|
Forum: Pentax Camera and Field Accessories
04-27-2019, 04:12 PM
|
| |
FYI: The Raynox 150 will double your working distance.(about 8 inches instead of about four inches) although obviously with less magnification if used on a lens of the same focal length
|
|
Forum: Pentax Camera and Field Accessories
04-09-2019, 06:05 AM
|
| |
Three images below:
1) Old (1980's) Tamron 28-105mm with Raynox 250, @ 105mm, focus to infinity
2) Tamron @ 105mm & Raynox, lens to closest focus
3) Pentax 200mm f4 SMCA lens with Raynox 150, focus @ infinity.
All shot @ f8 (I used this as standard during the testing in the belief it would give the best possible results from each lens. No sharpening applied PP, but some exposure adjustment
BTW: The Raynox do not work equally well on all lenses nor at all zoom settings. For example, when used on a Pentax 70mm f2.4, there was severe vignetting. I also tested an old (1980's) Tamron 70~300 zoom. The Raynox worked well @ 70mm, but was totally unacceptable @ 300mm.
|
|
Forum: Pentax Camera and Field Accessories
04-09-2019, 05:46 AM
|
| |
Also remember this: A close up lens reduces the focus distance (=front of lens to subject) by a specific amount regardless of the focal length of the lens. So a Raynox 150 will provide a much higher magnification when attached to a long FL lens, or a zoom lens out at it's long end, than it will on a normal focal-length lens. On the other hand, the effect of an extension tube is just the opposite. With a short focal length lens a tube will give high magnification, but on a long FL lens the magnification with the same extension tube will be much less. IF you are attempting macro with a zoom lens, this means that a close-up filter is far more convenient because when you zoom, the subject will stay close to in focus, but with an extension tube behind a zoom lens, if you change focal length the subject will go wildly out of focus and will almost certainly require moving your camera back to re-achieve focus.
|
|
Forum: Pentax Camera and Field Accessories
04-07-2019, 06:33 AM
|
| |
I will +10 or more for investing in a Raynox close-up unit. If you have a lens that will accept 52 t0 62mm filters, the Raynox IS BY FAR the least expensive, simplest, and most satisfactory way to start close-up and macro photography. A good quality prime lens is best, but the Raynox will give amazing results with many zoom lenses. I did extensive testing of the Raynox against some really good macro lenses (Tokina 90mm f2.5, Pentax SMCA ED 200mm f4, Pentax 50mm f2.8 A) and to my surprise, the Raynox provided IQ that was seriously competitive. Go to the Raynox images thread, or look at some of the macros posted by noelcmn. RAYNOX IS BY FAR THE BEST WAY TO START MACRO, AND YOU MAY NEVER WANT NOR FIND ANYTHING BETTER OR MORE CONVENIENT.
AFTERTHOUGHT: Do not be tempted by the widely available 3 lens close filter sets. They are no where near as good as the achromatic Raynox units. Canon and Marumi offer achromatic close-up filters in numerous thread sizes, and the quality is very good but no better than the Raynox, generally more expensive, and not as convenient as the Raynox multi-thread size pinch-and-mount adapter. I have been doing Macro since purchasing Spiratone extension tubes for my Asahi Pentax S back about 1959, and using dedicated macro lenses since my Takumar 50mm f4 pre-set purchased in the early 1960's, and in my experienced opinion, the Raynox units are just plain amazing for something so inexpensive and easy to use.
|
