magnification: Lens reversal vs canon 100mm L IS maco

[bonvoyage]

Hi guys,

What magnifications can i achieve by lens reversal ? is it more magnified (more than life size) than a dedicated macro lens ?

i have seen amazing macro pics of eyes of insects and all, which i hardly believe been taken only with macro lens.


How much extra magnification can i achieve with an extension tube coupled with a macro lens?

what about macro filters ? are they good (keeping the sharp IQ)

I own canon 5d mark iii with 3 canon lenses namely canon 17-40mm lens, 70-200mm L IS and a canon 100mm L IS lens. Which of these lens gonna help me in getting maximum magnification straight or lens reversed ?

your suggestions will be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance

 

[Eli]

http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-MP-E-65mm-1-5x-Macro-Lens-Review.aspx
May be what you're after.. Does from 1x magnification up to 5x... Though you will also need some sort've lighting setup and a tripod.

http://www.flickr.com/groups/14414927@N00/

 

[bonvoyage]

Thanks for the quick reply.


I ve read about this lens Canon MP-E-65mm and its one of a kind designed only for super macros. but i ve seen many macro photographs which they achieve more than life size ratio with combination of different attachments.

Canon 100mm L IS gives only life size ratio (1:1)


what i would like to know what extra magnifications i can achieve with existing canon 100mm L macro lens set up.


ie 5d mark3 +

1) lens reversal ring + lens reversal using canon 100mm L IS lens

2) Canon 100mm L IS + hoya macro filters

3) Kenko Extension tubes (with all the 3 put together) + Canon 100mm L IS

4) Kenko extension tube + canon 100mm macro +lens reversal ring + lens reversal(say canon 16 - 40mm f4 or 70-200 mm f2.8)

5) Canon 100mm L IS + lens reversal ring + lens reversal (say canon 16 - 40mm f4 or 70-200 mm f2.8)

6) Canon 100mm L IS + 2X teleconverter + extension tube ... (sounds insane)


i couldn't find any articles mentioning thr individual magnification ratios

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

Reversing a lens, particularly a EF lens and a zoom is problematic.
1. You cannot change the aperture to stop down

2. Zoom lenses don't work well for Macro.

A old M42 50mm lens with manual aperture works fine if you install a adapter on the lens to depress the aperture pin so it operates manually. Other old lenses with a adapter or some other way of allowing you to manually close down the aperture will work fine.

Be aware that you might need to get very close to the subject.

For EF lenses, consider extension tubes on a 50mm lens, third party TC's will often work, or a Canon TC plus a short extension tube between the TC and your 100mm lens.

There are also closeup lenses that work very well, lots of things to consider.

Don't overlook lighting issues, reversing a lens or using extension tubes on a 50mm lens require you to get very close, and to pay careful attention to lighting.

 

[bonvoyage]

thanks for the reply.

so is it the lens reversal of a prime lens on max aperture gives more magnification than a dedicated macro lens ?

 

[danski0224]

thanks for the reply.

so is it the lens reversal of a prime lens on max aperture gives more magnification than a dedicated macro lens ?

Aperture has no impact on magnification

I haven't messed around with lens reversal.

From what I understand about lens reversal, you may have to get quite close to the subject to achieve 1:1 magnification. Also, if I recall correctly, a 25mm extension tube will allow 2:1 on a 50mm lens, and this trick does not work well on other focal lengths.

Unless you have a manual lens (100% manual), you will not have any control over aperture settings while reversing lenses, so you will have to pick an aperture before unmounting the lens.

A 100mm macro lens will have less working distance than a 180mm macro lens. If you turn off AF and set the lens to show 1:1, it takes very little movement to be in focus or out of focus. Being short of the 1:1 makes a big difference in magnification, so if you are looking for max magnification, you have to be aware of where 1:1 is.

 

[Vossie]

There are solutions to control the aperture of reversed EF lenses. Like this one from Novoflex: http://www.novoflex.com/en/products/macro-accessories/reverse-adapter-eos-retro/

You may also find this article of interest: http://www.eos-magazine.com/articles/macro/reversevision.html

Also this forum might interest you: http://www.photomacrography.net/

 

[CreationHeart]

good news is you dont need a DSLR to achieve insane macro photography. I recently came across a post whereby someone DIY a rig to mount a reversed lens to a compact camera with its zoom maxed out. And the subjects he photographed were snowflakes!