G1 Macro (& Pro90)

Scary Spider Macro

WARNING: Don't follow this link if you can't stand spiders!
Here is a test shot of a tiny spider I found on my daughter's bedroom wall.

I've added a few brief notes about using the Pro90 at the bottom of this page.

G1 Test Shots

The photos on this page are the results from experiments taking close-up shots with a Canon Powershot G1 and various combinations of close-up lenses. All the shots were taken using available light and an aperture of f/8 to maximise the depth of field. The shots show a piece of graph paper which gives an idea of the field of view and any distortion. Each small square is 2mm across.

The first two images show the best close-up performance of the G1 without any extra lenses.
(Click on any image to see a larger version)

1)		G1 lens at 21mm macro setting Subject distance: 180mm Field of view: 80mm	Little or no distortion
2)		G1 lens at 7mm macro setting Subject distance: 20mm Field of view: 72mm	Excessive barrel distortion Very close to subject

The next three images use a Lensmate filter adaptor and various Sunpak close-up filters.

3)	G1 lens at 21mm macro +4 close-up filter Subject distance: 110mm Field of view: 47mm	Little or no distortion Good subject distance
4)	G1 lens at 21mm macro +4, +2, +1 close-up filters Subject distance: 80mm Field of view: 37mm	Little of no distortion Good subject distance Reasonable magnification
5)	G1 lens at 7mm macro +4, +2, +1 close-up filters Subject distance: 20mm Field of view: 55mm	Some barrel distortion Poor subject distance and magnification

The remaining shots are with a 50mm f/1.8 lens from a 35mm SLR mounted on the Lensmate filter adapter using a homemade reversing ring. The reversing ring is simply two 49mm Cokin filter adapters glued together using Araldite. All of the shots show considerable vignetting but there is still a reasonably large usable area. A 50mm f/1.4 lens has a wider maximum aperture than the f/1.8 lens used here and may result in less vignetting. BTW this is not an expensive set up: secondhand Olympus Zuiko 50mm f/1.8 lenses can be bought for approximately £20 (about $30 US) and the Cokin filter adapters cost £3 each.

6)	G1 lens at 21mm infinity with 50mm lens on reversing ring Subject distance: 40mm Field of view: 18mm	High magnification Good subject distance Excellent quality
7)	G1 lens at 21mm macro with 50mm lens on reversing ring Subject distance: 25mm Field of view: 21mm	Similar to 6, but subject distance and magnification not as good
8)	G1 lens at 21mm infinity with 50mm lens & +1 c/up filter on reversing ring Subject distance: 35mm Field of view: 17mm	Similar to 6, slightly higher magnification
9)	G1 lens at 21mm macro 50mm lens & +1 c/up filter on reversing ring Subject distance: 25mm Field of view: 21mm	Magnification and subject distance not as good as infinity settings
10)	G1 lens at 21mm infinity with 50mm lens & +2 c/up filter on reversing ring Subject distance: 28mm Field of view: 17mm	Similar to 8
11)	G1 lens at 21mm macro with 50mm lens & +2 c/up filter on reversing ring Subject distance: 15mm Field of view: 21mm	Not as good as infinity setting
12)	G1 lens at 21mm infinity with 50mm lens & +4 c/up filter on reversing ring Subject distance: 26mm Field of view: 17mm	Similar to 8
13)	G1 lens at 21mm macro with 50mm lens & +4 c/up filter on reversing ring Subject distance: 14mm Field of view: 21mm	Not as good as infinity setting
14)	G1 lens at 21mm infinity with 50mm lens & +4, +2 and +1 c/up filters on reversing ring Subject distance: 20mm Field of view: 16mm	Highest magnification so far, slight fall off in quality, subject distance short
15)	G1 lens at 21mm macro with 50mm lens & +4, +2 and +1 c/up filters on reversing ring Subject distance: 8mm Field of view: 21mm	Too close to subject to light evenly, some distortion, not as good as infinity settings
16)	G1 lens at 21mm infinity with +4 c/up filter & 50mm lens on reversing ring Subject distance: 40mm Field of view: 17mm	Probably the best compromise for quality, magnification and subject distance
17)	G1 lens at 21mm macro with +4 c/up filter & 50mm lens on reversing ring Subject distance: 40mm Field of view: 17mm	No advantage over infinity settings

Conclusions

In all cases better results were obtained using the telephoto setting (21mm) than with the wide setting (7mm). The wide setting produces barrel distortion and very short subject distances.
For intermediate magnification set the lens to 21mm and manually set the closest focusing distance and use one or more close-up filters.
A 50mm lens on a reversing ring can give excellent quality and high magnification but with some vignetting. The optimum set up is the G1 at 21mm, focused at infinity with a +4 close-up filter and the 50mm lens (set up #16).

Setup #16 is shown below. Normally the G1 would be attached to the Lensmate adapter, but I used it to take this picture :-)

Pro90 IS Macro

Here are a few shots taken with a similar arrangement using the Canon Powershot Pro90 IS.

Pro90 with Olympus Zuiko 50mm f/1.8 attached using a 49mm and 58mm Cokin filter adapter glued together.

Full frame shot of 2mm square graph paper. Pro90 lens set to 70mm and manual focus set to infinity.
Subject distance: 40mm approx

Full frame shot of an aphid. Incredible magnification (and virtually no depth of field).
Magnification when printed on A4 paper: approximately 100x