Macro photography is an incredible photo discipline because it allows you to explore your creativity and above all, it helps you better know the limits of your equipment. But to progress in this area, it is better to be able to count on specific photo accessories, such as inversion rings.
The ideal would be to work with a lens specially designed for practicing macro photography. But maybe you can’t afford this investment, at least for now… If so, don’t worry: there are plenty of alternatives on the market that are worth considering, such as extension tubes, conversion lenses or close-up filters, which we presented in a previous article. Other great options are macro reversing rings, the accessories we’ll cover here. We will explain what inversion rings are and how to use them in macro photography.
Features of reversing rings
For a lens to be useful in macro photography, it should not have a minimum focusing distance as this would limit us to getting closer to the details of the subject or the main object of the image. But macro inversion rings will solve this problem so common on conventional lenses.
Reversal rings are circular accessories that attach to your camera mount and then allow you to assemble your lens upside down. This will give you the ability to get even closer to the details you want to bring out in the image. This means that the object in question will appear much larger in the sensor of your device.
With reversing rings, you will be able to give a second life to classic lenses, not to mention that it is one of the most economical alternatives for practicing macro photography.
Macro inversion rings are recommended, especially with fixed focal length lenses between 28 and 50 mm, such as DZO Full Frame. But you’ll also get impressive results with standard lenses, 18-55mm kits. Goals that we all have at home, hence the attraction of these rings.
Before purchasing an inversion ring, you must check that it is compatible with the mount of your camera and with the diameter of the screw-on ring of your lens, in other words the number that appears alongside the Ø symbol on the front of your lens.
Types of inversion rings
By placing your lens upside down on the camera, you are most likely to lose automatic functions, such as autofocus or aperture control, unless your lens has the aperture ring on it. the barrel and that you can modify its value easily.
But there are two types of inversion rings, those which precisely allow the automatisms and those which do not preserve them. Of course, those that only allow you to use the manual modes of the camera have the advantage of being affordable.
Then there are the simple inversion rings. Not only are they more economical, but they’re also the same size as an adapter ring, so they’re a great take-anywhere option since they take up very little space. Slip one into a pocket and you can always get macro shots with your usual lens, no matter where you are.
In any case, it is absolutely necessary to ensure greater protection for the lens. Ordinary lenses benefit from a strong structure on the outside, while the base, the part assembled to the camera mount, is more prone to bumps or scratches, hence the great importance of taking precautions.
