Extending Your Reach: Close-up Lens Guide
	Introduction The H-series lenses have a beautiful built-in wide-angle Macro mode. As far as it goes, it produces brilliant, sharp close-up shots. But there's much more to shooting close-in than this single wide-angle option. And there's a number of truly excellent add-on lenses available for the H-series that open up an impressive range of possibilities. Each of these lenses provides the ability to get close to the subject. But each also produces different magnification, depth of field, bokeh and field of view. Which leaves you with more options than you can possibly imagine. That's wonderful for creativity,. but terribly daunting for choosing lenses, approaches and camera settings. I can't think of any other camera or type of camera that offers more options for close-up and macro photography than the H-Series cameras. DSLRs generally support dedicated macro lenses (or lenses with macro mode), extension tubes, and even close-up lenses similar to those recommended here for the H-Series cameras. The downside for DSLRs is that the first two options can cost you as much as two full f/stops of light. An f/2.8 shot becomes an f/5.6 shot. The H-series provides all of the following close-up options without losing any light at all: Wide-angle macro with built-in lens. Telephoto macro with built-in lens. Wide-angle-adapter close-up with Sony add-on lens. Telephoto adapter close-up with Sony add-on lens. close-up lenses (At least the three major, high-quality close-up lenses by Canon and Sony covered here, plus many more, including Raynox, Schneider, Fuji, Hoya, Pentax and others). Unlimited combinations (stacks) of all of the above This chapter is designed to help you choose the right equipment for the shot you want to capture. It includes some basic information about each lens or combination of lenses plus a number of studio and real-life illustrations to help you visualize your photographic goals. Extremes Focal length is the wild card in close-up and macro shots. Any of the lenses discussed in this chapter can be used at different focal lengths, each of which will change the nature of the shot. The shot can be less close but with more depth of field. It can include more of the scene or less. It can have almost no depth of field, or plenty - depending on how much zoom you dial into the built-in H-Series lens. I can't deal with that here. The options are almost infinite. So I have chosen to illustrate and document only the extremes - how close you can get, how much depth of field you can achieve and how much of the scene you can capture at full telephoto zoom (432-465 mm) or full wide-angle zoom (31-36 mm). The rest (the entire focal range each lens supports) I leave to you. What I give you here is only the extremes. It's up to you to experiment with the nearly infinite possibilities these lenses and settings offer. Take real pictures and play with different options in real-world shots. Find out what works for you. Depth of Field Depth of field can be one of your biggest challenges when chasing close-ups and macros. Some of the lenses (native wide-angle and telephoto, for example) produce a relatively deep depth of field, meaning that you have quite a bit of play in getting your subject in focus. Other lenses (such as the close-up lenses) have such tiny depth of field that focusing can become extremely difficult, resulting in difficult shots and a low number of "keepers". If there's an issue with depth of field, I'll discuss that in the Pros and Cons section of each lens. Otherwise, assume that there may be a wide variance in depth of field depending on how close you are to the subject, the focal length you use and the camera's aperture setting. bokeh (beautiful blurred backgrounds) is the flip-side of depth of field. The shallower the depth of field, the more likely you are to get creamy, soft, esthetic backgrounds. Analysis Format My analysis of the lenses and combinations uses the following format: Lens: Type and manufacturer. Price: Approximate price in US Dollars. Range: Diopters or focal length, depending on the lens. Used For: Some of the primary applications of this lens. Field of View: Maximum width of scene at full zoom. Minimum Focus: Minimum focus distance from lens to subject. Pros: Advantages of this lens or combination. Cons: Disadvantages of this lens or combination. Illustrations: Ruler shot to demonstrate the field of view. Floral bouquet shot to demonstrate field of view, depth of field.. Chess piece(s) to demonstrate depth of field and sharpness. Real-world shot (as applicable) The following are full-size normal-view shots of my primary demonstration subjects. Hopefully, they'll give you some sense of the size of the real-world subjects to compare with the close-up and macro versions. Figure 13-1 The