Screw-in macros and wide-angles

[agreg]

As you gathered I'm new to digital SLR photography. I' ve got an 18-70 and a 70-300 lense with which I'm happy. But I've seen these screw-in wide angle and macro lenses which are really dirt cheap. Are they any good or not even worth the 15 quid they ask for them?

Thanx

[chris-p]

Hi Agreg, welcome to the forums

I've never used a screw in wide angle filter but I've seen the macro ones in action. Generally speaking the macro ones work OK. They're aren't great but for £15 you wouldn't expect them to be brilliant. You can get good results with the macro ones but I think you might sturggle a bit more with the wideangle ones depending on what you're shooting.

I assume the main use for a wideangle filter would be landscapes so you're much more likely to get tricky lighting or high contrast conditions so problems like flare and chromatic aberration are much more likely and these adaptors won't have any sort of coating or clever tricks for controlling these problems.
With the macro ones you're much more likely to be controlling the lighting so this is less likely to be a problem.

What sort of camera are you using, I assume it's a Sony from the lenses you've already got?

[agreg]

Hi chris-p and thanks for the advice. My camera is indeed a Sony a350 which I bought (on offer!!) because I could use my old analog SLR's 70-300 zoom (an old Minolta).

[chris-p]

Not a bad guess!

[TedFoster]

If you are thinking of a screw-in close up lens - like a filter but not coloured , then I can recommend them , a 2 dioptre lens , that is one marked " +2 " to fit your long lens should give you a really good picture of a small butterfly or similar subject . . They are usually sold in sets of three , a +1 a +2 and a +4 , for £30 or so , the price will depend on the size of the filter ring on your lens . I bought mine from Amazon , but I see that Premier Ins also advertise them . Very much cheaper than a proper macro lens , and the results are really indistinguisab le . unless you are really highly critical of a subject needing the highgest possible definition . Don't forgetto stop well down an d use flash or a tripod .

[PEDRO19]

Hi all beware of cheap close up kit, i brought one from ebay as i fancied trying macro photography out.
after reading about it in this magazine ,the lens tube went on OK, i had a problem removing it after trying it out as the catch came off, buyer beware of cheap gear.

[chris-p]

Pedro, are you talking about extension tubes?

If so, I would agree that it's best to avoid those but the screw in diopter "filters" are fine.