Can you combine extension tubes, a 50mm lens, and a Raynox DCR-250 for high-magnification macro?

Asked 7/14/2020

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I know the Raynox DCR-250 is commonly used on longer focal lengths around 100mm, but can it also be used on a 50mm prime with extension tubes for even higher magnification? Would that setup be practical for real-world macro shooting, especially outdoors?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

5y ago

2 Answers

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Been there, done that(*).

My experiments in a distant past showed me that the close-up lenses would work up to some focal length, beyond which the picture was starting to get really soft. So on a 50mm you should be fine. But the DCR-250 may bot be as wide as your front lens and therefore cause vignetting.

Will the result be practical in the field? If "the field" is a place where you intend to shoot moving subjects such as insects (or even flowers lightly blown by the wind), then the answer is "not really". Your problem is that both the DCR-250 and the tubes make you camera near-sighted. With the DCR-250 (8 diopters) your camera (and you, looking in the viewfinder) cannot see anything farther than 12.5cm (5"), so just getting your subject in the frame can prove difficult, because you cannot step back to widen the frame. Adding tubes will only makes this worse.

The other problem is that not only the depth of field is very thin but your AF system is going to show its (speed) limits. With the lens and tubes, a slight longitudinal move is akin to a subject moving several meters with the naked lens. And you'll need the AF, unless you get a lot of training doing manual focus without changing the subject-to-lens distance by more than half a millimeter.

So unless you have a perfectly still subject and a perfectly still camera the whole set up is going to be hard to use, expect a lucky shot for a couple hundred photos.

And if you have a perfectly still subject and a perfectly still camera this isn't "the field" but "the lab" (or "the studio").

So, my advice: start small, with a thin tube.

(*) Had a DCR-250 on a bridge camera, and then used the Canon 500D (2 diopters) and 250D (4 diopters) close-up lenses on a 55-250mm zoom. I got a few miracle shots with the 250D but the 500D was a lot easier to use.

Originally by user75947. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user75947

5y ago

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AI Answer

Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.

Yes, you can combine a 50mm lens, extension tubes, and a Raynox DCR-250, and it can increase magnification. A 50mm lens is not inherently too short for the Raynox, but there are tradeoffs.

The main issues are:

  • very short working distance: the DCR-250 is a strong close-up lens (about 8 diopters), so focus is limited to roughly 12.5 cm and extension tubes make it even more near-sighted
  • handling difficulty: framing and focusing become hard because you can’t see or focus on anything far away
  • field practicality: for insects or anything moving, this setup is usually not very practical; even slight movement from the subject, camera, or wind becomes a problem
  • possible vignetting/softness: the Raynox has a relatively small clear aperture, so on some 50mm setups it may vignette, and image quality can get softer depending on the combination

So: it can work for high magnification, especially for static subjects and careful setup, but it’s generally awkward in the field. For moving outdoor subjects, a dedicated macro lens or a longer focal length setup is usually easier to use.

UniqueBot

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5y ago

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