Chessboard (studio shot) Figure 13-2 Floral Bouquet (also a studio shot) Native Lenses The H-Series cameras have two built-in close-up/macro modes: wide-angle macro and telephoto macro. No additional lenses are required. Wide-Angle Macro Lens: Uses the built-in H-Series lens. Zoom to full wide-angle and turn on the macro mode using the right-hand button on the 4-way controller. Then back off up to 2X zoom to increase the size of the subject, if desired. Price: Free, uses built-in lens Range: 36 mm to approximately 45 mm zoom. Used for: Extremely sharp close-ups/macros that don't require a beautiful background bokeh for isolation of the subject. Field of View: Approximately 1 3/4" (4.4 cm) Minimum Focus Distance: 3/4" (2 cm) Pros: Extremely sharp images and a very deep depth of field due to the wide-angle focal length. Free. Cons: Too close for many subjects. Camera can cause shadow on the subject. Not much bokeh compared to other lenses and combinations. Because this mode uses full wide-angle, subjects may suffer visible barrel distortion that may need correction in post-processing. Figure 13-3 Wide-angle Field of View. Note Barrel Distortion. Figure 13-4. Wide-angle Macro Shot. Note Depth of Field and Sharpness. Figure 13-5 Chessboard Shot. Note Extreme Sharpness, DOF. Figure 13-6 Real-World Wide-angle Macro Shot. In fig. 13-6, note the large field of view. The camera's lens was approximately 3/4" (2 cm) away from the tiny Baby's Breath in the foreground. Telephoto Macro Lens: Uses the built-in H-Series lens. Zoom to full telephoto and shoot relatively close to your subject. I generally use the minimum distance required to fit the subject in the frame. Price: Free. Uses built-in lens. Range: 116 mm to 432 mm zoom. Used for: close-up shots, not macros. Particularly useful for nature shots of larger subjects, such as lilies, roses and small animals - if you can get close enough. Field of View: Approximately 3 3/4" (9.5 cm) at closest subject distance Minimum Focus Distance: 34" (86.3 cm) H1-H5, 41" (104 cm) H7-H9. Pros: One of the best solutions for close-ups of relatively large objects. Good depth of field, but if you can get enough distance between the subject and the background, the bokeh can be absolutely gorgeous. It's also free. Extremely low distortion due to the superb telephoto characteristics of the H-Series lens. Cons: Too far from subject, at 34" - 41" minimum focus distance, to get true macro shots such as close-ups of insects. Figure 13-7 Field of View of Tele-Macro at Closest Distance. Figure 13-8 Best Close-up of Bouquet Subject at Tele-Macro. Figure 13-9 Chessboard at Closest Tele-Macro. Figure 13-10 Real-World Tele-Macro Shot. ------------------------------------- Normal Add-On Lenses Sony offers two normal add-on lenses. While not designed specifically for close-up or macro shooting, they also offer opportunities for interesting close-ups on their own, or in combination with other lenses. Telephoto Add-on Lens: The best telephoto adapter for the H-Series cameras is Sony's own DH-1758 or DH-1774. Specifically designed for the H-Series, both lenses deliver the least additional chromatic aberration and distortion at 1.7X magnification. Price: Approximately $100 US. Range: 116 mm to 465 mm zoom on the native lens, which is multiplied by 1.7 X to get an effective focal range, with the add-on lens attached, of 197 mm to 790 mm. Used for: close-ups of subjects that are not within a close physical range. Shooting objects you can't easily reach, such as upper branches in trees or subjects on a hillside. Shooting subjects on private property or on the other side of a fence or other barrier. Shooting insects or animals you don't want to get physically close to. Field of View: Approximately 6 3/4" (17.1 cm) Minimum Focus Distance: 120" (3.05m) Pros: Virtually no distortion. Access to subjects you cannot normally get close to. Excellent detail. Cons: High minimum focus distance. This is strictly a distance lens combination, not a "get-close" option. Use this as needed. Not recommended for more esthetic close-ups requiring limited depth of field for isolation and bokeh. close-ups only, no macros possible. Figure 13-11 Extremely Wide Field of View with the Tele-Adapter at 10 Feet. Figure 13-12 Bouquet Shot Using Tele-Adapter From 10 Feet (approx.). Figure 13-13 Chessboard View with Tele-Adapter Note wide field of view, but excellent detail and size considering this was shot from 10 feet away. It's the distance that produces the wide field of view, not the focal length (zoom). Figure 13-14 Real-World Shot. Taken About 10-12 Feet Into Forest. (Leaf is about 4"long). Wide-Angle Add-on Lens: The best wide-angle adapter for the H-Series cameras is Sony's own DH-0758 (or the DH0774 for the H7 and H9). Specifically designed for the H-Series, both lenses do a pretty