Cheap Marco Shooting : Reverse Lens Method

[Koji™]

Just recently someone point to me a way to take marco shoots without a marco lens. Tried his method out and surprisingly it work big time for me. Still practising around with this method and trying to get the hang of it.

It's not a new thing but I guess it's fun for people to try this method out on their own camera with detachable lens. Simplty just reverse the lens of your camera and do manual shooting with it.

To apply the reverse lens technique to your photos, you'll need:

* An SLR camera

* Your normal 50mm (or similar) lens

Step One
Remove the lens from your camera.

Step Two
Turn the lens the opposite way and attach it to the body of the camera so the bit that attaches to the camera body is at the front.

Step Three
Keep your hand on the lens at all times. Pulling it back towards the camera body. Otherwise the lens will detached and you'll let light into the camera resulting in overexposed images.
You can also tap the lens to the camera body if you are gonna be using it for a long time.

Note - I have only use this technique on the Canon EOS 550D. I'm sure it will work on alot of SLR camera of other brands as well. I'm using it's basic kit lens of 18-55mm and so far result is pretty good.

The down turn is that your shooting is gonna be all in manual for the lens is not connected correctly to your camera thus all you can play around is the ISO and shutter speed.

This is an example of the experiment test shoot this morning using my 18-55mm lens reversed on a 2cm bug.


Shoot on a piece of frog bit leafs


Shoot of a 1.2cm shrimp with flash


I hope this technique can help people without marco lens like me to take better close up pictures.

[toe_toe7]

very nice bro..

[Occellatus]

Hmm....interesting....didnt know one is able to take macro this way.

One question bro...by reversing the lens, will there be a possibility of a short circuit? For 3rd party lenses, I have a friend who literally 'burned' his entire DSLR due to a connectivity fault between the lens and the body (He did not reverse his lens but mounted it the orthodox way). Not too sure if the same thing will happen by reversing the lens.

[Koji™]

Originally Posted by toe_toe7

very nice bro..

Thanks bro. I'm still in the mid of playing with this method of picture taking on small shrimps.

[Koji™]

Originally Posted by Occellatus

Hmm....interesting....didnt know one is able to take macro this way.

One question bro...by reversing the lens, will there be a possibility of a short circuit? For 3rd party lenses, I have a friend who literally 'burned' his entire DSLR due to a connectivity fault between the lens and the body (He did not reverse his lens but mounted it the orthodox way). Not too sure if the same thing will happen by reversing the lens.

For this, the lens and the camera body is not communicating meaning they are not connected in any way at all. The lens merely provide as a focus while the camera body capture the image.

[Occellatus]

Originally Posted by Koji™

For this, the lens and the camera body is not communicating meaning they are not connected in any way at all. The lens merely provide as a focus while the camera body capture the image.

Meaning to say that you really need to have a good grip between the lens and the body?

[Koji™]

Originally Posted by Occellatus

Meaning to say that you really need to have a good grip between the lens and the body?

Something like that. Saw some reverse lens adapter in the internet. but still yet to find one. So mean while just got to hold the lens against the camera body.

[Occellatus]

Originally Posted by Koji™

Something like that. Saw some reverse lens adapter in the internet. but still yet to find one. So mean while just got to hold the lens against the camera body.

Eh siong buay? I think hold long also chiu sng tio bo?

[Koji™]

Originally Posted by Occellatus

Eh siong buay? I think hold long also chiu sng tio bo?

Not really la bro. Just hold them in place only. Plus the lens 18-55mm not heavy ma.

[Occellatus]

Originally Posted by Koji™

Not really la bro. Just hold them in place only. Plus the lens 18-55mm not heavy ma.

Ok..one day I try...I try my prime lens....see if results can make it bo...