Close-Up Photography Accessories: Getting Closer on the Cheap!

How do we get our cameras to focus up close without macro lenses? There are many close-up photography accessories that are small, lightweight, and cost considerably less than a new lens.

That's good news, because many photography accessories can set you back a pretty penny. It's great to know there is such a thing as an economical gadget that makes a noticable difference in your macro photography.

We'll run through some of our options on this page!

Before we jump in, here are other topics we cover in this Macro Photography Equipment section:

1. Macro cameras
2. Macro lenses
3. Camera supports and tripods
4. Light modifiers
5. Lens hoods
6. Close-up photography accessories
7. Photo filters

As you may recall, close-up focusing is achieved in two ways:

1. By increasing the distance between the film / sensor plane and the front lens element, and
2. By refracting (bending) light so that it focuses at a closer point than the current lens setting.

Close-up attachments that lengthen

Bellows extensions

Bellows extensions consist of a light-tight bellows mounted on a rail system with a turning knob and locking mechanism. They are mounted in between the camera body and lens. 

The biggest advantage of bellows rigs is the large and variable extension distance. This makes possible some impressive close-up photography while using a normal lens and SLR camera. Because there are no optics, there is no degradation of image quality.

There are limitations to this system, however. First, bellows extensions work with interchangeable lens cameras (SLRs) only. Second, you have to have adapters specific to your brand of camera to attach the bellows (these should be acquired at the same time as the bellows as a necessary accessory). Third, exposure times lengthen considerably when using bellows extensions due to the physical distance between front lens and film / sensor plane (light strength falls off with the square of the distance; I go over the inverse-square rule over here). Fortunately, through-the-lens (TTL) metering systems compensate for this by reading the light intensity at the film / sensor plane.

A bellows extension should have a tripod mount in the center rail. This keeps the camera/bellows rig balanced and easier to support.

Extension tubes

Extension tubes are spacers that fit between lens and camera body. Like a bellows, they extend the distance between film/sensor plane and front lens element, allowing us to focus closer and achieve higher magnifications. They also lack any optics of their own.

Unlike bellows, they are not adjustable. They are therefore made available in different thicknesses; the thicker the tube, the greater the magnification. For SLR cameras, 12mm, 25mm, and 36mm are typical tube thicknesses on the market at this time.

Today's extension tubes have electronic contacts (specific to manufacturer) that allow full autofocus controls between lens and camera. That's not a bad thing, but the value may be overstated, because autofocus is most often turned off when shooting in macro mode.

Extension tubes are portable, durable, and relatively inexpensive. A set of three tubes costs less than half the price of a macro lens. Extension tubes can be combined in piggyback fashion to achieve ever greater magnifications.

Close-up attachments that bend the light

Close-up lenses

Close-up lenses are mounted to the front filter-ring of the camera lens. They are so-called "plus" lenses, similar to reading glasses, that refract light rays in a manor that magnifies the subject. They are available in a range of diameters to fit standard filter-ring sizes, and in differing strengths and designated +1, +2, etc., typically up to +10. Higher numbers indicate higher magnification power.

Close-up lenses are an inexpensive and effective option for any camera system provided there is a filter thread present on the front of the lens. They are the only macro accessory option that work on cameras without interchangeable lenses! Although each lens magnifies to a specific degree and cannot be varied, they can be combined in piggyback fashion to increase magnification.

On the down side, close-up lenses add optics to the lens system and thus introduce additional surfaces that can degrade image quality, thanks to lens flare, dust, and smudges. As rings are combined, these effects add up, to the detriment of image sharpness. Edge sharpness is particularly affected.

Close-up lenses work on lenses from different manufacturers as long as the filter-ring diameter is the same (fortunately, filter-ring threads are of standard sizes, unlike lens mounts). 

The reversing ring

For my money, the reversing ring is the most intriguing of all close-up photography accessories. It is a thin spacer that consists of a filter-thread on one side, and a male lens mount on the other. This enables us to reverse-mount an ordinary SLR lens, and arrangement that allows us quite impressive close-focusing.

As with all macro photography accessories except close-up lenses, the reversing ring is only usable in SLR systems with interchangeable lenses.

So why bother with true macro lenses?

That's a fair question; one we all have to answer for ourselves. The best response is that few of us jump in and purchase a macro lens without any experience with the unique practice of macro photography. Having a camera bag full of close-up photography accessories can be a drag; a macro lens renders all the gadgets unnecessary.

Personally, I picked up a bellows extension unit and a reversing ring to go with my wide-angle, normal, and zoom telephoto lenses when I was starting out. It's only when I upgraded to a more modern system (having scraped together the cash after years of frugality) that I decided to purchase a 100mm macro lens.

Some of us, however, may be perfectly satisfied with one or more of the above-mentioned close-up photography accessories. If weight is a concern, then by all means stick with extension tubes, reversing ring, or close-up lenses.

Here's a review of close-up photography accessories that should help you choose:

	Macro lens	Bellows extension	Extension tubes	Close-up lenses	Reversing ring
Price	Highest	2nd highest	Middle	2nd lowest	Lowest
How portable?	Least	2nd least	Very	Very	Very
Effect on optical quality?	No effect, generally excellent	No effect	No effect	Can degrade image	No effect
Specific to camera brand?	Yes	Yes (requires adapter)	Yes	No (needs to fit filter ring)	Yes
Camera type?	SLR or compact with close focus	SLR only	SLR only	Any camera with filter-ring	SLR only