How to get macro more than 1:1?

[marius_mirea]

<p>I have the Tamron 90mm Macro and it gives excellent results.<br>

However, it is 1:1 macro and I was curious if there is any way to obtain macro 2:1 or more.<br>

Never used a reverse macro adapter or a macro ring neither a screw on macro lense.<br>

Any experiences or advice?<br>

Thanks!</p>

[andy_szeto]

Don't know if extension tube helps.

[orly_andico]

<p>Extension tubes. But say a 12mm extension will only take you to 1.2:1, not so great. Bellows would allow even more extension, but it gets really dark and you lose all automation.</p>

[johan_ingles_le_nobel]

<p>You can also try reversing a lens onto the first one - very easy but as orlando rightly points out you'll lose all automation. This is about 50:1 or something using that technique - believe it or not it's broccoli</p>

<p><a title="Broccoli Macro by Johan J.Ingles-Le Nobel, on Flickr" href=" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4027/4373521270_ff9fb2b495_m.jpg" alt="Broccoli Macro" width="240" height="224" /></a></p>

 

[martin_engineer]

<p>Hey Marius,<br>

I've actually got a question for you. How do you find that lens focuses when you're shooting non-macro stuff. I've got the same lens and it hunts terribly for non-macro shots. Even with the focus limiting switch at the correct position.<br>

- Martin</p>

[personalphotos]

<p>Marius, I wrote this 3 part article on the subject that might help answer these questions: <a href="http://enticingthelight.com/2009/02/02/shooting-macros-section-1-equipment/">Enticing the Light</a><br>

As already posted, Extension tubes and bellows are the best possibilities. With an f2.8 lens, the VF will be darker while getting close to or higher than 2:1. Workable but tougher. Plus you will loose AE connections and AF on both. So it's manual shooting all the way. I own both and use the bellows the most. with a 90mm on a 160CM bellows, I can get roughly 2.5:1</p>

<p>What I would recommend is a different lens. Get a bellows and add an SMC Takumar 55mm f1.8 to it. Then you can get close to 4:1 for seriously close up shots. Get a K mount bellows and add the adapter to the lens. That way you can use any modern lens that is K mount and has an aperture ring or older screwmount lenses.</p>

[carbon_dragon]

<p>I know it's not that relevant to this question, but here's an interesting way to go macro. I saw this years ago but never bought one.<br>

<a href="http://www.mhohner.de/sony-minolta/mzoom.php">http://www.mhohner.de/sony-minolta/mzoom.php</a><br>

Never had the patience for Macro.</p>

[trw]

<p>Another suggestion is to try laying flat objects on a scanner that can do very high resolution (eg a flatbed film scanner that can do 4800dpi). </p>

[MattB.Net]

<p>I wonder how the results would be if you combined that 90mm macro with something like the Vivitar 2x macro focusing tele converter. I'm keeping my eyes out for just the right deal on a true macro and have been wondering about the possibilities of this combo myself.</p>

[Michael R Freeman]

<blockquote>

<p><em>"... I was curious if there is any way to obtain macro 2:1 or more."</em></p>

</blockquote>

<p>The quick and easy way is with a 2X teleconverter, which will take you to 2:1 with the lens at minimum focus. You will lose two more stops of light from the effective aperture value at 1:1, so your maximum effective aperture at 2:1 is probably going to be about f/9.5 - f/11. You would lose the same amount of light with appropriate extension tubes or bellows extension, so that's a wash either way.</p>

<p>You will almost certainly want to stop down at least two stops from wide open on the lens for better image quality, so you will be working at effective apertures at 2:1 in the range of f/22. Needless to say, at these magnifications , slow shutter speeds, and razor thin DOF, that is going to require rock solid camera support.</p>

[stemked]

<p>You can also use a male to male adapter (B&H used to have them, not sure if they still do). If you have the old 90mm Tamron (49mm filter) simply reverse a 50mm lens (like an f1.4 or f1.7) with a 49mm filter ring. Works wonders. I think the newer Tamron has a 55mm filter(???). That might be harder to do.</p>

[marius_mirea]

<p> </p>

<p ><a href="../photodb/user?user_id=5576096">Martin Engineer</a> <a href="../member-status-icons"></a>, Apr 23, 2010; 10:16 a.m.</p>

