52mm Macro Reverse Adapter Ring Question

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lovejoy

Senior Member
I need a cheap way to take a few macro pics, has to be cheap it is a one off situation, I am selling some gold items that I want to list on ebay.

With my D5100 and a AF-S 50mm 1.8G lens could I use this:

[h=1]High Quality 52mm Macro Reverse Adapter Ring for Nikon AF Camera Mount[/h]Excuse if it is a dumb question I know nothing of this procedure.

Thanks
 
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WayneF

Senior Member
You will have a problem because I think your 50 mm lens is a G lens, without any aperture ring. So if you reverse it, you break connection with the camera, which could have otherwise set the aperture. You need an older lens, with an adjustable aperture ring.

Your 50mm lens normally focuses to 1.5 feet, and if steady on a tripod, then you can crop to use only the center, which greatly enlarges the remaining, esp for video monitor purposes. Its frame is 4928 x 3264 pixels, and cropped to 492x326 pixels is 10x enlargement (compared to printing). Probably is adequate for all but the tiniest things?

A reversing ring can give high magnification, more with a wider lens, but a lot for non-macro subjects with a 50mm.
The idea is normally, there are many feet of distance in front of a lens, and only a inch or two behind it.
So if you reverse it, now you have more distance behind than in front, so it may focus up really close.
Here is the basic idea: Macro photography on a budget | DPanswers
 
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Rexer John

Senior Member
WayneF said:
You will have a problem because I think your 50 mm lens is a G lens, without any aperture ring. So if you reverse it, you break connection with the camera, which could have otherwise set the aperture. You need an older lens, with an adjustable aperture ring.
Click to expand...

The aperture can be moved by hand, there's a little tag at the base end. Some people use blu tac on the tag if they want a wider than minimum aperture.

A small aperture will increase depth of field which is very limited with a reversed lens.

There's a thread with pics >>here<<
 
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WayneF

Senior Member
lovejoy said:
Is there any chance that an old pentax 35-70mm from a non digi camera could be used:confused:
Click to expand...

Yes, Reversed, it could be mounted, since it mounts on the filter thread. If not the same thread size, there are inexpensive step down/step up rings available to convert. A zoom is not as optically good for this, but it can work. If too much magnification, try longer zoom focal length. That lens has the aperture ring, so you can stop it down.

It will be a new world. At such close macro distances, there is no depth of field, and you would want to stop it way down, to maybe f/16 (needs more light). You focus by moving the subject or the camera slightly back and forth.
 
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