best macro lens? at DVinfo.net

Rick Oconnor · May 12th, 2008, 07:23 PM

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

Thanks!

-Rick

Jonathan Shaw · May 12th, 2008, 10:03 PM

Are you looking for a macro lens or a diopter?

Rick Oconnor · May 12th, 2008, 10:31 PM

Hmm, what's the difference?

Jonathan Shaw · May 13th, 2008, 12:52 AM

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...

Rick Oconnor · May 13th, 2008, 01:59 AM

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!

Tom Hardwick · May 13th, 2008, 02:05 AM

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).

Jonathan Shaw · May 13th, 2008, 02:56 AM

Would that fit on the A1?

Tom Hardwick · May 13th, 2008, 03:00 AM

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

Rick Oconnor · May 13th, 2008, 09:04 AM

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?

Bill Engeler · May 13th, 2008, 03:37 PM

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.

Rick Oconnor · May 13th, 2008, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill Engeler

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?

Paul Mailath · May 13th, 2008, 07:17 PM

http://www.vimeo.com/945906

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

Jeff Johnston · May 15th, 2008, 10:33 AM

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

Ryan Avery · May 22nd, 2008, 09:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rick Oconnor

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

Thanks!

-Rick

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

May 12th, 2008, 07:23 PM	#1
Rick Oconnor New Boot Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Bellingham, WA Posts: 10	best macro lens? Hey all, I'm looking for a kick ass macro lens to use for my xha1. Any recommendations? Thanks! -Rick

May 12th, 2008, 10:03 PM	#2
Jonathan Shaw Major Player Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Sydney Posts: 552	Are you looking for a macro lens or a diopter? __________________ www.ginclearfilm.com www.facebook.com/ginclearfilm

May 13th, 2008, 12:52 AM	#4
Jonathan Shaw Major Player Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Sydney Posts: 552	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... __________________ www.ginclearfilm.com www.facebook.com/ginclearfilm

May 13th, 2008, 02:56 AM	#7
Jonathan Shaw Major Player Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Sydney Posts: 552	Would that fit on the A1? __________________ www.ginclearfilm.com www.facebook.com/ginclearfilm

May 13th, 2008, 07:17 PM	#12
Paul Mailath Trustee Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Central Coast - NSW, Australia Posts: 1,606	http://www.vimeo.com/945906 this is a test using a $50 set of dipoters from ebay on the A1 __________________ Cheers - Paul M. www.perbenyik.com

May 12th, 2008, 10:31 PM	#3
Rick Oconnor New Boot Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Bellingham, WA Posts: 10	Hmm, what's the difference?

May 13th, 2008, 01:59 AM	#5
Rick Oconnor New Boot Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Bellingham, WA Posts: 10	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!

May 13th, 2008, 02:05 AM	#6
Tom Hardwick Inner Circle Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Billericay, England UK Posts: 4,711	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).

May 13th, 2008, 03:00 AM	#8
Tom Hardwick Inner Circle Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Billericay, England UK Posts: 4,711	As with all fixed lens cameras it's a suck it and see situation. With any interchangeable lens camera it's a yes.

May 13th, 2008, 09:04 AM	#9
Rick Oconnor New Boot Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Bellingham, WA Posts: 10	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?

May 13th, 2008, 03:37 PM	#10
Bill Engeler Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Brussels, Belgium Posts: 162	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.

May 15th, 2008, 10:33 AM	#13
Jeff Johnston New Boot Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Eugene, ORegon Posts: 9	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