cinematography Diopic lens accessory

sfoster

sfoster

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Since i didn't go to film school I totally missed some shit, that nobody has ever mentioned on here or in any youtube video.
Here is one example I will share with all the other poor unfortunate souls that can't afford to go to film school

It's called a Diopic lens and essentially it is a magnifying glass that you screw onto the end of your existing lens, allowing CHEAP CHEAP macro photography.
I got a whole set 1x, 2x, 4x, and 10x magnification for like $30
(Edit: actually $22 the link is here - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XBY29KT?th=1)

These images are in LOG, I did not convert them to rec709, just ignore the contrast and look at the framing.
These are all at maximum closeness to the subject that allows to remain in focus.

135MM lens

Eye135mm.JPG

drive.google.com drive.google.com

With a 4x Magnifying glass

Eye135x4.JPG

drive.google.com drive.google.com

With a 10x Magnifying glass

Eye135x10.JPG

drive.google.com drive.google.com

Learned about these from watching a video on the cinematography of hoyte van hoytema
Hopefully at least one other person has not heard of these diopic lens otherwise I just wasted my time taking these pics and uploading :)
 
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sfoster said:
Since i didn't go to film school I totally missed some shit, that nobody has ever mentioned on here or in any youtube video.
Here is one example I will share with all the other poor unfortunate souls that can't afford to go to film school

It's called a Diopic lens and essentially it is a magnifying glass that you screw onto the end of your existing lens, allowing CHEAP CHEAP macro photography.
I got a whole set 1x, 2x, 4x, and 10x magnification for like $30

These images are in LOG, I did not convert them to rec709, just ignore the contrast and look at the framing.
These are all at maximum closeness to the subject that allows to remain in focus.

135MM lens

Eye135mm.JPG

drive.google.com drive.google.com

With a 4x Magnifying glass

Eye135x4.JPG

drive.google.com drive.google.com

With a 10x Magnifying glass

Eye135x10.JPG

drive.google.com drive.google.com

Learned about these from watching a video on the cinematography of hoyte van hoytema
Hopefully at least one other person has not heard of these diopic lens otherwise I just wasted my time taking these pics and uploading :)
Click to expand...
I've never heard of these types of lens/adaptors. $30 sounds like an absolute steal! I've always loved super closeup video work. Good luck putting them to use!
 
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:lol: I've had a few of them since before YouTube was invented!

And wouldn't you know: I've just ordered a lens spanner so that I can dismantle one of my first zoom lenses to give the internal glass a good clean, because that's the one with the right thread for the dioptres. :cool:
 
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CelticRambler said:
:lol: I've had a few of them since before YouTube was invented!

And wouldn't you know: I've just ordered a lens spanner so that I can dismantle one of my first zoom lenses to give the internal glass a good clean, because that's the one with the right thread for the dioptres. :cool:
Click to expand...
In the past I had used a jewelers loupe and a cell phone camera to take macro pictures, for some reason it just never occured to me that there might be a magnifiying glass for a cinema lens 😄
 
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They call that "a learning experience" ... :wait: Have just realised that my close-up filters are the only pieces of Hoya glass I own, and date from a time when brands generally produced their own branded products instead of rebadging cheap crap made by miscellaneous others.

Side note: I've never been to film school either :scared:

Other side note: if you didn't see it at first, you can stack any - or all - of those lenses to give up to +17 magnification ... though I suspect you might sacrifice "some" image quality!
 
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Hey, I think we're all learning about something, always! Film school isn't everything; many people i've spoken with personally or read posts online seem to be somwhat brain-washed now. I mean they will say things like 'You can't do that because my teacher said it's against the "rules". Rules - lol. And so now they've become mentally boxed-in and don't want to seem to even attempt breaking those fake rules. It's simutaneously funny but sad in all seriousness.

Anyway - those lenses are definately good for learning. However for extreme eye close-ups, that's not really what i'd recommend theoe lenses for. They can be useful for small boosts in bokeh when stacked, however. But stacking to many would result in substantial quality loss and probably high in chromatic abberations.

For the extreme close-ups such as your eye picture, bugs or minatures, it seems you are in need on an achromat and there's a few routes you can go.

One method - A high-quality achromat such as this (be sure to read the item description): https://www.ebay.com/itm/Cinevate-C...chromat-macro-Lens-New-Old-Stock/293484543451 and a tripod to keep the camera steady. Focus margins are extremely thin on these lenses. Any tiny movement will throw off focus. Achromats, such as the one above, are high quality lenses that are made up of coated, bonded glass types and as such will not result in the quality losses that stacked close-up diopters will. To make things a bit easier, think of an acromat as sort of a 'super diopter' that are designed to retain image quality.

Or you could buy an adapter for your camera model and buy one of these lenses: https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fr...13&_nkw=canon+tv+zoom+vgx17+17-102mm&_sacat=0
Unless you are using a mirrorless camera that matches up with its focal lengths, the above lens will only function as a macro lens. But if that's what you're wanting anyway, it's a good choice if you're wanting more of a vintage look. I have one of these myself. I like the image it creates and it's a very well made lens.

There's also some wide angle conversion lenses that actually screw apart into a macro lens. A really cheap one here if you're just looking to learn more/experiment first: https://www.amazon.com/Zeikos-ZE-3446F-definition-attachment-Warranty/dp/B001XW06MQ?th=1
https://www.ebay.com/itm/284677518160?hash=item42481a3350:g:N-cAAOSwrEJiHxKg&amdata=enc:AQAHAAAAsDOKbACefzFJDtJzS6qfYtqHO829AKgZOHNJpCPs3TouxXKUj0I3K4TrSi9sjesOqbPYzJf3Q23bWPYH8XxUoS5LW8rgNvOMfpAGtuAkvEoJJcGV4+P8gnMAPRrT9uYvSIkIpXf6iHioczK3yp96grANkvFK09/5pkosZIRI+LLjDLCREwPi6ADZm9rhYQWD71qcjrHxPSyjE5ooDw9Xc3yQqk9KZ9R1CLfMk3L19fZF|tkp:Bk9SR4y1yci5YQ
I do not know the magnification factor of the macro lens, however.