good job (with the exception of perspective distortion) of converting the maximum wide-angle of the Zeiss lenses from 36 mm to 25 mm, or 31-21.7 mm (H7 and H9) Attach the lens, zoom to full wide-angle and change the camera into Macro mode using the Macro button on your 4-way controller. Price: Approximately $100 US. Range: 25 mm on the H1-H5, 21.7 mm on the H7-H9. Used for: Extreme close-ups when you need a wide view of the subject. This lens gets you as close as you possibly can get - right up to touching the subject. But objects still don't look all that large. Even though you may be directly touching the subject, the lens takes in a relatively large field of view, which means that each bit of your subject has to be very small. This is a great lens for taking close-ups of bouquets, of groups of berries, of colonies of insects. Think of it as a very, very close landscape lens and you won't go wrong. Field of View: Approximately 3" (7.6 cm) Minimum Focus Distance: Touching ( 0 cm) Pros: You can get a huge amount of subject in your image, even if you're so close that you're touching (or almost touching) the subject. Cons: It's very hard to protect your subject from the shadow of your camera when you're so close that you're virtually touching the subject. Also, the wide-angle adapter magnifies the barrel and perspective distortion common to very wide-angle lenses. You should only use this combination when you need to get very close, yet maintain a wide field of view. Figure 13-15 Field of View Using Sony Wide-Angle Add-on Lens. Note the barrel distortion, which is the same or less than the distortion produced by the native wide-angle macro.That is a testament to the quality of the Sony wide-angle adapter lens. Figure 13- 16 Floral Bouquet Shot with Wide-Angle Adapter. Note how vast the field of view is. When shot, my lens was virtually touching the stamen on the red flower on the left. Yet it doesn't look that close because of the wide field of view. Figure 13-17 Chessboard View with Wide-Angle Adapter Note how much of the chessboard is shown, even though the camera was almost touching the pawn in the foreground. Also notice the barrel distortion of the pawn - the base looks much wider than it does in reality. Figure 13-18 Real-World Shot with Wide-Angle Adapter Shooting from 6" or so from the subject, this lens delivers an incredible wide field of view. I could not get this shot with any other lens combination. Note the extreme clarity, sharpness and depth of field. Close-up Lenses I love close-up lenses. They are the best way to get great macros with the H-Series cameras. Added to the front of the H-Series Zeiss lens at high telephoto zoom ranges, they let you get much closer to the subject than you can with the native lens alone. This means much more magnification of the subject plus a more esthetic background bokeh. The downside is that your closeness to the subject produces a shallow depth of field, and you'll have to play around with focal length and aperture to ensure that your entire subject is in focus. Note: To amplify on the above, I sometimes use close-up lenses even if I don't need to get all that close. The combination of a shorter subject distance and the magnification provided by the close-up lens can produce beautiful bokeh where there might have been little when shooting with the native lens. See the M3358/tele stack section in for examples. Close-up lenses are measured in diopters. Diopters do not change the focal length of your lens. They just let you get the same focal length closer to the subject in the same way that reading glasses do. Reading glasses are also measured in diopters. Note: Close-up lenses should not be used when the camera is in wide-angle macro mode - with or without the wide-angle adapter. In wide-angle mode, you're already as close as you can get to the subject. The close-up lens has nothing to add to this. You don't need to get closer. Close-up lenses are designed for telephoto macro. The H-Series cameras have such a large range of telephoto focal lengths, that a close-up lens can be extremely useful across a considerable zoom range when used with H-Series lenses. You will always want a very-high-quality lens with more than one element. The second element often corrects the color problems, contrast problems and aberrations introduced by the first element. I do not recommend single-element close-up lenses. The market leaders, and the most reliable close-up lenses for the H-Series are from Canon and Sony. They cover a very interesting range of diopters. I have all three and use them regularly depending on how close I need to get to the subject. Recommendation. The H7 and H9 cameras have a wider filter thread (74 mm) than the H1 through H5 (58 mm). Some of the close-up lenses discussed in this section come in a variety of