close up lens on macros

I just saw a post where people where putting a close up lens (5T or 6T) on macro lenses.

I have a 105mmVR and put a 5T on it. I guess I am just not getting it. Just on prelim free hand shots, I didnt' seem to get any extra magnification nor could i focus closer.

I am going to play with it more tonite, but can someone explain why to use the close up lens. I figure one difference between this and the wet diopter is optical quality. But then you lose the ability to take the 5T off.

I just saw a post where people where putting a close up lens (5T or 6T) on macro lenses.

 

I have a 105mmVR and put a 5T on it. I guess I am just not getting it. Just on prelim free hand shots, I didnt' seem to get any extra magnification nor could i focus closer.

 

I am going to play with it more tonite, but can someone explain why to use the close up lens. I figure one difference between this and the wet diopter is optical quality. But then you lose the ability to take the 5T off.

I have not tried it with the 105VR very much but it is very handy with the 70-180mm macro lens. Still, with the 105VR, you should be able to move in a bit closer but consider that minimum focusing distance of the 105mm, the front of the lens is already pretty close to the subject, you may not be able to get that much closer anyhow. However, my impression is that in certain situation, the lens will be able to lock a bit easier with the 5T on.

I use the 5T on the 105mm VR a lot. It gives a bit of extra magnification and doesn't restrict too much on the big stuff.

When you fit the lens on land you should be able to get closer to your subject on minimum focus and also not be able to focus on the horizon any more.

This is a shot taken with the 105mm VR and 5T:

Note the sharpness and blue background courtesy of the long exposure and the VR.

Alex

I have the 105 VR with 6T diopter (2.9 dioptre) and i measured on land what it does. The effect of the 5T will be less off course since that one is 1.5 dioptre. The reproduction ratio becomes 1.5 : 1 with the 6T diopter and the closest focus distance becomes 26.4 cm instead of 31.4 cm.

You can measure the effect of the 5T yourself by taking an image of a horizontal ruler. If it's 1:1 you should be able to see 24 mm in total. With the 5T this should be less. The reproductionratio will be (24/measured value):1. The closest focus distance i measured by putting a mark on the table and see how far i had to move the camera forward to get the ruler in focus again.

The image below was taken with the 105VR and the 6T diopter. I don't know whether it was on 1:1 but it certainly was close to it.

Cheers, Udo

Thanks guys.

i'm going to try that tonite after work

now if only these lens were not going for such a huge premium on ebay!

Alex,

Does your 105VR do a LOT of "hunting" when trying to shoot macro. I shot mine the whole week in Bonaire and got frustrated sometimes with trying to get small critters due to the hunting of the lens. I used a Fisheye focus light some of the time and it perhaps helped a bit. I had a 6T with me but didn't try it but did use an external diopter on the port.

I couldn't get anything close to the photo you posted above. Are there any tricks you used to get the lens to "settle down"? Perhaps having the 6T on would prevent it from hunting for distance focus.

Steve Dingeldein

Hi Steve,

I have been meaning to write a review of this lens for a while now. I think you raise and important point and I certainly think that the 105mm VR is NOT definitely a no-brainer choice over the standard 105mm.

I don't believe that the new 105mm hunts more - but because the lens racks through the focal range so fast it doesn't offer the chance for manual intervention (i.e. taking your finger off the shutter at the right moment) that the old 105mm had.

I think it is important to make this point before everyone spends the money upgrading only to find out that they prefered the older lens.

Alex

I couldn't get anything close to the photo you posted above. Are there any tricks you used to get the lens to "settle down"? Perhaps having the 6T on would prevent it from hunting for distance focus.

With the 6T it hunts even more because you'll only be able to focus between 26.4 cm and approx. 50-60 cm (topside). If the lens doesn't focus i lock the focus with the AE-L-/AF-L- button under my right thumb or i simply switch to manual and move the camera towards my subject until it's focussed. But soon (hopefully before my wakatobi trip) Hugyfot will have a solution for a two-part focus ring which will enable me to focus manually.

Udo

With the 6T it hunts even more because you'll only be able to focus between 26.4 cm and approx. 50-60 cm (topside). If the lens doesn't focus i lock the focus with the AE-L-/AF-L- button under my right thumb or i simply switch to manual and move the camera towards my subject until it's focussed. But soon (hopefully before my wakatobi trip) Hugyfot will have a solution for a two-part focus ring which will enable me to focus manually.

 

Udo

Hmmm. That is why I found the press on diopter even more frustrating than the lens alone. It was very frustrating to have good macro subjects in Bonaire and good position and not to be able to get the camera/lens to focus in, absent a manual mode with the Ikelite port.

SD

I too have the Ikelite port with the lack of MF

From this thread I will definitely try out the 5T. I doubt if I can get a 6T.

I don't think I will use the wet diopter too much unless i use it on my 60mm. plus the optics on othe wet diopter are not going to be as good.

I will just have to be patient to sort out the "focus hunt".

More practice this wknd. I'm getting ready to go to Sipidan and Lembeh in two wks!!!!

Hey Alex,

have you written your article on using the teleconverter with the 10.5?

Which teleconverter are you using. My TC-17 won't take the 10.5

This is taken last week with 105 VR + nikon 4T (with a conversion ring) and only resize, unsharp mask and sign:

Great shot David!! It seems that the 4T also provides a descent magnification. Unfortunately it also causes quit strong chromatic aberations, maybe because of the converter its a little too far away from the lens. With the 6T i never experienced CA's that strong...

cheers, udo