Macro on the cheap and Frankenlense

[BlueCorn]

I mentioned on my $1.25 thread that I'd post how I made the reversing ring. The working distance on this type of setup is very close so it probably isn't real useful for aquarium work but it's fun to play with.

There really isn't much too it but here ya go:

Materials
Epoxy

1 Camera body cap

1 Cheap UV filter - glass removed. Thread size should be the same as the lens you're going to use it with.

Those two items should run you about $16 if you shop around.

Center the now empty filter ring on the body cap and epoxy it into place:

After the epoxy cures cut out the center of the body cap with a dremel.

Blow everything clean with compressed air and you're done.

To use it, thread the filter threads onto your lens and then mount if on the camera using the body cap mount. The downside is that you have to focus manually and you have no control over aperture, so it's wide open all the time.

I decided to fix that.

 

[BlueCorn]

Behold Frankenlense!

I took the kit lens that came with my old Rebel XT (since converted for IR use). First thing that I did was remove the lens mount. Because my camera is full frame, and the lens mount is EF-S, I had to cut it down so it wouldn't interfere with my mirror:

Then I used some ribbon cable to extend the connection between the lens mount and the lens. I used an old filter adapter ring and another old UV filter as a spacer to attach the lens mount to what used to be the front of the lens.

Add a couple dots of hot glue to keep the cable from moving around and to keep the lens from coming unscrewed from the adapter and it's ready for testing.

Unlike when using the reversing ring I still have full aperture control and AF works (as well as can be expected).

This is the bear from the back of an Alaska quarter. Actual width of the bear's head is 3/16"

Cheers

 

[BlueCorn]

Here's a crappy cellphone picture of it installed:

 

[Dino]

A handy tip for anybody that might want to try this and wants aperture control but doesn't want to go the way Beerguy posted about - find an old manual lens with focus and aperture ring. They're everywhere and CHEAP.

You of course won't have AF - but when focusing at these distances and magnifications you really won't be using AF anyway.

 

[TitusvileSurfer]

Very innovative!! I'm lost for words...this is...amazing!

 

[BlueCorn]

It's ugly as all hell but it appears to be getting ~4:1 magnification.

 

[BlueCorn]

Update.

I've done some more tinkering and modifications on it. First, I added a mount for my MR14-EX ring flash. The mount also protects the lens element as it normally protrudes if it's zoomed out to 18mm.

I also have done some more testing with and it my original 4:1 guess wasn't correct. It does, however, get a little better than 2:1. For a lens that has a market value of about $50, that ain't bad.

This is the edge of my son's pocket knife at roughly 2:1 magnification. I've left the EXIF intact. As you can see, the lens still reports as an EF-S 18-55 even though it's not supposed to work on my 5D:

Cheers

 

[jksteele010]

another way to get the aperture is using the aperture preview button, if you've got one like on the canon xsi and just remove the lens while holding it down.

 

[BlueCorn]

Sure - but that has a couple of issues:

1. It's a PITA
2. When you're trying to get an object in focus with a DOF the size of a human hair, doing so through the viewfinder, or even liveview, at f/11 is almost impossible.