happen?

Wow , I have done that ...
First of all , if its a 2x converter you will now have a 100mm lens ..
2nd , your aperture settings have doubled , so your f2.8 is now f5.6 ..
How much macro you have depends on how the adapter and lens interact .. ( Mechanics )


Most macro adapters are designed to be lens specific , or for a particular lens size ( lets call it 50mm ) ..


A lot of Macro lenses that are 1:2 , may have come with a 1:1 adapter
Then there are the adapters that convert standard lenses to macro ( usually for 50mm lenses ) , these are also usually 2x ...
There are a lot out there , to many to discus here ..


Lets talk about the Ricoh 2x Tele Macro adapter ..
It doubles the lens , it is also adjustable for macro all the way to 1:1 and is designed for normal 50mm lenses
Now if you were to throw a 1:1 macro lens on it , which I have done .
I cant say .
Why not ?
I have never done a side by side comparison ...
11-05-2014, 08:11 PM   #10
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A couple of questions; what is your favorite and why different set-ups?
11-05-2014, 08:53 PM   #11
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Um , I have no favourite ...
Different set ups because I like to play , experiment , and try something new .


I have never thought there was one way to do anything , and with macro I think there are more than 1001 ways of getting what you want ( Macro photo )
So in the spirit of doing it more than one way , Im doing it 4 ways . From Cheap cheap , to middle of the road $$ ( K50 + Tamron )
My old K100D package would maybe have been $200 or just over and it took decent pictures .


So I guess Im doing what I say , I talk the talk and walk the walk .
Im not saying something or preaching something and then not doing it myself .
But my main goal is to learn , as much as possible and Im not sure one camera , one set up is going to do it fast enough for me .
So IM doing it as many ways as I can afford , and Im changing things around every so often to try something different ..


The end game is Macro , as much macro as I can get and still have the subject in focus ( IM not into freezing insects and then under studio conditions taking 100 pictures and image stacking ) .
So ATM Im just trying to squeeze in as much learning as I can , and if any information I pass on helps some one else take better pictures , or understand that macro is relatively easy once you get the basics . And or that it does not have to be expensive , then I guess something worthwhile has been achieved .


I have gotten into writing , and hopefully I will have a beginners guide written before Christmas .
I did one on the kit lens , but I haven't seen too many pictures posted for the kit lens with a close focus filter ! ( ?????? ) I seem to be the only one that posts them from time to time just to show what can be done ...


You can lead them to water but you cant make them drink !
11-05-2014, 08:54 PM   #12
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QuoteOriginally posted by old4570 Quote
Um , I have no favourite ...
Different set ups because I like to play , experiment , and try something new .


I have never thought there was one way to do anything , and with macro I think there are more than 1001 ways of getting what you want ( Macro photo )
So in the spirit of doing it more than one way , Im doing it 4 ways . From Cheap cheap , to middle of the road $$ ( K50 + Tamron )
My old K100D package would maybe have been $200 or just over and it took decent pictures .


So I guess Im doing what I say , I talk the talk and walk the walk .
Im not saying something or preaching something and then not doing it myself .
But my main goal is to learn , as much as possible and Im not sure one camera , one set up is going to do it fast enough for me .
So IM doing it as many ways as I can afford , and Im changing things around every so often to try something different ..


The end game is Macro , as much macro as I can get and still have the subject in focus ( IM not into freezing insects and then under studio conditions taking 100 pictures and image stacking ) .
So ATM Im just trying to squeeze in as much learning as I can , and if any information I pass on helps some one else take better pictures , or understand that macro is relatively easy once you get the basics . And or that it does not have to be expensive , then I guess something worthwhile has been achieved .


I have gotten into writing , and hopefully I will have a beginners guide written before Christmas .
I did one on the kit lens , but I haven't seen too many pictures posted for the kit lens with a close focus filter ! ( ?????? ) I seem to be the only one that posts them from time to time just to show what can be done ...


You can lead them to water but you cant make them drink !
Do you have some macro pictures posted online? I would gladly see how do those home-made kits work.
11-05-2014, 08:55 PM   #13
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Was kind of wondering that myself. Unless of course it's just a love for that specific kind of gear. Or maybe always a work in progress, accumulating enough bits to build multiple rigs
11-05-2014, 11:29 PM   #15
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thanks
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