Pixiq

Compact camera users these days have it much easier than DSLR users, when it comes to photographing at close quarters. Some compacts go as close as 1 cm from the subject, what is really close. Those SuperMacro options in the little cameras are the envy of many DSLR users.

Going the macro way with a DSLR means buying a macro lens. That is what you hear most of the time if you ask around. In the single lens reflex world a 100mm is not always a 100mm, and that puzzles a lot of people. In fact if you search in forums on the Web you find people asking why their 100 mm lens or something similar can not do the same as a 100mm a friend has. The difference, usually, is that the friend’s 100mm has a Macro written on the lens barrel. That means it is built to focus closer, and so opens the doors to another world. The problem is that a true macro lens costs… a lot of money.

Back in film days people used to turn their 50mm lens around, and either holding it by hand against the camera bayonet or using a special adapter, they discovered a way into the macro world.  Because nowadays zooms are the usual kit lenses, and the old 50mm lens is nowhere to be seen, people are not so easily aware of the trick, so they either go into their back account and… draw a lot of money from there for a true macro lens, or, mostly, give up and live with the close-up of their regular lenses and the somehow misleading “Macro” they can choose from their camera’s control dial (yes, it’s the flower symbol on the dial).

If you feel this is where you stand, my advice is simple: if you want to explore the world of macro but are not sure if it’s your cup of tea, start with baby steps and buy a set of close-up lenses. If you pick something like the set from Phottix which I used for this article, it costs you $ 27.75. Pair it with a cheap 50mm lens, like the Canon  f/1.8 old kit lens or similar for your brand of camera and suddenly, if you’re using an APS-C sensor camera, you’ve something that behaves like a 85mm f/1.8 (please spare me for your comments on crop factors a.s.o, not again…).

The pictures on this lizard chart (the lizard is a souvenir from the days LizardTech had Genuine Fractals) show what you can get in terms of magnification with the different diopters from the Phottix Macro Lens Filters or Close-up Lenses. While you may find you have some quality degradation, you have to agree it’s a cheap way into a funny world of possibilities. And that’s what photography is all about.

I am going to spare you from all the tech about using these things: you’ll find a lot on the web and trying them is the best lesson you can have. Just remember that when stacking, the stronger element shall be closer to the camera’s lens and that closing the aperture a bit, to around f/8, might offer the best results. The rest is up to you.

Just so you can compare, I’ve published a set of two photographs that show the same subject taken with a Canon EF-S 60mm  f/2.8 Macro and with a normal  EF 50mm f/1.8 with all the close-up lenses mounted. People might say this is a poor man’s macro, but for the price I think it’s a real bargain. It’s not the real thing but as a starting point, it’s a good option.