I was just wondering what kind of lenses work best for close ups? My lense won't go beyond like a foot and a half. And is the fad of sharper middles with blured outsides a lense trick or a photoshop trick?

Thanks/

-- Lew Horn (hornlewi@yahoo.com), February 11, 2002

Answers

Lew:

It is not really a trick but usually an artifact of a less-than optimum close-up lens. A real Macro( Nikon calls them Micro)lens will not exhibit that "trick", as they are designed for close-up work.

Again, any good book on general photography will help.

Cheers

-- RICHARD ILOMAKI (richardjx@hotmail.com), February 12, 2002.

Lew:

Again, the Internet to the rescue.

Go to Google and type in : "photography close up lenses" and you will get many hits. The third one on my list looked very good:

/www.kodak.com/global/en/consumer/pictureTaking/closeUps/closUpsMain.s html

It too has all you need to know about close-up lenses etc.

Cheers

-- RICHARD ILOMAKI (richardjx@hotmail.com), February 12, 2002.

Try searching photo net. The cheapest simplest method is to stick an ACHROMATIC close up lens onto the front of a prime (fixed focal length) lens. Cheap single element close up lenses give poor results. Nikon and Canon make good close up lenses.

Leif.

-- Leif Goodwin (leif.goodwin@racalinst.co.uk), February 13, 2002.