 

<blockquote>

<p >Hey Marius,<br />I've actually got a question for you. How do you find that lens focuses when you're shooting non-macro stuff. I've got the same lens and it hunts terribly for non-macro shots. Even with the focus limiting switch at the correct position.<br />- Martin</p>

</blockquote>

<p > </p>

<p >I have experienced that myself because the lens has a very long throw so if you shoot close and then try to get an infinity focus, sometimes it didn't even lock.</p>

<p >The trick that I use is to keep the lens at infinity all the time (the most retracted position) and then the AF for non-macro use is quite fast. One more thing, if you use spot focus and that spot is not targeting a contrast line on the subject it will start to hunt. So if you want fast AF use multipoint, if you have the time to compose or the subject is pretty easy to set the spot on, u can use spot focus.</p>

 

 

[mountainvisions]

<p>You'll need focus rails if you want 4:1 or even 2:1...dof is so shallow that moving the tripod isn't an option, you need to micro adjust.</p>

<p>plan on AT LEAST $150 for a decent set of rails + tubes + bellows + a decent 50 or 100mm lens (doesn't have to be macro but something with a relatively flat plane of focus is ideal). Oh, and you need good light, natural or strobed.</p>

<p>I'm with Peter on the 55mm 1.8. I got it, and a screw mount bellows for $100 total. Plus some old K-mount (non KA) tubes for $5 each. Oddly, the rails are still on the checklist. I tried going with a lightweight setup, no dice, definitely need something with precision tuning.</p>

[marius_mirea]

<p>ok, thanks all, now I got the start-up knowledge, some google and e-bay will solve the rest!</p>

[miserere_mei]

<p>Here's something nobody has brought up, which is equally valid: Cropping. Crop 50% of your 1:1 macro shot and you have a 2:1 macro shot. If using a K20D or K-7, you still have a 7MP image left, which is enough for most purposes I can think of.</p>

<p>Just thought I'd mention it.</p>

[snik75]

<p>Here is the easiest/cheapest way to do it with equipment you probably already own:<br>

You need:<br>

A tele lens or zoom, I like a K 80-200mm with a 52mm filter thread<br>

A wide angle or normal lens, I use an M 28mm with a 49mm filter (note that the sizes have to be close or the same)<br>

2 cheap UV filters you don't mind sacrificing.</p>

<p>The process:<br>

Confirm that the filters will fit together easily enough, smash out the glass, and then super glue them together as if facing each other. Then you mount the tele lens, screw it its side of the filter, screw in the wide angle on the end and you have a magnifying machine. the exact magnification is (about) the long lens divided by the short lens. For my set up, at its most extreme, about 7:1. One lens should be wide open, I forget which, and the shorter lens should be set to infinity. I needed a flash for this shot of a feather:</p>

<p><img src="http://www.pentaxforums.com/gallery/images/7552/1_IMGP4884.jpg" alt="" /></p>

[marius_mirea]

<p> </p>

<p ><a href="../photodb/user?user_id=573615">Nick Siebers</a> <a href="../member-status-icons"></a>, Apr 25, 2010; 10:14 p.m.</p>

 

<blockquote>

<p >Here is the easiest/cheapest way to do it with equipment you probably already own:<br />You need:<br />A tele lens or zoom, I like a K 80-200mm with a 52mm filter thread<br />A wide angle or normal lens, I use an M 28mm with a 49mm filter (note that the sizes have to be close or the same)<br />2 cheap UV filters you don't mind sacrificing.</p>

<p >The process:<br />Confirm that the filters will fit together easily enough, smash out the glass, and then super glue them together as if facing each other. Then you mount the tele lens, screw it its side of the filter, screw in the wide angle on the end and you have a magnifying machine. the exact magnification is (about) the long lens divided by the short lens. For my set up, at its most extreme, about 7:1. One lens should be wide open, I forget which, and the shorter lens should be set to infinity. I needed a flash for this shot of a feather:</p>

</blockquote>

<p > </p>

<p >Nice - in fact is optically like a rudimentary microscope. I will try that one - have some filter shopping to do :). Thanks!</p>

 

 

[johan_ingles_le_nobel]

<p>Funny that both actual photographs in this thread were done using the cheap man's "reversed lens" technique :)</p>