close up filters

chris954

chris954

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pretty obvious really.
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anybody used them? thinking about getting some but im not convinced theyre going to be that good.
 
They are one option of many cheap ways to do macro.....

Magnifying diopter filter
Reversing ring
Rings
Bellows
Raynox

the Filters are VERY cheap but they are the cheapest to use too. They do cause a bit of distortion but sometimes the effect can be quite nice. I did have a few images of an orchid using them (using Mrs_C's one) but it is not as good as using a macro lens.
 
i've started doing product photography and when taking photo's of smallish objects (the ipod shuffle for instance) i tried out a set of my mates close up filters and they were good for getting much closer and filling the frame.

i am still planning on getting either a tamron 90mm f2.8 macro or sony 100mm f2.8 macro but for now these filters can do.

hope this helps.
 
Get the higher quality ones like the Canon 250D/500D (or the old Nikon ones).

A few here seem to like the Raynox ones but not tried those.

Look in the tutorials section as there's an overview of the different options for macro and some of the pros and cons of each.
 
I got a cheapo set from flEaBay to use with my G1. Only had the one play around with them (pic below) and they seem OK-ish I suppose - not great but for 8 quid I suppose I can't grumble.

IIRC, this was a x10 and a x4 stacked on the G1 kit lens..

4758705938_b27ca65d23.jpg
 
I have a set of Kood ones that were about £30 maybe 5 years ago. They're fun and for the price I don't think that you can go wrong. I'd say buy some.
 
They can be OK - I wouldn't bother going for cheap versions of high dioptre ones though, they get very soft. The cheap low dioptre ones are OK - I think this was taken with a +2.

3805065138_6214b446f9_z_d.jpg
 
I've recently bought a cheapo set from ebay too, stil getting to grips with it. kind of thought it was an easy way to see if i wanted to fork out on a macro lens in the future
 
Dunno about cheap ones being soft. My sub £30 Kood set are sharp enough in the centre at least.

kh21.jpg


These things are never going to be as good as a macro lens so actually...I'd recommend a cheapo set over a more expensive set :lol:
 
They're supplementary close-up lenses, not filters (as they don't filter anything). They're generally pretty cheap and dead easy to use, but as always you get what you pay for.

Cheap uncoated ones are not great, but the expensive Canon 250D and 500D coated doublets are very good. Also, the stronger they are, the less good they are optically but of course you can get much closer with them.

The Raynox DCR-250 is basically a glorified close-up lens, but it's very strong at +8 dipoters and is a high quality coated triplet construction. For £40 (Amazon) it's a brilliant way to get started in macro, and it may be all you need. Goes well on any lens over about 50mm and is very versatile on something like 50-200 zoom with a range of magnifications down to about 1:1 (close up of a fly). A few thousand images on Flickr here http://www.flickr.com/groups/raynoxdcr250/

For bigger stuff like flowers, around +3 is all you really need. Hoya (and others) make decent coated ones. There's also a less strong Raynox DCR-150 which 4.8 diopters.
 
Yes, they are lenses and not filters but they are generally referred to as filters and if you look at the Kood website they are listed under "filters." I've no idea why this is the case, but "filters" is what some people and companies call them.
 
woof woof said:
Yes, they are lenses and not filters but they are generally referred to as filters and if you look at the Kood website they are listed under "filters." I've no idea why this is the case, but "filters" is what some people and companies call them.
Click to expand...

True enough ;) And if you call them close-up filters everyone knows what you mean. I think they're referred to as filters as they screw into the 'filter thread' of the lens.
 
Raynox DCR250 :thumbs: I love mine. it works great and give some super-sharp images.
 
"I think they're referred to as filters as they screw into the 'filter thread' of the lens."

Yup. Might just be as simple as that.
 
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