G1X: Macro Light Adapter

It is still difficult to believe that Canon does not offer a lens (as opposed to filter) adapter for the G1X and that third party manufacturers, Lensmate in particular, have not developed their own lens adapters.

To mount their macro flashes MT-24EX and MR-14EX to the G1X, Canon offers an accessory, the Macrolite Adapter MLA-DC1. Although I do not have the macro flashes, the MLS-DC1 looks enough like a tubular lens adapter that I decided to get one and hope to find some use for it. Actually, instead of the Canon product, I got the cheap clone JJC Light Adapter MLA-JDC1 shown above. It is simply a tube with bayonet adapter to fit the G1X and a groove to hold the Macrolite flash.

For my G9 and G12, the lens adapter also provided protection for the lens and a gripping point while shooting. The MLA-JDC1 is sturdy enough and offers some protection for the lens but the bayonet protection ring on the G1X is wide enough to wrap my fingers around it so the MLA-JDC1 is not needed.

I do have a macro LED light that fits my G12 via the Lensmate adapter 58mm filter threads. Although this macro LED light would physically fit the Lensmate filter adapter for the G1X, there’s no way that I would hang it on the end of a collapsible lens. Instead, the LED light can be “adapted” to the MLA-JDC1 with gaffer tape (never leave home without it).

 

This adapted configuration is awkward but it works; that is, it sort of works. The LED macro light is not bright and must be close to the subject; however, the G1X is macro challenged and really needs the 250D close-up lens. Unfortunately, the 250D requires a filter adapter and that filter adapter is larger than the bore of the MLA-JDC1. This means that the G1X lens could not be retracted into the MLA-JDC1 (and, I assume, the Canon MLA-DC1 as well). I wouldn’t use the combination of MLA-JDC1 and a filter adapter for fear that the G1X would turn off and damage the lens.

Yet another reason for keeping the G12 for macro work.

G1X: Flower Macros

                                      Fig. 1.  Full telephoto, 250D, 1.5x

Following my post about the G1X “macros” with and without the 250D close-up lens, a question came up about the relative effects of the 1.5x digital zoom feature.  Never having used those features, I didn’t know the answer so I did a little experimenting with/without 250D close-up lens and with/without digital zoom.

First off, everyone should realize that the 1.5 digital zoom works only in pure JPEG mode and only in 4:3 aspect ratio. It does not work in RAW or RAW+JPEG. It seems to me that the 1.5x digital zoom (said to be different from continuous digital zoom) crops the normal view and then uprezes that crop to the normal 4352x3264 pixels resolution of the G1X. Although I've not used this feature in the past, it actually seems to work well.  There is also a 1.9x digital zoom.  Figure 1 shows the image obtained with the G1X at full telephoto (60.4mm focal length), 1.5x digital zoom and the 250D attached.

                         Fig. 2.  Wide angle, without 250D, no digital zoom

At the opposite extreme of Figure 1, Figure 2 shows the image at minimum “macro” focus distance at wide angle (15.1mm focal length) and without the 250D and without any digital zoom.

To get the above and following pictures, I put the G1X on a tripod and attached the RS60-E3 wired remote trigger.  The G1X was set to JPEG mode, ISO 400, f11 and 1/30 second for all shots.  The subject (a beautiful yellow rose from our garden) was moved (trial and error) to the minimum focus distance for whatever configuration was being tested.  Lighting was done with a cheap LED continuous source, hand held and moved very close (typically about 9 inches) to the flower until the exposure compensation indicator read zero (got to post about that LED light some day).  The LED light was fitted with a CTO-like diffuser and, to my chagrin, the resulting white balance was not really tungsten – which is what I set on the G1X.  Consequently all photos taken were tweaked (by the same amount) in Photoshop.

To understand the results, one must realize that the minimum focus distance with the 250D is about 10 inches.  Therefore, the 250D plus telephoto is a powerful combination. If the goal is to produce the highest magnification uncropped JPEG image straight out of the G1X then the setup should be full telephoto with the 250D. This conclusion is not really different from that posted previously. 

In order of increasing magnification at the closest possible macro auto focus distance (by trial and error) here's what I saw:

1. max telephoto without 250D produced the smallest image, see Figure 3

2. wide angle image was slightly larger than max telephoto image, compare Figures 2 and 3

3. max telephoto without 250D using 1.5 digital zoom

4. wide angle image with 1.5 digital zoom.

5. wide angle image with 250D is essentially the same as #4, see Figure 4.

6. telephoto image with 250D is significantly larger than #5.  Compare Figures 1 and 5.

                     Fig. 3.  Maximum telephoto, without 250D, without digital zoom

                         Fig. 4.  Wide angle with 250D, without digital zoom

                       Fig. 5.  Telephoto with 250D, without digital zoom

Initially, there was some concern that the 1.9x digital zoom was an extreme and probably produced poor images.  However, the 1.9x image seemed OK to me.  Of course, the 1.5x and 1.9x digital zoom can be used with the 250D and the results looks OK to me.  In addition to viewing on-screen, I printed an 8x10 of each test and the results all looked OK to me. 

So, once again, I’ve learned something.  If I need a large print of a macro from the G1X, I’ll still use RAW with post processing and cropping.  But the 1.5x and 1.9x digital zoom provide usable options. 

