Close-up lens question

[istvan_sandor]

Hi,

I am planning to buy a close up lens for my Canon EF 70-200 L.

I tried a Hoya (not an achromat, just a single glass one) in store,

What I noticed is that at 70mm the image is pretty usable already at

2.8 and good from 5.6 up. However, at 200mm it was a complete

disaster at 2.8 and improved radically with every F stop up.

Is it possible that the performance of the close up lens is

significantly different at the diff. focal lengths of the same main

lens? The 70-200 works perfectly in all FLs in normal use. I would

think that the optical performance of a single close up lens must not

change with the change of the FL but now, I don't know...

I appreciate any advise on this. Thanks, Istvan

[alan_chan4]

What you need is the Canon 500D 77mm.

[robin_sibson1]

It's perfectly possible. With the lens set at 70mm the power of the close up lens is a small fraction of the power of the lens itself, so it is just perturbing the optical behaviour. With the lens set at 200mm it will make a major difference to the optical behaviour, and the flaws will be much more apparent.

[istvan_sandor]

Thanks for the answers so far.

Does anyone have experience with the 70-200 / 500D combo?

The 500D costs more than 3x the price of the Hoya I tried.

Does the difference in the optical performance justify the lot higher price?

Thanks, Istvan

[tommyinca]

If you are using a digital 1.6X body (300D, 350D, 10D, 20D & ...), you could using a Nikon 5T (+1.5) or 6T (+2.5) in 62mm thread and use a 67 to 62 step down ring. Nikon 5T and 6T are like 500D and are dual elements. Nikon is lower in cost. Yes the difference is large between a single and dual element close up lens.

[paul -]

<i>"you could using a Nikon 5T (+1.5) or 6T (+2.5) in 62mm thread and use a 67 to 62 step down ring"</i><p>Since Istvan mentions f/2.8, he isn't using the (67mm) 70-200/4L which does indeed work great without vignetting on Nikon's (62mm) 5T/6T diopters, even on film/full frame. He must be using the (77mm) 70-200/2.8L.<p>I don't remember reading any info about the compatibility of (62mm) Nikons on a (77mm) EF 70-200/2.8L, but wonder if it would vignette on a 1.6x crop body.<p>Istvan, either get Nikon or Canon double-element diopters, or nothing at all. Anything else, especially the horrible "sets of 3" types, will be filler for the junk drawer.

[bill.akstens]

With a closeup lens attached your depth of field is very shallow. At 2.8 plus a closeup it is very very shallow. Were you focussing accurately during your test? Whenever I use a closeup filter I shoot at f8, f11, f16,...

[istvan_sandor]

Indeed, I need a 77mm one which - to my knowledge - is not available in Nikon. The last thing I would compromise is image quality so,it seems I have to make some business for Canon. Not a big problem, I'm used to it....

Thanks again, everybody for the comments.

Best, Istvan

[atan]

sorry if I ask this follow up question. what's the difference between canon 500D filter and magnifying filter like hoya +1,+2,etc? thanks. can someone post some samples?

[david_roberts11]

Hi ,

I would highly recommend the 500D.

I posted a similar question 2005-05-19 in the forum and got some great advice for usingit with my EF300mm F4L IS LENS -have a look at that page .

 

Cheers

David Roberts