Close up filter

Has anyone ever successfully used one?

I bought a 49mm +3 one from the Intro2020 eBay store and been trying it on the 50-200 WR lens, but I cannot get it to focus as all (AF or MF) - went up to f32 to get a wide dof as possible

If I hand hold it in front of the sigma 10-20 it sort of works.

What am I doing wrong?

You will have to get quite close. A set of CU filters usually is a +1, +2 and +4, in combination they can provide any value up to +7.

A +3 on its own should work, maybe you are just not getting close enough.

I would set the camera on MKF, selct the closest point of focus and then just move inwards until the subject is coming into focus. This will give you an idea of the general working distance which you can then hone in on more precisely with the camera on a tripod.

I use a Raynox DCR 250 clip on macro lens- I usually use it on my SMC A 70-210- often at the longer end. Manual focus is essential- working distance approx. 4- 6ins, moving the camera rather than the focus ring. Quite a few of my macro shots in my portfolio are taken using this set up.
Cheers,
Gary

the minimum focusing distance of the 50-200 is 1.1 m, so surely it won't focus closer than that?



EDIT: it works! Moving the camera instead of fiddling with focus!

Thanks guys

That's the whole point of a close up lens. It enables you to move closer. With the CU lens in position though you won't be able to focus very far away.

Waste of time, better off just saving up and getting a dedicated Macro lens.

Close up lenses afford a means for us to try out close up photography at low cost. Stopped down to f11 or f16 results can be very acceptable.

If the bug bites, then eventually a macro lens may be the thing to go for.

I have found the Raynox quite acceptable- mind you I only dabble in macro,the Raynox is cheap and fun to play with-have a look at 'Robber 2' and 'Should Have Gone To..' in my portfolio

Cheers,
Gary

PS. 'If the bug bites...' nice one John!

+Dioptre closeup lenses / adapters change the focus distance of a camera lens. The host lens' focal length determines the amount of magnification. Cheap meniscus closeup lenses are not corrected for aberrations; corrected lenses like Raynox provide better images, but the cheap ones are fun, and useful. The Raynox DCR-150 is +4.9 dioptre; the DCR-250 is +8. Dipotres are additive; stick a +2 onto a DCR-250 for a total of +10. Here is a table of dioptre strengths, and focus distances in inches and metric:

+1 >> 20-38" (500-950mm)
+2 >> 13-20" (330-500mm)
+3 >> 10-13" (250-330mm)
+4 >> 8--10" (205-250mm)
+5 >> 6.5-8" (165-205mm)
+6 >> 6-6.5" (153-165mm)
+8 >> 5" --- (127mm)
+10 > 4" --- (102mm)

A +1 adapter on a slow lens like the DA18-55 at 55mm turns it into an ultra-thin-DOF portrait lens. These adapters are very handy for shooting small 3D stuff where you don't care about the frame edges. +Dioptre lenses have other features, but that's enough for now. Ask me sometime about building a 35/0.8 lens from a stack of closeup adapters, eh?