Nikon D40 Up Close Filter

I just got a Nikon D40 with the kit 18-55mm Lens and the 55-200mm VR lens and just getting used to it and all that it does.

I wanted to try taking some Macro photos and was wondering if anyone knows of a good Close Up filter that they have that they like. I know that you won't get anything as good as a Macro lens, but i dont have the money for that right now.

Also, if i was to get a good close up filter, would it work better on the 18-55mm lens or the 55-200mm lens?

I am really new to SLRs and could use any help possible.

Thanks to everyone who took a look.

Quinn

There are several approaches you can take. Many people on the forum use extension tubes. The most widely used are the Kenko because they support AF and auto exposure. Kenko tubes are rather expensive and a set of three will cost you around $170, http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=search&A=search&Q=&sb=bs%2Cupper%28ds%29&sq=asc&ac=&bsi=&ci=276&shs=&at=Brand_Kenko&basicSubmit=Submit+Query .

Another option is often called close-up filters; they are not filters in the strictest sense but true auxiliary lenses. They are called filters because they attach to you cameras lens by screwing onto the filter threads, and to avoid confusing them with true Macro Lenses. I got my set of 3 52mm lenses at Ritz Camera for less than $30; you can pay more than $100 for something like the Canon 250D lens.

You can use the same close-up filter(s) on either of your lenses.

This was with the close-up filters.



Nikon D50, 55mm, 1/1500 sec - F/11, 18-55mm, ISO 400 I’m sorry but I didn’t note which filter I was using. The nymph was about 1/8” long, sitting on a rose. A flash was also used.

This is a crop from the same picture.



Another picture taken with the aid of a close-up filter



Nikon D50, 1/90 sec - F/6.7, Auto Flash: Built-in TTL, 50mm F/1.8 D, ISO 200. This was with the +1 diopter filter.

The 50mmf/1.8 is a very popular lens, partially because it only costs about $115, plus it is very versatile (makes a good low-light lens and it can be used several ways for close-ups). You can reverse the lens and mount it on the camera with a reversing ring, like the Nikon BR-2A, which runs about $30. You don’t really need a Nikon ring, after all it is just a metal ring with threads on one side and a lens-to-camera mount on the other, http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=search&A=search&Q=&sb=bs%2Cupper%28ds%29&sq=asc&ac=&bsi=&ci=3065&shs=&at=Mount_Nikon+Auto+Focus&basicSubmit=Submit+Query . This setup with the 50mm lens will get very close, but everything (focus and exposure) will be manual and that is why the 50mm is the lens to use – it has an aperture ring so you can set the aperture.

Another possibility is a Macro-coupler. With a Macro-coupler you would mound your kit lens to the camera and mount the 50mm lens reversed to the front of the kit lens. This has the advantage of having auto exposure since the camera can control the aperture. The DOF is going to be so narrow that AF may not be possible. A Macro-coupler will cost about $8, http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/shop/3066/Macro_Close_Up_Equipment_Macro_Couplers.html



Nikon D50, 46mm, 1/160 sec - F/8, 18-55mm F/3.5-5.6 G, ISO 800, and I was holding the 50mm f/1.8 reversed against the front of the “kit” lens with my hand – this is very awkward to do and you are likely to drop the lens, I did.

This site has a lot of good information,
http://www.earthboundlight.com/phototips/closeup-macro.html

--
Brooks
http://bmiddleton.smugmug.com/

thanks for the information, your photos are great. I think that the up close filters will probably be the easiest for me since i am a beginner.

The filters come in sets? what is the difference in the filters? is it the magnification is different on them?

My set came with a +1, +2, and a +4 filter. The filters can be stacked, so you are able to have diopter values from +1 through +7. The higher the diopter number the more magnification; magnification is gain because you have to move closer to your subject, i.e. the working distance gets shorter as you increase the diopter value. You get more magnification with longer lenses, so the close-up filters will produce much more magnification on the 55-200 lens when it is at 200mm than on the 18-55 when it is at 18mm.

If you stack close-up filters the highest diopter lens goes closest to the camera.

My set came with a table that more or less explained how the filters work, but I have found that most of the tables don't match my lenses as far as focal lengths go. A little time spent in the garden using various diopters at various focal lenghts quickly taught me what worked and what didn't work.
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Brooks
http://bmiddleton.smugmug.com/

Don't misunderstand this, macro is never easy. What Brooks has done with some cheap kit is pretty amazing. Look at his shots closely and notice that he's paid a lot fo attention to lighting, that makes a huge difference!
--
Don't wait for the Nikon D-whatever, have fun now!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/j_wijnands/

Never said it was easy

Didn’t show the failures either, of which there have been many. But with some patience, some attention to the lighting; an old, pretty much worn out tripod; and a willing insect in this case, I managed a decent capture. I have many more I won’t show off. But for me that is true regardless of what I’m engaged in – close-ups, birds, people, etc.

I have read repeatedly that close-up filters are junk and you can’t get good pictures using them, but I haven’t found that to be absolutely true. Well yeah, I’d like something in the range of a 100mm Macro lens, and maybe someday I’ll have one (provided the $600 doesn’t go for something my Wife, Daughter, Grandkids, pet, house, or truck needs more than I need a new lens), but honestly the $27 I spent on the set of close-up filters was one of the best photographic buys I have ever made. I have used them a lot, had a lot of fun, and I have more keepers than I thought would be possible.

--
Brooks
http://bmiddleton.smugmug.com/

Brooks, would you recommend the 3 piece set or the +10 for almost the same price for a 70-300?

Brooks has given sound advice there (again)!

A very high on my list would be the Canon 500D close-up lens.
It seems to be the "industry standard" for close-up lenses.

It works on your longer lens (55-200mm)

Not sure about the price.

