Do I need Macro Lens for C5050?

[ngsway]

I'm very satisfy with my C5050 set-up but I was thinking if a macro lens can help me in taking better macro photography. Any opinion? I was told that since I could take good macro under super macro mode, I don't really need a macro lens, is it true?

Please help....

 

[Rainy]

I"ve got the Inon UWL 100 and Dome port and when these two are to-gether and camara mode set up I find you don,t need one. I,m still playing around with set up of camera but these two go really well together

 

[jcclink]

I've been told that with an additional macro lens you can do macro at a greater distance from the subject. This being the case, it's easier to light & not spook the critter. I may try this myself.

 

[Divemonkey]

:monkeydan A macro lens is going to help you even if you have the super macro function. The Super Macro function as I understand it gives you the ability to focus faster in macro but does not give you any additional magnification. A macro lens will actually give you additional magnification for better detail on those critters that are so facinating but are too small to fill the screen image even at the closest distances. Some Macro lenses can even be stacked, to give you even more magnification. Remember with a macro, you depth of field will be significantly reduced, that cool head-on shot of a nudebranch might only get the front third of him in focus! This is a great tool for separating a subject from a busy background.

Good luck and happy (and safe) diving.
:monkeydan

 

[ReyeR]

I've been told that with an additional macro lens you can do macro at a greater distance from the subject.

This might be true when it comes to relative magnification ie without the macro lens attached you would have to move the camera closer to get the same magnification with a macro lens attached, but I found that with a macro lens attached the camera's focusing accurancy became very fickle and couldn't focus on subjects greater that 3 inches away.
Having said that I wouldn't have been able to get shots of the pygmy without the macro lens.

 

[lanwu]

There's a good site w/ some stats on the different lenses available at:

http://www.uwdigitalcamera.com/English/eM67lens.htm

It seems that w/ the SuperMacro function on the c5050 that the main advantage is to be able to get a super Macro shot from the Macro setting distance w/ the Macro conversion lens....

Does anyone know if we can use a Macro conversion lens in conjunction w/ the SuperMacro mode on the c5050??

 

[ReyeR]

Does anyone know if we can use a Macro conversion lens in conjunction w/ the SuperMacro mode on the c5050??

Yes you can.

 

[lanwu]

Thanks ReyeR....I see you use the INON PCU-01 macro converter....any comments on the advantages over the older models: UCL-165 & UCL-330?? ...since it's recommended by Olympus?

Aside, can you actually use the TTL w/ your c5050 & PT-015??

 

[alcina]

Go to this board and have a look at postings - notably by randapex (there is a search function at the top).

He uses macro lenses with the 5050 and gets some awesome shots. The decreased depth of field adds incredible impact to some images.

The macro fairy is bringing me one in the not too distant future and I can't wait!

 

[jlyle]

Unless you stack macro lenses, you won't be able to achieve any greater magnification than is possible with supermacro using a 5050.

The advantage to using a macro adapter lens is you will be able to take an equivalent magnified image from 2-3 inches away instead of the 1 inch away for maximum magnification in supermacro. As stated above, that can be an advantage with skittish creatures. Further, in macro mode with the lens adapter, you have full use of the camera's flash and no lens shadow to worry about; or, if you are using an external flash, you have more room to light the subject.