DIY Macro lens - macro photography on the Pre (with examples)

jasonrw · 09/27/2009, 04:42 PM

Let me start by saying I am a photography enthusiast that happens to own a Pre. I've got a DSLR with a wide variety of lenses, but lately I've been interested in finding compact cameras that can produce similar results. For example I have a Sigma DP1, compact camera with a DSLR sized sensor.

I came across this article that intrigued me. You can remove the lens from a DVD player and turn it into a macro lens for a cell phone. Check it out:

Super Macro Your Cellphone Camera With A DVD Lens | DIYPhotography.net

Basically you:

- Disassemble a dvd player
- Remove the lens. Lens is slightly smaller than the size of a standard hole from a hole puncher.
- Find some way of "mounting" the lens. I found a notebook with a black thin plastic cover. Cut out a small rectangle (long enough so you have something to hold on to), and punched a hole in it with a hole puncher. The DVD lens squeezes into the hole and stays put on its own.
- Hold the DVD lens over the cell phone's camera lens. It can focus on stuff that is like.. maybe an inch from the camera. Have to be very close to it.

I tried this today and took a few photos of some flowers.

These came straight from the Pre, no post processing besides shrinking them to make them web friendly.

Couple of them have a little vignetting (black on the corners) because I probably wasn't holding the DVD lens correctly... i.e. it wasn't lined up 100% correctly.

Nevertheless, I am pretty surprised at how well this works. You can give your Pre pretty sweet macro capabilities with a DIY lens that weighs less than a paperclip.

Not going to win any photography awards but very cool!!! Definitely are more likely to take more photos with something you have with you all the time.

Cheers!

guerillatwang · 09/27/2009, 04:52 PM

this is awesome....will be hacking up an old dvd player tonight to try this out.

cashen · 09/27/2009, 05:03 PM

I read that article a few weeks ago. Haven't tried it yet, but it looks amazing! great job!

Do you have a flickr page?

jasonrw · 09/27/2009, 05:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cashen

I read that article a few weeks ago. Haven't tried it yet, but it looks amazing! great job!

Do you have a flickr page?

I also read it a few weeks back... had flagged it and finally got around to trying it today

No flickr page, but I do have a few pictures up @ infusionphotography (none of it from the pre though!)

cashen · 09/27/2009, 05:47 PM

I just had to try this. I used my non touchstone back. My lens fit pretty well, it tad some tabs I just taped down for now. I'll play more later. Thanks OP!

Palm Pre Macro Lens - a set on Flickr

jasonrw · 09/27/2009, 05:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cashen

I just had to try this. I used my non touchstone back. My lens fit pretty well, it tad some tabs I just taped down for now. I'll play more later. Thanks OP!

Palm Pre Macro Lens - a set on Flickr

Good idea to use the non-touchstone back. I'd be more comfortable permanently modifying that with the macro lens. Thanks for the tip

cashen · 09/27/2009, 05:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jasonrw

Good idea to use the non-touchstone back. I'd be more comfortable permanently modifying that with the macro lens. Thanks for the tip

First camera phone to have interchangeable lenses!

cashen · 09/27/2009, 06:09 PM

Mine focuses around 1/4". Its really hard.

thegov · 10/02/2009, 09:26 AM

would the lens from a cd/dvd optical drive work..i have several of those laying around.

melo · 10/02/2009, 09:55 AM

Man I just threw out a old non working DVD player

blarneystone · 10/02/2009, 10:28 AM

Hmm, my touchstone will soon arrive. Maybe I could cobble up a fine-thread screw mount/focus mod on the original backplate for experimentation. I wonder if there are any candidate lenses for telephoto work....

horadin · 10/02/2009, 12:22 PM

I would also like to know if this would work with just a regular cd player lens. I have an old portable one ready to be torn apart.

tben339 · 10/02/2009, 12:37 PM

Wow - worked great. I wish I had some flowers to try out, but I used the tip of a pencil instead...

