Thursday, July 12, 2012

Extra Macro Lenses for the HS series.

Filter Sized Macro Closeup Lens


One of the things that my HS10 had was instant zoom, which could be used at two different settings/levels. Very handy for doing macro work or even long shots.
In the HS20 this was dropped, something that really annoyed me when I discovered that.
In the HS30 its been brought back, but renamed as intelligent zoom and appears to work in a very similar manner to the HS10's instant zoom.


As most Fuji users know, these cameras are capable of some really nice macros. You can of course get the Raynox DCR-250 with a adapter ring for the Fuji 58mm lens thread from amazon at around $100.00USD if freighted.


There is however another route that the HS20 owner can take and that is to use a closeup lens filter such as these found on E-bay UK.These are the ones I bought. My daughter has just arrived back from the UK and was able to bring them with her. They cost 8.99 British pounds or roughly $16.00 NZD. There are many varieties and suppliers. A quick search on E-bay or Amazon using "Closeup Filter" in the search bar will get you to where you need to be.


I have had a very brief play with these and will do a more in-depth review in the coming days. The Borwin versions seen here are considerably more expensive and I have to wonder if they aren't one and the same and you are paying simply for the name on the product.
The closeup lenses I have show good fit and finish and come in a pouch, with individual pockets that use Velcro tabs to secure them. Included in the box was a small packet of Q-tips as well as a Pufferbrush for lens cleaning as well a good quality lens cleaning cloth. All in all pretty good value for less than $20.00 NZD.





17 comments:

  1. Hi Ralph. The Raynox is an achromat, as is the Canon 500D. These lenses have 2 elements and are corrected for near perfect edge to edge sharpness without a lot of CA. The single element close up filter set is not corrected, so you might find a need to crop away corner issues. Watch for that during testing.

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    1. Cheers for the heads up Kim.
      After only a short play it seems they are fairly nicely constructed. The +10 lens is quite a solid chunk of glass. One thing I noticed with that was how flat the deep of field is but the clarity looks pretty good. Just trying to find some colorful insect life, not much around in winter, mainly just a few wasps.

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