Video & Camera Equipment

Lens Reverse Adapters and Extension Tubes?

Okay, well I’m kind of a beginner with all this stuff… so would I be able to use a reverse adapter and extension tubes on my Canon 350D and my 58mm lense?

Which is better for macro shots?
Are they worth getting?
How much would you pay for them?
How much difference do they make compared to the normal lens?

I’m a student so I don’t really have money to get a proper macro lens.
I’d just like to hear your opinions of either reverse adopters and/or extension tubes.
Thank you..

Let’s start by clarifying that the objective for any of this stuff is to enable you to focus your camera on subjects that are closer to the front of your lens than is possible with the ordinary lens. And before leaping to a conclusion about which is ‘best’, you really need to decide how close you want to be able to focus. It is customary in the macro world to define closeness in terms of the reproduction ratio. 1:1 means that you are focusing at a distance such that the in-focus subject will be captured on film (or on the digital sensor) in full-size.

That said, the simplest and least expensive solution is to use close-up lenses, sometimes referred to as ‘diopters’ (because the strength is measured in an optical unit call a diopter, just like eye glasses). A close up lens will cost you about as much as a couple of grande latte’s at Starbucks. They have the advantage that they don’t absorb any light, so they don’t affect exposure. However, unless you go for really top quality (Nikon has some exceptional close-up lenses), they can introduce aberrations into your image. Whether this is important is up to you. You can easily find after-market brand closeup lenses with diopter ratings of 1 and 3. I’ve also see a few rated 5, and Edmund Scientific sells an unmounted lens (you have to provide a series ring to mount it on your camera) that is rated 10. As a practical matter, 1 and 3 are the only ones that make sense. You can’t get to 1:1 with these lenses, but you can get much closer than with a naked lens.. If you need to get closer, you really should be looking at options that offer better optical performance (less distortion).

Macro lenses and extension tubes perform the same basic function. The lens on a camera is focused by moving it further away from the film (or digital sensor). The ability to focus on subjects that are close to the camera (and therefore small) depends on how far the lens can be moved. So-called ‘macro’ lenses have focusing mounts that allow them to be moved further away than ordinary lenses. Traditionally, they may have also had additional corrections to improved optical performance when focused closely, but I wouldn’t automatically assume that to be the case with ordinary ‘macro zoom’ lenses. The typical macro zoom can get down to the 1:3 to 1:2 range, but can’t get all the way to 1:1. Canon may have specialist (read very expensive) macro lenses that can give you a 1:1 reproduction ratio.

Extension tubes perform the same basic function when you insert them between the camera body and the lens. Obviously, extension tubes come in fixed lengths (normally, they come in sets of three that can be used in various combinations) and when they are in place, you will lose the ability to focus at infinity. Extension tubes also absorb light – if you insert an extension tube that is equal in length to the focal length of the lens, you will need to increase exposure by two stops. Extension tubes have the advantage that they are usually a bit less expensive than a macro lens. Also, the optical performance with extension tubes is controlled by the lens – you aren’t inserting any additional glass into the optical path. Extension tubes are a practical option if you want to work in the 1:1 range, or perhaps even slightly closer. Look for extension tubes that allow you to retain the automatic exposure capability of your camera and lens.

By the way, at least one aftermarket manufacturer offers a teleconverter with a removable lens cell. This can be used either as a teleconverter (to simulate a longer focal length lens) or a single length extension tube.

One thing to be concerned about with any of these solutions is working distance – as you approach a 1:1 reproduction ratio, the front of the lens is getting close to the subject. One of the really attractive features of tubes is that you can use a longer lens to get more working distance. My favorite lens with tubes is a 100mm lens originally intended for portraiture.

