Macro Tests

After much testing I have found the Raynox 250 is a very reasonable approach to macro photography and can compete with most other macro techniques. Like any photo technique it does have limitations. Depth of field is shallow and tricky to handle. Probably its most attractive feature is that it is cheap way to get in close, $43. The most advantageous feature of the Raynox 250 is that it gives you a good 6-7 inches of focus room between your lens and the subject. This is extremely important for lighting issues and being able to get your subject lit properly.The Raynox 250 is 49 mm filter used for video cameras mostly and has an adaptor to fit it up to a 62mm lens. My main lens is 77mm so it became a problem to affix this filter to my 70-200mm. I purchased an additional step down filter ring from Adorama for $2. and this solved the problem.

The bottom image above is shot with this combo while the top image has a 2x converter added. The images did get some vignetting around the edges and are cropped for composition. The cricket used in this demonstration is approximately 13 milometers in length. Click image to enlarge.