Close-up filters & Step-up rings

[Tristin]

Does using a step-up ring to mount a close-up filter result in any negative qualties as opposed to using the appropriately sized filter?  Now that I have a 5T I am curious how useable it would be on my 52mm sized lenses, and would rather forego buying a ring if it will lead to poor qualities that anyone is aware of.

Thanks!

P.S. Correct forum?

[John Geerts]

I think it's easier to obtain a 3T  or 4T (52mm) which can be acquired at reasonable prices.

[Bjørn Rørslett]

Nah. Close-up lenses really are one-size-fits-all approach. The difference in size is more of a practical matter than optical performance.  As long as there is no vignetting, step-up or step-down will work. Thus, I have used 6T (62 mm) with step-ring to mount it on my 85/1.4 (77 mm).

Some lenses will, however, benefit from the close-up lens being reverse-mounted. This is due to a better matching of the actual curvature of field of the components. The Micro-Nikkor 200 mm f/4 AI/AIS is a typical example.

Test various arrangements with the candidate hosting lens in mind.

[Dr Klaus Schmitt]

Close up "filters" - whenever I read that my neck hair stands straight up.
What does it filter out, the far and inifinty?? Its a diopter lens, nothing more
or less. Make sure to use achromatic ones, not the simple glass stuff which
is sold everywhere now (ebay etc.) for pennies.

[Bjørn Rørslett]

A side comment: English  sometimes lacks the precision offered by other languages and thus the same terminology applies to very different subjects. Thus it is tempting to avoid the seemingly awkward combination of say "a close-up lens attached to a lens [the latter also composed of 'lenses']" by renaming one of the components. That could explain the use of 'close-up filter' ??

Perhaps the less confusing practice is using the term 'close-up attachment'.

[pluton]

Thank you Klaus for bringing this up.  I have the same reaction when I see the term.
Bjørn,  they have been called 'supplementary lenses', 'front diopters', 'supplementary plus diopters', 'close up lenses', 'close up attachment lenses', and on and on.
In American camera store lingo, 'close up lenses', or 'close up diopters' are probably the familiar terms.  In the American motion picture/television industry, the terms 'front diopter' or 'plus diopters' are more often found.
Tristin, If you refer to them as 'filters' we'll of course know what you mean, but it would be more relaxing for Dr.Schmidt's hair(and mine) if you called them 'lenses'!

[Wannabebetter]

A side comment: English  sometimes lacks the precision...
Perhaps the less confusing practice is using the term 'close-up attachment'.

No, and yes! Any imprecision, obfuscation or imperspicuity is a consignation of the communicator, not the available code. That said, it is realized and conceded that modern English lacks the linguistic "cases" endemic to certain Germanic languages. (eg farvegnügen, a classic, old chestnut used in a popular American advertisement campaign by Volkswagen™.) As for "close-up attachment", I wholeheartedly concur with its usage rather then any compound, contraction or hyphenation of "filter"-this, or that. However, be cautioned: There are those in my sphere of linguistic idiocy who may well put it Close up attachment, to what? That misunderstanding is generally cleared up by suggesting the inquisitive party put the object in question into close proximity with their [CENSORED] Works all the time!

[bjornthun]

No, and yes! Any imprecision, obfuscation or imperspicuity is a consignation of the communicator, not the available code. That said, it is realized and conceded that modern English lacks the linguistic "cases" endemic to certain Germanic languages. (eg farvegnügen, a classic, old chestnut used in a popular American advertisement campaign by Volkswagen™.) As for "close-up attachment", I wholeheartedly concur with its usage rather then any compound, contraction or hyphenation of "filter"-this, or that. However, be cautioned: There are those in my sphere of linguistic idiocy who may well put it Close up attachment, to what? That misunderstanding is generally cleared up by suggesting the inquisitive party put the object in question into close proximity with their [CENSORED] Works all the time!

The word is probably "Fahrvergnügen" in the nominative form. Of modern Germanic languages only German has the linguistic feature "case". English will typically use prepositions and the stricter ordering of nouns in a sentence to express what the case would otherwise express.

[John Geerts]

Nah. Close-up lenses really are one-size-fits-all approach. The difference in size is more of a practical matter than optical performance.  As long as there is no vignetting, step-up or step-down will work. Thus, I have used 6T (62 mm) with step-ring to mount it on my 85/1.4 (77 mm).

Some lenses will, however, benefit from the close-up lens being reverse-mounted. This is due to a better matching of the actual curvature of field of the components. The Micro-Nikkor 200 mm f/4 AI/AIS is a typical example.

Test various arrangements with the candidate hosting lens in mind.

Thanks for the advice, Bjørn.  That gives a lot of possibilities to experiment.

[Tristin]

I just got a 6T at a great price!  Will be testing the 105mm f/1.8 Ai-s with the 5T and 6T stacked which I will of course post.  I have plans to acquire a 200mm f/4 Ai-s when band priorities allow, and will be doing the same testing with it and with reverse mounting my 50mm f/1.2 Ai-s to it, with and without the 5T and 6T.  Hopefully it ill be of use to other people looking to have macro capabilities with a small number of lenses without having to carry a dedicated macro lens.

[John Geerts]

Super Tristin, I am looking forward to the results.

[Hermann]

Well well. I finally found my close-up lenses again which I got many years ago - Nikon T3, Canon 450 (both 52mm) and Minolta No. 1 (55mm).

A pity most of the modern lenses require larger filter threads.

Hermann

[Roland Vink]

Nah. Close-up lenses really are one-size-fits-all approach. The difference in size is more of a practical matter than optical performance.

Unless of course if the lens has a built-in hood, such as the AIS 200/4 or AIS 105/1.8. The hood won't slide out if step-up rings are used, so best to use the correct size close-up lens, or even step-down if it works optically.

[Wannabebetter]

The word is probably "Fahrvergnügen" in the nominative form. Of modern Germanic languages only German has the linguistic feature "case". English will typically use prepositions and the stricter ordering of nouns in a sentence to express what the case would otherwise express.

Thank you for that clarification, and for correcting my spelling as well.