Your shots with the Raynox DCR250

So I bought a Raynox 250 to play with when I don't have time to go further than the garden. I'm still just figuring it out and getting used to using a flash but so far it seems like a lot of fun. Here are some of my results so far:

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Some great shots on this thread, I didn't know it was so popular!
I used to get some nice results with this lens on my fuji s200exr bridge camera with its big 400 and something mm lens, I have too many to post here, but I have been surprised how useful it has even been on my new Nikon D3200 with just a 18-55 kit lens! I wish I kept better care of mine, the lens isn't in the best of nick.


Tadpole by Billy Clapham, on Flickr

(think this ones over sharpened now i look at it)

Bejeweled layers by Billy Clapham, on Flickr


Snowdrops by Billy Clapham, on Flickr


Reef worker by Billy Clapham, on Flickr
 
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Thanks - not many comments on here but nearly 3200 views and explored on Flickr.
 
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Hi,

New member here. I've had the Raynox 250 for a while now and I can't seem to get anything decent out of it. I know it's entirely my technique thats to blame, so I wondered if anyone could give me any pointers? I'm using a Nikon D3200, my Tamron 18-270mm lens and the Raynox 250. I've got the F above 22 and I seem to get OK images, but when I check them on the PC they're always lacking detail and have a deal of noise. Do you think it's simply a light issue? I've got my ISO down as far as I know, but the images seem to be noisy.

Any help would be greatly appreciated, and I'd love to be able to get images like those I see on here. Especially handheld.

Thanks,

James
 
I find that if I use it on my 70-300 beyond about 100mm the DOF is unusable unless you are at a massive f-stop. A ring-flash is definitely the way forward to get the light necessary for lower ISO and prevent some of the graining. Or remote flash.
 
Especially when using small apertures to get a lot of DOF you need a lot of light on the scene, which is why many people use flash for some or all of their close-up and macro work. You may find it helpful to look through the Show us Your Macro Rig thread. It might be a ring flash, or the on-camera flash, a flash on the camera hot shoe, or off the camera. In some circumstances there are other tools such as reflectors and (non-flash) diffusers which can be useful.

The alternatives to adding light to the scene are to use (some combination of) slow exposures, high ISOs or larger apertures. Some problems associated with these are, respectively, blurred images from subject movement or hand-shake, noise, and narrow DOF. Flash is not without its own problems, such as areas of the background sometimes going very dark or black (which some people don't like the look of, but other people don't mind), and sometimes a very different rendition of the light and colours in a scene compared to natural light.

I think we each need to explore and find combinations of kit, capture techniques and post processing that suit our particular subject matter, abilities, aesthetic sensibilities, and pockets.

Flash is one option (which I use for perhaps half or so of my close-up work), but I wouldn't write off others such as higher ISOs (coupled with suitable post processing) and slow exposures, both of which I use, depending on the circumstances. You may be advised to use larger apertures because of loss of sharpness and detail from diffraction with smaller apertures, but FWIW I routinely use f/22 - f/32 to get as much dof as I can. There is a trade-off between dof and sharpness, and views vary greatly as to which is more important. It is though, I think, a matter of personal taste.
 
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Got any samples, James, so that we can take a look ?

Regarding noise, are you sure you're not on auto ISO ? This may explain things if you're shooting at f22

My kit is simple - d7000 ( used to use a d3100 ), 70-300VR, raynox, sb400 flash with a diffuser. The cost of the flash and diffuser was £75 I think.

I tend to shoot at f14-f18 and either 1/200s or 1/250s ( I think the quickest you can use will be 1/200s )


baby ball by damianmkv, on Flickr


sitting on the fence by damianmkv, on Flickr
 
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Well new to the site and these shots have certainly inspired me.. Took delivery of my Raynox 250 today and immediately whacked it onto my Canon 70-200 F4. Test shots are no where near up to putting on here, but once I feel confident I'll be putting some up. But first impressions are very positive, did the mandatory flies eyes, hairs, wings etc and clarity was pretty good. Just need to sort the flash diffuser out, but impressed with everyone on this forum and their willingness to share and help...:ty:
 
hillwalkinggirl said:
Great set of photos but I think you were very brave to get that close up. What lens did you use the Raynox on?
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These were all taken with the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 macro USM, non L version (the wife to be won't let me spend that much!), with the Raynox on the front and mounted flash with diffuser card down in TTL mode.
 
I hope it's ok to resurrect this old thread, mainly because I love looking at everyone's photos. I've been using close-up filters for a while and invested in a Raynox DCR-250 this week. Had a very frustrating day in the garden yesterday where I just couldn't get to grips with it at all, so after reading some tips on the internet last night I decided to have another go this morning and think I'm starting to get there. Anyway, without further ado - Wasp!

Social Wasp by Sarah Mnstr, on Flickr
 
I have a ring flash, but didn't use it on this one. I'd just grabbed the camera and the Raynox to try out what I'd been reading about and caught the wasp snoozing on the compost bin. After I'd taken these I ran back in for the flash, but typically she'd gone by the time I'd got back outside.

Stunning photos by the way! Do you always use the Raynox with a macro lens?
 
I used to use mine with a Nikon 70-300vr, then changing to Olympus and bought a macro lens which I sold yesterday as I wasn't using it at all.

I still have the dcr-250 but I don't have a flash anymore...maybe I'll get back into it at some stage
 
You should - you've managed to capture some very cool things.

I am very tempted by a macro lens, but am trying to be sensible and learn to use what I've got first!
 
here is a shot with my Raynox on a Olymus 4/3 MK1 40-150 f3.5- 4.5 with a minimum focus distance of 1.4 m shot at 150mm f13 using flash

Hover-fly by Alf Branch, on Flickr

Here is a shot of the set up the card shows the minimum focus distance. I no longer have this lens but I have a m4/3 40-150 f4-5.6.

at 150 mm with raynox by Alf Branch, on Flickr
 
Wow! Those are both incredible shots. How do you manage to sneak up on the insects with the tripod etc? Or do you set up in a likely spot and wait for something to come along?
 
sarah_mnstr said:
Wow! Those are both incredible shots. How do you manage to sneak up on the insects with the tripod etc? Or do you set up in a likely spot and wait for something to come along?
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Sorry Sarah but the tripod is only used to hold the camera to take a picture of the setup.

I do not use a tripod for macro shots.
 
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