Shooting non macro with MPE65!

The MPE65 is a great macro lens which can go from 1:1 to 5:1, but it is strictly a macro lens and will not allow you to go lower than its minimum magnification of 1:1. Translation: if you use it on a cropped sensor i.e APS-C body like my 40D, you will see 22.2mm filling up the width of the frame at the MPE65's minimum magnification of 1:1.

Of course, if you use the MPE65 on a full frame body like the 5DM2, you will see 36mm at 1:1. If you would like to know more about determining magnification, you can check out this post.

 I don't know how many full body shots of nice bugs I have missed just because I was too lazy to  take out my Sigma 150mm lens, and many times I just didn't bring any other lens except just the MPE65. Sometimes, if the subject didn't move much, I was able to take shots of different parts of the subject (for example, left half, then right half, with some overlap), then photomerged them in Photoshop CS3. You can see some example here.

However, with this new great discovery by one of my macro mentors, Lord V on Flickr and POTN, hopefully, we can now shoot non macro subjects and even landscape!

Shot with the MPE65, single shot, no merging or whatsoever.


View the 100% crop of the prawn/shrimp here:D

Canon Service Centre, Peremba Square. Had my sensor cleaned for free there earlier! Oh a cup of complimentary cappuccino and espresso too while waiting:D  


Left - added Black and warmed it up a little in Adobe Camera Raw during Post Processing. Right - straight from RAW


Anyway, here is what you need: a Telemore 2X Teleconverter, and reversed lens adapter and step down ring to mount a reversed Telemore 2X Teleconverter to the MPE65.


I didn't figure out what adapter and/or ring to use just so I can reverse mount the Telemore 2X Teleconverter to the MPE65. I am not that geeky, yet! Credit must go to Tom Hicks of Fred Miranda Forum. However, his Telemore was M42 mount so he used a different reversed lens adapter. Mine is OM Olympus mount so I needed a different type of adapter.

I bought the Telemore 2X TC, the step down ring and the reversed lens adapter all  from ebay.

Telemore 2X Teleconverter OM Mount - USD 18, another USD17 for shipping
52mm OM Mount Reversed lens adapter - USD 4.40 free shipping
58mm to 52mm step down ring - USD 1.79 free shipping

Total damage: USD 41.19, that's about RM129 at the current exchange rate. When shopping on ebay, don't just look for the lowest price. I sometimes choose to pay slightly more just to choose a seller with higher rating, preferably, 99.5%, at least! Do look into shipping insurance too if it is an expensive item.

Tip: just type " 41.19USD  in ringgit" in google and you'll get this:

41.19 U.S. dollars = 128.121384 Malaysian ringgits