Finally, there is the matter of reversing rings. This is probably not a good answer even though reversing rings are probably the cheapest of the options you identified. A reversing ring is simply a brass or aluminum ring with male threads on both faces. One set of threads screws into the lens on your camera, while the other set screws into the female threads on a second lens. The best arrangement is to use a longer focal length lens as the prime lens (say 100mm), and then mount a shorter focal length lens in reverse on its end. This is a solution that can easily get you well beyond 1:1 with reasonable optical quality. But obviously, if you don’t have the money for a second lens, then buying the reversing ring won’t accomplish much.

Final point: when working in macro, you want to disable the autofocus feature in your camera. You can focus manually, but a better solution is to focus by moving the entire camera toward or away from the subject

Packing the Gear Lapse.

Fotodiox 52mm Filter Thread Lens, Macro Reverse Ring Camera Mount Adapter, for Nikon D1, D2, D3, D3x,D3s, D100, D200, D300, D300s, D700, D40, D40x, D50, D60, D70, D70s, D80, D90, D3000, D3100, D5000, D7000 $7.95 By mounting the lens backward on a camera body, you can create amazing macro images. It is extremely fun to turn you lens into a macro lens….

Fotodiox 58mm Filter Thread Lens, Macro Reverse Ring Camera Mount Adapter for Canon EOS 1d,1ds,Mark II, III, IV, 5D, Mark II, 7D, 10D, 20D, 30D, 40D, 50D, 60D, Digital Rebel xt, xti, xs, xsi, t1i, t2i, 300D, 350D, 400D, 450D, 500D, 550D, 1000D $6.75 By mounting the lens backward on a camera body, you can create amazing macro images. It is extremely fun to turn you lens into a macro lens….

Fotodiox 52mm Filter Thread Lens, Macro Reverse Ring Camera Mount Adapter, for Canon EOS 1d,1ds,Mark II, III, IV, 5D, Mark II, 7D, 10D, 20D, 30D, 40D, 50D, 60D, Digital Rebel xt, xti, xs, xsi, t1i, t2i, 300D, 350D, 400D, 450D, 500D, 550D, 1000D $6.25 By mounting the lens backward on a camera body, you can create amazing macro images. It is extremely fun to turn you lens into a macro lens….

MLA-DC1 Macro Lite Adapter For G1X $29.95 The Canon MLA-DC1 Adapter is used to connect the macro ringlight MT-14EX or MT-24EX to the PowerShot G1 X digital camera. The ringlight helps to direct soft, even light onto small subjects when photographing at a short distance.

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Pro Series Reverse Keyboard Adapter – keyboard adapter $4 Belkin Pro Series Reverse Keyboard Adapter – Keyboard adapter – 5 pin DIN (M) – 6 pin PS/2 (F) – molded

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EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM Lens $979 Canon’s newest L series lens is its first mid-telephoto macro lens to include Canon’s sophisticated Image Stabilization. With the highest quality optics available, combined with near-silent Ultrasonic focusing and life-size close-up capabilities without an adapter, the EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM is simply unrivalled.

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Rv-320C – Reverse Adapter 15-30 $12.52 [6446520] UPC: 016356083314 6L x 4W x 6.8H 0.3 LB 0.09 Cubes

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Belkin Pro Series Keyboard Adapter Reverse 5pin DIN(M) 6pin PS/2(F) F2N018 $13.53 Belkin Pro Series Keyboard Adapter Reverse 5pin DIN(M) 6pin PS/2(F) F2N018

SCOSCHE NDAKB Nissan Diversity Antenna Adapter Kit NDAKB $25.08 Nissan Diversity Antenna Adapter Kit standard and reverse.

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SCOSCHE NDARB Nissan Diversity Reverse Antenna Adapter NDARB $21.18 Factory antenna adapter for select 19872006 Nissan vehicles. Converts standard Motorola female to OEM Nissan male. Use when replacing factory antenna.

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Mda-Rb – Scosche Antenna Adapter (Reverse) $7.46 [T49961] UPC: 033991134195 UNSPC: 26121609 3.25L x 2W x 0.5H 0.04 LB

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