Magnification Filters Question

Ciaran187

Hi all

Want to do some macro photography. I will be the first person ever to get a picture of a drop of water on a tap and a fly on a flower etc etc.

Due to a lack of funds, I can't but a proper macro lens so I bought macro filters on ebay. They screw on the end of the lens like a filter and they are +1 +2 and +4. just waiting for the postman.

My question is about using them together. Can I stick all 3 on at once? Does it matter what order they are put on? Is there a "right way" to use them? Can you get more than +4? Can you get two sets and stick them all together?

Sorry if these are stupid questions. Still new to this!

Any general comments / tips on them would be greatly appreciated too.

Thanks

Nforce

I bought some Extension tubes off Ebay to mess about with macro photography. They're less than a tenner delivered.
Another option is to use a lens reverser...also pittance from ebay. The 50mm F1.8 is a handy lens for trying out these methods, unless you want to shell out for a dedicated macro lens.

dakar

You can stack the filters but I have to say that it doesn't do a lot for the image quality. I bought a set that included a +10 filter too and I don't use them often but they work pretty well on the front of a nifty fifty.

DOF is paper thin at wide apertures but I'm pretty sure that holds true for all dedicated macro lenses too. They're a great way to play with macro without making a huge investment in glass until you see if you will make use of a good quality lens. I'd love a Nikon 105mm VR but its well down the line and even more so now that the tax man has pocketed a good chunk of my disposable income

Anouilh

Ciaran187 wrote: »

Due to a lack of funds, I can't but a proper macro lens so I bought macro filters on ebay. They screw on the end of the lens like a filter and they are +1 +2 and +4. just waiting for the postman.

My question is about using them together. Can I stick all 3 on at once? Does it matter what order they are put on? Is there a "right way" to use them? Can you get more than +4? Can you get two sets and stick them all together?

...

Any general comments / tips on them would be greatly appreciated too.

Thanks

I bought a Diopter 4+ and found it very good. Stacking, as has been pointed out, increases the layers of glass and can add softness.
I bought the screw-in filter through Gunns in Wexford Street and it had to be ordered in but it was incredibly reasonably priced... under 13 euro. I have to admit that since I got a lens with a macro setting I have used the diopter less, but this is the sort of photo it makes:

http://fiveprime.org/hivemind/Tags/diopter,%20photographedublin

I used a small travel tripod in each case, as photographing flowers calls for precision.

Best of luck with this. If you go to the Botanic Gardens it is very pleasant to take photos in the conservatories and glasshouses, out of the wind and rain. The plants there are in top condition.

Also this group could be useful for more tips:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/poor_mans_macro/