Macro filters for Canon G12

[Pohled]

Hello,

I'd like to know about Macro filters for Canon G12 (or G15)* (I haven't bought the camera yet, and depeding on the availability I'm going to get a G15 instead).

I've read that there are some handful Macro Hoya Filters. I'd like to know if there are other similar close-up filters like those?

And a begginner's doubt, do I need an adaptor for the filter?

Thank you beforehand =)

[jcuknz]

I wonder why you are thinking of buying the G cameras when you have a excellent camera for taking close shots with the SX20is.

The point is that one does not always need to get close to achive a tight framing. A tight framing is what we are after. Though I see the camera will focus to zero inches with the lens touchingg the subject ?

My suggestion is for you to get a two dioptre or 500mm close-up LENS [ not a filter though many call them that these days] which will overcome the inability of the SX20 lens when at full zoom to focus close. This means you are using the narrow angle of view of the zoom at telephoto setting to achieve the tight framing we are after. It is how i and many bridge camera owners take our big close-ups. You may have other reasons for getting the G cameras but guessing from your subtitle I don't see you need one to take big close-up and I would rate the G's an inferior way to approach the subject because of their relatively small zoom.

Typically in my case with only a x12 zoom on my Panasonic FZ cameras when using the 2 dioptre CU lens I acheive a 1.5" across subject filling the sensor from a distance of about 15 inches. with your longer zoom you should get a smaller area filling the sensor. Alternatively you could look at the Raynox CU lens system where the lens is more powerful and has a holder which clips over the camera lens. This overcomes the need for a filter thread on the camera lens which I suspect neither G cameras have. Others have purchased a CU lens whose outer diameter is the same of the camera lens barrel and cello taped the CU lens on when needed ... the only proviso here is that the cellotape doesn't get inside the lens barrel on shut down and gum up the works.

To get you started I suggest you measure the diameter [ or filter thread] of the SX20 lens and buy yourself a $10 set of CU lens from Amazon ... these come in 1,2,4 and maybe 10 dioptres and while not quality items will teach you what is possible with CU lens and then knowing what you want you can get the quality items. You may well find they serve your purposes anyway

[Inkanyezi]

You need an adapter to screw closeup lenses to the SX20 camera. It's the same if you get a G-series camera. Those have an external bayonet around the lens on the camera body, which will accept filters. It is reasonable to get just one +2 diopters closeup lens. It will allow you to get really tight shots of small things. If you would opt for a stronger lens, you should not take a simple lens of more than +2 diopters, but an achromatic lens that is more expensive. Canon makes such achromatic lenses of +2 diopters (500 mm focal length) and +4 diopters (250 mm focal length).

All closeup lenses add optical deficiencies, coma, field curvature, distortion and chromatic aberration. The achromatic lenses does away with chromatic aberration, so they cause only coma, distortion and curvature of field. Those deficiencies may be accepted when taking ordinary three-dimensional objects, as insects and flowers, but closeup lenses are unsuitable for flat objects that should be rendered without distortion, like stamps and similar.

[jcuknz]

i have been using close-up lenses on many cameras over many years and consider the tales of woe about CU lens to be greatly over emphasized. You could go to your local discount store and buy a 50cent magnifying glass and a roll of cellotape as I mentioned in passing above ... been there, done it

[Pohled]

Hi,

As for buying a G12 - actually, it's my father who is going to buy one. Since he wants a new camera, but he thinks that something like Canon Sx20 is big.

Anyway, now I've got interested in these filters for SX20.
Here in Brazil photography stuffs are really expensives, I'm going to buy new things in USA - it's much more chepear there!. So I have to decide what to buy before arriving there in order to take the opportunity.

Well, so if I want to spend more, Raynox DCR-250 is a better option than adpter plus separeted filters, right?

Thank you a lot for the support!

[jcuknz]

You will not go wrong with the Raynox 250 although at 8 dioptres it is much more powerful than the 2 dioptre I was suggesting and normally use. 8 Dioptres will bring you in to 125mm with no way to focus 'not so close'. without removing it.

[Pohled]

You will not go wrong with the Raynox 250 although at 8 dioptres it is much more powerful than the 2 dioptre I was suggesting and normally use. 8 Dioptres will bring you in to 125mm with no way to focus 'not so close'. without removing it.

Ah, I thought that with Raynox I could choose a range of dioptres.

And are there other 'things' that I could buy to improve my Canon Sx20? for example, anything nice for landscape photography? (I know, I went completly off-topic now!!!)

[jcuknz]

Since the lens of the Raynox fits into the holder I would guess that it would be possible to fit lesser powered lens once you know the diameter . also from memory of brousing their website they have various lens themselves. I saw a Raynox but never handled it when somebody fitted it to my M4/3 camera I was suggesting to them as an alternative to a DSLR they were finding too heavy on medical grounds.

For landscape work you could explore the business of stitching to increase the pixel count of the final result ... shooting at a moderate telephoto setting rather than at wide.... last Pano I shot I used a 90mm AoV to reduce the foreground and sky areas in the photo. Though with high Mp cameras these days I have to reduce the size of each frame so my poor labouring computer can handle the process.
Another 'thing' could be Graduated Neutral Density filters so you can hold back bright skies ... research Cokin, Lee filters. You would need an adaptor to hold the 'Cokin' holder which in turn hold the rectangular filters. There are also numerous filters for special effects available for the 'Cokin' system.