Raynox DCR-250 Macro Conversion Lens Review

[crystal1993]

Hi, first time doing a review so do pardon my mistakes.
Thought of doing a review on the raynox 250 as i realised that there are not much reviews on it and not a single review here in CS.

I'm sure most of you are quite familiar with the raynox 250 so for the more experienced shooters who knows what is it you can give this review a miss as it's aimed at those who has totally no clue on the raynox 250. (And also this review is coming from a newbie too so it won't really benefit the more experienced shooters. :sweatsm

So alright on with the review!

Specifications & Measurements
Magnification : 8-Diopter
Lens construction : 2-group/3-element, Coated optical glass elements
Front Filter thread : 49mm
Mounting thread : 43mm
Dimension : 18mm x 53mm
Weight : 60g(2.1oz)
The lens includes a universal adapter suitable for 52mm to 67mm filter size.

 

[ed9119]

go ahead Crystal..... thread released.....u have until tomorrow night to add more substance to this review

good luck

 

[crystal1993]

In the box you should have the following:

From left: Instruction Manual and Lens Case containing the lens itself.


Open it up:

From left: Lens Case, Universal Adapter and the lens.

 

[crystal1993]

Lens:

1. The lens should come with both front and rear caps.

2. 2.5x Magnification of the Raynox 250!

3. You mount the lens on to the adapter like how you would put a filter on to a lens.

4. To put the adapter on to your lens, it's basically the same as how you would put your lens cap on. You press the 2 things beside the adapter and just fit it on to your lens.

5. Ta dah! How it looks like on my 18-55 kit lens.

 

[crystal1993]

Because i just got my raynox 250 this afternoon i don't have a chance to properly test it on the field yet. However, luckily my mom is kind enough *cough* to lend me her precious flowers as a test subject!
P/S: Do pardon hand shake as before taking those pics i was helping my mom grocery shopping(in exchange for her kindness) so carrying quite a lot of stuff home thus the weak hands.

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Overall, not a bad lens for it's price. Good as a starting point in to macro photography. A good and cheaper alternative to a macro lens but of course definitely cannot replace a dedicated macro lens.

Edit: Experienced shooters who wanna share photos taken with the raynox 250, go ahead. =) And of course tips are greatly welcome and appreciated.

 

[crystal1993]

On the field test!

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[crystal1993]

FAQ:

Q: What's the min focus distance?
A: Depending on which lens you put the raynox on. Diff lens diff min focus distance. For my 18-55 kit lens it's around 8cm.

Q: How much is it?
A: Around $120ish SGD for a brand new one.

Will add in more if i receive anymore qns. Sorry mod ed for the trouble and thanks all for viewing. =)

 

[wish4me]

hi, this is a very brand good macro conversion len,2 of my friend recommended this lens, i am using the msn 202, was impress with it, if u dun mind me sharing my pic , u may consider this if u want to upgrade

 

[peterpan1975]

Please do share with us your min focus distance frm the lens to the subject and how you track you subject if its move such as insects. tq

 

[crystal1993]

Please do share with us your min focus distance frm the lens to the subject and how you track you subject if its move such as insects. tq

Hi,

Sorry i did not include that in my review. :sweat:

Min focus distance is about 8cm?

How i track a moving subject is really depending on practice actually IMHO as i'm using MF so all there is to it is practice practice practice.

 

[ed9119]

just focus on anything on your table as near as possible......and let us know the distance between the front end of your lens and the subject

 

[crystal1993]

just focus on anything on your table as near as possible......and let us know the distance between the front end of your lens and the subject

Yup it's about 8cm. Plus minus 1cm.

 

[Burningslash12]

Minimum focusing distance depends also on the lens used together with Raynox. For my 50mm, minimum distance is about 8cm, but for 18-105mm @ 105mm minimum focusing distance is about 12cm if i remember correctly.

 

[ed9119]

hi Crystal.... if you'd spend less time in Kopitiam and more time finishing this review thread you started..... thanks, appreciate it....

 

[crystal1993]

hi Crystal.... if you'd spend less time in Kopitiam and more time finishing this review thread you started..... thanks, appreciate it....

Lol it's considered finish already. Only need to wait for my off day than i can go out and really test it, post it up than finish. :sweat:

 

[wantien]

My In door test for raynox with 18-250.

1/125s F22@ 250mm wireless flash.

 

[DM101]

I have a macro lens NIKON 85mm lens (127mm 35mm equvalent). I find the macro not close enough

Which Raynox magnification will u recommend ?

150 or 250

 

[Diavonex]

I have a macro lens NIKON 85mm lens (127mm 35mm equvalent). I find the macro not close enough

Which Raynox magnification will u recommend ?

150 or 250

Suggest you get the CM-2000. It consist of DCR-150 and DCR-250.

DCR-150 is diopter 4.8

DCR-250 is diopter 8

They can be combined (i.e. stack) to cover most of your needs.

 

[Bukitimah]

thank you for the review. i have been considering this lens for a while. what hold me is the min focus distance. 11 cm is the max distance you can take from a moving subject is very challenging. are macro lens also subjected to this? if we add extension tube, would distance improve?

 

[Fenzi]

Just to share as myself also started to use Raynox 250 not long ago. For still object, not much of a problem as you can mount you camera on a tripod and take your time on focusing.

For moving object eg insects, focusing will be a challenge. Focusing of the object will be by moving your lens towards or away from the object and with minimum DOF of about 1mm, you can imagine that...holding your breath if shooting hand held.

After some practice, if you are able to achieve what you want, you will have great satisfaction ...

To achieve a greater DOF, focusing distant to be around 70-150mm. Above that will have a very thin DOF.

A picture I took hand held.

These flies are about the size of a house mosquito.
zoom around 80mm

zoom around 130mm

Not a bad adapter for cheap macro setup compared to those expensive 1:1 macro lens. Useful on kit lens of 50mm and above.