Alt to MP-E 65?

Hi,

Much as I love the MPE I need to raise some cash - do you guys have any suggestions as to budget way to reach x3 or so mag and retain decent IQ?

Ta.

Use a microscope objective, or a reversed wide angle lens.

A canon FD 50/3.5 on a set of FD Autobellows with an FD-EOS adapter will set you back about £130 and get you just over 4x magnification with acceptable IQ.

Bob

Do you want something that goes from 1:1 to 5:1 with electronic aperture control in a nice a package as the MP-E? Then no. It's an odd beast. There are many ways to get variable magnifications. It just depends on what you want/need.

You could use an old manual wide angle lens (28mm ish) reversed with some tubes. Or a bellows. I have a 38mm lens with manual aperture controls I use on a bellows that gives me 2:1 to 6:1 roughly. I'd never use it in the field though. I'd worry about damaging the bellows. Hand holding gets difficult. Etc.

You can buy an Olympus OM 65-115 Variable Extension Tube on Ebay for $500ish US. It's similar to the MP-E. I'd recommend this over a bellows. But I have never tried one. Then slap a manual focus lens on that and get the OM to EOS adapter.

Thanks guys - currently I'm managing to avoid selling it (instead I'm selling a Tamrom 70-300 VC, Interfit 3 head studio and as set of photo triggers which between them will almost bring as much as this and the flash) - fingers crossed, I love this lens and really don;t want to part with it!