Excellent comparison - because this is exactly what I'm thinking about in the moment! I told you that I want to build a set up to record a sealed ecosphere (and other macro scenes) so this equipment is something I am thinking about. Thanks a lot!
Very informative Peter and I think i also drew the same conclusion. They are both good in their own way and one outperforms the other in certain situations. Very well done 👏
Thanks a lot mate for your feedback. Unfortunately the business that used to make the reflector/diffuser kit shut down last year so can't give you a link. If I were you I'd definitely try Cygnustech or the AK Diffuser. all the best and thanks again!
You captured some beautiful photos! If I could possibly get your opinion, that would be greatly appreciated- I am looking at trying to get a set up going for my sigma art 30mm f1.4 for macro, mounted on a sony a6400. I found a pair of extension tubes (a 10mm + 16mm) and was looking to maybe add either of these from your video. I have heard that you need a 50mm lens or more to work with the DCR-250, but I am unsure if adding the tubes would make up for the 30mm I have or if that statement is even taking crop sensors into account. Either way, for my said set up, which would you recommend of these two you reviewed?
Hi there. Thanks for your comment. I just recently reviewed the 49mm +9 diopter close up lens from NiSi and I’ve already compared it to the DCR-250 as well ( that one is coming soon ). Optically the NiSi is better due to its apochromatic design, the DCR-250 has a slight green colour cast. You might need to crop in a little because of vignetting with your setup but haven’t tested it with a FF and a wide angle yet. So personally I’d get this one: nisifilters.com.au/product/nisi-close-up-lens-kit-nc-49mm-with-62-and-67mm-adaptors/ref/peterviragphoto/ Here is my review: ua-cam.com/video/FEgalcGl3a0/v-deo.html If you end up buying a dedicated macro lens in the future, this will be a great addition as well just to further boos its magnification ( e.g. double a 1:1 or increase a 2x to 3x+ ). Hope this helps. All the best mate!
Congrats on your 2000 sub. =) After 2 decades of photography, we are moving into macro, our gear: R5 Canon EF 35mm f1.4 II => Working distance of ~18cm at max magnification (1:5) Dia. 72mm Canon EF 70-200mm f1.4 III => Working distance of ~100cm at max magnification (1:5) Dia. 77mm Laowa RF 90mm => Working distance of ~8cm at max magnification (2:1) Dia. 67mm With our Laowa lens, we can obtain a 2x magnification, that we like to bump to 3x or 4x magnification. We are looking at: 1. Raynox DCR-250 2. Raynox DCR-150 3. NiSi 58mm Closeup 4. NiSi 77mm Closeup 5. Meike extension tubes (13mm+18mm) 6. Meike extension tubes (13mm+18mm) + Canon RF 1.4 extender (need extension tubes to fit Laowa) In your opinion, how would you rank these options above? Our priorities: 0. 3x to 4x magnification 1. Keep as far as possible (to not scare insects, and larger depth of field) 2. Good image quality 3. Good ease-of-use + versatility Not a lot of info we found, aside from your comparisons and forum post here, that Raynox does not work well with the Laowa 100mm. www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/4576719 Please let us know your thoughts, thanks in advance. Subs to you. =)
Hey, thanks heaps for dropping by. I’ve never used the DCR-150, only got the DCR-250 and the NiSi close-up lenses. It’s hard to pick an order as I like both the 58mm from Nisi & Raynox and I actually have been using them together with pretty good results on the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS. I’ve never used the extension tubes ether as I prefer the versatility of the close-up lenses especially when I’m shooting both videos & stills. Saying that I’d probably give a slight edge to the DCR-250 over the 58mm just due to the higher magnification but the image quality, colour reproduction is better in my opinion with the NiSi. The 77mm worked great on my telephoto zoom ( 100-400 II ) but I’d rank it a little lower just because I mainly use the 58mm but it’s a great diopter lens for sure. By the way I’ve been looking at the Laowa 90mm APO ( the one you mentioned ), but I couldn’t buy it at the store where I purchased the R7 today:) Maybe next week! Thanks again for your support. Have a great weekend😊 p.s.: have you looked at the Laowa 58mm? Not sure how much the DOF would be affected due to the shorter focal length but it should help a little.