sal87 · 10/02/2009, 01:44 PM

here is one i took using a cd player lens its picture of some really really small bugs the size of a ant I found on a rose

sal87 · 10/02/2009, 01:54 PM

hairs on my arm

JohnnyPre · 10/02/2009, 02:16 PM

[QUOTE=jasonrw;1924248]I also read it a few weeks back... had flagged it and finally got around to trying it today

No flickr page, but I do have a few pictures up @ [url= (none of it from the pre though!)[/QUOTE]

not prefriendly, eh? (websitezu

esp13 · 10/02/2009, 04:41 PM

I found two different lens in a DVD-ROM drive. i call them "reg macro" and "super macro". I am experimenting. I'm gonna experiment with some of the other "optics" i found in the DVD drive.

esp13 · 10/02/2009, 04:43 PM

Forgot to add that you want to save the actual laser. Somewhere on the internet are instructions on how to turn a Mag-Lite into a powerful laser capable of popping a balloon.

esp13 · 10/02/2009, 04:43 PM

Picasa Web Albums - fred - Pre Macro pics
had to post a couple more times in order to link to my macro pics

horadin · 10/02/2009, 05:20 PM

my cd lens wont work, it wont focus at all, the edges almost get clear then the middle is blurry, time to find a diff. lens i guess.

09/27/2009, 04:42 PM	#1 (permalink)
jasonrw Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 28 Likes Received: 0 Thanks: 2 Thanked 32 Times in 3 Posts	DIY Macro lens - macro photography on the Pre (with examples) Let me start by saying I am a photography enthusiast that happens to own a Pre. I've got a DSLR with a wide variety of lenses, but lately I've been interested in finding compact cameras that can produce similar results. For example I have a Sigma DP1, compact camera with a DSLR sized sensor. I came across this article that intrigued me. You can remove the lens from a DVD player and turn it into a macro lens for a cell phone. Check it out: Super Macro Your Cellphone Camera With A DVD Lens \| DIYPhotography.net Basically you: - Disassemble a dvd player - Remove the lens. Lens is slightly smaller than the size of a standard hole from a hole puncher. - Find some way of "mounting" the lens. I found a notebook with a black thin plastic cover. Cut out a small rectangle (long enough so you have something to hold on to), and punched a hole in it with a hole puncher. The DVD lens squeezes into the hole and stays put on its own. - Hold the DVD lens over the cell phone's camera lens. It can focus on stuff that is like.. maybe an inch from the camera. Have to be very close to it. I tried this today and took a few photos of some flowers. These came straight from the Pre, no post processing besides shrinking them to make them web friendly. Couple of them have a little vignetting (black on the corners) because I probably wasn't holding the DVD lens correctly... i.e. it wasn't lined up 100% correctly. Nevertheless, I am pretty surprised at how well this works. You can give your Pre pretty sweet macro capabilities with a DIY lens that weighs less than a paperclip. Not going to win any photography awards but very cool!!! Definitely are more likely to take more photos with something you have with you all the time. Cheers!
	Liked by Thanked by bemben, bigredgpk, cary328is, cashen, debilater, Doc31, Ebag333, EdCates, Finally Pre, frankdavis, GigaS27, gtbii, HMCH, Honis, imhyatt, JakeGebauer, jtlapp, mu7efcer, niospecv, Niris777, OrlandoAlex, robbskittles, SHO_ONE, Syphon, tygern8r, Yankees368, zepolant

09/27/2009, 04:52 PM	#2 (permalink)
guerillatwang Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Kansas City, MO Posts: 340 Likes Received: 0 Thanks: 97 Thanked 50 Times in 35 Posts	this is awesome....will be hacking up an old dvd player tonight to try this out.
	Liked by

09/27/2009, 05:03 PM	#3 (permalink)
cashen Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Clarkston, MI Posts: 773 Likes Received: 0 Thanks: 559 Thanked 162 Times in 71 Posts	I read that article a few weeks ago. Haven't tried it yet, but it looks amazing! great job! Do you have a flickr page?
	Liked by

