Digital Camera close-up lens

digon

OK I realize that this is not a digital camera forum but it relates to coins. I have a canon powershot a20 which has a terrible macro feature. It has the ability to put additional lens on it but I know nothing about which ones would work and which would not. The thread on it is 58mm. I have done a search on close-up lens and have found them pretty cheap. My question is would a generic lens work on a specific camera? Wanting better pictures of my coins.

DHeath

Digon,

I find an effective and inexpensive solution is to purchase a lighted swing-armed magnifier, and to take the pictures through the lens. Good luck.

supercoin

A close-up lens helps a lot. You don't have to get absurdly close like with many macro features, which makes lighting much easier. You do get some spherical(?) distortion, but luckily coins are round.

Well worth a try, in my opinion. I had to buy an adapter ring to fit mine, don't know if 58mm needs one or not. If I recall correctly, I got mine from B&H Photo (on the web at bhphoto.com).

digon

Thanks for your help. I have tried the handheld mag glass in front of the camera and it works pretty good when my hand is steady, but I want somthing that works great every time.
Dig-on

darktone

digon, you can do what I do it's cheap and simple. I just tape a loupe to the end of my camera and it works great! here's an example. mike

Barry

As with anything in photography (and coins!), you can spend outrageous bucks or you can spend reasonable bucks for products with not much difference. A generic Diopter lens is pretty cheap and should work well. Same is true of common filters, like UV.

fcloud

For my close ups I use an SLR Nikon lens backwards over the lens on my digital. It sound funny, but it works. I noticed years ago, that if you take a 50mm or 55mm lens from an SLR, turn it around, you get the most wonderful magnfiying glass you could ask for. Clean, Clear, and distortion free. Now, the lighting is another issue you have to deal with. Good luck.