# Reversed Lens or Super Macro



## Sk8man (Aug 29, 2004)

this is my custom made ring
*Link gone *

a bug






a pin
*Link gone *
lion ring
*Link gone *
fbi clip in the size of a fingerprint
*Link gone *
bolt
*Link gone *
 stuffed animal fur
*Link gone *

a book page:





a piece of fabric:





a match:


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## jadin (Aug 29, 2004)

I really want to try this... any tips on how to best go about it?


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## Sk8man (Aug 29, 2004)

if you can remove the original lens from your camera then do it and put it back reversed (you'll have to hand hold it).

if not, you'll have to get another lens and hold it reversed at the camera lens.

zoom all the way in and move the camera forward and backward from the object to get the sweet spot.


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## Sk8man (Sep 11, 2004)

increase the gallery a little bit

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7.


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## lazarus219 (Sep 13, 2004)

Unless you have another camera- how did you do it with an S5000? i guess you had to just hold another lens there?


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## jadin (Sep 15, 2004)

Oh man is this fun! I'm going to buy a reverse coupler for my len(s) so I don't have to use tape.

It's insane, the depth of field is like a 16th of an inch or something outrageous. I found it extremely hard to use the tripod. Maybe I'll figure out an easier way.

Staples:





For most I used the colored flash - 

Domino:





My favorite - a tape measure:





Steel Wool:


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## jadin (Sep 16, 2004)

Bubble Wrap:






Candle:


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## captain-spanky (Sep 16, 2004)

sofa





lampshade





mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm cake top


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## mistakendavis (Sep 16, 2004)

a new one i just did i like it i just wish it wasnt so blown out at the bottom


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## DIRT (Sep 27, 2004)

wow!  ive never even heard ofthis technique.  It sure sounds fun and those are some great photos.  its cool how an ordinary object becomes a whole new thing like that.  i have an old canon with 50mm lens and i also have a 28mm lens,  would it work if I held the 28mm lens backwards to the 50mm?  or should i just hold the 50mm to the camera body?


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## mad_malteaser (Sep 28, 2004)

Sk8man: First set I adore the one of the book page. I love the way it picked up the fibres. 

As for the second set you posted, I don't even want to think about what pic 2 might be. Ugh!!


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## hobbes28 (Sep 28, 2004)

Edited due to broken link


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## gecko (Sep 28, 2004)

unles si missed it what lense did u eh.."convert"?


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## hobbes28 (Sep 28, 2004)

Edited due to broken link


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## gecko (Sep 28, 2004)

maybe im not doing it right,

 i can focus alright, but the results arent too spectacular


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## jadin (Sep 28, 2004)

I think zoom lenses have an advantage, get a lot more magnification.


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## Sk8man (Sep 29, 2004)

gecko said:
			
		

> maybe im not doing it right,
> 
> i can focus alright, but the results arent too spectacular



practice practice practice...

show us what you got.


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## DIRT (Sep 29, 2004)

Edited due to broken link


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## hobbes28 (Sep 29, 2004)

Edited due to broken link


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## MDowdey (Sep 29, 2004)

Edited due to broken link


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## hobbes28 (Sep 29, 2004)

You're going to be hooked too.


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## jadin (Sep 29, 2004)

is it just me or does that pop tart look like skin with hives?!?


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## DIRT (Sep 29, 2004)

it does look pretty foul,  yummy pop tart!


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## Corry (Sep 29, 2004)

Hobbes, MD, those are awesome!  I wanna do this so bad!  Hurry up with that pictoral Hobbes!    By the way, I don't think I've EVER seen an eyeball, besides my own, of course, that close up!


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## gecko (Sep 30, 2004)

arrrgh screw it, i went ahead and bought the reverse ring adaptor on ebay


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## Sk8man (Sep 30, 2004)

Had some spare time in my hands and took some shots.

Manganic acid












Paprica











Dark Pepper






Salt











Sugar


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## hobbes28 (Oct 8, 2004)

Edited due to broken link


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## Corry (Oct 8, 2004)

Yeah, I'm still waiting for the pictoral, Hobbes!


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## hobbes28 (Oct 8, 2004)

core_17 said:
			
		

> Yeah, I'm still waiting for the pictoral, Hobbes!



Yeah, yeah... I'm working on that.   Ask Matt how fast I am about putting pictures together.


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## Alison (Oct 8, 2004)

hobbes28 said:
			
		

> core_17 said:
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Corry, he's slower than molasses.


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## queen (Oct 10, 2004)

Awesome Pix's!!

I have an Olympus IS-50 - but the lens is all in one barrel.  Don't know if I can get good pictures like this until I get my next camera (which I think is going to be the Nikon 75 or 80).  

Anyway - keep posting!!!  Very Very Cool!!!