Thanks for getting back to us, and congrats on your R7, hope you're thoroughly enjoying it. I've been finding focus magnification and focus peaking useful manual focus tools on the R5. I compared the Laowa 90mm (2x mag) and the RF 100 Macro (1.4x mag.) before. I found the max magnification working distance was about the same (Canon a bit further). But, at max magnification, I think I saw much more zoom with the the Laowa 90mm (2x mag), more than just (2x mag) vs. (1.4x mag.). Going through most of your recent videos, Nisi 58mm + Canon EF 100 Macro (67mm Dia) => How much working distance did you lose for max magnification? Nisi 58mm + (72 or 77mm Dia lens)) => Will there be much more vignetting here? Black corners ? Nisi 77mm + Canon EF 100 Macro (67mm Dia) => Nisi recommends 22-30mm workiing distance, I'm a bit surprised your combo worked here. How much working distance did you lose for max magnification? (from your video appeared only a small loss) Raynox DCR 250 + Canon EF 100 Macro => How much working distance did you lose for max magnification? More than the Nisi 77 or 58 you would say? Thanks for answering, I'm a bit further that I'm not nearby any stores that I can't try these first hand.
Hey there again. In the 58mm and 77mm reviews ( uploaded them a couple months ago ) I cover some of the working distance/mf aspects but can’t remember the exact figures. The MF with DCR-250 on the 100mm is approx 15cm I reckon or a little less, so about half of the default. Re vignetting: I didn’t notice any significant vignetting with either combo ( even stacked ), so I wouldn’t worry about it on the 100mm. Cheers
Terrific test, Peter. I didn't see any chromatic aberration. It's easy to see a lack of depth of field and think that's the fault of the lens but, like you said, that's not the case. The stacking of the two lenses was surprisingly successful. I'd say both lenses are worthy of your kit. The quality of the DCR-250 is very good considering it's a third of the price of the NiSi. I should add that the 77mm NiSi is $210 US, about 3x the Raynox which isn't available in that size.
@@peterviragphoto There was one available but I don't have a 58mm lens. And my channels took a dive and I'm not even making enough to buy a coffee at McD's! 🤣😂😪
Peter - man, I dont know how you do this without the focus peaking of a mirrorless!! Absolutely amazing. Both are great but even before the end, i was leaning more towards the Raynox.. I also really like the wildlife you have there. Now which ones are deadly???? 🤣 Thank you for this fantastic comparison!! 🙏🤗💖
Hey mate, hope you’e well! I use Lightroom, Photoshop and Luminar Neo & its extension pack for the majority of my edits. I really like the latter, feel free to have a look at a video I made a few weeks ago: ua-cam.com/video/A1IM2yG265k/v-deo.html Have a good one! Cheers:)
Great comparison Peter. They’re so close. I know UA-cam compression does the viewer no favours but from what I could see, some were identical in some cases. Thanks for sharing your findings mate, cheers 🍻 🤙🙏
Hi Rui. I’d say the 58mm might be the better option with 5 diopters but the 77mm is great on a standard/ tele zoom. Here is my review of the 77mm kit: ua-cam.com/video/_K9N8NeYLHc/v-deo.html The review of the 58mm : ua-cam.com/video/vAX4vJzM-cQ/v-deo.html Hope this helps!
I have the Raynor DCR 250 and I can honestly say I get just as good a result from simply turning the lens round via an adapter. I was very disappointed with it after reading all the hype, and even though I shoot macro often I never use it anymore.
I dont think its a fair comparison if you choose moving subjects. To really see the difference in sharpness then you should have set up camera on tripod on static subject and focussed on exactly the same place.
The sharpness can still be compared & I can easily see the difference, so I don’t agree with your sentiment. I could have done a controlled studio test but that wasn’t my intention as I shoot in the field and never use a tripod for my stillls & prefer a pragmatic approach. All the best!
Great work here, Peter! We enjoyed it. Thank you!