sizes, with larger sizes costing quite a bit more. If you own an H7 or H9 and wish to use one of these lenses, go ahead and purchase the smaller, 58 mm versions listed here. Since close-up lenses are almost always used with the higher telephoto focal lengths, they'll work just fine. The telephoto image circle is quite a bit smaller than the wide-angle image circle - small enough to fit comfortably within the borders of any of these 58 mm lenses. To mount the 58 mm lenses on the H7 or H9, you'll need to purchase an inexpensive ($10) 74-58 mm step-down ring from Pemaraal. Figure 13-19 H9 With Close-up Lens And Step-Down Ring The following is a list of compatible close-up lenses in order of their magnification, from lowest to highest. Canon 500D close-up Lens Lens: The Canon 500D is the lowest-diopter Canon close-up lens. It is a two-element design with superb quality. It delivers true colors with no added distortion or chromatic aberration. Price: Approximately $90 US. Range: 2 diopters (minimal magnification). Can be used throughout the entire H-Series zoom range, but is most useful in the 300-465 mm range. The close-up lens doesn't add much (if anything) at the wide-angle range of the native lens. Used for: Gentle close-ups with reasonable depth of field: mid-size and larger insects, berries, roses and other flowers of similar size; tree buds. This lens gets considerably closer than any of the previous options including the built in wide-angle macro. You can shoot a true macro (1:1) with this lens, depending on the size of your subject. But true macros are easier to achieve with some of the higher-diopter lenses. Note: Occasionally I use the 500D just to achieve a well-blurred background bokeh in a shot in which I might have used only the native built-in telephoto. Field of View: Approximately 1 1/4" (3.17 cm) Minimum Focus Distance: 12-15" (30.4 cm) Pros: This lens has more depth of field than the other, higher-diopter lenses and, hence, is easier to focus. It produces true close-ups (and even moderate macros) from a manageable distance. It is very clean, crisp and color-true. Highly recommended if you don't need to get the most extreme macros. Great for lizards, snakes and other small wildlife. Cons: This lens will not produce extreme macros, such as tight shots of smaller insects, or the smallest parts of small flowers. If you plan to do extreme close-ups of insects, for example, you might want to look at the higher-diopter lenses. Figure 13-20 Closest Field of View Using Canon 500D Close-up Lens Figure 13-21 Bouquet View of Canon 500D Close-up Lens Note that the lowest stamen is already going out of focus. The Depth of Field is pretty good, approximately 1" or so. As we go up in diopters, you'll see how the depth of field drops dramatically. Figure 13-22 Chessboard View of Canon 500D Note that the pawn is larger than the frame. This image approaches the true macro 1:1 ratio. Figure 13-23 A Real-World Shot with the Canon 500D Close-up Lens Perfect lens for this shot. Sony VCL-M3358 Lens: The Sony VCL-M3358 is my favorite close-up lens. In terms of magnification, it falls a little more than halfway between the Canon 500D and 250D. Its construction and quality are superb: two elements with a beautiful coating that preserves true color and contrast and gets in close enough for most macro situations. It's extremely sharp. It is also surprisingly inexpensive - a little more than half the price of the Canon lenses. Price: Approximately $50 US on Amazon.com. Range: 3.3 diopters (midrange-to-high magnification). Can be used throughout the entire H-Series zoom range, but is most useful in the 300-465 mm range. close-up lenses are not designed to be used at the wide-end of the H-Series zoom. Used for: General purpose macro and close-up shooting. By backing off on the H-Series maximum zoom, it can also be used for close-up shots of larger objects. Field of View: Approximately 1" (2.5 cm) Minimum Focus Distance: Approximately 10-12" (25.4 cm) Pros: Manageable depth of field (for a close-up lens), very sharp, can get quite close, produces a beautiful bokeh to isolate subject. Is equally effective if you back off from full telephoto to get a larger field of view, better focus or more depth of field. The Sony VCL-M3358 produces true macros (1:1) or better. Cons: Like other close-up lenses, focus can be difficult, and depth of field relatively small, but manageable. You need to develop techniques to use this close-up lens, or any close-up lens above two diopters. Figure 13-24 Field of View of Sony M3358 3.3 Diopter Close-up Lens Figure 13-25 Bouquet View Using Sony VCL-M3358. Figure 13-26 Chessboard view using Sony VCL-M3358. Note that the depth of field is just large enough to keep the entire pawn in focus. Figure 13-27 Real-World Shot by Jonas (Fotoomat on DPReview.com) Using