I’ve been trying to improve the Canon PowerShot SX1 IS’ macro performance but haven’t really gone on to search for the solution.
Furthermore, I can always fall back on the Canon G6, which already has a macro conversion lens attached, each time I want to shoot a little bit closer than the camera allows me to.
Don’t get me wrong though. The macro performance of the SX1 IS is good for general shooting conditions but for photographs to be used in a blog that proclaims itself as a macro photography blog, general macro photographs would always be less than good enough.
Obviously, macro conversion lens is the way to go for the Canon SX1 IS but the problem is, you need to find a very lightweight conversion lens to be attached to it or else you’ll end up damaging the camera’s zooming system.
Raynox DCR-250 super macro conversion lens
Raynox lens is the solution
Looking for a lightweight conversion lens is never easy especially if you have no prior knowledge of the type of lens and the brand you should look for.
The camera shop will tell you all kind of sale pitch stories and you can end up buying lenses or adapters that are not quite what you have been looking for.
After some research, I’ve come to a conclusion that the only types of macro conversion lens you can attach to the PowerShot SX1 IS are those that made by Raynox.
Raynox DCR-250 macro lens with 52mm - 67mm universal adapter
Raynox has several macro conversion lens for all kinds of camera — compact cameras, DSLR cameras and camcorders — but there are four types of macro conversion lens which can be used with compact cameras namely the DCR-150, DCR-250, MSN-202 and MSN-505.
If you are a SX1 IS owner, which Raynox is suitable for you?
I am not really sure myself but tomorrow I am going to place an order for the DCR-250. Why? Here are some general guidelines to determine which Raynox suits your macro shooting requirement.
Reynox MSN-505: If you really want to get up close on a subject to the point of being almost microscopic, especially if your camera is a SX1 IS and the likes (those ranging from 15x optical zoom to 26x optical zoom), then go for the MSN-505. But you’d find an extremely narrow depth of field with it. You can also achieve extreme magnification using the MSN-505 with shorter zoom cameras (those ranging from 2.5x optical zoom cameras such as the Panasonic DMC-LX3 to 5x optical zoom cameras)
Raynox MSN-202: If going microscopic is not your objective and all you want is a super-duper magnification, you should get the MSN-202 if you are using short-zoom compact cameras, like the LX3. If you are using the SX1 IS and other ultrazoom cameras with the MSN-202, be prepared to take a “point of no return” macro shots — your shots will always be magnified in huge way that you virtually “lose” the option to step back a little and shoot the object in its wider environment.
Raynox DCR-250: According some SX1 IS users who have tested these lenses, the DCR-250 is the ideal conversion lens for cameras like the SX1 IS. It magnifies the object nicely without going microscopic and still allows the camera owner to step back a little and shoot the object from a wider angle. DCR-250 is not advisable to those who own the LX3 and the likes because the magnification achieved will be of little significance.
Raynox DCR-150: I don’t know what to make of this lens but I guess it will only be useful for superzoom camera owners and camcorders and DSLRs.
Raynox in the box by Wednesday
If everything goes well, I should receive the Reynox DCR-250 on Wednesday, May 27. Hopefully I would have the time to put it to test before my trip back to Borneo, a trip that would render me Internet incommunicado for two weeks, and therefore not able to showcase the lens’ capabilities here on this blog.
More update on this, possibly by Thursday, May 28. So, watch this space, or better still, be sure to subscribe to Macro Photography Blog via the RSS feed or by Email.
