@mikew
For a long time I have loved to shoot macro, but I wanted more. A macro lens is great, but I really wanted more than just a 1:1 ratio. There are screw on magnifiers and they can provide mixed results. Often times the optic quality is just not up to par. Having looked at some of @Scott Murray macro photos I finally found what I needed - a Raynox DCR-250. For those that don't know, the Raynox will magnify what you're looking at my 2.5x. This magnification allows that micro object to fill or nearly fill your sensor, which for printing macro this is ideal. So earlier in the week I finally pulled the trigger and ordered one. The Raynox arrived yesterday and today was my first chance to play with it.
What I learned... WOW! This little bugger takes some learning and a very precision technique to get the hang of. Macro can be hard, but when you're depth of field using the Raynox could split an atom it takes some serious technique development. Once you do finally find your target in that small slice called "focused" you now realize that your holding of the camera is like you're running down the road with you camera holding a small flower in front of you while trying to take a macro picture - there's really that much shake just being a living creature.
Eventually, with practice and determination, I started to get it to work and figured out the little nuances of the Raynox. The image below was shot on a D7100 and is barely cropped for the purpose of getting to an 8x10 format - not much off the top edge.
Do I recommend it? Only if you have patience and perseverance. Your hand hold shake is magnified to something ridiculous and the DOF is insanely narrow. If you're not sure you're up for such a potentially frustrating experience there is a Raynox DCR-150 (1.5 magnification).
Those are my thoughts. I will add more images and thoughts as I go. Additionally, I will give this a try on my full frame and let you know my thoughts - DX vs FX with a Raynox.
For a long time I have loved to shoot macro, but I wanted more. A macro lens is great, but I really wanted more than just a 1:1 ratio. There are screw on magnifiers and they can provide mixed results. Often times the optic quality is just not up to par. Having looked at some of @Scott Murray macro photos I finally found what I needed - a Raynox DCR-250. For those that don't know, the Raynox will magnify what you're looking at my 2.5x. This magnification allows that micro object to fill or nearly fill your sensor, which for printing macro this is ideal. So earlier in the week I finally pulled the trigger and ordered one. The Raynox arrived yesterday and today was my first chance to play with it.
What I learned... WOW! This little bugger takes some learning and a very precision technique to get the hang of. Macro can be hard, but when you're depth of field using the Raynox could split an atom it takes some serious technique development. Once you do finally find your target in that small slice called "focused" you now realize that your holding of the camera is like you're running down the road with you camera holding a small flower in front of you while trying to take a macro picture - there's really that much shake just being a living creature.
Eventually, with practice and determination, I started to get it to work and figured out the little nuances of the Raynox. The image below was shot on a D7100 and is barely cropped for the purpose of getting to an 8x10 format - not much off the top edge.
Do I recommend it? Only if you have patience and perseverance. Your hand hold shake is magnified to something ridiculous and the DOF is insanely narrow. If you're not sure you're up for such a potentially frustrating experience there is a Raynox DCR-150 (1.5 magnification).
Those are my thoughts. I will add more images and thoughts as I go. Additionally, I will give this a try on my full frame and let you know my thoughts - DX vs FX with a Raynox.
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