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## hobbes28 (Oct 30, 2004)

Edited due to broken link


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## jadin (Oct 30, 2004)

*Link gone *
Someone should post a new "super-macroed" "what am I" game post.

/hint /hint


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## MDowdey (Oct 30, 2004)

i hate starbucks......




alot.



md


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## Corry (Nov 12, 2004)

My first attempts at this...
A stamp





A tear in a window screen


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## Garbz (Nov 13, 2004)

I'm wondering what the best type of lens is for this shot.  My 50mm nikon did well but looked more like a 25mm macro lens. So far my best shots have come with a 35-70mm lens with the zoom set at 70. Interestingly enough my 70-150 lens didn't go anywhere near as close.

So what is the secret lens wise?


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## hobbes28 (Nov 13, 2004)

Garbz said:
			
		

> I'm wondering what the best type of lens is for this shot.  My 50mm nikon did well but looked more like a 25mm macro lens. So far my best shots have come with a 35-70mm lens with the zoom set at 70. Interestingly enough my 70-150 lens didn't go anywhere near as close.
> 
> So what is the secret lens wise?



From the ones I've messed with, I think it's better to have a nice zoom lens working correctly.  For the turned around one, I use a fixed 50mm lens but I have looked through a 28mm lens and it seemed to be more of a super macro.  I think the one that is backwards gets more magnification the smaller focal length it has.  

There's probably a really good reason why and I'll feel like an idiot not putting it together sooner but I speak laymans.


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## CrazyAva (Nov 14, 2004)

jadin said:
			
		

> is it just me or does that pop tart look like skin with hives?!?


It looks totally nasty........I will never look at a poptart the same again LMAO


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## Axel (Nov 14, 2004)

Do these things require special equppment? I've read the tips that have been posted but when I do it with my camera, it's just pretty dars in the view finder... Is a digital camera needed? Or any kind of lens? I have a simple Nikon N50 with a Sigma 35-80 lens...


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## hobbes28 (Nov 14, 2004)

Axel said:
			
		

> Do these things require special equppment? I've read the tips that have been posted but when I do it with my camera, it's just pretty dars in the view finder... Is a digital camera needed? Or any kind of lens? I have a simple Nikon N50 with a Sigma 35-80 lens...



Not as long as you have another lens to turn backwards, like on the tutorial.  You also have to get pretty close to what you're trying to take a picture of.  Usually within 1/2 inch (~1cm) away.


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## Axel (Nov 14, 2004)

hobbes28 said:
			
		

> Axel said:
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Call me stupid, but I thought I just had to reverse the lens without any other lens...  

Thanks anyway!


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## hobbes28 (Nov 14, 2004)

Axel said:
			
		

> hobbes28 said:
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You can do that too.  It just doesn't give you as extreme of a close up as having two lenses and you don't have to get as close to focus.


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## CrazyAva (Nov 14, 2004)

I have a question for ya..........

I have a canon slr.........the lenses are all auto, how can I do the aperture fully open on the reversed lens if it's an auto lens?  Is there a way to do that?  That is why I am having so much trouble doing this I think, cause when I look through the reversed lens I am getting a very small angle of view, I can't zoom through it.............


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## hobbes28 (Nov 14, 2004)

CrazyAva said:
			
		

> I have a question for ya..........
> 
> I have a canon slr.........the lenses are all auto, how can I do the aperture fully open on the reversed lens if it's an auto lens?  Is there a way to do that?  That is why I am having so much trouble doing this I think, cause when I look through the reversed lens I am getting a very small angle of view, I can't zoom through it.............



Usually, the fully automatic lenses stay at full aperture when not attached to the camera.  Any time you do this, the depth of focus is only around 1/64 of an inch.  You just have to move the camera in and out to find the best focus.  Also, you can aim more straight on so the entire surface of what you're shooting will be in the same plane.  I hope this answers your question.


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## Axel (Nov 14, 2004)

hobbes28 said:
			
		

> You can do that too.  It just doesn't give you as extreme of a close up as having two lenses and you don't have to get as close to focus.



I have tried but can hardly see anything thru the viewfinder! It's very, very dark! And I also wonder if I am supposed to see how it magnifies or if that is just the result of the picture once developed...

Thanks


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## Unimaxium (Nov 15, 2004)

OK here are some of the first macros I did just now. What I did for these was actually an odd process. I took the 80-200mm zoom lens from my 35mm SLR, held it up to my mediocre point-and shoot digital camera, and snapped whatever I could manage. They're not nearly as good as some of the others with better lenses and better cameras, but my film camera isn't with me at the moment, and I didn't feel like waiting till I got it back (or hassling with film). So this is what I could get with a 200mm SLR lens on an 8-24mm (39-117 equivalent) digital camera lens. Images aren't too shabby considering the shabby setup.


