Raynox Dcr 250 or Hoya close-up filters ?

[surplusshooter]

If you had to choose between the Raynox Dcr 250 super macro lens attachment and the Hoya close-up filter kit, which would you choose ? This is for a crop sensor DSLR. Which one gives the greatest magnification ? Which one will achieve greater image sharpness ? Thanks.

[shoturtle]

canon 250D if you are going to use it on a DSLR with a short lens. Canon 500D if you are going to use it on a long lens. They are much better quality then the raynox and hoya.

[TCav]

None (including the Canon that shoturtle mentioned) is particularly good, as they all rely to a great extent on the quality of the lens you use them with, but they are more convenient than extension tubes and less expensive than an honest-to-goodness macro lens.

But if you twisted my arm, I'd pick the Canon or the Raynox before I went with close-up lenses. While the close-up lenses allow you to use them in combination, customizing the amount of magnification you want, there's just too much opportunity for image degradation.

[mtngal]

As TCav pointed out, it really depends on what lens you are going to use for a base lens. If you are using a kit lens or a less expensive zoom then don't expect stellar results, nothing like what you would get with a macro lens. On the other hand, if you are using a good, sharp lens (like a prime or a few more expensive zooms) then you can get reasonable results with something like the Raynox or Canon. I keep saying that one day I'll get a Raynox, but still haven't quite done it.

The one time I tried a close-up filter (it wasn't a Hoya), I was wasn't impressed and quickly came to the conclusion that it wasn't worth using. On the other hand, I used to have a macro lens that went to 1:2 and had a matched adapter (essentially a close-up filter) that allowed it to do 1:1. That didn't degrade the picture at all, the results I got were outstanding. I've never used the Hoya filters so don't know where they would fit into the scheme of things.

Another idea to consider, if you are interested in macro, is to get an old manual lens and a reversing ring. If you reverse the lens in front of another lens, make sure both are sharp lenses. I don't know if all dSLR cameras allow you to reverse a lens without having another one mounted in front of it (mine will, but I haven't done it, I've always used two lenses, front-to-front). That might be cheaper than buying a macro lens, but it will be harder/more fussy than even extension tubes.

[Ozzie_Traveller]

G'day SS

This came up only a few days ago in the following thread
FZ200 macro lenses - any opinions on these?

It might hold some interest for you too
Regards, Phil

[shoturtle]

I slap my 500D onto a canon EF 70-100 non L and I get good results. And I use a 250D on prime lenses under 100mm and get good results. I do slap my 500D on my ef 100 2.8 macro and get super macro abiltiy past 1:1, 1.5-.6:1 is more like it.

So if you are planning to use it on a kit lens you will get okay results. As they will magnified the flaws in the kit lens and lower quality zoom lens. But like others have said put them on a prime or a good zoom lens and you will get good results.

Just have realistic expectation base on the lens you are using. I had the raynox 250 and it did not give as good results as the canon 250D. That is reflexed in the price difference of the two lenses. The canon uses a higher grade glass then the raynox. On tiny sensor the raynox works well but with the bigger sensor dslr with the much larger image circle. The softness of the raynox is apparent. As the image circle is much larger.