Back to Macro Photography - Close Up/Diopter Lens

When I started this blog one of my first articles was on explaining what a macro lens is. http://shutterology.blogspot.com/2006/06/understanding-and-buying-macro-lens.html

Since then I have changed cameras and am now with my new Nikon D80. The one problem most photography enthusiasts face is the high cost of equipment. So I decided to take my attempts at Macro photograhy in small steps.

I started by purchasing a cheap set of Tiffen close up lens of +1, +2, and +4 diopters. These lens are like filters that help you focus in closer. They are NOT true macro lens and the image quality you get is not necessarily that good. However they do have some advantages:

• For less than $50 these diopter lens are not a bad way to start looking at objects from up close.
• They do not reduce the amount of light going through.

Since the close up lens/filters let you focus in closer, i.e., distance from object, you can get a larger image. Be careful though. In some cases I was way too close to the subject. While taking pictures of a bee I was stung a few times. Not fun!!!!!

Magnification attained by using a diopter lens is focal length of prime lens / focal length of diopter lens.

The focal length of a diopter lens is computed as 1000/diopter power. So a +2 diopter lens used on a 50 mm lens will give you a magnification M = 50/(1000/2) = 50/500 = 1/10 = 0.1X.

Stack a few diopter lens to get a total of +7 ( I used a +1, +2, +4) as I did for the pictures below and nwo you have M = 50/(1000/7) = 50/143 = 0.34X. Not too shabby for a $30-50 investment.

While I like the pictures above, I have a lot more to learn. A visit to any photography site will show you what amazing pictures can be taken using a Macro lens. Pictures from a Macro lens are not limited to little critters. Very fine potraits, pictures of water drops, dew, spider webs, flowers, etc can all be taken with a very unique perpective.

Based on the few pictures I have been taking and on what I have been reading up I realized that I need the following:

• A good tripod.
• A good flash (lighting is essential to all photography, Macro photography is no exception)
• A good Macro lens or other lens that can be used as a macro by reversing them (more on this later)

In following posts I plan to write about my experience and analysis in acquiring this equipment followed by my experience using it.

Whats been going on?

I have been quiet for a while. Mostly because I am trying to learn about the Nikon D80 before I go ahead and try to learn some advanced photography. Knowing how your camera works is critical.

In the mean time I am also reading up on macro photography. I had written a little in teh past about macro lenses. This is a subject I will be returning to very soon. In addition to Macro lenses I will talk about other options for doing Macro photography. A macro lens can be quite expensive.

More later ...