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**Wee man** · 18 February 2015, 09:35 PM

Re: Extension tubes or front of lens macro adaptor

You can use stepping rings to let you use to opteka on more than one lens.

**tomphotofx** · 18 February 2015, 10:00 PM

Re: Extension tubes or front of lens macro adaptor

Another consideration would be to purchase a reversing ring and connect one of your lenses to the front of another lens the magnification is very high.

Here is video clip that might inspire you.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqRn3at0H60"]An Introduction to High-Magnification Macro Photography - YouTube[/ame]

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVYtgJi2rLc"]Macro Reversing Ring - YouTube[/ame]

Tom

**Guest** · 18 February 2015, 10:05 PM

Re: Extension tubes or front of lens macro adaptor

I have some Kenko rings that allows normal control of the lens by the camera. The only down side is the loss of infinity focusing. However for most macro that's not an issue as you rarely shoot Macro and suddenly point the camera at the horizon!

Plus there's no cheap and nasty extra piece of glass to ruin the sharpness of your lovely lens.

**tomphotofx** · 18 February 2015, 10:19 PM

Re: Extension tubes or front of lens macro adaptor

Here is another video on macro photography which includes lots of tips which are inspirational.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUVLxbZtEPk"]#86 - Don Komarechka - Macro Photography - jpeg2RAW Photo Podcast - YouTube[/ame]

Tom

**alfbranch** · 18 February 2015, 10:47 PM

Re: Extension tubes or front of lens macro adaptor

The Raynox MCR250 is a good option

Here is a shot taken with a 4/3 40-150 MK1 lens with a minimum focus distance of 1.4m.

Hover-fly by alf.branch, on Flickr

Be warned macro is not easy whatever set you use at least not to start with. AF is hardly worth bothering with.

Lighting is as important as anything and here is the set up used for this shot. Thats a home made diffuser on a Nissin D i466 flash the white card shows the focus distance

[ame="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Raynox-DCR-250-Macro-Attachment/dp/B000A1SZ2Y/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1424299986&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=raynoc+DCR250"]Raynox DCR-250 Macro Attachment: Amazon.co.uk: Camera & Photo@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41V1inRMfBL.@@AMEPARAM@@41V1inRMfBL[/ame]

at 150 mm with raynox by alf.branch, on Flickr

**alfbranch** · 18 February 2015, 10:52 PM

Re: Extension tubes or front of lens macro adaptor

Kooka auto extension tubes are good and well priced

Micro Four Thirds Auto Extension Tube Set | SRB-Photographic.co.uk

http://srb-photographic.co.uk/micro-four-thirds-auto-extension-tube-set-7050-p.asp

The Micro Four Thirds Auto Extension Tube Set consists of two different sized extension tubes that fit a Micro Four Thirds camera and enable the lens to focus closer than its normal set-minimum focusing distance.

My personal preference is the Sigma 105 f 2.8 macro lens and tubes and the Raynox plus a another home made diffuser

This guy is about 1.5mm long

Dicyrtomina saundersi by alf.branch, on Flickr

**JohnGG** · 18 February 2015, 11:33 PM

Re: Extension tubes or front of lens macro adaptor

If you have a couple of lenses with similar sized filter threads a very cheap alternative is a M/M coupling ring to reverse one lens onto the front of another. I have several OM Zuiko lenses that use a 55mm filter thread so a 55-55mm M/M coupling ring allows me to try various combinations. You attach the longer focal length lens to the camera and reverse the shorter focal length one on the front to get magnification.

The higher the ratio of focal lengths, camera lens : front lens, the higher the magnification. I just has a quick play and putting a 35mm lens reversed onto the front of a 50mm allowed me to fit four of the "Smilies" on the message composition screen into the frame. Reversing a 21mm onto the front of a 200mm was ridiculous - I could only fit part of one smilie into the frame and I could easily see the separate red, green and blue blobs that made up each pixel on the screen

The problems with such high magnifications are a wafer-thin depth of field, a tiny lens to subject distance, the difficulty in lighting the subject with the lens so close and the difficulty of avoiding camera shake, the slightest tremor has the subject whizzing around the viewfinder

Cheers,

JohnGG

**David Morison** · 18 February 2015, 11:34 PM

Re: Extension tubes or front of lens macro adaptor

I have used the Opteka in several sizes (they are inexpensive enough to have several) with excellent results although having such high magnification they are more suited to FLs between 25 and 60mm. The advantage of using a front of lens adapter is that you don't need to remove the lens every time a macro opportunity pops up, they can be kept in a pocket and fitted in a few seconds. Try one, I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

David

**martyjward** · 19 February 2015, 07:25 AM

Re: Extension tubes or front of lens macro adaptor

Thanks everyone - lots of food for thought there and videos to watch. I'll digest it all and then make a decision. May take a while as I've been trying to decide on a backpack for months - I'll stop procrastinating tomorrow!

I was thinking of doing some more abstract / still life macro to start with before properly tackling plants and animals to get used to how it all works. At least the subjects shouldn't move so any problems will be down to technique.

**martyjward** · 27 February 2015, 04:07 PM

Re: Extension tubes or front of lens macro adaptor

Right....have ordered some extension tubes to start with. Probably end up with one of everything in the end....

I have ruled out the back to back lenses as the smallest physical lens I have is the 12-40 2.8 pro and all my leses are zooms. I might of considered it if I had a couple of short primes.

Just need to start shooting when they get here

**martyjward** · 9 March 2015, 02:23 PM

Re: Extension tubes or front of lens macro adaptor

So I after reading everyones comments (thank you

), I ordered a set of extension tube (10mm & 16mm) AND a Opteka for less than £28 on eBay (sold by 47th street).

Today I had the time to compare the two. Both are using my E-M1 and 12-40 pro. Below are a couple of test images I took, other than re-sizing straight out of the camera.

Opteka
f5.6 / 1/60sec @ 27mm and 10X Opteka

Extension Tube
f5.0 / 1/80sec @ 40mm and the 10mm extension tube

Not yet made up my mid which I prefer, although I am leaning towards the Opteka at the moment as you do not need to get as close (or as long length) allowing more flexibility. More experimentation required, although I suspect may even find I end up using both depending on the circumstances.

Haven't tried anything outside - far to breezy, everything is flying about in the viewfinder.

**David Morison** · 9 March 2015, 05:11 PM

Re: Extension tubes or front of lens macro adaptor

Looks to me that the Opteka is sharper but that may be a function of the DOF with a wider angle setting. The advantage I find is just screwing on the attachment and not having to remove the lens to set-up for macro, but the disadvantage of both compared to a macro lens is the inability to focus to infinity, although I would rarely need this if I'm in a "macro mood".

David

**martyjward** · 9 March 2015, 05:30 PM

Re: Extension tubes or front of lens macro adaptor

May also be my manual focusing

**blu-by-u** · 10 March 2015, 02:22 AM

Re: Extension tubes or front of lens macro adaptor

I went with the extension tube.
This is shot with the 35-100 with an extension tube and AF

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Extension tubes or front of lens macro adaptor

Extension tubes or front of lens macro adaptor

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