If you've got a DSLR you'll notice your lens will only focus so close. Maybe not close enough for you. That's especially true if you want to show detail in a flower or insect or some other small object. When your photo shows an object larger than real life it's called macro photography.

What's a shooter to do? Moving your lens farther from your camera's sensor with an extension tubes or bellows is an idea I've talked about before. That's a common method of reducing your minimum focus distance and getting macro shots.

There is another method--not always preferred. You can put corrective optics on your lens in the form of a close-up or macro lens. If you wear reading glasses the concept is exactly the same. Close-ups attach to your lens by the screw threads made for a filter. There are expensive close-up lenses and cheap close-up lenses. eBay is littered with the cheap kind, which is what I decided to try.

I spent $18 with free shipping for four screw-on lenses at varying strengths. These close-up lenses are sized to the camera's filter. In this case I got a 62mm thread which matches my 30mm lens. Most documentation says longer focal length lenses lend themselves better to close-up attachments. For $18 I could take a chance.

There is a difference between the cheap and expensive. Don't misunderstand. The more expensive ones are double element lenses while the cheapies are single elements. Canon, who has a vested interest here says:

In simple terms, all single element lenses show aberrations, usually chromatic. By adding a second element, the aberrations from both elements can be made to cancel each other. The resulting double-element, or 'doublet' lens may not be completely free from of aberrations, but it will usually be a lot better than the single element lenses.

Chromatic aberration is a big deal in photography. When a lens allows different wavelengths of light to travel at slightly different speeds the individual colors don't focus to the same point. Chromatic aberration shows up as individual colors 'fringe' the sharp contrast areas of an image.

I am amazed. After reading some comments on message boards saying the CA on these cheap lenses would be reminiscent of an 80's disco I mounted all four at once (they screw into each other)--truly a worst case scenario and more close-up power than I'd really ever use. Yes, there is definitely fringing (look at the inside shadows of the "D" and "O"), but it's only noticeable when looking at a pixel-for-pixel crop.

This is a fun addition to my bag. It doesn't have to be absolutely perfect for $18.

Pictured below is a crop of a US quarter. Click on the image to see it at 100% size. The depth-of-field in incredibly small--tiny fractions of an inch are in focus. On the other hand I was shooting about two inches from the quarter! The detail is amazing.

I've already gone out to shoot some flowering trees now in bloom. I can't wait until insects return and I can try to get some bees in action up close and personal.