Advice for close up filters[diopters]?

Hey guys, this is my first post and I have absolutely no idea which forum this is supposed to go under but I'll post this here

I want to venture into macro photography, and I currently have the Canon 550D [Rebel T2i], with only its kit lens. I read a post about these close up filters, the +1, +2, +4, +10 filters and I would like to buy them, but it's very confusing.

There's 52mm, 55mm, 58mm, 37mm, 67mm... What do all these mean?

Also, does the brand matter? Saw Borwin, Zeikas, Seika... I have a budget, probably below $50 for a set, does anyone have any recommendations?

Thank you!

Those mm numbers are the filter "size", or diameter, which should correspond to the front diameter of your lens. If your lens is the 18-55, it takes a 58 mm filter size.

Getting cheap close up lenses (and under $50/set of 3 or 4 is certainly cheap), because cheap lenses will degrade your image significantly. Close-up lenses work by bending the light coming into your lens; cheap ones are going to bend different wave lengths different amounts, so you'll get what's called "chromatic aberration", basically a mini-rainbow around every edge. They are also likely to cause internal reflections of the incoming light, leading to "lens flare".

You'd do better to save up and get either a couple of good close-up lenses or a set of quality extension tubes (that go between the camera body and the lens), which will also let you work closer to your subject. Here again, "cheap" is your enemy. Cheap tubes may not work on EF-S lenses like the one that came with your T2i, and probably won't pass through AF and aperture information between camera and lens.

Thank you! That was very helpful ^^ What would be the average price for a good set of close-up lenses? Are there any brands you'd recommend for either the close-up lenses or the extension tubes then?

Canon's 500D (+2 diopter) and 250D (+4 diopter) will set you back around $175. Each one is a 2-element lens, so has better control of aberrations than single-element close-up lenses do. Kenko has a set of tubes(12, 20 and 36 mm) for around $200 which support EF and EF-S lenses; Getting both Canon's 12 and 25 mm tubes (sold individually) will run you about $220.

Jon wrote in post #14594781
Canon's 500D (+2 diopter) and 250D (+4 diopter) will set you back around $175. Each one is a 2-element lens, so has better control of aberrations than single-element close-up lenses do. Kenko has a set of tubes(12, 20 and 36 mm) for around $200 which support EF and EF-S lenses; Getting both Canon's 12 and 25 mm tubes (sold individually) will run you about $220.

Is that in US$?

For the tubes, what does the mm refer to?

That's a lot of money TT.TT Which option would you recommend?

Yes it is US currency.
mm. is the amount of extension the tubes add to the lens focusing spiral. As a rough guide, when a lens is giving a "life-sized" (1:1, the image captured is the same size as the object is), you'll need extension tubes equal to the focal length of the lens; At 55 mm, your 18-55 would need the 20+36 mm tubes stacked to get a life-sized image. You'd need +18 or so diopters worth of close-up lenses to get the same magnification.

My suggestion is to skip the close up filters and either go for a set of extenders or better yet save your money for a real 1:1 ratio macro lens like say the Canon EF-S 60mm Macro since youre on a crop body.

Just get the Kenko tubes, the whole set is $150.

If he's on a crop body and using the light kit lens, I don't think there's any reason to triple his stated budget to get kenko or canon tubes.

http://www.ebay.com …ain_0&hash=item​3cc79fe27e

Something like these will work just as well, only difference being that they are plastic so not as sturdy. But that makes it a perfect match for the almost weightless kit lens. Again, to repeat, durability and reliability are the only factors when looking at extension tubes. You will gain nothing in image quality from the upgrade.

Cheap diopters can be fun to play with, I used to have a set. Get 58mm set for the kit lens (assuming you have the 18-55mm kit). Just be aware that you won't get awesome image quality out of it, you will just get decent quality shots and have a way to spend a few bucks to test it out and get to learn before buying something nicer. Not to mention that you may upgrade the lens later and don't want to get stuck with an expensive diopter that no longer fits your new lens after upgrading.

First, I agree with what has been said about close-up lenses, &/or extension tubes.
But I used to carry a +10 in my pocket all the time. They aren't perfect, but you can get decent shots stopped well down, & the effect can be interesting at larger f-stops, too.
These are scans of slides, all taken with the +10.

http://img.photobucket​.com …pper-IR-03.jpg?t=1185972613

http://img.photobucket​.com …r-med-01.jpg?t=1185972942

http://img.photobucket​.com …s10_0067.jpg?t=​1185972991

Another way to get out cheap if you just want to try out macro is to pick up a set of the non-communicating extension tubes for about $15. You have to manually stop the lens to the F stop and have a light source handy or ample light, but its some cheap fun and certainly better than the diopters which cost about the same.