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.

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