Extreme macro project

[rasputin]

Today, I 'arv been mostly...

Hatching an insane idea

Unfortunately I didn't listen to my better instincts, so I now have in the mail:

One very cheap compact camera (Vivitar V3188)
and
One set of M42 extension tubes

My plan:
Perform some surgery on the camera and remove the lens.
Glue M42 extension tubes in position.
Fit M42 lens

So as well as the extension tubes giving me the usual macro range, combined with the very small image sensor the crop factor would be pretty big!

So...

I should have asked before buying ...

Can this work?

[jon-]

I don't know if this will work, but it is an awesome project! I just wish you'd bought the equipment off amazon, just to see "Customers who bought this compact camera also bought: M42 Extension tubes"

[SamHH]

Looking at the photos of that camera on the Web, I can't see how you're going to mount the extension tubes to it. I'm interested to see what happens though; post some pictures up.

[johnnywgk]

Done something simular years ago with pentax SLR, not quite as dramatic, but used old toilet rolls as extension tubes with, ehem! selotape to hold it all together.

Not sure about your camera, but can't see it not working.

Good luck, and post the results.

[Famous Graham]

I gaffa taped a reversed FD lens to my sigma macro

Can't find the pics right now, but I got serious magnification

[_dobbo_]

Reminds me of when I did this:



Which gets some fairly extreme magnification - these are grains of sugar!



To the OP - I'm not convinced this project will work. I'd guess even a very cheap camera will have some electrical contact with the lens, and will spit the dummy if you disconnect that contact.

[rasputin]

_dobbo_ said:

To the OP - I'm not convinced this project will work. I'd guess even a very cheap camera will have some electrical contact with the lens, and will spit the dummy if you disconnect that contact.

I did wonder about that.

I could try removing the lens elements, rather than the lens itself.

[rasputin]

Got it.

Opened it up.

Success - lens element screwed in but no electrical connection .

Like my high quality M42 Sellotape Mount? It's the deluxe version with black tape covering any light leaks :





And here it is with the original lens - bit of a difference??



So... to the results!

Here was my ultra-sophisticated setup:


Ball point pen with some salt grains. Full Frame:


And a 100% crop:


Some pixels:




So yes... Not great image quality .

But an interesting experiment.

I think it has potential in a compact camera with a higher quality sensor. But even before demolishing this camera, the IQ was diabolical

[SamHH]

Cool. I didn't think you'd manage to get them together; nice work.

[rasputin]

Tried something less extreme but more effective today.

M42 Mount + 2X Teleconverter + 2 small extension tubes + Carl Zeiss 135mm lens + "10+ Macro Diopter"



Results were very, very difficult to set up properly. But also very big!
Apologies for the deceased fly - I promise that's how I found him (although the right way up )
The coin is a 5p.

Full Frame:


100% Crop:


Haven't worked out what macro ratio that is yet. Theoretically I could have done more - I have a third (bigger) extension tube I could add, and another (4+) diopter... But this was all I could manage to be honest and image quality is pretty dodgy as it is. Getting the focus right was a big job - the tiniest touch of the camera/lens would move it enough to ruin my efforts.
I had to shoot at F/22 (with the teleconverter I suppose that's F/44?) and still couldn't get the focus quite right after an hour of trying.

Mega respect to 4hero & co. for the results they get - sometimes even handheld !





EDIT: Just worked it out roughly - Around 3.4:1 so still not quite MPE-65 level

Edited by rasputin on Wednesday 8th July 23:44

[Famous Graham]

Nicely done Tis fun to try out isn't it

I reactivated my Flickr account, so here are the results of the Scottish Jur...errr..my fooling around



Note expert use of professional materials

Result :



And with the macro lens on its own in front of a powered off LCD monitor (bounce flash off a white wall to the right)

[jon-]

rasputin said:

Full Frame:

I'm eating my breakfast

[Whitefly Swatter]

here is on I did some time ago



it was shot with an Olympus E3 with a set of bellows and a standard zukio 50mm f1,8
20 shots were stacked using combineZ to give the depth of field

I knew my old 35mm stuff would come in handy !

[johnnywgk]

Nice work Rasputin, i new you'd get it to work