diy wicked cheap macro
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**ride5000** · 03-13-2008 03:22 PM

all you need is two lenses which are not the same focal length:

http://www.insecta.co.za/ZArticles/revers/revers.htm
http://www.slashgear.com/slashtips-h...ses-179079.php

i might actually try this out with some duct tape later...

**Colorblinded** · 03-13-2008 03:26 PM

I've played with this a few times myself. If you want a slightly nicer connection you can get filter thread adapters which will connect one thread to another.

**jacobsen1** · 03-13-2008 03:36 PM

wow, that second link is nice because they tell you exactly what you need to do this (threaded adapters)... and they show you the math to see what sort of magnification you'll get...

so with a 135 and 50 you get 135/50= 2.7:1
if I use the 85 it's 1.58:1 and with my 28mm it would be 4.8:1!!!
nice!!!

I wonder what sort of working distances this will yield?

**Geekybiker** · 03-13-2008 03:58 PM

Cool. I just need a cheap 100mm+ prime now..

**thomps6s** · 03-13-2008 04:53 PM

I have messed with this type of setup. The DOF is sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooo Shallow.

**jacobsen1** · 03-17-2008 11:39 PM

wow, these are fun to play with...

I picked up a 72->58 step down and a 58 to 58 macro coupler so I have a ton of options. The 28, 50 and 85 are all 58, and the 135 is 72. That image was taken with the 135 with the 85mm in front of it. Not sure on the distance, but I'd bet it was an inch or maybe two.

**SlvrScoobie** · 03-19-2008 05:35 PM

hmm i have a lens reversal mount in my bag, i totally forgot to disconnect the reversing ring and use i on another lens! Bonus! 100 macro + 50mm should be wicked fun!

**SlvrScoobie** · 03-19-2008 05:38 PM

nice thing with this is also you get an aperture...
The reversal thing I have flips the lens around, and you have to shoot everything wide open, not fun on a 1.8 :P

**chkltcow** · 03-20-2008 02:17 PM

Originally Posted by jacobsen1

wow, these are fun to play with...

I picked up a 72->58 step down and a 58 to 58 macro coupler so I have a ton of options. The 28, 50 and 85 are all 58, and the 135 is 72. That image was taken with the 135 with the 85mm in front of it. Not sure on the distance, but I'd bet it was an inch or maybe two.

Jesus Christ! Talk about razor-thin depth of field!

**Porter** · 03-20-2008 05:09 PM

Looks normal to me... of course, I look through stereomicroscopes all the time, so that's typical.

**distorto** · 03-22-2008 11:45 AM

awesome picture!

**jjswee** · 12-30-2008 08:49 AM

My roommate and I played with this and some cheapie old primes that we have sitting around. Point it at a LCD monitor to get RGB arrays!

Oh yeah... BUMP!

**ModernMuseum** · 12-30-2008 09:04 AM

You can also make a "super cheap" macro by purchasing a reverse mount for a prime. Mounting it backwards will yield a pretty damn nice (and big) zoom macro.

**Alchemy-Z** · 12-30-2008 10:05 AM

I played around with this a while back its pretty fun I actually could see the texture of the keys on my keyboard...it looked like the surface of the moon in the pic

**jacobsen1** · 12-30-2008 11:49 AM

Originally Posted by moduleum

You can also make a "super cheap" macro by purchasing a reverse mount for a prime. Mounting it backwards will yield a pretty damn nice (and big) zoom macro.

yeah, that's how I did mine.

**jjswee** · 12-30-2008 12:13 PM

Originally Posted by moduleum

You can also make a "super cheap" macro by purchasing a reverse mount for a prime. Mounting it backwards will yield a pretty damn nice (and big) zoom macro.

100mm, 135mm, 200mm?

The reverse mount yielded good results as the DOF wasn't a millimeter. But what lens should I pick? How does aperture play a role with reverse mount?

**ModernMuseum** · 12-30-2008 01:22 PM

Not sure, but I don't think the DOF is that shallow, but it depends on the focal length that you use. I think I saw it on Rockwell's site. Sorry I don't have more info on it...it's been a while since I came across it. I definitely want to try it though, so if you find out more info, post it up here!

**ModernMuseum** · 12-31-2008 05:41 AM

Ahh..here it is:

http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/663112

**ModernMuseum** · 12-31-2008 05:47 AM

fredmiranda...

Another good read:

http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/675134

**jjswee** · 12-31-2008 08:36 AM

I just purchased as EOS to 77mm reverse adapter for my Canon 10-22. It should be a pretty sick reverse macro, that is, if I can get any DOF. Maybe I should find a cheapie zoom lens to test it out.

Thanks for the link!

**PhatheadWRX** · 12-31-2008 08:49 AM

so is it better to reverse one lens, or stack one reversed behind the other.

I need to try this with my 100 macro (1:1) with the 10mm stacked backwards. Would that be a 10:1?

**jjswee** · 12-31-2008 09:23 AM

No idea French, but I know the other night my buddy went from a 250mm to a 24mm and we could see the RGB in the LCD screens. It was pretty absurd how magnified it was. The DOF was RAZOR thin tho. Oh, and really dark too. The LCD was the only thing with enough light.

**jacobsen1** · 12-31-2008 09:48 AM

whoa! Reading that link, it says JUST reverse a SINGLE lens and hold it to the front of the camera.... I just tried it and it actually works!

I'll have to see if I can find some interesting macro subjects to try this with, but yeah, that's pretty cool that just one lens flipped and held backwards like that works. I used my olympus 50mm 1.4, so I can actually control the aperture since it's got a ring.

**PhatheadWRX** · 12-31-2008 10:05 AM

yeah I just tried the flipped lens too. it rocks!!!

