macro lens or revese adaptor

[Rebel t3i]

should I get a dedicated macro lens such as the ef 100 f2.8 macro
or just use the Hong Kong reverse adapter rings and my normal lenses

 

[IW-Photography]

Watching this with interest, i have the same decision to make.

 

[Rebel t3i]

never mind watching give me some help roflol
I've ordered some rings anyway as they are not alot of money
what I don't get is that quite a few of my lenses say macro on them but they aren't a true macro lens what ever one of them is

 

[mrodgers]

You can get some pretty good results with cheap reversing rings, so probably worth getting some of them to fit your lenses first, then invest in a proper macro lens later on if you decide you want one

 

[Rebel t3i]

You can get some pretty good results with cheap reversing rings, so probably worth getting some of them to fit your lenses first, then invest in a proper macro lens later on if you decide you want one

got the rings coming from china or Hong Kong can't remember which so will give it a whirl
still not sure why my lenses say macro but aren't real macro lenses

 

[alet]

still not sure why my lenses say macro but aren't real macro lenses

Ive seen the same thing on some zoom lenses. It seems to me that just means they can focus closely (well, closer than average non-macro lenses).

 

[Dogfish_magnet]

Reversing rings are a pain in the ass.......................
You can't control aperture and your cannon lens don't have an aperture ring, so you need to faf about using DOF preview and detaching the lens from the body at the same time to force the lens to any other aperture than wide open, and you end up with a dark viewfinder due to small aperture & usable DOF or bright viewfinder due to large aperture and no DOF !. If you have a prime lens try some auto tubes or if you have the budget a used ef 100 can be had for around £280-£300.

 

[Rebel t3i]

Reversing rings are a pain in the ass.......................
You can't control aperture and your cannon lens don't have an aperture ring, so you need to faf about using DOF preview and detaching the lens from the body at the same time to force the lens to any other aperture than wide open, and you end up with a dark viewfinder due to small aperture & usable DOF or bright viewfinder due to large aperture and no DOF !. If you have a prime lens try some auto tubes or if you have the budget a used ef 100 can be had for around £280-£300.

thanks for that
I can now confirm that your are completely correct you could have answered earlier
rings arrived on Monday so after a bit of testing I have worked out that they are a pain
the extension tubes are the better option and value for money
also got a macro lens coming
you could have told me earlier
so peeps if you want to do macro make it a big job on the cheap get the reverse adaptors
if you want to give it a whirl for a reasonable cost get the extension tubes
if you have the budget and want to do macro with less faffing get a propr macro lens
alternatively you can do what I did and waste some money to work it out yourself lol

 

[Nod]

Hyper cheap option - bodge Cokin rings effectively exactly the same effect as reversing rings and possibly even more expensive than Chinese e-bay "proper" reversing rings.
A set of macro tubes (even the very cheap ones will do - no glass in them to cause image degradation) won't break the bank
and they can also still be used when you finally make the right decision (as long as you can afford it) to purchase the dedicated macro lens. At the moment, I use a Tamron 90mm f/2.8 macro and will be sticking to ~ 100mm when I upgrade it to a Nikkor 105 and, as a FF user, I find that focal length close to ideal for portraits although on Dx bodies it makes the working distace a bit long.
I would have answered earlier but I have been having a hardware fault rectified - should have gotten them to upgrade my memory - especially for names. I shall be eternally embarassed for having to ask the nurses repeatedly to repeat their names and even then getting them wrong within minutes.
BTW, a surprisingly high proportion of the female staff seem to have DSLRs with the male nurses hapy with compacts.

 

[Tonto]

got the rings coming from china or Hong Kong can't remember which so will give it a whirl
still not sure why my lenses say macro but aren't real macro lenses

Marketing They should really be called close ups, not macro. Proper true macros are 1:1 ratio and closer, like 1.5:1 , 2:1, 2.5:1 etc

Remember that with Extension tubes, you will have to move closer to the subject, so depending on what lens you mount them to, you may be touching your subject with the objective element.

Forgive me if you already knew this !

 

[Rebel t3i]

Marketing They should really be called close ups, not macro. Proper true macros are 1:1 ratio and closer, like 1.5:1 , 2:1, 2.5:1 etc

Remember that with Extension tubes, you will have to move closer to the subject, so depending on what lens you mount them too, you may be touching your subject with the objective element.

Forgive me if you already knew this !

no need for forgiveness any advice is really appreciated it also helps other members
I now have all the variants for macro so will be testing and trying variations on different lenses

 

[Tonto]

I've not used reverse mount rings Tony, but a Thai togger i know uses one to great effect. I wont post his photos directly, as not sure if this is frowned upon, but links provided instead.

They were all shot with a cheapo 28mm Sigma + reverse ring and Pentax K20D. A couple with a Tamron TC 1.4


These are Zeeks photos


http://photo-sharing.winsoftmagic.c...D=FP&ID1=b99v51bb&PID=gw9zssb6&FID=sehd27cww6

http://photo-sharing.winsoftmagic.c...D=FP&ID1=b99v51bb&PID=gw9zssb6&FID=s6clddcgke

http://photo-sharing.winsoftmagic.c...D=FP&ID1=b99v51bb&PID=gw9zssb6&FID=0mcsbm7mjc

http://photo-sharing.winsoftmagic.c...D=FP&ID1=b99v51bb&PID=gw9zssb6&FID=nh97ntozqp


Myself, I have used both Ext. Tubes and true macro lenses, and a lot of it comes down to the photographer

 

[Rebel t3i]

nothing wrong with the image quality of reverse ringing your lens it's just a lot of faffing in comparison but seriously cheaper
going to test out this weekend my 105 macro with extensions and reverse adapters and see what i get

 

[Tonto]

Absolutely.

Ext tubes and / or gen you whine Macro lens is much easier.

 

[Nod]

Nikkor ordered in for collection from bricks and mortar next week. Same price as UK web stores (non discount ones like WEX) and no P&P to pay or waiting around for carriers to post the card through the door!