If you are feeling the call of close-up/macro photography but don’t want to shell out $400+ dollars for a dedicated macro lens, look into getting a close-up filter for your existing zoom lens. After reading several articles and online postings about the benefits I went ahead and purchased a Canon 500D adapter last year. I used it in combination with my Sigma 70-300mm APO and got some pretty impressive results. They only got better when I tried it with the Canon 100-400 IS.

While it isn’t going to get you true 1:1 macro, it isn’t going to cost an arm and a leg either. Plus when used with a zoom lens you will be able to recompose shots faster than with a prime, especially when shooting on a tripod.

Several camera companies make close-up adapters. Canon has the 250D and the 500D. According to Canon, the 250D is best suited to lenses in the 30mm to 135mm focal lengths and the 500D to lenses 70mm to 300mm. Nikon has several options as well.

A drawback of my 500D is that it adds weight to the front of the lens since it is basically a thick magnifying glass that screws into the front of the lens like a filter. It can make it a little awkward when handholding, but definitely manageable. You also cannot focus to infinity like you can without the adapter, so you have to be within a certain distance of the subject to get focus.

Even with the drawbacks, saving over $300 compared to a dedicated macro lens makes up for the limitations in my opinion. If you want to experiment with some extreme close-ups, this may be a great way to get started.

You can see some of the shots I’ve used the 500D on over at flickr.