Don't Have a Macro Lens? No Need!
By Casi Fleischman
18 Sep 2008
It's amazing what lengths you go to to shoot what you desire. For me, I had always dreamed of replicating those beautiful flower macros that have the incredibly tight DOF and the amazing detail. My problem? Well, I was a preteen with no job and 6 months before any major holiday. Christmas had just passed and my birthday was a mirage in the distance. I was practically in limbo. Oh, the suffering. In desperation, I searched the web for a few days and came across a "make-shift" macro lens technique. This technique has a much tighter DOF than a normal macro lens. It also, in some cases, can get much closer to the subject than the traditional lens. After discovering this, it took several trials before any sort of success. At one point I even took a break from trying and didn't return to the technique for a month or so. I knew what could be produced by it, but I didn't know how to replicate the greatness of the examples. It takes getting used to, but once you get the hang of it, you can't stop. At times I prefer this technique, even after I received my actual macro lens. This is because of the tighter focus and closer crop.
What you need:
1. Kit lens, Prime lens, or any lens with a relatively small zoom.
2. Patience
Steps:
1. Removed your lens from the camera body.
2. Flip the lens around and hold it tightly against the body.
3. Make sure the lens is completely covering the hole of the body.
4. Shoot while holding the lens backwards up against it tightly. Use the zoom backwards and use your body as the focus, or visa versa. (I usually just put it to the lowest zoom and move my body around the subject until I have what I want in focus)
Tips:
1. Shoot for relatively short periods of time for dust could get into the body or back of lens.
2. Be patient! This doesn't come easily to people at first, but you get better at it.
Good luck!
2 responses
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Vidyavati Chandan gave props (18 Nov 2008):
excellent! Voted!!
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Luca Piccolo said (5 Feb 2009):
very cool...voted.
Just FYI, you can buy for many major brand camera makers an adapter ring to atach to the cámera and avoid the dust problems. It should be around 30 dollars for a Nikon camera and lens.
