Macro equipment for better than 1:1

[jaybie]

I have been reading a thread on macro over on the fungi forum which raised a couple of questions for me.

I have a Nikon 105VR micro which will produce good images at 1:1. If I want to go beyond that to 2:1 or even 3:1 I see my options as bellows, tubes, lens "filters" e.g. +2/3 dioptres for the front of the lens or reversing rings using e.g a 50mm.

It would also be possible to fit an teleconverter but I am not sure how this would improve on the macro capability but would increase the distance from subject. It would have a big impact on DoF though.

Years ago I played with bellows and reversing rings but never got on with the bellows at all, I just seemed unable to get decent images - my poor abilities I suspect.

Nikon fit tubes e.g. Kenko DG which will keep the metering seem to be the way to go. What do you think?

Thanks, JohnB

[slimrbp]

Hi John,

I have used a teleconverter on my Canon 100mm macro and it does work well. When you fit a teleconverter my understanding is that the minimum focussing distance is unaffected so with a 1.4x converter you effectively get a 1.4:1 ratio. The downsides are potentially reduced image quality (and to be fair I haven't noticed any) and the loss of a stop of light.

As I mostly photograph insects this is my preferred option as using extention tubes would mean I would need to get closer and that isn't always an option.

However I suspect that fungi are less skittish and extention tubes would be a good option no extra glass so image quality should remain the same.
I have a set of Jessops ones (second hand from a well known auction site) and have had no issues with them.

It might be worth trying to find some specs for your lens as they may list the magnification increase you get when using them (for example on the Canon site it tells me that 25mm of extention would give me approx 1.4:1 on the 100mm).

[Jim Ford]

Luis Florit in Brazil often uses a Raynox supplementary lens on a telephoto, to produce some great macros:

http://w3.impa.br/~luis/fotos/0912_m...+R1_33523a.jpg

(Sorry mods. - it's an external link but topical and well worth posting!)

Jim

[jaybie]

Originally Posted by slimrbp

Hi John,

It might be worth trying to find some specs for your lens as they may list the magnification increase you get when using them (for example on the Canon site it tells me that 25mm of extention would give me approx 1.4:1 on the 100mm).

Thanks for the info Richard. I have done a bit of searching and found a couple of calculations and it turns out that with 68mm of extension this would give me a magnification of 1.65:1. I thought it might have been a bit more.

The only thing that worries me is the 105VR is heavy at 790g and whether or not this will pull on the contacts of the rings when they are stacked.

Originally Posted by Jim Ford

Luis Florit in Brazil often uses a Raynox supplementary lens on a telephoto, to produce some great macros:

Jim

Thanks for the link Jim. I have seen the Raynox setup but have always been put off for use on the 105VR as I think that the attaching system will reduce the usable area of the lens because of significant vignetting. I could be wrong of course.

JohnB

[FungiJohn]

Hi John

I've looked at this in the past and the newer version is very tempting indeed

Digital SLR Camera Fits Into Nikon's Microscope -- Tech-On!

If only my wife would share the same view

John

[jaybie]

Looks an intriguing option John, it says from the link released 2009 but I can't seem to find much about it. I wonder how well it would operate in the field though.

BTW I can see your wife's point - a bit costly

JohnB

[squishy]

at 105mm, i'm not sure if you'll get vignetting with a raynox.

Asuming you're mounting on an 1.4 crop, your 105 is actually giving a focal length of about 150mm, so you might get away with very minimal vignetting.

I know eeyore doesn't get vignetting like I do