Product Review: Vello Macrofier for Canon EOS (UPDATED!)

Vello Macrofier

Getting close - real close

This review is not sponsored, nor is it commissioned by the manufacturer. I requested, and received, the equipment for the purpose of producing a review on my YouTube channel - you can check out the review here.

What is it?

The Macrofier is a third-party lens accessory made by Vello (http://www.vellogear.com/) for use with the Canon EF/EF-S lens systems. It can be be used as a set of automatic extension tubes or a lens reverse-mount system; both are a means of achieving macro photography with non-macro lenses or to achieve greater magnification with macro lenses¹.

When you reverse-mount the lens you can get incredibly close, as you can see in the first image. This is a Canon 18-135mm EF-S lens reverse-mounted. The inscription on the lens states the closest focusing distance is 1.5 feet (.45 meters) but with the lens reversed I am just an inch or so away. Extension tubes work in the same way - by moving the lens away from the camera body you can achieve closer focus.

Parasol Inky Cap mushroom
135mm - 1/25 sec @ f/5.6
Reverse-mount

First Impression

When I opened the box I wasn't quite sure what to expect - I had seen the product photos on B&H and the Vello website but, often, the product doesn't necessary live up to it's "image." I was pleasantly surprised to find it was exactly what I saw in the pictures. It appeared to be well-made and sturdy. It comes with seven (7) adapter rings (52 mm, 58 mm, 62 mm, 67 mm, 72 mm, 77 mm, 82mm) to fit just about any lens you may have. The Macrofier, itself, is packaged in a bubble-wrap bag inside the box. The one thing I noticed was that there were now caps for the device - this isn't a big deal but I was a little surprised. I just ordered a body cap and lens cap to put on it when it is stored in my bag. The rings are solid and flat - I mention that because I have purchased other adapter rings in the past that were not quite flat and were difficult to use.

In The Field

Extension Tubes

Extension Tube with 18-135mm lens

Parasol Inky Cap mushroom
113mm - 1/30 sec @ f/5.6 (extension tube)

I looked in the owner guide and website but could not find a definitive answer to the question - How much extension do you get? I was able to find a review on the B&H website where a reviewer reported that, by his calculations, it is about 35mm. Using the Macrofier as a set of extension tubes couldn't be easier - using the threaded ends, you just screw the two halves together, mount one end on the camera body and the lens on the other end. You can also mount the Macrofier on the lens, then mount the assembly on the camera - doesn't really matter. When using extension tubes, you can (probably) get away with hand-holding but I would suggest using a tripod whenever possible. Macro photography produces notoriously shallow depth of field and trying to hold steady is difficult, at best. That said, I have successfully hand-held with the extension tubes.

Reverse-Mount

20mm - 5 sec @ f/22
Reverse-mount

For me, this is where the fun really begins and you will definitely want to use a tripod. To use the Macrofier to reverse-mount your lens, the two parts have to be separated. Mount the one end on the camera body, screw the appropriate adapter ring onto the half attached to the camera, screw the lens onto the adapter and, finally, attached the second half of the Macrofier to the back end of the lens. This will allow you to work incredibly close to your subject - depending upon the lens. You can see in the initial image that I am about an inch (or less) from the mushroom which will give you more of an "abstract" image, as shown in the image to the left. Working outside at this magnification can be more than a bit tricky because you are battling the elements. Your depth of field is virtually non-existent and so even the slightest movement will kill the image; it took a while for this mushroom to stop moving despite a nearly imperceivable breeze.

Edge of Dime
135mm - 1/2 sec @ f/5.6

I set up a light tent in my studio to do some macro work. You can read more about this session here - Equipment Review: Vello Macrofier for Canon EOS. Working under studio conditions is much easier because you have full control over everything and can take a long as you need to set up and execute a shot.

Final Thoughts

If you have been wanting to get into macro photography and couldn't justify the cost of the macro lens, spend $99.95 and buy a Macrofier. I promise that you will be happy with your decision. I am very happy with the Macrofier and have a lot of work planned for it. The auto-focus works, though it can be difficult at times which is a function of the lens, and the auto-exposure is good, too. It is well-made, solid and ridiculously easy to use. The only "negative" thing I can say is that I am upset that I didn't get one years ago! Yes, I mean that. I have been wanting a true macro lens for quite a while but the price made them a low-priority. I would, still, like to have a true macro lens (or two) some day but for the foreseeable future the Macrofier is all that I need.

Pollen-laden Bee
150mm - 1/200 sec @ f/5
Extension tube, handheld

I have also used some of my older Canon FD lenses - everything is manual but works just as well. I am able to do this because I bought a lens attachment a few years ago that allows me to mount my FD lenses on my EOS Rebel T3i.

If you own a Nikon, or other brand, you cannot use the Macrofier as-is; it is only available for Canon EOS line of cameras. If you do own a different brand, you may want to buy a Canon-to-brand X adapter which should allow you to use the Macrofier as a reverse-mount device - you would need two (2) adapters to use it as an extension tube. If you do this, you do so at your own risk - I have not tested this, nor have I found evidence of anyone else doing it. I have no idea if it will work but, in theory, it should.

For More Information & Where To Buy

So, there you have it. If you would like more information on the Vello Macrofier, you can check out their website - click here. While you are there, check out the other accessories that Vello makes, including their "lens adapters" that may allow you to use the Macrofier with your other brand, as described above.

You can also check it out, and purchase it, at B&H Photo - click here.

