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camera = my magnifying glass - what do you use?

Started 4 months ago | Discussions
jim mij Senior Member • Posts: 1,027
camera = my magnifying glass - what do you use?

hi

I've been noticing recently when I want to see what something is (eg a 2-5 mm bug) I use my camera / macro lens, which is not ideal

What do you use?, a bog standard magnifying glass from amazon?, or perhaps a jewellers loup ?

Looking at the adds is confusing, you get 2x 5x or even STRONG(?), or loups with 30x or more

What level of magnification is best for macro work ?

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Jim

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grsnovi Veteran Member • Posts: 3,030
Re: camera = my magnifying glass - what do you use?

jim mij wrote:

What level of magnification is best for macro work ?

Define "work".

What is it that you're trying to show with your work?

Macro usually starts at 1:1 meaning that  10mm in "real life" end up taking up 10mm on your sensor.

I usually can see what I'm trying to shoot without further optical enhancement (other than my normal glasses). As somebody who has taken up "watch making" I have a number of loupes and magnifying visors as well as a microscope.

Much of what I have been doing involves watches I have open for which I'm trying to capture a state in the assembly or condition of a part.

I don't do bugs...   

I am thinking of getting a 2.5x - 5x lens for my FF Sony (most of my work to date has been with my APS-C Sony).

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OP jim mij Senior Member • Posts: 1,027
Re: camera = my magnifying glass - what do you use?

grsnovi wrote:

jim mij wrote:

What level of magnification is best for macro work ?

Define "work".

What is it that you're trying to show with your work?

see my other posts in this forum for what I photograph, but what I meant by “work” was what do you use to identify and examine things to photography eg in todays spider photos I didn’t even realise it was a spider eating lunch till I got the camera out and looked. I need something to zoom into a subject and see it. Or to see and perhaps remove stray hairs

Macro usually starts at 1:1 meaning that 10mm in "real life" end up taking up 10mm on your sensor.

I usually can see what I'm trying to shoot without further optical enhancement (other than my normal glasses). As somebody who has taken up "watch making" I have a number of loupes and magnifying visors as well as a microscope.

Much of what I have been doing involves watches I have open for which I'm trying to capture a state in the assembly or condition of a part.

I don't do bugs...

I suppose the internals of a watch are bug sized, big gears = big bugs, small gears = todays j7mping spider… but with normal glasses it’s just a blur not a cute critter

I am thinking of getting a 2.5x - 5x lens for my FF Sony (most of my work to date has been with my APS-C Sony).

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Jim

 jim mij's gear list:jim mij's gear list
Canon EOS M6 II Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM Kenko Teleplus Pro 300 AF 1.4x Canon EF-M 22mm f/2 STM
richj20 Forum Pro • Posts: 10,181
Re: camera = my magnifying glass - what do you use?

I carry a 30x loupe in my bag for examining small flowers up close.

I recall the first time I encountered this flower years ago. Without the loupe I could not see the fine hairs along the edge.

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OP jim mij Senior Member • Posts: 1,027
Re: camera = my magnifying glass - what do you use?

Thanks rich, that looks a pocketable solution

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Jim

 jim mij's gear list:jim mij's gear list
Canon EOS M6 II Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM Kenko Teleplus Pro 300 AF 1.4x Canon EF-M 22mm f/2 STM
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