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Needing some advice on what I need for macro shots.....

Started 3 months ago | Discussions thread
BobORama
BobORama Senior Member • Posts: 2,842
Re: Needing some advice on what I need for macro shots.....

You can do 1:1 macro with that setup without any accessories.

With internal focus, i.e. modern lenses, the result of using extension tubes can be not great, as the spacing of the fixed rear elements to the sensor is more critical.  Same is true for rear doublers not engineered to work with a specific lens.

Older design helicoid macro lenses are essentially a fixed conjugate on a variable extension tube - so additional extension is usually OK.  However the length of the tube gets to be rediculous.   Either way, this is where front dipoters ( like the Raynox series ) help.

If you are interested in doing studio / bench work, and can deal with longer exposures, you can construct a very nice 4x close focus lens with a flatbed scanner lens and a cheap helicoid extension tube.  Its basically $0 and the results can be amazing.   They were engineered to do 4x on a digital sensors.

Anyway, I think you have a fine starting point, and you have some cropping latitude.   If you find yourself wanting higher magnification, add dipoters.  For 4x or above, fixed conjugates some of which can be free from the dumpster.

 BobORama's gear list:BobORama's gear list
Pentax K-5 Pentax K-1 Sigma 10mm F2.8 EX DC HSM Diagonal Fisheye Pentax smc DA 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 AL WR Samyang 14mm F2.8 ED AS IF UMC +9 more
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