Hey Phil, thanks mate. Hope Heather & You are both having a great week:)
Man, you put a lot of work into your videos and it pays off mate. Great comparison and in-depth review too. Cheers Peter and have a good week mate.
Thanks heaps mate. Hope you’ve been well buddy!
Great video Peter. Your work and effort is first class mate.
Thanks a lot mate, very kind of you!
Well put together Peter, very informative.👏👍
Thanks a lot Alex!
Product reviews with equipment expertise and detailed
Knowledge of subjects - excellent stuff 👏love the spiders eyes - amazing
Thanks a lot Loreen, much appreciated! Hope you’re well!😊
@@peterviragphoto very well thanks - need a holiday after two weeks work 🤣
@@loreenodonnell2606 haha😀
You got great knowledge! Love those images!
Thanks Edit😀🙏
Excellent comparison - because this is exactly what I'm thinking about in the moment!
I told you that I want to build a set up to record a sealed ecosphere (and other macro scenes) so this equipment is something I am thinking about.
Thanks a lot!
Thanks a lot! That’ll be fun & very interesting to observe/document I’m sure.👍👍
Very informative Peter and I think i also drew the same conclusion. They are both good in their own way and one outperforms the other in certain situations. Very well done 👏
Thanks a lot James! Hope you’re having a nice week buddy!😉
Very useful review! Thanks!
Hey Alexander. Thank you for your feedback, much appreciated! 👍
Thanks for sharing such a detailed analysis of the two lenses. Kindly share the make and model of the diffuser used with the flash. Thanks.
Thanks a lot mate for your feedback. Unfortunately the business that used to make the reflector/diffuser kit shut down last year so can't give you a link. If I were you I'd definitely try Cygnustech or the AK Diffuser. all the best and thanks again!
Outstanding comparison Peter, saludos
Thanks a lot Gerardo, much appreciated!
Escelente video..gracias
Thanks a lot Yo!
You captured some beautiful photos! If I could possibly get your opinion, that would be greatly appreciated-
I am looking at trying to get a set up going for my sigma art 30mm f1.4 for macro, mounted on a sony a6400. I found a pair of extension tubes (a 10mm + 16mm) and was looking to maybe add either of these from your video. I have heard that you need a 50mm lens or more to work with the DCR-250, but I am unsure if adding the tubes would make up for the 30mm I have or if that statement is even taking crop sensors into account. Either way, for my said set up, which would you recommend of these two you reviewed?
Hi there. Thanks for your comment. I just recently reviewed the 49mm +9 diopter close up lens from NiSi and I’ve already compared it to the DCR-250 as well ( that one is coming soon ). Optically the NiSi is better due to its apochromatic design, the DCR-250 has a slight green colour cast. You might need to crop in a little because of vignetting with your setup but haven’t tested it with a FF and a wide angle yet.
So personally I’d get this one: nisifilters.com.au/product/nisi-close-up-lens-kit-nc-49mm-with-62-and-67mm-adaptors/ref/peterviragphoto/
Here is my review: ua-cam.com/video/FEgalcGl3a0/v-deo.html
If you end up buying a dedicated macro lens in the future, this will be a great addition as well just to further boos its magnification ( e.g. double a 1:1 or increase a 2x to 3x+ ). Hope this helps. All the best mate!
Congrats on your 2000 sub. =)
After 2 decades of photography, we are moving into macro, our gear:
R5
Canon EF 35mm f1.4 II => Working distance of ~18cm at max magnification (1:5) Dia. 72mm
Canon EF 70-200mm f1.4 III => Working distance of ~100cm at max magnification (1:5) Dia. 77mm
Laowa RF 90mm => Working distance of ~8cm at max magnification (2:1) Dia. 67mm
With our Laowa lens, we can obtain a 2x magnification, that we like to bump to 3x or 4x magnification.
