# Close Up Filters



## Barryboy (Mar 21, 2006)

Since I last did any 'real' photography these tricky new digital thingummies have come out.

How do you find using close up filters with them? Are they fiddly? I know the exposure problem is solved immediately, but I wondered about quality.


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## pugster (Nov 22, 2004)

dunno what you mean by 'close up filters' tbh ,i just set my camera to macro mode- point and click,quality is good for a 2.1 mp camera ,only tip i would give is try to photograph using natural light,it saves the hassle of having bins with bulbs in around the place and other tricks like standing on one foot with finger in ear trying to get a clear shot







, that said i know some ppl on here have had sucess with home made light boxes,im sure somone will post a setup.

closeup1

close2

camera is a nikon coolpix 2100 ,which you can now get used for around Â£45 ,great digital starter camera


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## Barryboy (Mar 21, 2006)

pugster said:


> dunno what you mean by 'close up filters' tbh ,i just set my camera to macro mode- point and click,quality is good for a 2.1 mp camera ,only tip i would give is try to photograph using natural light,it saves the hassle of having bins with bulbs in around the place and other tricks like standing on one foot with finger in ear trying to get a clear shot
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Well, Pugster, that is far superior to the results I have been getting with my Olympus C2020, 2.1mp camera.

Yes, there is a macro mode but it doesn't focus nearly as close as yours. Your pictures, especially closeup 1, are not sharp across the range of the image but it's not at all bad for limited equipment.

In years gone by I would have used close up tubes, fitting them between the lens and the body of an SLR, or screwed a 'close up filter' (basically a weak magnifying glass) into the thread on the camera lens.

Damnation!!!! I am starting to think about a newer, better, camera now and I need all my money for watches!

Rob


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## foztex (Nov 6, 2005)

Barryboy said:


> pugster said:
> 
> 
> > dunno what you mean by 'close up filters' tbh ,i just set my camera to macro mode- point and click,quality is good for a 2.1 mp camera ,only tip i would give is try to photograph using natural light,it saves the hassle of having bins with bulbs in around the place and other tricks like standing on one foot with finger in ear trying to get a clear shot
> ...


Rob

do you have a loupe or a magnifying glass you could bodge with? most posted pics are about 480 pixels wide so with a 2Mpixel camera you could happily shoot the watch at about a quarter the frame size and then crop rather than re-size.

Foz


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## pugster (Nov 22, 2004)

> Well, Pugster, that is far superior to the results I have been getting with my Olympus C2020, 2.1mp camera.
> 
> Yes, there is a macro mode but it doesn't focus nearly as close as yours. Your pictures, especially closeup 1, are not sharp across the range of the image but it's not at all bad for limited equipment.


might be because closeup1 is at an angle ,i know the camera needs a focus point and both pics were taken in about 10 seconds,just point and click,no messing about trying to get a good shot







,probably something to do with the focus angle or other,someone on here with better knowledge of cameras might be able to tell you what you are looking for in a camera.


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## foztex (Nov 6, 2005)

Well after suggesting the loupe idea the other day I decided to actually try it. I used 3 loupes, a number 2, a number 3 and a 12x. I held them over the lens of my Olympus u410 and despite some distortion as I wasn't holding the loupes straight, bright direct light and no tripod, I am quite pleased with the results.

The photos are of an Omega f300 movement.

I cropped out the bit i wanted and reduced the size to 480 wide.

The loupes










With no 3 looking at the base of the tuning fork and pawl pins










with no 2 pawl pins and pawl jewel viewing hole










with 12x pawl jewels and index wheel visible










I am definitely going to ikea once i am back from the states, I reckon with properly fitted loupes, a tripod and PG's bin. I could have quite a bit of fun.

Foz


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## pg tips (May 16, 2003)

I haven't seen close up filters for years, i think as lenses got better the demand for them tailed off. I have some tubes for my canon althogh I haven't tried them yet.

I got this result using a loupe on my samsung compact.


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## Roger (May 17, 2003)

I think "filter" is a wrong description...maybe "close up adaptor?"

I bought these recently for my Canon, they are 58mm thread and are +1,+2,+4 and +8 they are also stackable and with these, I can focus down to 1cm

Roger


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## pg tips (May 16, 2003)

Are they any good Roger and what lens are you using.

I tried some tubes on my 28-135 today with, shall we say, mixed results


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## Roger (May 17, 2003)

Hi PG,

I havent tried extension tubes yet, so cant comment on them, but these lenses are more than acceptable for this kind of use....I havent yet tried them with a lens chart, but I dont doubt that the Purists would complain of "edge distortion" or "spherical abheration" etc etc......but they are value for money and fit the bill well.

I use them on my Canon 15-55mm coupled to the EOS350D

Regards

Roger


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## pg tips (May 16, 2003)

Thanks Roger, I must admit i wasn't really concentrating just playing really, I didn't even get the tripod out, but I had a hell of a job getting a decent focus using the tubes, I have the 13 21 31mm set from Joe soaps.

When I have more time I'll try them out properly.


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## pugster (Nov 22, 2004)

thats a good closeup pg. i guess after that is when the software comes in, to remove noise etc.


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