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(Potentially) using Raynox 150, 250 etc with G3

  • Thread starter gardenersassistant
  • Start date
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gardenersassistant

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I wonder if anyone could help with any of this? Some questions follow after a bit of background ...

I spend most of my photographic time doing macro and close-ups of invertebrates and flowers. I'm currently using, on a Canon SX10is, a Canon 500D (mainly for small flowers), a Raynox 150 (mainly for insects) and Raynox 250 (only occasionally as I tend to go for "whole creature" shots rather than "fly's eye" type shots).

I am seriously considering the G3.

One thing holding me back is the (too short for my taste) working distance of the 45mm macro (and incidentally the fact, as far as I understand it, that you can't use extension tubes to increase the magnification whilst retaining autofocus - which I almost always use - and auto-exposure - which I rarely use but do sometimes need).

What is holding me back from using the 150, 250 and 500D on the 45-200 or 100-300 is that I don't like the Raynox clip-on device - I have broken two of them and the only way I have found of getting a new one is to buy a new lens. For the SX10is I have a quick release 58mm adaptor for each of my close-up lenses, also with step down rings for the 150 and 250. However, on the G3 I would be screwing the stepping rings into the filter thread on the camera lens. I would be concerned about messing up the filter thread, which could be an expensive mistake, especially if I was using the 100-300. I would also risk getting the add-on lens/stepping ring stuck on the camera lens.

Impasse.

Does anyone know where to get spare Raynox clip-on devices?

Does anyone use a Raynox or similar with stepping rings screwed into the filter thread?

Are there any brands of stepping rings which have particularly good threads which are more likely to work smoothly, not mess up the camera lens filter thread and not get stuck?

Is there some other approach to attaching add-on lenses that I have missed?

As I understand it, there is no vignetting with the 150 or 250 on the 45-200. Does anyone know what the situation with vignetting is with the 150 or 250 on the 100-300?

I could use a step-up ring to use my current (58mm) 500D on the 45-200, and presumably there would be no vignetting. However, if I used the 500D on the 100-300, would I need to use a 72mm 500D (with step-up ring) to avoid vignetting?

In fact, would I need to use the 500D at all with (a) the 45-200 and/or (b) the 100-300? (i.e. without it, would there be a gap between the most magnification of the 14-42 or 45-200 (or 100-300) and the least magnification with the 150?)
 
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