M3358 Note the perfect depth of field for an insect such as a bee. Great detail too! Canon 250D Lens: This is one of the more powerful close-up lenses available for H-Series cameras. It gets well into macro territory with capabilities easily exceeding the 1:1 minimum macro ratio. But it is not for the faint-of-heart. At full telephoto, the depth of field is so shallow that you need to really work on techniques for getting in-focus shots. You sure can get deep into your subject with this lens. Price: Approximately $90 US. Range: 4 diopters (high magnification). Can be used throughout the entire H-Series zoom range, but is most useful in the 300-465 mm range. Close-up lenses are not designed to be used at the wide-end of the H-Series zoom. Used for: Extreme close-in macros. close-ups of insects, especially small ones, tiny flowers, any minuscule subject. At full telephoto, you may not even get the full insect into the depth of field, making this a great lens for capturing an insect's eye, but perhaps not the best for grabbing the entire insect. It depends on the subject's size. Field of View: Approximately 3/4" (2 cm) Minimum Focus Distance: Approximately 9-10" (22.8 cm) Pros: Extremely close photos of very small subjects. This lens can produce stunning close-ups, revealing the smallest, brilliant detail. Produces such a smooth bokeh that the background can actually disappear, leaving just lighter and darker areas in the background. Cons: At full telephoto, focus will be difficult and depth of field very small. You need to develop techniques to acquire focus with this lens. You can always back off from full telephoto to get greater depth of field, easier focus, or to shoot larger objects, but that sort of defeats the real advantage of this lens. This is a serious Macro lens. Some people suggest this lens for beginners, I do not. It's too easy to get discouraged by a very small percentage of keepers. Figure 13-28 Field of View of Canon 250D Figure 29 Bouquet View Using Canon 250D. Note the extreme closeness to the stamen. Figure 30 Chessboard View Using Canon 250D. Note how quickly the focus disappears on the left and right sides due to very small depth of field. Figure 31 Brilliant Real-World Shot with Canon 250D Fig. 31 was photographed by R2D2 of the Sony Talk Forum on DPReview.com and used with permission. Note how little of the dragonfly is in focus, but how brilliant and detailed the in-focus area is. Combinations (Stacks) Sometimes, even the most powerful close-up lens is not enough to capture the tiniest details of a small macro subject. Sometimes, you can't get physically close enough to acquire focus on a macro subject. The solution? Stacking lenses together. All of the close-up lenses described here have threads on both sides of the lens to allow you to mount more than one lens at the same time. The resultant diopters is the combined diopters of all of the stacked lenses. Note: Some close-up lenses are even sold as stacks, with a total magnification of 10 diopters or better. The lenses can be used individually, or in any combination. If you decide to purchase a "stack" (which gives you tremendous versatility) make sure the lenses have two elements and are of excellent quality. Macro photography is very unforgiving of mediocre glass. My solution to the stack was to buy each of the three close-up lenses described in this chapter. The total cost was approximately $230, which may seem expensive in comparison to a camera that costs less than $500. But it's very inexpensive compared to even a single DSLR macro lens, which can cost $1500 or more - and you don't lose any light in macro mode. Stacks can also be used to achieve specific esthetics. By combining a close-up lens with a telephoto lens, you can add depth of field to a shot that might have far too little depth of field to adequately capture your subject. Since bokeh changes with focal length and distance to subject (just like depth of field), you can use stacks to further smooth or extract detail from background bokeh. Experiment until you find the combinations that best suit your style and intent. Stack: Canon 250D and Canon 500D Lenses: This stack combines two excellent and well-matched close-up lenses. The order in which they're stacked on the H-Series lens "adapter barrel" makes no difference to the outcome. Price: Approximately $180 US (combined). Range: 6 diopters (extremely high magnification). This stack will focus over a fairly limited zoom range. Usually used at full telephoto. If you're going to back off the zoom, you'll find it easier to use one of the two lenses alone with full zoom. Used for: Really, really close-in macros. This is a combination to use when you want to present the hair on an insect's leg rather than the entire insect. Or to shoot the tiniest of insects. This