Screw on lenses - anyone using them?

[David Mitchell]

Hi all,

I have bought some of those screw on Macro lenses for my current lens, I know they aren't as amazing as the dedicated macro lenses but I was just wondering what people thought of them.

I just have a set of the basic sort - had a bit of cash left over on an Amazon voucher so decided to give it a go!

 

[Larry Bolch]

If you are referring to close-up lenses that install like filters, they can be very useful. My 150mm Bronica ETR lens was ideal as a portrait lens, except it would not focus close enough for a tight head shot. A 0.25× and 0.50× fixed that. As per sharpness, no editor complained and many shots with this rig were published.

The can be used on any lens, which is good. However, most lenses have a curved field and close-up lenses do nothing to flatten it. True macro lenses at least approach flat-field. When photographing normal three dimensional subject matter, the curvature in not noticed. However, when photographing something like a stamp or a chart, the centre can be very sharp, but the corners–not so sharp. Some excellent lenses may be downgraded by reviewers who only test them on flat resolution charts.

 

[Pete Askew]

Yes, I occasionally use them and agree with Larry that in the right circumstance they are useful. Some lenses are even designed to be used with such (usually dedicated lenses) accessory lenses such as the Zeiss Tessovar (http://www.realphotographersforum.c...nt/4309-technical-imaging-zeiss-tessovar.html) and the Nikon Medical lenses (http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/companies/nikon/nikkoresources/special/250medical.htm).

Have fun.

 

[David Mitchell]

Thanks for your comments guys, I just thought I would get them to give them a go, I did see some screw on wide angle adaptors but they almost acted like a fish eye which I didn't really like the look of. I will take some photos with these screw on adaptors and see what they are like, I know you can also get extension tubes as well. Im just going to have some fun with photography and have a go at different aspects to see what I enjoy the most - before going out and buying more shiny lenses no doubt!

My mum is a laboratory technician and I know that they got themselves a Nikon lens for microscopes/macro photography, very expensive but very good lol it might have been the same lens as above actually

 

[David Mitchell]

The screw on rings have arrived so I took some really basic test shots, im using the standard 18-55 kit lens with my D3100, here are the results:

+1 ring

+2 ring

+4 ring

+10 ring

All of the rings screwed together

I can see what you mean about how the centre is sharp and then it starts to blur around the edges, I have also found that when not zoomed in you get a bit of vignetting around the edge.

Here are some photos of a few flowers with the maximum zoom I could get (and a shot showing vignetting)

Vignetting shot:

 

[Richard McMellon]

I use these & find them pretty useful. I can't quite afford a proper macro lens at the moment. Here's a shot taken with a 50mm prime lens with a +10


Philodromus (running) Crab Spider by Richard McMellon, on Flickr

I have cropped in a little.
I also use a x2 tele-converter coupled with a 50mm lens & a +2 or +4 which seems to work well.