09/27/2009, 05:47 PM	#5 (permalink)
cashen Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Clarkston, MI Posts: 773 Likes Received: 0 Thanks: 559 Thanked 162 Times in 71 Posts	I just had to try this. I used my non touchstone back. My lens fit pretty well, it tad some tabs I just taped down for now. I'll play more later. Thanks OP! Palm Pre Macro Lens - a set on Flickr
	Liked by Thanked By: bigredgpk

09/27/2009, 06:09 PM	#8 (permalink)
cashen Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Clarkston, MI Posts: 773 Likes Received: 0 Thanks: 559 Thanked 162 Times in 71 Posts	Mine focuses around 1/4". Its really hard.
	Liked by Thanked By: robbskittles

10/02/2009, 09:26 AM	#9 (permalink)
thegov Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 69 Likes Received: 0 Thanks: 11 Thanked 5 Times in 4 Posts	would the lens from a cd/dvd optical drive work..i have several of those laying around.
	Liked by

10/02/2009, 09:55 AM	#10 (permalink)
melo Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 63 Likes Received: 0 Thanks: 10 Thanked 4 Times in 4 Posts	Man I just threw out a old non working DVD player
	Liked by

10/02/2009, 10:28 AM	#11 (permalink)
blarneystone Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 9 Likes Received: 0 Thanks: 0 Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts	Hmm, my touchstone will soon arrive. Maybe I could cobble up a fine-thread screw mount/focus mod on the original backplate for experimentation. I wonder if there are any candidate lenses for telephoto work....
	Liked by Thanked By: tattoonick

10/02/2009, 12:22 PM	#12 (permalink)
horadin Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 68 Likes Received: 0 Thanks: 5 Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts	I would also like to know if this would work with just a regular cd player lens. I have an old portable one ready to be torn apart.
	Liked by

10/02/2009, 01:44 PM	#14 (permalink)
sal87 Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 17 Likes Received: 0 Thanks: 1 Thanked 5 Times in 3 Posts	here is one i took using a cd player lens its picture of some really really small bugs the size of a ant I found on a rose
	Liked by Thanked by robbskittles, thegov, wushu2004

10/02/2009, 01:54 PM	#15 (permalink)
sal87 Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 17 Likes Received: 0 Thanks: 1 Thanked 5 Times in 3 Posts	hairs on my arm
	Liked by Thanked By: robbskittles

10/02/2009, 02:16 PM	#16 (permalink)
JohnnyPre Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Ft. Lauderdale, Florida Posts: 920 Likes Received: 0 Thanks: 16 Thanked 91 Times in 78 Posts	[QUOTE=jasonrw;1924248]I also read it a few weeks back... had flagged it and finally got around to trying it today No flickr page, but I do have a few pictures up @ [url= (none of it from the pre though!)[/QUOTE] not prefriendly, eh? (websitezu
	Liked by

10/02/2009, 04:41 PM	#17 (permalink)
esp13 Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 10 Likes Received: 0 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	DVD drive lens work I found two different lens in a DVD-ROM drive. i call them "reg macro" and "super macro". I am experimenting. I'm gonna experiment with some of the other "optics" i found in the DVD drive.
	Liked by

10/02/2009, 04:43 PM	#18 (permalink)
esp13 Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 10 Likes Received: 0 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Forgot to add that you want to save the actual laser. Somewhere on the internet are instructions on how to turn a Mag-Lite into a powerful laser capable of popping a balloon.
	Liked by

10/02/2009, 04:43 PM	#19 (permalink)
esp13 Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 10 Likes Received: 0 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Picasa Web Albums - fred - Pre Macro pics had to post a couple more times in order to link to my macro pics
	Liked by

10/02/2009, 05:20 PM	#20 (permalink)
horadin Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 68 Likes Received: 0 Thanks: 5 Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts	my cd lens wont work, it wont focus at all, the edges almost get clear then the middle is blurry, time to find a diff. lens i guess.
	Liked by

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