Ben, for non manual lenses, you can set the apature in Av, then hold DOF preview button and remove the lens. Then just set the lens to infinity focus.

I just tried my 50 1.4 and 28 1.8, the 28 was CRAZY close. Ben you need to try this with your 24L. NOW!

**PhatheadWRX** · 12-31-2008 10:35 AM

Originally Posted by http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?p=6345078

Never have found out an intelligible formula for working it out but know that for a lens around 30mm you will get about 3:1 and 50mm 1:1. Suspect the focus point for a reversed 18mm would be inside the front element.

So a 100mm macro lens will not give higher mag but will have longer working distance, but you can reverse the lenses onto the front of the macro lens.

I may need to get one of these. Would work on my 18-55, 28, 50, and 100

**jjswee** · 12-31-2008 10:37 AM

French - Do it with your wide angle. 10mm must be sick. Gonna try it when I get home. I still wanna get some cheapie prime once I figure out how much zoom I want to settle on.

I just bought that reversal adapter for 77mm. Coming from hong kong tho.

**PhatheadWRX** · 12-31-2008 10:39 AM

my concern is that @ 10mm focus may be inside the lens

A 3:1 reversed 28mm would be killer though...

**jacobsen1** · 12-31-2008 10:49 AM

yeah, I just did. the only issue I have is I don't have an L-bracket for the 5Dii yet, so it's hand held by desk light inside right now. 3200 helps, but still it's long exposures stopped down to ~f/11...

I'm thinking this is close to 1:1 though?

that's text from notepad on a FF frame (not cropping at all)...

**jjswee** · 12-31-2008 10:54 AM

Ben - do you stop it down to f11 to get a workable DOF?

I'm gonna have to figure out a way to light things. I DID order one of those flash sensors.

**PhatheadWRX** · 12-31-2008 11:04 AM

ben, is that with your 50 1.4? Looks similar to the magnification mine produced. I really want to see your 24mm.

about to pull the trigger on the EOS - 58mm adapter from Deal Extreme ($7) + 50 1.4 hood.

**jjswee** · 12-31-2008 11:06 AM

Dooo it!

**jacobsen1** · 12-31-2008 11:16 AM

weird, the exif does say 50mm, but it's the 24, @ f/11, flipped and focused to infinity.

**riderofbmx4130** · 12-31-2008 11:44 AM

hahahaha, i've done this with a flipped lens, it's sweet. i might have to buy that backwards mount

**PhatheadWRX** · 01-13-2009 07:40 PM

I got my 58mm filter reverse mount today. I really do need a LOT of light (flash) when using my 28mm @ f/11 reversed.

**jjswee** · 01-13-2009 07:55 PM

Good bump! I got my 77mm reverse mount for my 10-22. It can actually focus outside the lens at 10mm. Things are HUGE. I need more light too. I'll get a picture of a dime for size comparison.

**jjswee** · 01-13-2009 08:23 PM

Subject: A US Dime. Images are not cropped, only resized.

22mm Reverse Macro Canon 10-22

10mm Reverse Macro Canon 10-22

Lighting was just a 40watt desk lamp. Anyone have any idea how much macro this is?

**jjswee** · 01-13-2009 08:51 PM

More:

22mm Reverse Macro Canon 10-22 f10

10mm Reverse Macro Canon 10-22 f10

**Markitos** · 01-13-2009 09:00 PM

wowzers!

**riderofbmx4130** · 01-13-2009 09:03 PM

holy dimes batman!

**jjswee** · 01-13-2009 09:08 PM

My reverse macro adapter is stuck on my 30d. It turns as if it will come off, but where it should just fall off, its stuck on something near the flash. It wobbles freely at the bottom. I can't get it off.

**PhatheadWRX** · 01-13-2009 10:00 PM

^ uth oh.

Those shots are crazy. Hope you can get it off

**jjswee** · 01-13-2009 11:10 PM

It did come off. I kept turning it and it came off. The results are awesome! Question tho: How does the Reverse Macro compare to the extension tubes?

**Warus** · 01-14-2009 03:24 AM

I had a go today with crappy lighting because it's hot and I couldn't be bothered setting much up. DOF is pretty damn narrow but it does work sorta when you can hold the whole thing together.

**PhatheadWRX** · 01-14-2009 10:57 AM

Originally Posted by jjswee

Question tho: How does the Reverse Macro compare to the extension tubes?

I'd say your reversed 10mm is probably ~5-7 times magnification.

I don't think you're going to get that close with tubes.

edit: I just measured the date on a dime. Its about 3 mm. Your sensor is 22.2mm wide.

**jjswee** · 01-14-2009 12:25 PM

so thats like 7x? Wowza!

I need to find myself a ring light of sorts. When the aperture is small its really difficult to see through the viewfinder and get proper focus. I need something that does both general lighting (for the viewfinder) and a flash for the light for the exposure.

**PhatheadWRX** · 01-17-2009 12:17 PM

Here are two from my reversed 28mm, about 3x

I've found its very hard to meter at times with the reversed lens.

**jjswee** · 01-17-2009 02:08 PM

How much light are you using French? 1/200 with ISO 200?? I was using a 40 watt lamp plus two 40 watt lights in the ceiling and needing ISO1600 with 1/60s shutter speed. I think you have over 5 times the light I do. 200 watts? I guess that's easy. /ramble

**PhatheadWRX** · 01-17-2009 02:29 PM

430EX in ETTL, pointed down

**jjswee** · 01-17-2009 03:04 PM

Duh. I tried that too, but the mixed lighting was killing me. What about the light just to see the object? Reverse macro really hurts the light through the viewfinder.

**riderofbmx4130** · 01-25-2009 11:43 PM

50mm 1.8 held up backwards!
my input

#1

#2

that tiger is an inch tall and plastic lol

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