We are looking at:
1. Raynox DCR-250
2. Raynox DCR-150
3. NiSi 58mm Closeup
4. NiSi 77mm Closeup
5. Meike extension tubes (13mm+18mm)
6. Meike extension tubes (13mm+18mm) + Canon RF 1.4 extender (need extension tubes to fit Laowa)
In your opinion, how would you rank these options above? Our priorities:
0. 3x to 4x magnification
1. Keep as far as possible (to not scare insects, and larger depth of field)
2. Good image quality
3. Good ease-of-use + versatility
Not a lot of info we found, aside from your comparisons and forum post here, that Raynox does not work well with the Laowa 100mm.
www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/4576719
Please let us know your thoughts, thanks in advance. Subs to you. =)
Hey, thanks heaps for dropping by. I’ve never used the DCR-150, only got the DCR-250 and the NiSi close-up lenses. It’s hard to pick an order as I like both the 58mm from Nisi & Raynox and I actually have been using them together with pretty good results on the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS. I’ve never used the extension tubes ether as I prefer the versatility of the close-up lenses especially when I’m shooting both videos & stills. Saying that I’d probably give a slight edge to the DCR-250 over the 58mm just due to the higher magnification but the image quality, colour reproduction is better in my opinion with the NiSi. The 77mm worked great on my telephoto zoom ( 100-400 II ) but I’d rank it a little lower just because I mainly use the 58mm but it’s a great diopter lens for sure. By the way I’ve been looking at the Laowa 90mm APO ( the one you mentioned ), but I couldn’t buy it at the store where I purchased the R7 today:) Maybe next week! Thanks again for your support. Have a great weekend😊 p.s.: have you looked at the Laowa 58mm? Not sure how much the DOF would be affected due to the shorter focal length but it should help a little.
Thanks for getting back to us, and congrats on your R7, hope you're thoroughly enjoying it. I've been finding focus magnification and focus peaking useful manual focus tools on the R5.
I compared the Laowa 90mm (2x mag) and the RF 100 Macro (1.4x mag.) before. I found the max magnification working distance was about the same (Canon a bit further). But, at max magnification, I think I saw much more zoom with the the Laowa 90mm (2x mag), more than just (2x mag) vs. (1.4x mag.).
Going through most of your recent videos,
Nisi 58mm + Canon EF 100 Macro (67mm Dia) => How much working distance did you lose for max magnification?
Nisi 58mm + (72 or 77mm Dia lens)) => Will there be much more vignetting here? Black corners ?
Nisi 77mm + Canon EF 100 Macro (67mm Dia) => Nisi recommends 22-30mm workiing distance, I'm a bit surprised your combo worked here. How much working distance did you lose for max magnification? (from your video appeared only a small loss)
Raynox DCR 250 + Canon EF 100 Macro => How much working distance did you lose for max magnification? More than the Nisi 77 or 58 you would say?
Thanks for answering, I'm a bit further that I'm not nearby any stores that I can't try these first hand.
Hey there again. In the 58mm and 77mm reviews ( uploaded them a couple months ago ) I cover some of the working distance/mf aspects but can’t remember the exact figures. The MF with DCR-250 on the 100mm is approx 15cm I reckon or a little less, so about half of the default. Re vignetting: I didn’t notice any significant vignetting with either combo ( even stacked ), so I wouldn’t worry about it on the 100mm. Cheers
@@peterviragphoto Thanks again =)
As I got given a Raynox DCR 250 I'm happy to see I got given something worthwhile - I just need the decent lenses to go with it now 😄
Hey Andrew:) yes, a decent lens definitely helps! Have a good 1 mate!
Terrific test, Peter. I didn't see any chromatic aberration. It's easy to see a lack of depth of field and think that's the fault of the lens but, like you said, that's not the case. The stacking of the two lenses was surprisingly successful. I'd say both lenses are worthy of your kit. The quality of the DCR-250 is very good considering it's a third of the price of the NiSi. I should add that the 77mm NiSi is $210 US, about 3x the Raynox which isn't available in that size.
