Question regarding screw-on close-up lenses

Has anyone here created any shots using those filter-like close-up lenses that screw on to the front of your main lens? B&H has them in 72mm and larger. I'm sure there would be some vignetting with those, but regardless of that, how do images look when using these things? Does the simplicity of one single piece of glass introduce nasty artefacts or other problems? Thanks --

-- Paul

It really depends on the camera, the camera's optics and the optics of the adapter used. I would say you are best asking specifically about a certain camera and brands of adapters people have used with them. I dont recall what you are shooting with, but DVXUser has forums for various camera manufacturers. I'm sure there are people in there that have used the adapters in case anyone here hasnt.

Hey Gage --

DVX100

I'm sure there's a price/quality relationship from different vendors, but these screw-on lenses usually cost less than $100 apiece (often sold in a set of three). They're made for still cameras, of course. So? It might be interesting in video, but then, it might just look bad. I don't have a clue.

I'm not asking about specific products, only about the concept. It seems like an interesting addition to the palette, but I've also learned that there's precious little that's intuitive about using these high-tech tools. How does SD or HDV shot through these things look?

-- Paul

In concept they work great. If you go with the adapters in the $500+ range, they work fantastic with no noticeable side effects. I almost guarantee you that anything under that price range will degrade the image and at the very least you will absolutely have intensified CA (chromatic aberration). (I'm sure you know what it is. The link is provided for those that dont.)

In short, the cheap ones are not a good idea for any "serious" project. Might be fun to play with, though.

Even the cheap ones would be satisfactory for black-and-white, maybe?

This is something I've never heard mentioned: the look of chromatically aberrant digital images in b&w. Just as a guess, there would be some focus problems at the edges of the image. Is that correct?

-- Paul

The "telephotos" aren't as horrid as most of the cheap wide angles are, and for good reason really, the glass doesn't need to be as precise for that task as it does to widen the field of view. I've only ever seen softened edges caused by wide angle adapters.

Yes, I have one for my camera and I don't use it because of the warping it does around the edges. Perhaps a more expensive one would be better but the cheaper ones are quite useless as far as I'm concerned.

glenn

_________________
-- glenn
http://www.gshutter.com

Sorry, let me say one more thing: I guess you know that you can't zoom through the things, so perhaps if you're lens length and the screw on lens are perfect for each other, maybe you won't get any warping. However, with my lens opened up as wide as it will go, I still get warping with my combination. They make some you can zoom through as well but they cost more than my camera...

glenn

_________________
-- glenn
http://www.gshutter.com

Thank you all for your observations. Using these screw-on lenses might be a "court of last resort" to get the few shots I want that might require them.

It was a mistake not to have purchased a quality wide-angle adapter for the DVX100, for my movie. A learning experience. Now that a camera upgrade is getting more and more likely, I really don't want to spend hundreds of bucks on the DVX100. Fade out as I hang by my fingernails, and don't miss the next thrilling episode ...

-- Paul