UPDATE

After I wrote this review I recorded a YouTube review, at one point demonstrating the Macrofier. I experienced a bit of trouble mounting and removing the device from the camera. I later discovered that a screw was loose and the head was slightly above the service of the mounting plate. I was able to secure it and it seems to be okay. I reported this to the manufacturer and asked if this was a common complaint - the response was that this was the first instance they had heard of. They offered to replace the device with a new one - since I was able to tighten the screw myself I declined, in part because I want to see if it happens again.

I believe this to be an isolated incident and it in no way changes my overall opinion or recommendation of the Macrofier. The YouTube review can be seen here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-qJJ4Tb0h4&t=1s

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All photos are copyright Joseph S. Valencia All Rights Reserved They may not be used in any way without express written permission of the photographer. If you wish to use any of the photos you may contact the photographer at valencia32photo@gmail.com

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End Notes

1. I have not tested this equipment with "macro" lenses and have no first-hand knowledge of their performance with this accessory.

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Sunset in Spring Lake

St. Catharine Church
(smartphone)

The weather has been so bad lately - very hot and so humid it was tough to breathe - and I had gone a while without doing much "real" shooting. Last Thursday I caught a break - still not a great day but the best we had experienced in a while - and I decided to go out to catch a sunset. I thought about going to Maclearie Park but then remembered a friend telling me about St. Catharine Church in Spring Lake. I had driven by there a few times in the past but never thought about it as a sunset location but if Dave said it was good, I was going to check it out.

St. Catharine Church with Reflection

The decision to shoot that night was a last-minute one and it gave me only about 10 minutes to find a composition and set up before sunset. If I were going somewhere familiar, like Maclearie Park, this wouldn't have been too bothersome but I had no idea what I was going to find when I got to this site. Under normal circumstances I would like to have arrived 45 minutes to an hour before sunset so that I can explore the area and find the perfect spot. Heck, even in a familiar spot I get there early because you never know.... Anyway, I got to the lake and parked on the east side of the lake, almost directly across from the church. I knew I wanted the church in the image but struggled to find a composition that I liked. I like to find some foreground interest - typically a tree - when I shoot a sunset but there was just nothing there for me to put in the frame. The trees were either massive, therefore blocking the sunset, or not in a good place. I quickly gave up and decided to get close to the edge of the lake and use reflections as my foreground.

What cloud cover there was turned out to be quite fleeting but it stuck around long enough to get a few good images. Once the sun set I got in a little tighter on the church and it's reflection in the lake. I also started working with some longer exposures to try smoothing out the water. Overall I am happy with the way the church appears, although I wish it had been lighted a little earlier; it is a little darker in the first image than I would have liked.

Fountain & Footbridge

Once I was done with the church I turned my attention to the north and the fountain in the lake. It was getting dark and I knew I could get some rather lengthy exposures. I liked the addition of the footbridge but wasn't sure how well it was going to stand out - it is a dark color and in an area with a lot of big trees. The image shown here is one of several compositions that I tried - some tighter, some wider. I like this because I was able to get the shoreline to work as a leading line to the bridge and then around to the fountain. I was hoping there would be some traffic on the bridge - bicycles with lights or pedestrians with flashlights, anything to give a little brightness. I am going to try getting back one night with some helpers and have them shine some lights or maybe pop a flash or two to illuminate the bridge.

So, that's it for today and my Spring Lake sunset experience. Have you shot here? If so, how did you like it? If not, I hope I have inspired you to check it out one night. Who knows, maybe we will run into each other.

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All photos are copyright Joseph S. Valencia All Rights Reserved They may not be used in any way without express written permission of the photographer. If you wish to use any of the photos you may contact the photographer at valencia32photo@gmail.com

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Still-Life Macro Photography with the Vello Macrofier

Macro Photography

I love shooting macro but don't get around to doing much - especially "true" macro. What I mean by "true" macro is that most people believe the final image must be "life-size" (1:1) or better. A true macro lens can be quite expensive and most "macro" zoom lenses might get you in the area of 1:4 - nice but not true macro.

I've never owned a macro lens but back in my 35mm days I would use a technique that gave me life-size and better; I would remove the lens, turn it around and hold it against the camera body. When shooting with the lens reversed, you would achieve different levels of magnification depending upon the focal length of the lens. Doing this mean that you lost all camera-to-lens communication and were shooting totally manual and your focusing was essentially achieved by moving back and forth until you achieved focus.

A couple weeks ago I received a lens accessory from Vello called the "Macrofier". It allows me to reverse-mount my lens AND maintain full auto-exposure and auto-focus. It can also be used as a set of auto extension tubes. I played around with it right after it arrived and had some fun but over the weekend I decided to do some more serious work. I set up my tabletop studio - light cube and lights - and spent a couple hours shooting some coins and a golf ball. These images were made to support an upcoming YouTube product review I am working on - I will announce it when published.

I'm not going to get into much detail here, I just wanted to present some of the images I made. I am going to write a full product review here on the blog in the coming weeks and will have the YouTube video up some time in the next week or so. The will also be an installment of "Improve Your Photography" in which I will dive into the world of macro photography but for now, just check out the images.

Notice how shallow the depth of field is for the first two images, that is something you will always battle when shooting macro and is one reason I like using a tripod in a controlled environment.

What are your experiences with macro? Do you have a dedicated lens or do you use some other technique? Leave me a comment below - I would love to hear from you.

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All photos are copyright Joseph S. Valencia All Rights Reserved They may not be used in any way without express written permission of the photographer. If you wish to use any of the photos you may contact the photographer at valencia32photo@gmail.com

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