lens is not very useful for larger subjects, such as full-size flowers or normal-size insects. If you can manage the focus, you can turn the tiniest drop of water into a globe! Field of View: Approximately .52" - slightly more than 1/2" (1.32 cm). Minimum Focus Distance: Approximately 5" (12.7 cm) Pros: Extreme close photos of very small subjects. This lens can produce pictures of the finest detail of the smallest objects. The bokeh is so smooth, it's practically solid, depending on the distance between the subject and background. This lens is about tiny detail, not about esthetics. Cons: Autofocus is very, very difficult with this stack. The depth of field of this stack is minuscule. The slightest motion of the camera will produce serious motion blur and ruin the shot. Even the image stabilization in the H-Series cameras may not be enough to save your shot. Shoot at higher speeds where possible, manual focus where possible. Use "almost infinity" and focus by moving the camera back-and-forth in very small increments. This is a difficult combination to work with. The "real world" example that follows (fig. 35) produced only one keeper out of more than a dozen shots. This is not unusual. This kind of ultra-close macro can be very difficult, but can produce surprising and gorgeous results with the right subject. Figure 13-32 Field of View, Canon 500D/250D Stack. Just Over 1/2 Inch (Requires very small subject) Figure 13-33 Bouquet Shot With Stack Note that almost none of the flower shows in this very small field of view, and depth of field is so tiny that only a single stamen is in full focus. And even that single stamen goes soft at the edges. Figure 13-34 Chessboard View of Canon 250D/500D Stack. Note the infinitesimal depth of field. Figure 13-35 Real-World Shot with Canon 500D/250D Stack This shot is of a # 2 pencil point resting on a tiny, thin paper clip. The depth of field is so shallow that it barely covers the circumference of the pencil point. Similar close-up Stacks This is the only close-up-lens stack I'll cover in this chapter. Other combinations will produce similar results relative to their combined diopters. For example, stacking the 500D and the Sony M3358 yields a 5.3 diopter magnification. It's not all that different from the 6 diopters of the combination discussed above. It will be slightly easier to focus, and the subjects will appear a little further away and have a tiny bit more depth of field. But ultimately, the difference will not be all that great. Stacking the Canon 250D and the Sony M3358 yields 7.3 diopters, which will get even closer than the combination illustrated above, with even less depth of field, and is useful mostly for specialized, extremely close macros of the tiniest subjects when used at full telephoto. I recommend stacks of 8 diopters and above only for highly experienced macro photographers. You'll get few keepers and will need some kind of camera support to shoot such high magnifications from 2-3 inches away. Telephoto Stacks One of the more interesting possibilities is stacking a close-up lens with the Sony DH-1758 or Sony DH-1774 telephoto lens. The resulting images are very different from those produced by either the close-up lens or the telephoto adapter alone. The obvious advantage is that you get the benefits of the close-up lens, including the better bokeh and smaller field of view, while shooting from a safe and comfortable distance. For those allergic to insect bites or unable to physically access the location of the subject, these tele-close-up combinations are indispensable. I have saved more than one shoot with this kind of stack. And I love the crisper depth of field combined with a still-beautiful bokeh that you can't really get with any other lens or combination. For a sample of what I mean, take a look at the real-world illustration for the Tele-Adapter/M3358 stack. There's no other way I could get those berries, and I wasn't anticipating a terrific result. But the limbs and sky beyond those berries produced an absolutely classic bokeh and (to my eye), a rather marvelous picture. Stack: Tele-Adapter/Canon 500D Lenses: This stack combines the excellent Sony 1.7 X tele-adapter with the lovely Canon 500D close-up lens. The two lenses work well together. Price: Approximately $195 US (combined). Range: 734-790 mm (native lens plus tele-adapter) plus 2 diopters (close-up). You can zoom the native lens back approximately 100 mm to increase the field of view or depth of field. Used for: Shooting close-ups from medium distance (approximately 3 feet). The close-up lens nullifies the extra minimum focus distance you normally experience with the telephoto adapter alone. Alone, the tele-adapter requires approximately 10' to focus. With this combination, it requires only 34". Field of View: .Approximately 2 1/4" (5.71 