FWIW, I use the Kenko DG tube set more than I have coffee (and that's saying a lot - LOL)

I use it with all of my lenses, and have just posted a series with a 75-300mm zoom lens and 50mm f/1.8 using a tube. (click on my forum name and look for that thread (Touched - by the light)

Good luck with macro, it opens a new universe to us )
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Kevin
so many flowers, so little time sigh
the 'Art' of Aperture: a mini tutorial
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1034&message=23460691
http://www.rootminus1.com/freepics/thumbnails.php?album=68
http://www.rootminus1.com/freepics/index.php?cat=10032
http://s33.photobucket.com/albums/d58/theronfamily/

A +10 is a huge amount on a 300mm lens and will make the working distance (distance from lens to subject) exceedingly short and your DOF at that close range would be practically non-existent. Probably the undisputed champ of close-up filter is the canon 500D, which has two achromatic elements. The Canon 500D (the "D" stands for Dual as in Dual elements) is a +2. Nikon had the 6T is a 2.9, but it has been discontinued and only came in a 62mm size. While very good the Canon 500D will set you back about $125 for the 72mm size, so you will also need a step down ring.

Some reading material,
http://textblog.anands.net/archives/6
http://www.camerahobby.com/Access-Canon500D.htm
http://www.earthboundlight.com/phototips/closeup-diopters.html
http://www.earthboundlight.com/phototips/closeup-diopters.html

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Brooks
http://bmiddleton.smugmug.com/

Just posted a reply about the 500D, but at $125 (there abouts) for the 72mm it is sort of pricey, but not as pricey as a set of Kenko tubes (about $170 at B&H).

I keep seeing what you are doing with the tubes and a set of tubes is working its way up my short list although a genuine real honest-to-God Macro Lens (not Micro because I can't afford the real thing -- Nikon) is still high on the short list.
--
Brooks
http://bmiddleton.smugmug.com/

Are these the exact ones that you are talking about? For both of my lenses, is the 52mm the correct size?

http://www.adorama.com/HY52CUS.html

They are about $35. They also show multi coated ones for $49. Is there a big difference in the multi coated filters?

Also on that link it shows a sample image and then one that says +10. Even though the picture says +10, this kit would we +7 is that right? There is a +1,+2 and +4. Do they just stack on top of each to make a +7?

Thanks for all the help.

Quinn

hi just wanted to see if the signature worked

As I said earler, I bought a 100mm tokina a little while back. Amazing lens at an amazing price! I'm still getting used to the fact that at minimum distance and f11 you still get a few millimeters of DoF
--
Don't wait for the Nikon D-whatever, have fun now!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/j_wijnands/

you can get good results if you would buy the canon 500d diopter for your 55-200 zoom

Thanks Brooks!
Good to see you've recommended that same close-up filter.

Wondering about that one myself, tho I feel I'm getting by, just with the tubes, ok-ish at this time.
--
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kevin
so many flowers, so little time sigh
the 'Art' of Aperture: a mini tutorial
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1034&message=23460691
http://www.rootminus1.com/freepics/thumbnails.php?album=68
http://www.rootminus1.com/freepics/index.php?cat=10032
http://s33.photobucket.com/albums/d58/theronfamily/

I have the Nikon 3T and the 4T attachment lenses - don't know if that's the same thing as a close up filter or not - I posted some pictures taken with with my D40X and a 55-200 VR a couple of days ago - check out this thread:

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/readflat.asp?forum=1034&thread=28064877

the last picture (the one of the dandelion) was taken with the 3T, the others with the 4T

Please comment or criticise. Let me know what you think. There's not any post processing to speak of with thes pictures, just what happened in the camera.

Thanks.

--
Hillbilly Harry - in the Missouri Ozarks

Those will work, I used these, http://www.ritzcamera.com/product/241663863msk.htm mainly because there is a Ritz store in a local shopping mall, so I didn’t need to wait or pay postage. I suspect that at this price level these lenses are all pretty much the same regardless of manufacturer – but Hoya makes some very good filters.

On the barrel of the lens you will find a symbol that look like an “O” with a line drawn through it, like this Ø (although the line may be more vertical on Nikon lenses), with a number following the sysmbol. On both your 18-55 and 55-200 that number is 52 and that is the thread size for filters and lens attachments in millimeters.

Can’t tell you why the sample says +10. You are correct that +7 would be the highest possible with this set.

--
Brooks
http://bmiddleton.smugmug.com/

magnification and not the diopter. A dioptre, or diopter, is a unit of measurement of the optical power of a lens, which is equal to the reciprocal of the focal length measured in meters (that is, 1/meters). For example, a 3 dioptre lens brings parallel rays of light to focus at 1/3 meter. The Canon 500D was so named because it reduced the minimum working distance, or focusing distance, to 500mm on the lens it was originally disigned for.

--
Brooks
http://bmiddleton.smugmug.com/

Yes the Nikon 3T and 4T are close-up filters; they are called filters because they screw on to the front of the lens using the filter screws, in reality they are attachable auxiliary lenses.

The 3T is a +1.5 and the 4T a +2.9. The Nikon "T" close-up lenses are two-element (achromatic) lenses that are sharper than the single-element lenses. The 3T and 4T lenses are 52mm, and the 5T and 6T lenses are 62mm (the 6T, and possibly the 5T as well, is out of production). Canon makes similar lenses, the 250D and 500D in sizes up to 77mm.

--
Brooks
http://bmiddleton.smugmug.com/

dabruins07 said:

Also on that link it shows a sample image and then one that says +10.
Even though the picture says +10, this kit would we +7 is that right?

Click to expand...

It says "Close-up + 10 shown" meaning that the sample pic was taken using the +10 filter that is also available. That's the one I asked about at the top of this thread. They must just not have a correct sample pic to use so they used that one.