best macro lens?
 

Hey all,
I'm looking for a kick ass macro lens to use for my xha1. Any recommendations?

Thanks!

-Rick

Are you looking for a macro lens or a diopter?

Hmm, what's the difference?

Well to be perfectly honest Rick I don't fully know...

I use diopters on a reasonably regular basis, they screw onto the camera lens like a thick filter and come in different magnification strengths and allow you to get super close / tight shots, eg +1,+2,+3.5 etc
The best type are multi element achromatic e.g. Century however they are around $500. Cheaper ones give more barrel distortion.
You can also stack them to get even closer..

I believe a macro lens are a flat lens that allow you to magnify the image and give a super sharp result...I believe they are pretty expensive

I actually think that A1 you would not be able to get a macro lens because you would need to remove the original lens... i.e. have a XLH1.

I'm sure someone else will clarify but I reckon you need a diopter...

Gotcha. Yeah, I was taking a look at the xha1 lens and was wondering the same thing (do I have to unscrew it???)

Sounds like the diopters are the way to go. Know of any good resources online?


Thanks again!

One of the best macro lens designs is an enlarging lens. I have a 50 mm f/2.8 El Nikkor that's designed to work close up and give very flat field reproduction (obviously).

Would that fit on the A1?

As with all fixed lens cameras it's a suck it and see situation. With any interchangeable lens camera it's a yes.

Looks like you would need some step up rings to attach this baby.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/images/l...ages/36982.jpg

What are you using ring wise to make this work?

The lens on the XHA1 will focus extemely close when set to wide. Up to a few cm. This can be great, but not always ideal, since the camera might cast a shadow, or you might want to be slightly farther away for some other reason. A diopter or closeup lens is like a magnifying lens, letting you get a closeup from a little farther away.

As you can't change the lens on this camera, the diopter is the only way to go. Canon have 2 - the 250d and 500d. don't ask me about the numbers - I don't recall what they represent - except the 500 is stronger. These will work fine, but really any diopter lens that screws into a 72mm slot should be somewhat OK. Just remember that you get what you pay for.

Thanks Bill, I'll give the 500d a shot. Where did you pick yours up at? B&H?

http://www.vimeo.com/945906

this is a test using a $50 set of dipoters from ebay on the A1

Best macro lens?
 

I realize its cost is a bit steeper than some of the alternatives, but I use the Century/Schneider 2.0 Achromatic Diopter and I'm very pleased with it.

In addition to getting in really close when needed, I was also pleasantly surprised with the depth of field it maintains at large magnifications. As anyone who's worked in the macro field knows, depth of field goes to hell in a hurry. The Century glass allows more in-focus movement within the frame than I'd have expected.

An excellent investment if macro work is in the books with an A1/G1.

Jeff Johnston

As many people here suggest, a diopter will increase your working distance and enable shadow-free shots.

There are two types of diopters out there. The first is a regular single element diopter that increases magnification but tends to be soft at the edges.

The second is an achromatic diopter that has two elements cemented together that creates sharp images edge to edge. These are available from Schneider Optics under the Century product. We make them in three sizes; 58mm, 72mm, and 86mm. These can be made smaller with stepping rings to accomodate the filter threads on your camera.

Ryan Avery
Schneider Optics