cm) Minimum Focus Distance: Approximately 34-41" (86.3 cm) Pros: You can get a relatively small field of view (just over two inches) from almost 3 feet away from the subject (just under one meter). Because the 500D is not the most powerful close-up lens, you can maintain a reasonable depth of field. Excellent for shooting berries in a nearby bush or small flowers in foliage (see real-world example). This stack produces very sharp images of moderate magnification with an excellent ease of focus and excellent bokeh. Cons: This combination is not very effective for extreme close-ups or tiny insects. Figure 13-36 Field of View of Stacked Tele-Adapter/Canon 500d Figure 13-37 Bouquet View of Stacked Tele-Adapter and Canon 500D Figure 13-38 Chessboard View of Stacked Tele-Adapter and Canon 500D Note the good depth of field and interesting bokeh. Also, the tele-adapter adds a certain sharpness and detail to the image. Figure 13-29 Real-World Shot of Flower in Forest. Notice how beautifully the foreground bokeh is rendered, adding a lovely context to the single flower. Plus, the entire flower is within the depth of field and, as a result, is quite sharp overall. Stack: Tele-Adapter/Sony VCL-M3358 Lenses: This stack combines the best two matching lenses of all the lenses discussed here. The versatile combination of Sony's DH1758 or DH1774 telephoto adapter with Sony's 3.3 diopter close-up lens delivers a surprising range of esthetic solutions at the best price of all the stacks. Price: Approximately $156 US (combined). Range: 790 mm (native lens plus tele-adapter) plus 3.3 diopters (close-up). You can zoom the native lens back over a huge range - from full telephoto zoom down to at least 100 mm and still gain benefit from the M3358 close-up lens. Used for: Shooting objects from mid-to-small size that you can't approach close enough to accommodate the normal 5-12" minimum focus range of the stand-alone close-up lenses. Field of View: .Approximately 1 3/4" (4.5 cm) Minimum Focus Distance: Approximately 21-24" (53.3 cm) Pros: This is an amazingly effective stack that delivers a wide range of esthetic and composition alternatives. The bokeh can be absolutely stunning and color and detail are the best of all the stacks tested - probably because of the matched coatings between both Sony lenses used in this stack. This combination is highly recommended Cons: This combination is not very effective for extreme close-ups or tiny insects. It does not deliver the tiny field of view (high magnification) of any of the stand-alone close-up lenses, but it's not far off. Figure 13-40 Field of View of the Stacked Sony M3358 and DH1758 Figure 13-41 Bouquet View of M3358 and DH1758 Stack Note the admirable sharpness and detail of this lens combination. The image appears close enough, but with a very deep depth of field Figure 13-42 Chessboard View of the M3358/DH1758 Stack. Of all the chessboard views, this is my favorite. Note the exquisite detail on the pawn (you can see me taking the shot, reflected in the upper part of the chess piece). Yet, the bokeh behind (which is another chess piece) is just lovely and adds to the esthetics of the shot. Figure 13-23 Beautiful Real-World Shot Using the M3358/DH1758 Stack. Photo by Stephan Berghmans of the Sony Talk Forum on DPReview.com The next two photos were taken by me. These represent my first experience of the Sony M3358 and DH1758 as a combination. I was shooting some berries in the back yard. The most interesting bunch was at the top of a tree that was approximately 8 feet away from me and 12 feet high. It was also on the side of a hill. Due to the girth of the branches, I simply couldn't get close enough to these high berries to get anything like a close-up shot. So I mounted both the M3358 and the DH1758. I held the camera at full arm's length and composed and focused with the large LCD on the DSC-H5.I was impressed with the results. The first picture below was taken at full zoom, around 734 mm plus the close-up lens. (432 mm plus 3.3 diopters plus 1.7 X tele-adapter). It is surprisingly close. For the second picture in this series, I zoomed back to 100 mm (170 mm with tele-adapter plus 3.3 diopters). Although I didn't get a shot that appears all that close (which is appropriate given the focal lengths), I did get a surprisingly esthetic shot with a gorgeous background bokeh. Figure 13-44 M3358/DH1758 Stack Taken at Full Zoom Note, again, the amazing sharpness and depth of field of this combination. Figure 13-45 M3358/DH1758 Stack Taken At Only 170 mm The 170 mm focal length includes the tele-adapter. Note the gorgeous bokeh behind this subject. This combination is extremely versatile and very well-matched! The pictures above clearly demonstrate that you can use the close-up lenses, or stacks of lenses, not just for magnification, but