What to do with spare kit 18-55 lens

[manrique_molina1]

<p>Hi. I have a Canon 40D and since buying it I have upgraded my kit lens and now have a handful of them. I kept my kit lens (18-55) just in case I sell my body down the road; however I don't see this happening in the next year. So I am wondering what creative uses I can give this spare lens. Someone mentioned to me buying a reverse mount and using it as a cheap macro.<br>

I want to know what other things I can do with it. I am interested in all kinds of photography as I am still learning. I could spend up to $50-$100 in attachments or stuff for it. I also have a spare tripod and flash (Vivitar 285) just in case they could also be useful.</p>

[Mike Gammill]

<p>I know a young lady that could use it as hers quite working, but I don't know how to contact her. She was one of 18 teachers that participated in some chemistry labs that I taught last month. <br>

Maybe just have someone email you off forum if they're interested and you can make arrangements from there. Happens all the time in the Classic Camera forum.</p>

[faysal]

<p>Classifieds, just give it a decent price.</p>

[PuppyDigs]

<p>Might work as a loupe: experience a nostalgic rush while using it to examine chromes on a light table. Or gut it and use as a pencil holder. I saw one with an alarm clock mounted in the barrel.</p>

[vrankin]

<p>If that 18-55 is the latest EF-S IS version, you might want to hold on to it, as it's a surprisingly good performer for its weight and price... far better than its predecessor version from Canon and embarrassingly close to some of Canon's more expensive glass, in terms of CA and sharpness. <a href="http://www.slrgear.com/reviews/showproduct.php/product/1114/cat/11">This test</a> might interest you.</p>

[manrique_molina1]

<p>Thanks for your responses. Actually I don't want to sell it. In my country it is virtually impossible to sell bodies or lenses by themselves so I want to hold on to it for when I am ready to switch bodies (complete kits do sell very well). <br>

In the meantime I was wondering if I could do something with it so it doesn't sit in my closet collecting dust. I think I am going to buy a reversing mount to experiment a little with a cheap macro setup...</p>

 

[alan_bryant1]

<p>It should serve pretty well as a macro when reversed, especially if you can get a little extension in there. A bellows can do that, and they can be found pretty cheap.</p>

<p>One problem is you can't control the aperture of the lens when it's reversed, unless you use a rather expensive electrical connection. It turns out that it is still possible to set the aperture, though it takes a few steps:</p>

 

<ol>

<li>Mount the lens on the camera the normal way,</li>

<li>Set the camera to the aperture you want to use,</li>

<li>Press the stop-down button to actually move the aperture where you want it, and</li>

<li>Continue holding down the stop-down button while you dismount the lens.</li>

</ol>

<p>The lens will come free with the aperture in the setting you set.</p>

<p>Reversed lenses make quirky macros, but it's fun and with a little extension you can get very high magnification. The depth-of-field drops to almost zero so focusing can be a problem. Also the viewfinder can get very dark and you need a lot of light on the subject. A tripod and a stationary subject helps a lot, as does a focusing rail if you can get one. But it's fun - there's a whole new world of stuff to look at. The most mundane things are fascinating when highly magnified - pencils, ball-point pens, coins, matches, fabrics, paper towels, leaves.</p>

[eric_z1]

<p>I saw a video on YouTube on how to make one into a macro and keep the auto focus. It took a little soldering and some filing but if I still had mine I'd do it for the fun of it. Not sure how well it would work but looked fun.</p>

[mihir_shah]

<p>dont try any stunts like converting 18-55 into a loupe or macro....There are many better and more creative uses. It can serve you as impressive paperweight. i like the alarm clock idea mentioned above. Or even break the front part and use it as a fancy pencil and pen holder.<br>

on the serious note.. give it some young student/relative/friend starting out. a little good karma never hurts :)</p>

<p> </p>