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## Corry (Nov 19, 2004)

Eeeewwww!  

Why I don't smoke.  

End of a cigarette


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## Nytmair (Nov 19, 2004)

gross.....yet another reason to add to the long list of reasons i have not to smoke  uke-rig:


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## hobbes28 (Nov 19, 2004)

the funny part is that I quit smoking two months ago and that still looks appetizing. uke:


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## Corry (Nov 19, 2004)

hobbes28 said:
			
		

> the funny part is that I quit smoking two months ago and that still looks appetizing. uke:



Way to go for quitting!!!!!!


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## hobbes28 (Nov 19, 2004)

core_17 said:
			
		

> hobbes28 said:
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Thanks!!  :cheer:


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## CrazyAva (Nov 20, 2004)

I finally figured it out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## mojoses (Dec 14, 2004)

ooh, I got bored at a christmas party with all my work mates last night so I started taking photo's of the ash tray... I'll post it here soon. The thing is, I work with a bunch of 30-60 year-olds and they were all looking at me as though I was crazy!!

 :salute: It's a good photo tho core_17!!


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## black_z (Dec 19, 2004)

not very macro...

selfexplanatory!  the lid is laying on my leg and i still cant see that color of fabric in my jeans?


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## black_z (Dec 19, 2004)

this time i used the lid to prop of a quarter...i like this one better


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## magali (Dec 21, 2004)

here is mine, not as good as yours (some pearls of an armlet) :





it's really funny, but quite uneasy to take pictures that way  :?


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## JonesGal (Dec 23, 2004)

I gave it a try too! Not exactly an easy technique, but lots of fun!
*Link gone *
if image doesn't show.. try this link.

http://www.pbase.com/amandajones/image/38043193


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## Sk8man (Dec 24, 2004)

*JonesGal*, i get:

"Bad Image Reference
The Image ID specified in the URL does not exist. It was probably deleted, but verify the URL."

when i open the URL. try uploading somewhere else.


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## Andrea K (Dec 31, 2004)

can anyone tell me why my photos are so dark when i do this, should i be using a tripod bc my flash wont work with no lens?


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## hobbes28 (Dec 31, 2004)

andreag5 said:
			
		

> can anyone tell me why my photos are so dark when i do this, should i be using a tripod bc my flash wont work with no lens?



What kind of camera are you using? If at all possible, put it on manual mode and set the flash up as a slave and adjust as necessary. That should get rid of the darkness issue.


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## leonardo.paris (Mar 30, 2006)

http://rioartedigital.com/RioArte_galeriadeimagens-bycat.php?ogor=Macro

 My site runs in a Database, so, I don´t know how to put the image itself in the post, just by the link, sorry ! Is there any problem?
  ByeBye


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## Josh66 (Aug 10, 2008)

I was going to start a new thread, but I discovered that there was a theme thread for this...

1






2







Fixed the links.  I'm not sure if these are the same ones I had originally posted, but I think they probably are (or close enough anyway).


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## Battou (Aug 25, 2008)

:stun: I have not posted in here yet......That has got to change right directly


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## JonathanBlu (Aug 30, 2008)

Here's a couple I took last night!

#1 Flashlight





#2 Tattoo Goo


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## chantal7 (Feb 24, 2009)

I used a Tamron AF28-80mm F/3.5-5.6 to take these photos; using it backwards. It gives you a macro! :lmao: Learned this from a friend.

Have you tried it before? 

Also, I've done this little trick: 



> You can put higher f-number on the lens, but adjusting f-number first, holding down the dof preview button and taking the lens off the camera at same time, now the f-number selected will stay on the lens after you remove it. If you remove the lens normally lens will be wide open and naturally focused area will be really(too) small.



1. 





2.





3.





4.





5. 





6. Did not use the DOF button:





7. Didn't use the DOF button on this one, either





8.


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## Hobbes (Feb 25, 2009)

I still don't get how you could hold your camera so far away and still get sharp reverse macro pictures but I guess my lens is just different or something lol.

here are some of mine:

#1 I guess f/11 was still too wide for reverse macro pics.





#2





#3





#4 I used a much longer focal length for this one.





#5





#6 and no this is NOT a real Rolex lol. I hate when my lens cast a huge shadow when taking close up pictures a macro flash would have been nice ^^.





#7


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## LaFoto (Feb 25, 2009)

A theme thread on photos taken with the reversed lens has existed for long, so I merged the newly started with the existing one.


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## Fraggo (Feb 25, 2009)

Here are some of mine i just took. i'll have to get a hold of my old Mamiya and put the reverse ring on that one next.


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## Josh66 (Jun 15, 2010)

Bringing this (sorta) dead theme back!

Posting 2 because they go together, lol.

My new camera:


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