Close-up Lenses vs. the Canon 500D

F ALL THE MANY different tools available to achieve close-up photography, there is but one on my say-no-to list: the silly, useless, optically inferior, and ridiculously cheap—both in price and quality—close-up filter sets that one can find at camera stores all over the world for around $40. Unfortunately, these sets are still a popular item with beginning photographers. How popular? If buying or selling these cheap sets were a crime, they’d need to build even more jails. Their quality is so bad that you’re much better off putting that money toward a set of extension tubes or the one and only close-up lens you’ll ever need: the Canon 500D, which I’ll get to in a minute.

Although I certainly discuss a variety of equipment by different manufacturers, when it comes to close-up lenses, my personal feeling is that Canon is king. It is the only brand to consider when buying a close-up lens. (Nikon, unfortunately, has ceased marketing its T-series close-up lenses, so like it or not, even the most die-hard Nikon fans are going to have to give at least this part of their business to Canon.) As of this printing, Canon offers three close-up lenses (the 250D, the 500, and the 500D) in filter sizes ranging from 52mm to 77mm. The 250D is recommended for focal lengths from 35mm to 150mm, and the 500 and 500D are recommended for focal lengths between 70mm and 300mm. Since most shooters own a telephoto zoom that offers up at least 200mm, I recommend the purchase of the 500D only. (The 500 is a single-element, glass-constructed lens, and the 500D is a double-element, glass-constructed lens, which translates into a wee-bit-sharper image.) The current price difference between the 500 and 500D is only about $20, so why not get the better-quality lens?

Oregon has many claims to fame, not the least of which is that it rains one heck of a lot. As they say, Oregonians don’t tan in the summertime, they rust. Yet beneath all that rainfall, Oregon can boast of the longest (350+ miles), the most varied, and the most beautiful coastline in the world. Having spent many years in Oregon, this will always be a huge part of my life, if only in memory, since it was along this coastline that I spent much of my early years honing my craft as a photographer.

    Some of my favorite subjects along the Oregon coast were and still are the many “sand drawings.” This is a term I use to describe the varied designs in the sand caused by really small inland streams that flow onto the beach and into the awaiting surf. These streams of water cut through the sandy beaches, leaving behind a wealth of patterns, and are most prevalent at low tide, since the streams have greater distances to travel before reaching the surf. Sand drawings are best photographed when they are backlit, which occurs in early morning as you shoot against the rising sun or in late afternoon as you shoot against the setting sun. This low-angled backlighting not only renders these wonderful designs stark silhouttes, but it also emphasizes their sandy textures.

    On one particular morning a few years back, I was in one of those “traveling light” moods and had just my Nikkor 70–200mm zoom lens and the Canon 500D close-up filter. I spent no more than an hour, just after sunrise, shooting in and around Beverly Beach State Park, and of the many close-up discoveries I made in that one hour, none was more rewarding than this. Due to the strong backlight, I had no trouble handholding the camera for this shot, despite finding myself using an aperture of f/22. Since I was shooting at a slight angle, I needed the depth of field of f/22 to give me sharpness top to bottom. With this aperture setting, I simply adjusted the shutter speed until 1/200 sec. indicated a correct exposure.

Second image: Nikkor 70–200mm zoom lens, Canon 500D close-up filter, f/22 for 1/200 sec.

Add into this equation the size and weight of this filter (pocket size and about the weight of a pack of smokes) and you’re quick to arrive at the same conclusion that I did and order one right away. When I find myself heading out the door in one of my “traveling light” moods, I am quick to grab the 500D and put it in my front pants pocket. Then I’m ready for all the butterflies that might come my way, gladly leaving behind the weight (2.5 pounds) of my Micro-Nikkor 200mm lens.

Also, focus is continuous with this filter, meaning that when you find yourself shooting at a 200mm focal length at a distance of 7 inches, you can zoom back toward 70mm and the focus distance is still the same (7 inches away), unlike with extension tubes, which will find you needing to constantly readjust the focus every time you zoom to a different focal length.

