Using the 14-54mm lens for macro

[rcolman]

The oly 14-54 zoom is a great all-around lens, and I use it behind a dome port on an E-330. When I see a macro subject, I crank it out to 54mm and get as close as I can, but it is not macro.

The specs of interest are:

Angle of View: 75° to 23°

Closest Focusing Distance: 8.67" (0.22m)

Maximum Image Magnification: 0.26x (0.52x 35mm equivalent)

Does anyone know whether it would be possible to get additional magnification by using it behinda flat port, perhaps with a Woody's diopter in addition.


1) what would this do to wide-angle, and

2) would the diopter provide a bigger image etc.

I would like to investigate before putting out money for the additional port

Rick Colman

 

[SeaYoda]

I'm interested in the answer to your question - I resort to cropping to get as "close" as my old 5050. I sure do miss the macro from that sweet little camera. I'm OK with the 15-54 for everything else.

 

[rcolman]

I ordered the 5" long flat port, and will try it, with and without an external Woody's diopter, this Sunday.

Will post samples and comments, hopefully.

rick colman

 

[SeaYoda]

I'll be keeping an eye out here and DDN for your results.

 

[f3nikon]

The oly 14-54 zoom is a great all-around lens, and I use it behind a dome port on an E-330. When I see a macro subject, I crank it out to 54mm and get as close as I can, but it is not macro.

The specs of interest are:

Angle of View: 75° to 23°

Closest Focusing Distance: 8.67" (0.22m)

Maximum Image Magnification: 0.26x (0.52x 35mm equivalent)

Does anyone know whether it would be possible to get additional magnification by using it behinda flat port, perhaps with a Woody's diopter in addition.


1) what would this do to wide-angle, and

2) would the diopter provide a bigger image etc.

I would like to investigate before putting out money for the additional port

Rick Colman

Buy a 10 gallon aquarium ($10 Walmart) fill in with water then place an object inside and shoot it with the camera on the outside. The flat glass is the flat port. I am going with the prime 35 and 50mm macros the real macros.

 

[rcolman]

Interesting idea!! but too late, already bought the port. However, the point is not whether to buy a macro lens (I already have two) but to have an all-around lens that can be used for a variety of subjects from moderate wide-angle to moderate macro. So far, there is no dSLR lens setup that will do both on the same dive.

Based on some quick test shots in my workshop (not in water), Initial results with the 5505.45 flat port are not particularly exciting.

The port starts to vignette around 26-29mm (x2 for 35mm file equiv) ... so the flat port converts the 14-54 zoom to a 27-54 zoom. Not much use to me because I already have a 35mm macro lense, so not sure whether it really buys me anything.

However, if you do not ALREADY have a macro lens, then it MIGHT be of interest.

A slightly shorter port (the 5505) might give me a few more mm on the wide-angle side, but ...

I can post some test shots a bit later.

Rick Colman

 

[alcina]

IHowever, the point... but to have an all-around lens that can be used for a variety of subjects from moderate wide-angle to moderate macro. So far, there is no dSLR lens setup that will do both on the same dive.

Maybe not for your DSLR system but that isn't true for all SLRs. Shame you can't use Sigma's very nice 17-70mm macro! It's a fabulously versatile lens.

 

[rcolman]

ah, I should have said no OLY setup ... I am certainly envious in that regard ...

 

[f3nikon]

but to have an all-around lens that can be used for a variety of subjects from moderate wide-angle to moderate macro. So far, there is no dSLR lens setup that will do both on the same dive.

Rick Colman

The question is how are you going to change the wide angle dome port to the flat macro port underwater?

Because if you use a flat port on a wide-angle lens you reduce the image angle to a medium angle image, then when a dome port is used in macro mode shooting the opposite occurs, the image angle increases which will shift you into a medium angle shooting.

Cannot have both unless you bring two separate camera setups, which is what U/W photographers have been doing all along with the Nikonos 15mm for wide-angle and a SLR for macro.

 

[rcolman]

It does not really make much difference, maybe 25% between ports, and depends on what you want to do. if you are mostly interested in wide-angle, use the dome port, and if you are mostly interested in nudes, use the flat port.

The point is being able to capitalize of an opportunity when that huge shark or unusualy nudibranch goes by ... all on the same dive ...