Extreme Close-Ups

I recently purchased an extreme close-up lens, the Mitakon Zyonghi 20mm f/16 lens.  It was on sale at B+H Photo for $149, which was too much to resist.  It's a strange looking lens, as the photo indicates.

Mitakon Zyonghi 20mm macro lens

This lens is intended for extreme close-ups and magnifies from 4X to 4.5X.  To get these magnifications, you have to position the lens quite close to the subject being photographed.   As usual with extreme close-ups, focus is quite critical and it is absolutely necessary to have the camera perfectly still.  For this reason, mirror-up or Live View shooting are essential, using either the self-timer or a remote release.

The results can be quite interesting, though, as this photo of the details of peacock feather indicate.

Peacock feather detail. Mitakon Zyonghi 20mm f/16 lens, 15 sec., f/16, ISO 100

There aren't many ways to get this level of magnification other than using a specialized lens like this one.  So, if you're interested in a high degree of detail in your macro photos, you may want to consider this lens.

Norm

Close-Ups of Household Objects

One of the fun things about macro and close-up photography is there is never a lack of things to photograph around the house.  Unlike landscape photography, where you generally have to travel to a photogenic site that may be many miles or hours from home, there's plenty of material around the house to photograph. 

The photo below is a simple composition of some colored paper clips I had in my office.  No need to buy special props or go anywhere to make this photo!  I did spend some time arranging the paper clips in what I thought was a pleasing composition and I made a number of images before settling on this one.

Photographing household objects is a good way to spend the winter months, when it may be too cold and uninviting to photograph out-of-doors.

Nikon D810, Nikkor 105mm f/2.8 micro lens, 3 sec., f/32, ISO 100, tripod.

 What do you think?  What indoors photos can you make during these wintry months?  If you made such a photo, would you hang it in your house?  Where?

Macro and close-up photography are a lot of fun.  I hope you'll give it a try.

Norm