Help - Magnifying filters for D3000

[NicR]

Hi all

I hope someone can help. I have been told that I cannot get a Macro Lens for a D3000. But that magnifying filters would provide a similar effect. So I bought a set of magnifying filters, but am not able to take photos with them on. It is as if the camera cannot focus with them on...

Has anybody successfully used magnifying filters with a D3000 before?

Am I doing something wrong?

Help!!!


Nic

[ameerat42]

I was puzzled at your plight at first. But... Are you using autofocus? (I may be wrong but it's the only thing I can think about.) Anyway, have you tried using manual focus? And also: can't get a macro lens for it???
Let us know.
Am.

[arthurking83]

I think you have approximately 5-10 different lenses available to you for a D3000 and have all the features a modern lens is capable of.

i'll try to list them(in no particular order)

Nikon: 105mm f/2.8 VR Micro, 60mm f/2.8 Micro, 85mm f/3.5 VR micro. Sigma 105mm f/2.8 HSM, Sigma 150mm f/2.8 HSM(x2 one with OS one without). Tamron 60mm f/2.0 and Tamron 90mm f/2.8.

Note: the Tamron 90mm f/2.8 is an old lens design originally made without a built in AF motor. The newer version has a built in motor for it to auto focus on your D3000. If you choose this lens, you need to be sure it is the For Nikon 'built in motor'!(great lens by the way ).

I think that makes it about 8 lenses available to a consumer end, non screw driven, camera body if you really need autofocusing to work.

Of course if AF is not an important consideration, then a D3000 has many more options of macro/micro lenses, which includes many pre Ai, old Nikkor, lenses from a million years ago.

in general AF is ok to good for 'close up' photography, and woeful to non existent for 1:1 macro work.

[OzzieTraveller]

G'day Nic

Sounds like your "magnifying filters" are "close-up lenses"
Close up lenses have definite focussing distances depending upon the strength of the lens - and if you've mixed 'em up [or been given the wrong info] it'll never work for you

So ... [ps- Arthur is correct with his info re- 'macro' lenses, they're available and a good one will set you back quite a few $$$]
1- your close up lenses will have numbers on the rim ... eg +1 or +2 or +3 or +4 etc
2- this number is the focal length of the lens as a fraction of a metre
3- these close up lenses work best on the 70-300 sort of lens, as the 18-55 will already focus pretty close
4- if you couple a +3 [for example] onto your 70-300 [or 55-200 if that's what you've got] and set it onto the tripod at about 1/3 metre from the subject, it should focus for you
5- you will need to move the camera back/forward a bit to fine tune its position, and the lens grows in length as you zoom

hope this helps
Regards, Phil

[NicR]

Thanks Guys! I had heard previously that I could get Macro lenses. When I went to buy one I was told that the d3000 wouldnt work with a macro lens... Pays to shop around I guess.

Yes they are close up lenses - sorry, he described them as magnifying filters... and yes they do have those numbers on them. I was using my 55-200 - I might keep playing around with it (which I have done for the last 22 hours since I bought them....). They guy that sold them to me said I could stack them??

Is a Micro lens the same as a Macro lens???

Thanks again!


Nic

[ameerat42]

OK Nicr, that explains it a bit. There's nothing badly wrong with having CU filters or lenses. They will have markings on them, like "CU +1" or maybe just "1", etc. That indicates their focal length. If you have a +1 lens then that means 1 dioptre. It's focal length is 1000/1 or 1000mm. Similarly, a +2 is 1000/2 or 500mm.

When you put a CU filter onto the front of any lens that lens will have a maximum focusing distance of whatever it is you calculated, eg, 1000mm or 500mm. CU filters help you get closer than your normal lens will to the subject.

Furthermore, they "add up", so that you can put, say, a +1 and a +2 on to give you a total of +3. Then you maximum focus distance will be 1000/3, or approx. 33cm. You will also get much closer to your subject.

Drawbacks: some CU filters are not very well corrected optically, and stacking them can exacerbate any bad optics. But hey. I've got a few and I use them OK.

Hope this helps. Am.

[NicR]

Thanks all! I have got it working FINALLY!!! SO MUCH FUN!

[ameerat42]

I'm to hear. When can we see some?
Am.

[NicR]

Soon - I will post some this arvo once I have stopped snapping away. I'm like a kid with a shiny new toy today!

[super duper]

I see you've got your problem sorted, but I just thought I'd add I have the 3000, and it works perfectly with my AF-S 60mm micro (nikons term for macro)