MACRO QUESTION: kit lens + close up filter or 50mm 1.8 + close up filter

[jalcocer]

Right now things in my country, specially my city aren't that good for outdoors shooting. I'm from Mexico, some of you may be aware of how the violence is increasing in the country (at least from the news), so taking a dslr outside is not that a good idea unless you are shooting a wedding or another event, but since my interest outdoors is for landscapes, buildings and people, I'm really affraid some one would approach and take my camera away, either a rober or a soldier (things have come this far, trust me, I'm not going over the fence with this).

So I'm restrained to shoot indoors in my office/studio and obviously in my own home, and family events. So I thought about getting more creative with macro and portraits.

I have to be straight, don't have enough for a macro lens, or even for a close up lens like the canon 250 or 500. I know the quality with close up filters may not be as good, but I want to learn, experiment, and in time I can get something better.

I have a canon, so my question is, which is better, to keep my kit lens and get some close up filters or go for a 50 1.8, which will also help me indoors (low light conditions) and with portraits and the close up filters?? wouldn't the 50 1.8 be kind of restrictive for focusing, or is the kit lens better option because of the zoom???

thanks in advance

[k bennett]

The inexpensive close up filter set (with the +1, +2, and +4 lenses) available online does a decent job. Not fantastic, but usable. My wife has the Hoya set for her kit lens (on a Panasonic G1) and the +2 seems to be the most useful. I think it cost around US$50 for the 52mm set, or you can pay more for the multicoated version. For close up work I think I'd choose my kit zoom lens and then mount the close up filters. Image quality is not anywhere near as good as a dedicated macro lens, but for 1/10 the price you can start shooting now.

The 50/1.8 would make a nice portrait lens on an APS-C crop sensor camera like a 60D or Rebel, but you'd definitely need close up lenses to do any macro work with it. But for indoor portraits using available light, it would make a great choice. So it really comes down to what you think you'll do most.

On a personal note, I'm sorry to hear that conditions are so bad where you live. Good luck and I hope they improve soon.

[jalcocer]

thanks a lot for your comments, I was thinking the 50 1.8 would be a lot helpful with portraits on indoors, besides it's only 100 bucks and it's easy to get here in Mexico. I found a close up lens kit with a +1, +2 and +4 that seems to be pretty decent, the only question remaining is to get 52mm close ups for the 50 or 58mm for the kit lens.

As you tell me, I guess the kit would be more versatile to be used with the close up filters because of the zoom, that way I wont need to move the tripod that much, and in this case I guess is not a problem the smaller aperture because of the tripod, and a shutter release control is not that much of an investment, I think with the 50mm, the close up and a wired shutter release I would be fairly under 200 bucks, and that's still waaaaay less than a true macro lens, and still will be able to shoot good portraits.

Another thing I was thinking was to get a flash, something less expensive like a yongnuo or perhaps even a sigma. I've seen it's really helpful for taking other types of pictures like smoke (tried but horrible without the extra flash) or water, etc, do you thing that's enough??

Thanks again for all the good comments and well, I hope things over here get better, but only time would tell.

[k bennett]

With regards to the flash, start here:

http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html

That will walk you through off-camera lighting from the beginning. Very helpful site.

[jalcocer]

thanks a lot, that's indeed very helpful

[Riaan van Wyk]

If you were closer I would have GIVEN you my close up dioptres, I tried them for a while but it is not what you want ultimately. The difference in focal distance is marginal, even with a +3. I would rather save up for a set of tubes, first prize would obviously be a true macro lens. You could also get an adapter that fits onto the camera or another lens to reverse the kit lens, which will give you far greater magnification.

[Steve Simon]

To answer your question about filter size.  Get the larger size and get a 52-58 step up ring, which is just a simple piece of metal or plastic that fits in between the lens and the filter.  It attaches to the 52mm threads on the 50mm lens on one side and allows you to attach the 58mm filter to the other.  This way you can use the filters with the 50mm lens with the step up ring and also use them without the ring on the 58mm filters on the kit lens.  You can then try both lenses and see what you like better.  It's generally a good idea to get larger filters unless the price is prohibitive and use rings on lenses with smaller diameters.  That way they will work on all your lenses.

[jalcocer]

That is really helpful, I'll look up for this adapter, thanks