Macro photography is one of the most mystical genres of photography because it exposes that world to the viewer which is not visible to human beings with the normal naked eye. This is the reason why macro photography creates such attention catching photos. I am sure that all of you would love to get some beautiful macro shots for your collection but due to high prices of macro lenses, not everyone can afford a good macro lens for recreational and hobby purposes. Today in this article we shall propose some gadgets that will allow in-budget macro photography possible for all hobbyist photographers. We have two basic recommendations for in budget macro photography.
CLOSE UP LENS FILTERS:
Close up filters are simply magnification lenses that are screwed onto the front part of the lens. What these filters do is move the focal point of the lens closer, hence allowing macro photography.
PROS:
The biggest advantage of close up lens filters is that there are very cheap in comparison to macro lenses. Cheap close up filters cost around 40 dollars which is obviously a very small amount in comparison to spending at least hundreds of dollars for even a low end macro lens.
(Success Tip #1: Improve your photography with this simple deck of cards.)
CONS:
The biggest disadvantage of using such filters is that it adds another piece of optical equipment in front of the existing optical components of the lens.You may have heard the expression that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. The same applies to this situation. Even if you use an expensive lens and add a cheap and low quality close up filter over it, the overall quality will only be as good as the quality of the cheap close up filter. It is recommended that you choose the best quality filter possible. It may be a little more expensive than the cheaper versions but it is still a lot cheaper than expensive macro lenses.
EXTENSION TUBES:
Extension tubes are yet another option for in budget macro photography. Extension tubes are simply empty tubes which are attached to the camera body and then the lens is attached to the other end of the extension tube.
PROS:
The biggest advantage to using extension tubes is that it brings the closest focal point closer to the camera by increasing the distance between the lens and the sensor. There is no optical equipment added in the extension tube arrangement, hence the quality of the image does not decrease and you get the same quality of the image as the quality of the lens attached.
CONS:
The only disadvantage to extension tubes is that the increased distance between the sensor and the lens causes the light to travel more distance than before. This causes a decrease in the light’s intensity. As a result, pictures taken with extension tubes are a require longer exposures.
(Success Tip #2: How to shoot people having fun and get paid for it)
So, that’s it. Use these in-budget gadgets to enjoy macro photography at an affordable cost. We are sure that you will have a lot of fun playing with these toys. Happy Macro Shooting!