where there’s smoke there’s forum fire
Does anyone know if reversing a prime lens onto any lens to make a macro lens works with newer G type lenses? I remember a short video about it from a while ago, but they used the 50mm 1.8 with the aperture ring.
I want to see if reversing my 35mm 1.8 into the 18-135 works.
I have the gut feeling that it won't, since the aperture stops down to the lowest aperture once you remove the lens.
Do you mean mounting the lens backwards on the camera with a reverse lens mount? Why not just get a reverse lens adapter and mount it lens to lens. You still have aperture control that way.
Not sure why you want to set an aperture on the 18-135 and then a different aperture on the 35mm?! Or do I have what your asking wrong?
I don't know about putting one lens in reverse on another, but I have put a single lens on reverse on a camera body.
I just got a Fotodiox reverse mount for my 50mm ƒ/1.2, and the results are pretty good:
But all G type lenses will stop down unless you fiddle with the switch thing that controls the aperture, maybe if you tape it in place or something.
Well in the video that's what the guy did!
I found the video- http://digital-photography-school.com/how-to-do-extrememe-macro-photography-without-a-dedicated-lens-video
I'm pretty sure the two lens setup maximizes the close up lens effect, but you're right, the 18-135 would be too slow anyway.
alphanikonrex, nice results, but you probably did that with an older lens design, right? I've read that depth of field is such an issue with macro lenses that you really should shoot stopped down somewhat.
Yes I have tried it .. Its not bad but the DOF is really thin .. and its rather cumbersome .. I actually tried it with 2 zooms lol my 18-200 + my 12-24 reversed. It was way too cumbersome a combination !! lol esp since the 12-24 is a G type lense and I had to try to hold the aperture open at the same time !! I use the raynox 250 these days .. when I don't want to carry my macro lens arround.
I completely agree. I usually resort to ƒ/8 to get the DOF I need. Otherwise, forget it. When I spin the focus ring, I don't see any change in focus (should I be?), so usually I'm going back and forth from the subject trying to get what I want in focus in focus. What I hate is that when I use flash power to get the light I need, I can stop down to ƒ/16 if I want to. The trouble with that is I can't even see through the viewfinder, and I'm unable to focus, which makes ƒ/16 useless.
@ alphanikonrex : Huh ?? you should set the aperture of the second lens to the largest aperture. ie F1.8 etc. then use the main lens as normal ie set the aperture you need on the primary lens to get the aperture you want. The reverse prime lens simply acts as "filter" (a huge and cumbersome one !) if you do that you wont have problems with seeing through the lenses.
@Nsxtype.. I dont think the 18-135 will be too slow ... You use F11-F16 with macro shots most times anyway ...
as for the non-G lenses the full process is very easy, You don't even have to buy any special adapters, just hold the lens and the camera together (it's tough, and You will not get the same results as with reverse mount but it can be done - checked it myself); as for focusing You simply moving camera back and forth and take pictures when You see that Your subject is in focus;
as for G type lenses - no idea, never tried it
@ heartyfisher: Sorry I didn't clarify. I'm using a single lens setup, with one lens mounted on reverse on the camera. I have not tried the two lens setup, do you think it would be better?
@adamz: Before I got the reverse mount adaptor, I used to hold the camera and the lens together as well. The only trouble with that is its difficult to make adjustments and you can't use a tripod, but otherwise it works well.
Here is a great place to bookmark, sort of a list of all you can do in macro etc
http://www.peterforsell.com/macro.html
Enjoy
Pete
@bmxdad : That gave me a headache .. I am off to bed .. now ....
BTW the adapters are less $ 10.00 incl ship on our dear Ebay. I have both the reverse and lens to lens adapter in 52mm
Pete
Sorry for headache
So yeah, basically it is doable, just not with G lenses huh? That's what I thought. Thanks guys!
No, it's doable, but you have to hold the aperture slide down to keep the lens open and it's very hard to do this with the lens reversed and get good results due to shallow DOF and hand shake.
Okay, so how would I be able to switch apertures? I think it's either going to be fully stopped down or fully open. I don't think I'll be attempting this anytime soon.
I still don't understand why you want to control the aperture on two lenses?
Niko - to make life harder :) - but seriously I've been today on macro workshop, and I fall in love with the Nikkor 105/vr - great piece of lens (I know it's little bit off topic but wanted to share with You). If only the price could be a little bit lower, but still great piece of glass. One thing I've learned today was the difference of using macro and regular lens with extension tubes, and surprisingly the biggest difference is the aperture You can use achieving great results. The presenter said that macro lens keeps it's quality almost through the whole range, while the standard lens has it's own peaks. Can someone confirm that?
I would want to control aperture because if I'm at full zoom on my 18-135, then I'd like to use as large an aperture as possible on my 35mm 1.8 because the 18-135 at its far end is already 5.6.
Um, if the 18-135 is mounted to your camera and it only goes to f/5.6 then f/5.6 is your max aperture. Not f/1.8 on the reversed 35mm
Here is the setup that really works:
Inversion ring BR-2A or Conversion ring BR-3
Bellows focusing attachment PB-6
Extension Bellows PB-6E
(Kenko extension ring set will do if bellows is above your budget)
Any lens other then G type (no aperture ring so they are unusable) with 52mm filter thread:
50mm f/1.8D, 50mm f/1.4D, 28mm or 24mm f/2.8D for example
And you could go way over 1:1 ...
I know this is a really old thread but there is a way to use G lenses for macro. You don't even need to use a 2nd lens, it's an adapter for the mount.
The only issue I see here is the manual metering and looking for the adapters and such.
i saw this video a few days ago, looked troublesome to me, but if you can't afford another lense, maybe a good option.
this new video looks like something i would like to try, but not for 340 dollars.
Hi,
I 'used' to do it before I got a Micro and in the day before automatic lenses. It's okay, but the lenses aren't necessarily the best.
My best.
Mike
I'd like to reverse my 45mm PC-E and the only thing I can think of doing is getting both the BR-2 and BR-5 and then getting a step down ring to go from 77mm to 62mm. Are there any third party reversing ring manufacturers out there that make an alternative to this rather contrived method of reversing the lens?
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