One of my lenses is a macro lens. That means it has the ability to get close to objects and still be able to focus when zoomed in, thus letting me capture small objects in great detail. But what if you wanted to get even closer?
One solution is to move the lens further from the camera. Extension tubes are one way to do that. A bellows is another way. B&H Photo sells a bellows meant to attach to modern day Canon EOS cameras:
The cost? A mere $800.
On ebay however, you can get a similar device for somewhat less.
This unit costs about $40. The tradeoff is somewhat less rigidity and build quality, and no automatic focusing. You can see the expensive model has pins that make the cameras auto focus work. The cheaper version doesn't have that. For $760, I'll happily focus by hand! Anyway, I asked for one of these for my birthday, and Melanie got it for me.
The cons: It's a gangly beast to work with. You will need a tripod, because the tiniest motion is amplified when the end of the lens is over a foot away from your camera. You will want to use the timer, or better yet a cable release, to avoid moving the camera. And frankly, I think even mirror movement was a problem (in an SLR camera, when you press the button to take a photo, the mirror must move up out of the way, and this can produce a tiny bit of shake, enough to jiggle the lens). I will probably use mirror lockup next time. And it's hard to aim, due to it flexing somewhat.
The pros: The results can be quite worth it.
More to come.