Thanks a lot mate. The 58mm should still be available on Amazon. Cheers:)
@@peterviragphoto There was one available but I don't have a 58mm lens. And my channels took a dive and I'm not even making enough to buy a coffee at McD's! 🤣😂😪
Sou don’t need a 58mm lens, you can use adapter rings. They only cost a few dollars on Amazon ( Neewer is the brand I’ve been using ). Cheers😉
Peter - man, I dont know how you do this without the focus peaking of a mirrorless!! Absolutely amazing. Both are great but even before the end, i was leaning more towards the Raynox.. I also really like the wildlife you have there. Now which ones are deadly???? 🤣 Thank you for this fantastic comparison!! 🙏🤗💖
Thanks a lot John! I like both for different reasons and they actually work really well together. Neither of these were deadly haha:))
@@peterviragphoto They stacked really well. I like different lenses for different reasons as well. 💖
😀👍👍
Dang, I have 82 thread. I can’t fit the macro adapter 😩😩
Hey Juan, you still can just need to most likelz stack a few adapter rings. I got some from Neewer on Amazon.
I like both of these lenses & have been using them stacked for several weeks. 🔬🦋🐛🪱Which one did you like more?⤵️
When using a nisi, do I need to remove the filter UV?
I would remove it for maximum image quality. Cheers
Hello what program do you use for photos editing?
Hey mate, hope you’e well! I use Lightroom, Photoshop and Luminar Neo & its extension pack for the majority of my edits. I really like the latter, feel free to have a look at a video I made a few weeks ago: ua-cam.com/video/A1IM2yG265k/v-deo.html
Have a good one! Cheers:)
Thanks for the video. Any questions worth the Nikon Z 24-200 67mm lens? thank you
I think you couldn’t go wrong with either one Carlos. Even if there was some vignetting, that most likely could be fixed in post. Cheers
Thank you 👍👍
Great comparison Peter. They’re so close. I know UA-cam compression does the viewer no favours but from what I could see, some were identical in some cases. Thanks for sharing your findings mate, cheers 🍻 🤙🙏
Hey Adrian, thanks a lot. Yes it is very close in terms of image quality, except the magnification. Hope you’re having a nice week! 😉😉
Hi and thank you for this video. Should one consider the 77mm close-up filter for that EF 100mm lens? Or the 58mm is more appropriate? Thanks.
Hi Rui. I’d say the 58mm might be the better option with 5 diopters but the 77mm is great on a standard/ tele zoom. Here is my review of the 77mm kit: ua-cam.com/video/_K9N8NeYLHc/v-deo.html
The review of the 58mm : ua-cam.com/video/vAX4vJzM-cQ/v-deo.html
Hope this helps!
@@peterviragphoto thanks. I’m going to watch it.
@@myf0c4ld1st4nc3 no worries. Have a good one!
Great comparison Peter!! Both look like very good for macro lenses.👍
Thanks mate, I agree! Have a good one!
@@peterviragphoto - You too!
I have a Canon 6d mark2 with Sigma 35 mm and Canon 85 EF lenses. Are these parts compatible with these equipment?
...Or which extension tubes should I buy?
They should be compatible. You just might need adapter rings so they fit the filter thread of your lenses. Cheers
Great and detailed comparison! Looks like the Nisi came out with incredibly sharp images, but very hard to discern! Both look great to have.
Thanks mate. Both are pretty good and have pros & cons:) Have a great weekend!
Can't you pair the two?
Yes, I have multiple videos where I paired the two & the results are pretty good! Cheers
At macro magnifications, it is a good idea to shoot from a tripod. At macro magnification, a little movement affects sharpness.
It depends. Shooting insects with a tripod is non practical in most scenarios. Also using a flash, IS etc. negates sharpness issues.
I have the Raynor DCR 250 and I can honestly say I get just as good a result from simply turning the lens round via an adapter. I was very disappointed with it after reading all the hype, and even though I shoot macro often I never use it anymore.
I like using mine, especially in conjunction with my EF 100mm & the NiSi58mm and I love the results.
I dont think its a fair comparison if you choose moving subjects. To really see the difference in sharpness then you should have set up camera on tripod on static subject and focussed on exactly the same place.
The sharpness can still be compared & I can easily see the difference, so I don’t agree with your sentiment. I could have done a controlled studio test but that wasn’t my intention as I shoot in the field and never use a tripod for my stillls & prefer a pragmatic approach. All the best!