Close-ups open up a whole new world of photographic opportunity. By slowing down and looking closer you will find many interesting and beautiful subjects and best of all they can be found anywhere even in your own back yard. You don't even need to purchase a whole new gear just to get into close-up photography.

Canon EOS D30, Tamron 70-210mm f-2.8 with Kenko Extension tube. Bogen tripod and Pan/Tilt head. Multi Pattern metering, at f-11. Shutter speed 1/6 sec. Manual exposure mode and manual focus.

First you need to understand terms used to describe magnifications. Numbers such as 1/8X, 1/4X, 1/2X, 1X are called magnification rates. At 1X (also called life size) you are photographing a subject that will appear the same size on film as in real life. Numbers smaller than 1X mean the subject will be recorded smaller and numbers larger than 1X mean the subject will be recorded larger on film.

There are several ways you can get into close-up range. The fastest, easiest way is a macro lens. Macro lenses can focus down to 1/2X or 1X life size without the need of any other attachments as they have extension built into them. 50mm, 100mm, and 200mm macro lenses are the most common ones. The longer macro lenses offer better working distance but are more costly.
 

Tokina AT-X M100 AF PRO D100mm F/2.8 AF Macro lens for Digital and Film.

 Extension tubes are another quick way to get into macro photography. They fit between the camera body and the lens creating space which allow any lens to focus closer. They have no glass built into them so the quality of the final image depends on the quality of your prime lens. They are small to carry and very affordable. Their main disadvantage is some loss of light and you loose infinity focus but this is not a problem in close up photography.


Above: Extension tubes

Bellows are another way of getting closer. They work the same way as extension tubes but are larger, heavier and more difficult to use but allow much closer view of the subject.

To figure out how close you can get with extension tubes or bellows use this formula: Magnification= Extension/ focal length.

With a 50mm lens and 50mm of extension you are at life size. To get the same magnification with a 100mm lens you need 100mm of extension.

Close-up lenses or diopters are another method to take close up pictures. They mount in front of the lens much like a filter and come in various strengths such as +1, +2, +3 etc. The higher the number the closer you can get. They cost the same as most other filters and there is no loss of light.


Above: Close-up lenses or diopters

Use the sharpest lens you own when using diopters as there is a loss of quality with these attachments.

Teleconverters can also be used to increase magnification. Attach a 2X converter to a macro lens set at life-size and you get twice life-size image. You can combine any of the above equipment for higher magnification. Place a 25mm extension tube behind a normal 50mm lens and you are at 1/2 life size. Add a 2X converter behind the extension tube and you are at 1X. You must place the converter behind the tubes for higher magnifications.

Remember Magnification= Extension/ focal length.


Above: Teleconverters

 If you place a 2X converter on a 100mm lens you end up with a 200mm lens. A 200mm lens needs 200mm of extension to achieve life-size images. By placing a converter behind a tube/lens combination you are magnifying the image. For extremely high magnifications you can add a 2X converter to a macro lens set at life-size. This will give you twice life-size. Another way to do this is by reversing a lens of a shorter focal length on a longer lens. Magnification= focal length of prime lens/focal length of reversed lens. Reverse a 50mm lens on a 100mm lens and you are at 2X. Same 50mm lens reversed on a 200mm gives 4X. So, how do you reverse a lens and attach it to another? You can purchase a male-to-male adapter ring. This is a ring with male filter treads on both sides which you can screw a lens onto each side. Just make sure to purchase the right size rings for your prime and reversed lens.

Minolta Maxxum 9xi, 100mm f-2.8 macro lens, extension tube, Fuji Velvia 50, Bogen tripod and Pan/tilt head. Multi-segment metering at f-16 and 1/15 sec, on manual exposure and manual focus mode.

An enlarging lens can also be reversed on a longer lens for high magnification work. The combination I use is a 90mm enlarging lens reversed on my 200mm prime lens for a bit over 2X. I sometimes add a 1.4X converter for more magnification with this combination. To mount an enlarging lens on a prime lens, buy a flat lens cap the size of your prime lens and cut a hole slightly smaller than the diameter of your enlarging lens in the middle. Reverse the enlarging lens and glue it to the cap. Attach the cap to your prime lens and make sure there is no light leaking. Purchase a used enlarging lens for this purpose.

A flash is needed for this type of close-ups as very shallow depth-of-field which forces you to shoot at small f-stops and slower shutter speeds, can cause unsharp images especially with smaller fast moving creatures. You can't use flash on camera as they cannot be aimed at your subject at this close range. A flash bracket is needed to hold flash and for you to be able to adjust its angle. Take note that a tripod is very difficult to use in 2X and over magnifications. Trying to find the subject in the viewfinder and adjusting the tripod at the same time is a very slow process. A handheld camera and high flash sync. is the real answer. See News & Reviews under lens reviews for choosing macro lenses. Also Close-up photography on a budget & Sharp close-ups