alisa_farin

<p>I had been looking at stuff such as this last week: http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=131785322762<br> but not knowing if it was the right thing. It said macro but also wide angle and looked like for a video camera as well. Then these two as well:<br> http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=172144788157<br> I wasn't sure about these either: http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=291517115594</p>

<p>Thank you Jochen Schrey. I will check out those lenses at eBay. Also the gemstones are 5mm or larger in size in the settings (1/2 - 1 carat for the diamonds and other non-diamond gems at larger carat weight). I figured the bidders would appreciate a magnified view of the stones for determining value. Then the inclusions would be visible at better magnification. It's tough to get the value of the items as a seller if I post the items with crap photos :(</p>

<p>I was basically looking for a lens that would allow more magnification than the camera's built-in lens but without needing to adjust the focus of the lens, just let the camera focus it's own lens through it. The jeweler's loupe I had bought was cheap quality when it arrived in the mail and I'm not even sure the lens is glass, though it is bigger in diameter than my small glass 10x jeweler's loupe which I already had and is easier to focus through it. Still the shots were not as magnified as I had wanted. Possibly it was misrepresented and is not 10x magnification but I could not tell. I took pics on macro mode with and without and it seemed to be 2x at best in my opinion. It was a wider diameter than the camera's own lens and so it was easy to attach it to the camera with rubber bands and focus right through it. I could not find a loupe with a handle that would be 30x or more though so then I recalled reading the article about the Russian photographer and his home-made rig haha. I then tried looking at macro lenses at eBay but there are hundreds and I'm not sure if I buy one if it would work like I need. Some of them apparently draw power from the camera (after you attach them to the model of camera to which they actually belong) for focusing. As I'm essentially jerry rigging then obviously the lens would not focus with my camera since it would not be attached to the camera. I don't normally photograph jewelry and therefore don't want to invest in buying a fancy camera or expensive lenses just to take a few pics for an auction.</p>

<p>I attached a 10x jeweler's loupe with rubber bands but I want the sharper, closer focus. The jeweler's loupe has crappy quality kinda cloudy lens. I have diamond jewelry I need to sell and want to get good clarity close-ups of the stones. The macro ode on my camera does not get close enough. I don't use a tripod. I have made a home-made light box with printer paper and drinking straws and use the soup can to set the camera on and use the timer with macro setting. I just wanted to buy a lens to set in front of the camera to get a better macro closeup but need to know what model to type into the search box at eBay. typing "44M-5" only bring up the lenses that were more pricey.</p>

<p>I have a Samsung S730 camera and want to do something like this Russian guy did here:<a href="http://www.demilked.com/macro-snowflakes-diy-camera-alexey-kljatov/">http://www.demilked.com/macro-snowflakes-diy-camera-alexey-kljatov/</a><br> just so I can take decent macro photos of some jewelry I want to sell on eBay. I obviously don't want to invest money in a new camera or anything too expensive, but just want to take a closer/better macro shot of the items I need to sell. I checked out the lens the guy in the article used but it would cost about $45.00 inc. shipping to get the same one, as all those for sale are located in Russia. Since I know next to nothing about photography and camera equipment, I just want to ask if it's possible to get a similar type of lens made by another company that would be likely to be found on eBay by a seller in USA for less than $20 inc. shipping. What model/type of lens would be recommended to get a good macro closeup if held in front of the camera in a similar manner as that guy did? It doesn't have to get microscopically close like his pic of snowflakes, just much better than what the camera's built-in macro mode does and for the camera to be able to focus through the lens (since it won't be attached to the camera or drawing power from the camera for focus). Thanks!</p>