Skip to main content

Reversing Ring (Macro Photography)

Thanks to David at my local camera shop Camera Craft for giving me a M42 reversing ring + M42 to K-mount Adapter. This is a fun little gadget that’s a nice cheap way to get into extreme macro photography.


This is what the reversing adapter looks like.



The black ring is the one that you connect a lens to backwards. The silver ring is the adapter that converts the M42 screw mount to Pentax K-mount.


This is what the adapter looks like when it is mounted to the camera with a lens.



In the photo I’m using a Pentax FA 50mm f1.4 lens and a K10D camera body. When choosing a lens to reverse, it’s best to find one that has an aperture ring, otherwise you will need to get creative by somehow moving and locking the aperture lever to stop-down the lens when necessary.


Here is a very quick test:

First off I took a photo at f1.4 of a 40mm LTD lens hood.


A nice tiny-tiny slice of focus is available to work with.

My second test was at f5.6 of a USD quarter dollar.


You can see a larger area of perceived sharpness.

With the reversing ring and FA 50mm f1.4 I’m already to get the same level of magnification as the 100mm WR Macro and 1.5x teleconverter, which is quite nice!

Where to go from here?

  • I plan on looking for some extension tubes to extend the range of my macro setups.
  • I’m also going to look for some screw-mount or other older lenses that have a longer focal length that I can attach in reverse. I tried two thrift shops today without any luck, so I’ll probably check the used stores online after I check a few more places locally.
  • Look into mounting an extra flash to my flash-bracket to help light the scene (I have two manual flashes in addition to the Sigma DG530 Super). Although so far the one flash has been fine. I’ll just have to see if the extreme macro setup will be more difficult for it.
  • Do more research on focus bracketing, which is the processing of taking multiple photos with the focus shifted. In post processing the images are stacked together to create a sharp image over the whole scene.




Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

Nikon Z5ii Announced and My Thoughts vs the Original Z5

The Nikon Z5ii was announced recently. I haven't actually used this new camera myself, so keep that in mind. This is going to be mostly me looking at the specs and comparing it to the original Nikon Z5, which I've been using for a few years now. Check out the full video on YouTube:   The original Nikon Z5 camera. Overall, the original Z5 isn't a bad camera. I've gotten it to a point where it works how I want it to and it's reliable for what I do.  My main use case is often anime and comic conventions, going there and taking photos of people in cosplay. I usually use the 40mm f/2 lens on the Z5, and it works well for that.  First-person view using the Nikon Z5 at an anime convention. Nikon Z5ii vs Z5: The Spec Sheet Comparison  Nikon has a handy comparison section on their Z5ii page, so let's break down some key differences based on that and my experience with the original. Nikon's website comparing the Z5ii and the original Z5 specifications. First up, the ...
Read more

EF-M Sigma 56mm vs. Viltrox 56mm

I was curious how the two native Canon EF-M 56mm f/1.4 lenses compared. Is one better in image quality or features than the other? At least right now there is a significant price difference between the two. Check out the embedded video to see how it goes!  Sigma and Viltrox 56mm lenses Check out the YouTube video here : Sigma 56mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens for Canon EF-M: B&H: https://bhpho.to/3bNQUjk Amazon: https://amzn.to/3cC8pUb ebay: http://ebay.us/5Q3NxW Used on KEH: https://shrsl.com/2b947 Viltrox 56mm f/1.4 AF lens for Canon EF-M: Amazon: https://amzn.to/39sl5Pa B&H: https://bhpho.to/3nXMoF0 ebay: http://ebay.us/b4IRWE As an affiliate of these shops, I earn from qualifying purchases!  Here are the notes I wrote up while compiling data and deciding what I should mention in the video. Physical properties of the lens: The Sigma lens is shorter but thicker than the Viltrox.   Weight is 280g for the Sigma and 290g for the Viltrox. Sigma: 66.5mm x 59.5m...
Read more

Brightin Star 60mm f/2.8 2:1 Macro Lens Overview

In this article, I'm going to go over my experience using the Brightin Star 60mm f/2.8 2:1 macro lens. Brightin Star sent me this lens based on my collaboration terms . They had no say in the article or videos I've produced and have not previewed anything before publishing it.  The full video I produced about the lens: Build Quality The lens in hand. The Brightin Star 60mm f/2.8 lens feels solid. It features an all-metal casing, including a metal mount, which gives it a weighty feel in hand. This is a completely manual lens, meaning the aperture and focus are both mechanical. You won't get any electronic data transferred to your camera, which is generally fine for macro lenses since you'll typically be using manual focus anyway. However, not having any EXIF for aperture settings saved in the camera is something to consider.  The metal mount with no electrical contacts. The aperture ring is smooth with no clicks, which is useful for video situations. But for photography,...
Read more