Close Up Lens Test

[COLOR="Purple"]In looking for a single-lens-for-hiking solution, I picked up a nice 2 element Minolta +2 close up lens to try on my Sigma 18-125mm. I wanted just a little more close focus capability for those smaller things that are sometimes found when out hiking.

Here's a pic of a lavender colored flower on a vine in the front yard. This is not full close up because you would only see the central part of the flower if I did that. I stayed a little wider to show the whole bloom and managed to capture an ant also.

The edge sharpness of this combo (18-125mm + CU lens) is not the best but in most cases that won't matter. The central sharpness, if carefully focused, is pretty good. I think it will work for my occasional needs.
Bill[/COLOR]

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[COLOR="Purple"]Here's another test pic. I think this was as close as I can get with the 18-125mm + CU lens.
Bill[/COLOR]

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Bill,

The combination you're using seems to be producing acceptable results. The biggest problem in macrophotography is Depth of Field; the closer you get, the shallower the plane of sharp focus. The lack of DOF will often overpower the slight loss of sharpness toward the edges. The best way to try to work within this limitation is to physically back off from your subject a little and increase the focal length (zoom) of your lens to a "portrait" setting. This will increase your DOF a little and give a more natural perspective. It also has the effect of flattening the field of the lens a little, which improves edge sharpness.

Depending on the close focus capability of your lens, you may not need the auxiliary close up lens in some instances. It's usually best to avoid using the CU lens unless it is absolutely necessary, to provide best image quality.