These above options won't cost you an arm or a leg. :haha:
tumblr_lsgxbyMyrp1qcgsneo1_500.gif


Or of course you could buy a modern macro lens with a focusing ring and all that, but I don't know how much those cost. Could be expensive.
 
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Ven said:
Hey, I think we're all learning about something, always! Film school isn't everything; many people i've spoken with personally or read posts online seem to be somwhat brain-washed now. I mean they will say things like 'You can't do that because my teacher said it's against the "rules". Rules - lol. And so now they've become mentally boxed-in and don't want to seem to even attempt breaking those fake rules. It's simutaneously funny but sad in all seriousness.

Anyway - those lenses are definately good for learning. However for extreme eye close-ups, that's not really what i'd recommend theoe lenses for. They can be useful for small boosts in bokeh when stacked, however. But stacking to many would result in substantial quality loss and probably high in chromatic abberations.

For the extreme close-ups such as your eye picture, bugs or minatures, it seems you are in need on an achromat and there's a few routes you can go.

One method - A high-quality achromat such as this (be sure to read the item description): https://www.ebay.com/itm/Cinevate-C...chromat-macro-Lens-New-Old-Stock/293484543451 and a tripod to keep the camera steady. Focus margins are extremely thin on these lenses. Any tiny movement will throw off focus. Achromats, such as the one above, are high quality lenses that are made up of coated, bonded glass types and as such will not result in the quality losses that stacked close-up diopters will. To make things a bit easier, think of an acromat as sort of a 'super diopter' that are designed to retain image quality.

Or you could buy an adapter for your camera model and buy one of these lenses: https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fr...13&_nkw=canon+tv+zoom+vgx17+17-102mm&_sacat=0
Unless you are using a mirrorless camera that matches up with its focal lengths, the above lens will only function as a macro lens. But if that's what you're wanting anyway, it's a good choice if you're wanting more of a vintage look. I have one of these myself. I like the image it creates and it's a very well made lens.

There's also some wide angle conversion lenses that actually screw apart into a macro lens. A really cheap one here if you're just looking to learn more/experiment first: https://www.amazon.com/Zeikos-ZE-3446F-definition-attachment-Warranty/dp/B001XW06MQ?th=1
https://www.ebay.com/itm/284677518160?hash=item42481a3350:g:N-cAAOSwrEJiHxKg&amdata=enc:AQAHAAAAsDOKbACefzFJDtJzS6qfYtqHO829AKgZOHNJpCPs3TouxXKUj0I3K4TrSi9sjesOqbPYzJf3Q23bWPYH8XxUoS5LW8rgNvOMfpAGtuAkvEoJJcGV4+P8gnMAPRrT9uYvSIkIpXf6iHioczK3yp96grANkvFK09/5pkosZIRI+LLjDLCREwPi6ADZm9rhYQWD71qcjrHxPSyjE5ooDw9Xc3yQqk9KZ9R1CLfMk3L19fZF|tkp:Bk9SR4y1yci5YQ
I do not know the magnification factor of the macro lens, however.

These above options won't cost you an arm or a leg. :haha:
tumblr_lsgxbyMyrp1qcgsneo1_500.gif


Or of course you could buy a modern macro lens with a focusing ring and all that, but I don't know how much those cost. Could be expensive.
Click to expand...

Thanks! Yeah I could definitely use a dedicated macro lens.
The camera i have is a a7siii, one of the best parts about it is the strong autofocus and you can lose that with a lot of adaptors.

I generally work alone / without any focus puller, so the autofocus is important.
 
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Glad to help. That's one thing I forgot to mention. Autofocus tends to have trouble with achromats. https://www.amazon.com/Opteka-Achromatic-Diopter-Close-Up-Digital/dp/B000GBCYF2?th=1
One of the reviews here explains a bit:
"Despite the bad reviews, I'm very pleased with the product. I did spend quite a bit, to research which diameter fits and I ordered it and I had no problem with threading it on my lens. Of course, it is a fine thread to attach the filter on your lens, thread it on carefully. Now, I spent today about an hour, and there is a learning curve with this lens. First of all, Auto focus does not work with this lens. You magnify the subject, so the Auto focus of your camera is way off. I put my camera in manual focus mode, focus on macro and move the whole camera back and forth until the subject I want to take a picture was sharp. Also, if you YouTube how people do macros, they almost every time use a flash and some sort of diffuser. My results improved drastically when I started using the flash. With the flash, I brought the shutter speed down to a fraction and was able to catch the subject without motion blur. The last trick I learned today is, with a zoom between 50 - 450 mm, I was able to achieve great results. Be aware, this lens cuts the distance from camera to subject. In the zoom range without this lens I have to have 5ft distance from camera to subject. So the 10x close up makes this distance 10 times shorter. 5ft = 60". 60" / 10 = 6". So with the lens I had to be 6" away from the subject, to have the subject in focus. One last thing, it is a close up lens. It shrinks the focus range, that means, the leg of the insect is blurry but the face of the insect is in focus. That's it. After playing with the Opteka Achromatic 10x Close Up Lens, I'm impressed and it certainly is a inexpensive introduction into the world of macro photography. Be mindful, it is not an expensive Macro lens. But for my purpose, plenty for the buck. My 4 stars are because Auto focus will not work, but I can live with that. Attached a few photos I took with the lens."

I hope you find something that works for you.
 
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