also to improve the bokeh and esthetic quality of your images. The same picture shown in Fig. 44 could easily have been taken with the H-series native zoom. But you would not have gotten the gorgeous background that this stack delivers through its increased focal length and proximity to the subject. Stack: Tele-Adapter/Canon 250D Lenses: This stack combines one Sony and one Canon lens. The Sony is the DH1758 or DH1774 telephoto adapter, the Canon is the very powerful 250D (yes, the lower number is the more powerful one - the 500d has only half the magnification of the 250d). Price: Approximately $190 US (combined). Range: 790 mm (native lens plus tele-adapter) plus 4 diopters (close-up). You can zoom the native lens back over a reasonably useful range - from full telephoto zoom down to at least 150 mm and still gain benefit from the 250D close-up lens. Used for: Shooting objects from mid-to-small size that you can't approach close enough to accommodate the normal 5-12" minimum focus range of the stand-alone close-up lenses. Field of View: .Approximately 1 1/4" (3.17 cm) Minimum Focus Distance: Approximately 17-20" (43.1 cm) Pros: This is a fairly unique combination. You may note, as you look at the minimum focus distance for all three telephoto stacks, that a diopter makes a huge difference in minimum focus distance. This stack allows you to get about as close as you'll ever get with a telephoto adapter and the three close-up lenses reviewed here. That's the advantage of this combination: you can get almost the same field of view and magnification as you get with the 500D alone, but get it from 17" away. This combination also produces excellent bokeh. Cons: This combination delivers a little less sharpness and depth of field than the tele-adapter/M3358 stack. The Canon lens works well with the Sony telephoto, but, according to my tests, this combination is not quite as bright and sharp as the better-matched M3358/tele stack. Figure 13-46 Field of View of Tele-Adapter and 250D Stack. Figure 13-47 Chessboard View: Sony Tele-Adapter with Canon 250D Note the beautiful bokeh, but note also that the pawn is not quite as sharp and detailed as the tele-adapter/M3358 stack. That's due to the shallower depth of field and the related difficulties in acquiring good focus. Figure 13-48 Bouquet Shot with Tele-Adapter/Canon 250D Stack This stack likes a little more light. In better light and higher contrast, not surprisingly, it seems to produce more visible detail. Figure 13-49 Real-World Shot of DH1758/Canon 250d Stack. The photo in figure 13-49 is courtesy of Dave Proctor from the Sony Talk Forum on DPReview.com. Note the excellent focus, detail and depth of field of the foreground and the smooth bokeh. This is an great combination when you want to capture all of an insect in sharp focus. My Recommendations All of the lenses explored in this chapter are excellent. Not a dud among them. But if I were to buy only one lens for close-ups and macros, it would be Sony's excellent 3.3 diopter VCL-M3358 It's easy to work with, produces amazingly clear and crisp images and delivers an absolutely gorgeous background bokeh. In fact, I sometimes use it stacked with Sony's telephoto adapter (VCL-DH1758/DH1774) for non-macro shots when I can't get good bokeh with the built-in lens. For that reason alone, I also suggest purchasing the Sony tele-adapter. While close-up lenses only let you get close, the tele-adapter lets you get both close (with a close-up lens) and far. The Canon 500D is a great lens, but it's one you tend to grow out of fairly quickly as your skills improve and you're ready to move on to closer, more adventurous macros. The Canon 250D gives you extreme close-up capability, but it takes a while to get proficient at shooting with it. You will lose many shots, especially at first. While you can drop back on the zoom to improve the depth of field and focus more easily, it's not the same as shooting at full zoom. For me, the 250D is an expert lens, and one you can graduate to, in time. The lens you purchase and the lens you use depends on the photo you're trying to capture. Every shot does not have to be super-macro. In fact, most shots don't really want to be so close that you can see an insect's nose while all the rest of the little creature is out of focus. As I recommend all throughout the White Paper, experiment! Have fun, be creative. Perhaps start with the built-in wide-macro mode that comes (free) on your H-Series camera. And when you reach the limits of your hardware, start shooting with add-on lenses or even a stack of them! Don't take your macro shooting too seriously. It's supposed to be fun. And it usually is with the dynamic combination of a Sony H-series camera (with its amazing zoom range) and an infinite number of focal lengths, add-on lenses and stacks.