Digital Photography Technology

Close up photography is simply getting the camera close to make the subject larger. That sounds easy. The problem is what is close for one photographer is not close enough for another. It all comes back to the lens
as every one is different.

Most standard lenses focus down from two to three feet, whether it is a fixed focus or a zoom. For most close up photography, this is acceptable. It is when the photographer wants photographs
of small subjects, such as the stamen of a flower, little critters, bugs, and anything that happens to be small.

The photographer has to make some decisions as to how serious he or she is about close up photography.
There are pros and cons as to what type of lens or accessory lens to purchase. Does cost enter into the purchase? If it does, used equipment can be a possibility, as it will perform as good as new if it is in good optical and
mechanical condition.

There are a number of lens or accessory items that can be used, depending how close or how small the objects are that will be photographed.

The first items to be considered is
a macro lens. Cost can be several hundred dollars to over one thousand dollars, depending if it is new or used. This is the simplest and most convenient to go.
It will focus down to life size which will cover most close up photography.

Extension tubes are the most economical way of taking any lens and extending the focal length. There normally come in a set of three, 14mm, 27.5mm,
and 52mm long. These only work with cameras that have interchangeable lenses. The extension tube goes between the camera and lens, therefore extending the distance from the film or CCD plane to the lens. They can be used
one a time or all together. This now allows the camera to focus closer to the object. The downside of using an extension tube is that there is a loss of light, which can be compensated for by using a larger lens opening. Also, the lens
will not focus to infinity.

Bellows are the next method of extending the focal length. They are basically the same as an extension tube, but are adjustable. The more expensive bellows have two adjustments and are mounted on a rail.
One adjustment is for focusing and the other varies the focal length. Light loss varies with the additional focal length, the same as with extension tubes. The other problem is that bellows are somewhat large and awkward to use but extremely
useful for close up photography. A heavy duty tripod is required and using this combination outdoors is not the easiest.

Supplementary lenses, which are also called close up lenses, plus lenses, or plus diopters are another method
of bringing the lens closer to the subject. These lenses look like filters and mount the same way. They come in different physical sizes depending on the size of the lens on the camera. These supplementary lenses normally come in sets
of three, and are numbered 1+, 2+, and 4+. There can be used signally or stacked, up to 7+. The advantages are there is no light loss using these lenses, easy to use, and very inexpensive. The disadvantage is they are not optically perfect.
There will be some distortion, but still very acceptable. Stacking these lenses will introduce additional distortion.

Teleconverters are another optical device that magnifies whatever is in front of them. They come in various power strengths,
1.4, 2, and 3, and are mounted between the camera and lens. If a 2 power is used with a 105mm, f/4, the effective focal length will be 210mm, but at f/8. The working distance stays the same, but the image is magnified. A loss of quality will
be notice if the lens used with the teleconverter is wide open. Stop the lens down as far as possible. This is just another example where a gain in one direction causes a loss in another direction.

Reversing a lens in front of another lens
will give extreme magnification. An example is mounting a reversed 18mm lens in front of a 300mm lens. Reversing rings are available from most photo stores. To calculate the ratio, divide 300/18=16. This would be a 1:16 ratio which
would let you see things you have seen before. Just remember you need enough light and the depth of field would be negligible. Nothing is easy.

If you plan to start photographing small objects, go as small as you can with the equipment
that you have. Then start with any of the lens combinations from above. Do not try to go to extreme magnification first. Work your way down in size. Remember, the loss of light, depth of field is very shallow, and vibration is a huge problem.
As magnification goes up, so does the effect of any movement. Do not try to use auto focus. It is useless with this type of photography. Strobe lights are the best to use. There are a number of strobe ring lights on the market which fit on the
end of the lens. This places the light exactly where you want it and close to the subject. They give out plenty of light and speed to stop any movement.

Now that your interest has you all excited about close up photography, find anything
small, start and get hooked.