5 x 5 – A Bargain Experiment (CPC MC 70-162mm f/3.5 AUTO ZOOM Macro)

$5 subject, and literally a $5 lens. What can it do?

The contender is once again my Bismuth crystal and this new bargain glory- CPC MC 70-162mm f/3.5 Macro telephoto zoom. Got it as is from a local store for mere $5, and given its age and cost today, this thing is in immaculate condition.

Zoom and macro mechanisms are both internal, giving this thing pro kinda feel. Focus is the whole front element, which rotates outwards as you focus closer. Cool feature I haven’t seen in ages is a built-in, slide-out hood:

But, how well can it macro? Pairing it up with my good old macro extension tube, results were pretty solid.

And a crop-

And some other shots-

Not shabby at all, and much easier to manipulate than my primes in hopes of achieving similar results. Zoom and manual aperture are definitely a must options for still macro photography, though auto focus wouldn’t hurt either.

Field test shots weren’t that terrible either, although they do leave you wanting something better at the end of the day.

Another Macro Dabble – Extension Tube – 45mm f/2.8 AI-P

Had this thing ever since I got my 50mm f/2, but hardly used it since I didn’t quite grasp the essence of this direction before. So, I proceeded to use my 45mm AI-P paired with the tube and my WJ-60 light to shoot some Bismuth.

Try one was pretty nice, so I proceeded with a slightly better setup for this-

Thanks to my friend, a lil shot of me doing my experiment. This time the subject was propped up, camera mini-tripod’ed, and remote in full swing to minimize any shaking.

The final result (after very minor photoshopping the prop stand out), quite nice:

While nowhere near a proper 1:1 kinda stuff, this is a solid close-up method on a budget since virtually any lens at hand will suffice and older non-AI extension tubes are dirt cheap. An older lens with manual aperture will help, but isn’t crucial since shooting at a small aperture is better for macro.

First Impressions – Yongnuo WJ-60 Macro Photography LED Light

Decided on my truly last piece of affordable gear to put an end to my/camera’s struggle to focus in very low light/pitch-black situations with this wonderful ring LED rig. Decided to go with Yongnuo again since 565 EX I got was a VERY solid flash, so I trust this little brand.

This guy uses 3xAAA batteries; has a hard on/off switch; and a left and right buttons that cycle through brightness modes, half-on modes, or turn it off (ready to be turned back on via another press of either button).

It has 60 LEDs in two rings and a total of 6 modes- all on, half off, left half fully on, left half half off, and likewise for the right half. Not too shabby for a $30 rig.

It can mount in two ways- onto the lens tip like a proper macro light or into the camera’s hot shoe like a flash via plastic mount. Both work quite well. Since its completely autonomous unit, it can just be hand-held as an aid light or even mounted on a stand.

To fully test it, I rigged my D5100 with both this light and my proper flash.

I even tried it with my 70-300 VR for a completely beastly setup-

And of course the lewd setup using my 45mm AI-P that’s thinner than the LED ring with a quarter width to spare. Best part is that I can still use the filter-style hood along with all these lights on this lens!

And onto some “macro”-ish shots-

Unedited-

And edited-

Conclusion thus far? Awesome macro light! While it can’t double as a flash since it’s completely analog, it doesn’t really interfere with using a real flash and does what it needs to do perfectly- illuminate dark places enough to use the big boy properly focused.

Follow-up: And a few shots using the WJ-60 as a base light and then on-board flash at 1/32 the power:

Zeikos Close Up Macro Filter Set

Decided to try one of these once again, but with a purpose this time- to zoom in on the bees and insects a little bit more with my 70-300VR.

Testing the thought of how much each diopter reduced the minimal working distance via Gundam Wing Leo figure and a desk chair. The tests were successful in the static environment, and went as follows:

This was the stock 1.5m minimal focus distance at maximum 300mm zoom-

Then I added +1 filter and moved the camera until I got within the new minimal focus distance and took another shot, still zoomed in at 300mm-

Since +1 didn’t really do as much, I bet this whole idea on +2 and that went just about perfectly-

Given the bees and lots of other bugs are roughly the size of Leo’s head and would let me in that close (about 0.5m vs original 1.5m), this could be perfect to shoot the busy and ignorant bees with.

Next I tried +4 filter just to see how much zoom it would add, and it was a bit too close for comfort at 300mm; however, shooting at 70mm was pretty solid and allowed me even more room to zoom and frame the shot as needed-

Here I was just a hint closer than with the +2 filter.

And a shot with the +4 filter at 300mm zoom-

All in all, very pleasing results for $20 spent on equipment I will only use occasionally. Naturally, bumping the ISO, shutter speed, and using a flash will help the whole process tremendously.

Until I field test this setup then…

 

Trinity Plus

So with the newest member of my gear family, everything now looks as follows:

• Nikon D5100 +
• Sigma 24mm Super-Wide II f/2.8 Macro + Hood
• Nikkor-H 50mm f/2,
• Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G DX + Hood
• NIKKOR 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED VR + Hood
• Yongnuo 565 EX Speedlight + Diffuser
• Nikon F-mount standard extension tube M

First Impressions – Sigma 24mm Super-Wide II f/2.8 Macro (Manual) (1981)

Got this sucker in my quest for a wider and closer-focusing lens for indoor events, in vintage/all-manual variety. Only ran me an incredibly lucky $41 plus shipping for a mint condition piece with original leather case and the crappy snap-on hood (that’s broken, but nothing superglue can’t fix). It is also an AI lens, so it’s compatible with all Nikons off the bat. The build is full metal with the exception of the rubber grip on the focus ring and a full plastic aperture ring. Focus ring feels tight, but I would guess that it would loosen up and become very smooth, yet still solid just like my Nikkor-H 50mm. Disassembly looks fairly simple in case the need for repairs arises.

For history, based on the Japan Camera Inspection Institute quality control sticker, this lens and all in its batch passed the test and were from 1981. Bit newer than my 1966 50mm, but the difference in quality is extremely noticeable.

And now, onto the snaps of this puppy and my Nikkor-H 50mm f/2:

How close can it go?

Now it made me want to revisit my extension tube I got with the 50-

And here comes the Bismuth grown in Germany-

And one of the end of a Flowlight-

Now onto the fringing test, which impressed the hell out of me as it did with the 50H. Another neat part about this lens is that it can do half-stops for aperture:

If you compare it with 35mm f/1.8G, Sigma blows it completely out of the water, and it is extremely pleasing considering $160 difference in costs between the two.

Now for some edited and unedited outdoor snaps to show what this little guy can do-

And now for some daytime shots, to really test the colors:

(Slightly edited sky)

And to finish this off, something really tasty-

Also very pleased with the 35mm equivalent width for cramped indoor events. Definitely not something I could squeeze even out of my 35G.

And so you have it ladies and gentlemen- this Sigma definitely takes the cake considering how inexpensive it can be from time to time. Another nominee for inexpensive glass of fame in my book.

D5100 – Neewer Macro Filter Kit

Another awesome budget addition to play with some macro photography- Neewer filter kit. Comes with +1,+2,+4, +10 magnifying filters, and a nice leather case with soft inner padding and dividers.

+10 alone. Not too bad honestly, but the only pickle is that the lens protrudes way too much to be able to put a cover on it. Using any hood, shouldn’t be a problem though.

+17 via stacking them all together.

These should prove for some interesting shots and a little shoot I have in mind in the future.