G1X: Macro

As noted in comparisons of specifications, the G1X minimum focus distance is significantly more than previous G series cameras.  Strictly speaking, the G1X does not do macro-photography on its own and even adding the 250D accessory lens (above) does not make the G1X a macro camera.  In fact, the 250D is labeled as a “close-up” lens.  But enough nit-picking; here’s how the G1X performs up close to the subject.

                   Fig. 2. Minimum AF focus distance at wide angle

In Figure 2 (above), the G1X was set for maximum wide angle and “macro” focusing.  This uncropped image was as close as I could get the G1X and still have automatic focusing.

                     Fig. 3.  Minimum AF focus distance at telephoto

I prefer to get close-ups at telephoto-like focal lengths because distortion is reduced and the subject is easier to light.  Figure 3 represents the uncropped scene at minimum auto focus distance in macro mode at the maximum telephoto (full zoom).  Disappointingly, the combination of increased focus distance at increased focal length resulted in a reduction in macro effect.

                     Fig. 4.  Minimum AF focus distance at wide angle with 250D

As shown in Figure 4, adding the 250D produces a significantly larger image at wide angle and minimum autofocus distance.

                    Fig. 5.  Minimum AF focus distance at telephoto with 250D

The 250D is really intended for longer focal lengths than the wide angle of the G1X.  Therefore, as shown in Figure 5, when the G1X is zoomed to maximum telephoto, the resulting image with the 250D is noticeably larger than when the G1X is at wide angle. 

                    Fig. 6.  Minimum focus distance at telephoto with 250D

My approach to using the 250D is to set the G1X lens to manual focus at infinity distance and move the camera to get the best image.  The result is shown in Figure 6.

 

                                  Fig. 7.  DOF at telephoto, 250D, f5.8

Figures 2 though 6 were all made at ISO 100, 1/250 second and f6.3. Because of its relatively large sensor, depth of field with the G1X is less than previous G series cameras. Although reduced depth of field can produce a nice blurred background effect, that blur is usually not desirable at extreme close-ups.   Figure 7 shows the depth of field up close at f5.8 using the 250D with the G1X at maximum telephoto and infinity focus distance.

                                     Fig. 8.  DOF at telephoto, 250D, f16

Figure 8 shows how depth of field is increased at f16.  (ISO was increased from 100 to 200.)

All the above photos were taken handheld using trial and error to get a “minimum” distance.  While I’m thinking of it, I suspect that the “macro” mode of the G1X (and previous G series as well) is really a shift in the expected distances used in the autofocus algorithm and not a realignment of the optics.  I say this because the close distances of “macro” are also available in manual focus mode.

The “macro” performance of the G1X provides a good illustration of the trade-offs and compromises in camera and lens design.  For enthusiasts of macro photography, a small sensor camera, perhaps one of the prior G series, might very well be a better choice than the G1X.  I expect to be using the 250D regularly with the G1X when close-ups are needed but I may be using the G12 instead – we’ll see how it all works out.

Canon 250D Close-up Lens

The Canon 250D close-up lens screws onto the front element of a standard lens to provide closer “macro” type photography.  In a way, the 250D is like a filter; in fact, that’s the first impression.  The 250D gets its name from the 250mm minimum focus distance from the front of the close-up lens to the subject when the standard lens is focused at infinity.  The 250D comes in 52mm and 58mm screw-in threads and is intended for use with standard lens focal lengths from 50 to 135mm.  in addition to the 250D, Canon also makes a 500D.

The 250D is a two element lens and is highly praised by its users.  Even so, instead of the 250D, I’ve used a (very) cheap set of close-up lenses for several years.  The cheap close-up lenses seem to be adequate for web and emailed images.  Because I plan to get the new G1X and the “macro” capabilities of the G1X appear to be severely limited, I decided to get the 250D to use with the G1X.

Getting a 250D turned out to be surprisingly difficult – or easy, depending on how you look at it.  My usual sources of supply did not have the 250D in stock or else showed the price to be over $200 so I turned in desperation to eBay and immediately found one from Tri State Camera for $99.  I was concerned about the authenticity of this “250D” but everything turned out fine. I did not like that the Tri State ad showed the 250D in a bubble pack but the unit I received was in a small box and included instructions.  It appears to be “Canon” to me.

While waiting for my G1X, I decided to use my G12 to do some sort of comparison between the cheap lens that I already have and the 250D.  Shown here is the 250D along with a +4 diopter and “10X” close-up lens.  The 250D is, more or less, like the +4 diopter lens.  As is always the case, before making the comparison, it is necessary to make up the “rules” for comparison. 

The rules for comparison of “macro” capabilities caused me considerable grief and still do.  For one thing, the G12 (remember, I don’t have the G1X yet) can focus down to about 1cm in macro mode at wide angle.  The problem at 1 cm is lighting.  I’m purposely showing a shadow here at about 1 cm distance using the G12 at maximum wide angle zoom but without any close-up lens.  Of course, the lighting problem can be worked around but my preference is to back off a bit and zoom in.   That’s why I use the +4 with the G12 and intend to use the 250D with the G1X.

I’m not saying that this is a great macro picture or representative of the 250D performance but with the 250D on the G12 and the G12 zoomed to maximum focal length, this is the relative image size.  Not quite as large as the bare G12 at maximum wide angle but the lighting is better.  (The cheap “10X” actually comes in a bit larger but the 10X image quality seems reduced to me.)

After my G1X arrives, I’ll eventually have more to say about the effectiveness of the 250D.