INTRO
NiSi has been coming out with some great products & I was curious to see what the new NiSi Close up lens (77mm) could do.
Would it be good enough to replace a top notch macro lens ? The honest and quick answer would be no but from my first experience with this close up lens , it would definitely be great for :
1. bring the world of macro to photographers who wants an introduction to this genre.
2. be a useful close up tool that a photographer can just screw on to a regular zoom tele lens
3, great for photogs that need that occasional macro / close-up capability
Still I was interested to see if I could really do something with this close up lens and produce results similar to my regular macro lens setup which is a Nikkor 60mm f/2.8 micro + Raynox DC250
LOCATION
Hutan Lipur Panti (Panti Recreational Forest)
Kota Tinggi , Johor, Malaysia
SETUP
Nikon Z 6 with Diffraction Compensation switched ON
Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 AFP (FX - Full Frame)
NiSi 77mm Close Up lens (attached to the 70-300mm using the 67mm adaptor ring)
Nikon SB700 flash with two diffusers attached
Diffusers were NOT optimised for the longer 70-300mm with Close Up lens attached
RAW
ISO800 to ISO1600
1/100s to 1/160s
f18.0 to f25.0
Flash Power output between 1/8 to 1/2 of full power
Flash fired for all shots
WORKFLOW
RAW images processed with Photoshop CC per my usual editing process for macro
Images were cropped as required
SUMMARY OF EXPERIENCES
+ Easy to use , just screw on to your normal zoom and/or telephoto lenses
+ gives instant macro capability without any specialised macro lenses
+ Pretty good Image Quality (IQ) when used between 150mm to 200mm focal lengths
+ Best Balance of IQ when used between 150mm to 200mm focal lengths
+ Great Intro to the world of Close Up - Macro photography
+ Useful close up capability without the need for specialised hardware
- Depth Of Field (DOF) very shallow , so choosing the right POV is required
- Needs some getting used to as the working distance to get focus is also very shallow
I actually find this lens very useful & as mentioned it would be great for :
1. bringing the world of macro to photographers who wants an introduction to this genre.
2. getting close up capability without the need for specialised hardware
3, great for photogs that need that occasional macro / close-up capability
The images could have been better if I had optimised my flash / diffuser setup for the longer physical length of the tele zoom. I also need a more powerful flash as the working distance is now much further if compared to my regular 4 to 6 inches of working distance with the 60mm macro + DC250.
Anyway , I'm keeping this Close Up Filter in my bag permanently & have close-up capability all the time !
RESULTS / INSIGHTS
ISO1250 1/160s f20.0 focal length : 220mm
Even at f20.0 for a head-on shot , Depth Of Field (DOF) is still very shallow say compare to f20.0 with a 60mm macro lens
This is not really because of the NiSi Close Up lens but more because of the 220mm focal length. The in focus area is sharp with pretty crisp details.
Apologies for the poorer light quality and the catchlights reflected in the spider eyes as the diffuser had not been optimised for this setup.
ISO1250 1/160s f20.0 focal length : 220mm
Depth Of Field (DOF) is much better in this shot with both the head areas of the prey & predator nicely in focus with crisp details. The "flatter" point of view helped greatly and the available DOF was sufficient in this case.
ISO1600 1/100s f20.0 focal length : 165mm
Nice color rendition which I did not tweak during post.
ISO800 1/100s f18.0 focal length : 190mm
ISO2000 1/100s f18.0 focal length : 105mm flash power - 1/8 of full power
ISO1600 1/100s f25.0 focal length : 300mm
I tried the NiSi Close Up Lens at 300mm focal length which would be the maximum magnification at this focal length.
I would NOT recommend using the Close Up Lens at 300mm because Depth Of Field would be very shallow. Image quality also seems to be softer & not as crisp as the shorter focal lengths which was of course also aggravated by the extreme shallow DOF.
Till the next blog , Happy Shooting.
Cheers,
Andrew