Charlemagne wrote:
Tom,
Need some help, I finally received my Canon FD 28mm f2.8 for the reverse lens setup, but I can't get that aperture lever to lock, it only goes halfway and I don't want to push it too hard (trust me I am pushing it real hard already) don't want to break it, but is there another button that I must push somewhere that will unlock it and allow me to do so??
Also, please excuse me for sounding a little ignorant, but I never used the old MF lenses, so will I be able to change the aperture when I want with the aperture ring, or do I have to lock it in before hand??
Thanks,
Charles...Show more →
Not sure if you figured it out yet, but in order to use the Canon 28mm f/2.8 FD you'll need an FD cap which, when snapped into place, will depress a series of buttons. These buttons will then allow you to rotate the lever and lock it into place (using a small piece of something). Then the manual iris ring will allow you to set your aperature. Of course, you will have to hallow out the FD cap (cut a hole in it) as it must be on for the lens to be used.
snipe wrote:
Not sure if you figured it out yet, but in order to use the Canon 28mm f/2.8 FD you'll need an FD cap which, when snapped into place, will depress a series of buttons. These buttons will then allow you to rotate the lever and lock it into place (using a small piece of something). Then the manual iris ring will allow you to set your aperature. Of course, you will have to hallow out the FD cap (cut a hole in it) as it must be on for the lens to be used.
Hope this helps!
Thanks Seth,
Question is, Where do I find one of those??
Nevermind,
I answered my own question, I just have to buy that saw thingy ma jig, for my drill that Tom told me to use to cut the hole in it (I would probably cut my finger off if I tried one of my Ginsu knives..) As you all can tell, I am not so "handy" I can't wait to get this going, I will probably post something this weekend!
Juananguerrero wrote:
Well, in Spanish, but we see if it serves as aid. Around a 75% of my macro photos are done with reversed lenses, but... i cannot recommend it, is a nightmare. Reversed lenses
Sorry for my english Nice pictures. I like the camera setup also. Well done!
On the older FL or FD canon lens you will need to put something on the backside of the lens to hold iris of the lens in the wide open stage, that way the fstop ring when turned will control the fstop. I used a small piece of a gardenhose washer.
I hope I understand this right I need to open the iris up completely (to where I don't see any blades only open glass) and then wedge something in to keep it open? How does the fstop ring control the fstop if the iris is stuck wide open? Thanks for any help on this
On FD lenses, there is a lever which moves the lens between wide-open and the manually set aperture size. This is so you can focus wide-open and when you release the shutter the camera flips the lever which causes your manual set aperture to activate for the photograph.
You need to manually activate this lever, and keep it activated, by wedging an object in it's path so it can not default back to its wide-open stage. Thus to say, when done correctly, if you turn the aperture ring on the lens, switching between your various f/stops, the changes should be reflected with the iris as it opens and closes.
with the older FD lenses you're done. With the newer ones, in order to activate the desired lever, you'll need to use a hollowed out mount-cap (which depresses a series of buttons, allowing the levers to activate).
snipe wrote:
On FD lenses, there is a lever which moves the lens between wide-open and the manually set aperture size. This is so you can focus wide-open and when you release the shutter the camera flips the lever which causes your manual set aperture to activate for the photograph.
You need to manually activate this lever, and keep it activated, by wedging an object in it's path so it can not default back to its wide-open stage. Thus to say, when done correctly, if you turn the aperture ring on the lens, switching between your various f/stops, the changes should be reflected with the iris as it opens and closes.
with the older FD lenses you're done. With the newer ones, in order to activate the desired lever, you'll need to use a hollowed out mount-cap (which depresses a series of buttons, allowing the levers to activate).
I haven't had time to play with this as much as I've wanted to, but I will eventually. Here are a couple test shots I did with a Canon 28mm f/2.8 FD reversed directly onto a Canon 20d. Full-frame, resized but not cropped.
I have seen a couple of people trying to get the FD lens iris to activate when reverses when you don't have a lens cap. I've got a 70-210 and a 50 1.8 and they are both the same. What you need to do is push two small buttons down and then twist the centre back part of the lens as if you were attaching to a body. If you have the two red dots lined up, the two buttons are:
1 just to the right of the dots.
2 between 4 and 5 o'clock is the dots are 12.
Just push both of these down with a small screwdriver and then turn the internal section until it clicks and the metal removat button pops out, all you need to do now is lock the arm in place, its the one that sticks out the most.
Hope this helps someone
Peter
I have been reading this thread with great interest. Macro photography interests me hugely. Very much a "hidden world" that I find absolutely fascinating. I've tried the stacked lens trick but the razor thin DOF is very frustrating to me.
How does the focal length of the reversed lens affect DOF? Am I better of finding a 100mm prime instead of a 50mm prime? Can any brand lens be reverse to get similar results? i.e. is there 1 or 2 particular lenses that I should be hunting for? Will reversing the lens work with a zoom or only primes?
elkootcho wrote:
I have been reading this thread with great interest. Macro photography interests me hugely. Very much a "hidden world" that I find absolutely fascinating. I've tried the stacked lens trick but the razor thin DOF is very frustrating to me.
How does the focal length of the reversed lens affect DOF? Am I better of finding a 100mm prime instead of a 50mm prime? Can any brand lens be reverse to get similar results? i.e. is there 1 or 2 particular lenses that I should be hunting for? Will reversing the lens work with a zoom or only primes?
Thanks!
I would say two of the main lens used for rev are the 50 and 28 , a 35 would work well too. Any brand will work . the older manual lens work best. zooms will work but primes are what most use. the smaller the mm the lens is the greater the magnification the 50 gives you close to 1to1 the 28 gives you close to 3 to1 etc.
The focal length of the second lens determents the magnification and the working distance of the setup. In other words if you put a 50mm on a 200mm it will have the same working distance as a 50mm on a 1000mm lens. Just the magnification changes. I believe its (lens1mm / lens2mm = mag) but I could be wrong about that.
Ok well, ive recieved my 50 f/1.4 and my reverse adapter already. I used a toothpick and jammed the lever in place but the focusing doesnt work. I will sit there and just focus but nothing changes. I have to pretty much get at an exact focal length for the subject to be in focus..
Elisha you have to focus by moving your body back and forth. The focus ring on the lens as you have found out will do nothing. Good job and have fun. If you force yourself to use this setup for a month or so everyday you will learn so much if you pay attention. If you can master the rev lens setup everything else will be so simple.
I'm an old guy but new here. (first post) I want to thank Tom for inspiring me to do this 'reversed' lens macro setup on my 20d. It was an easy project (I like to tinker) and I had everything I needed to do it without purchasing anything. (even the epoxy)
I used two lenses from my Minolta film days that I had in my MCC (misc. camera closet) a 28mm and a 50mm. The 28mm gave me more magnification but was hard for me to hold still and focus. The 50mm seems to work for me much better. When stopped down to f/11, it's a lot easlier for these old eyes to focus.
Once again, Thanks Tom (my wife thanks you too since I didn't spend any more money!)
I'll put some pics on here as soon as figure out how to do that from pbase.
) As you all can tell, I am not so "handy" I can't wait to get this going, I will probably post something this weekend!
I need to open the iris up completely (to where I don't see any blades only open glass) and then wedge something in to keep it open? How does the fstop ring control the fstop if the iris is stuck wide open? Thanks for any help on this