Silver Falls State Park continues to be one of Oregon’s best-kept secrets. It is Oregon’s largest state park, yet most outdoor enthusiasts prefer to trek farther north in and around the famous Columbia River Gorge. That’s fine with me, too, since then I don’t have to deal with any crowds along the 9 miles of hiking trails in Silver Falls. Plus, I don’t have to worry about being in people’s way, or them getting in my way, when I stop to shoot any of the eleven very impressive waterfalls.

    Springtime is the ideal season to visit Silver Creek if you want to see the waterfalls flowing at their peak. The snowmelt from the Cascade Mountain Range causes the rivers to swell, and the resulting water flow fills the canyons of Silver Falls State Park with thunderous roars. As the trail meanders down more than fifty stone steps, you arrive at a somewhat level dirt trail, and just around the corner, you’re met with the impressive roar of the 160-foot-tall North Falls. It’s one of those obvious wide-angle shots where you can record the waterfalls top to bottom, along with the surrounding forest; but on this day, I was determined to record an up-close-and-personal landscape, and I found just the right subject: a salmon berry bush that was growing within inches of the trail.

    As you can see in the first example—and at the focal length of 18mm—my attempt at creating an up-close composition with focus on the salmon berry bloom fell a wee bit short of the goal: With my aperture set wide open (f/4) and the focus on the flower itself, I did get the visual weight on the flower, but it was still too small inside the frame. The solution was an easy one: to place the Canon 500D close-up filter on my Nikkor 12–24mm lens. Voilà! I was able to place the emphasis on the flower yet do so within the much wider angle of view of 18mm. This isn’t just a close-up of a salmon berry bloom; rather, it’s a close-up of a salmon berry bloom in the forest near a large waterfall. This kind of close-up photography in my mind is akin to having your cake and eating it, too, since you not only record an intimate encounter with the flower but also record “the story behind it.” It’s a way of looking at the world that is still very new, and the possibilites are, not surprisingly, endless.

First image: Nikkor 12–24mm lens at 18mm; second image: Nikkor 12–24mm lens at 18mm, Canon 500D close-up filter

There are, of course, many signs of spring, not the least of which is the return of flowers, bees, and butterflies. And along many a swampy riverbank or pond, the dragonfly hatch is well on its way, to the delight of frogs everywhere. Lyon boasts the largest urban park in all of France—one that even comes close to rivaling New York City’s Central Park in size. There’s an abundance of critters every spring at Parc de la Tête d’Or, including the dragonflies that live on the edges of the several large ponds that encompass the flower gardens. Seated comfortably on the green grass that runs up to the edge of one small pond, I spied several baby dragonflies basking in the warm glow of the morning sunshine. Dawn had just arrived, and at that hour, many insects are a bit slow to wake up, allowing the photographer to work at rather close ranges without fear of the critters flying away. Like many humans I know, even bugs and insects are slow to wake up.

    Handholding my camera and Nikkor 70–200mm VR lens at the 200mm focal length, and with my aperture set to f/8, I focused as close as I could, adjusted the shutter speed until 1/320 sec. indicated a correct exposure, and fired off several frames. Needless to say, I needed to get closer and fill that frame! The composition to the left is much like sitting in the last row of the fourth level at a Lakers basketball game.

    Since I had left the house in one of my “light moods,” I had but one option to get closer, and it was right inside my pants pocket: the Canon 500D close-up filter. After threading on the close-up lens, I picked up and moved forward until the lens was now focusing at its closest focusing point of 3 feet. With the focal length still set to 200mm, I got the composition as it was really meant to be.

First image: Nikkor 70–200mm VR lens at 200mm, f/8 for 1/320 sec.; second image: Nikkor 70–200mm VR lens at 200mm, Canon 500D close-up filter, f/8 for 1/320 sec.