This blog is devoted to the application of optical fibers in photography. I have several homemade (DIY) flash adapters channeling the light from the flash close to the lens. The technique can be used mainly for macro photography, but I will show examples for wide angle close focus techniques as well. The recent version is called fiberstrobe V3, hence the name of the blog is "fiberstrobe".

Saturday, August 2, 2014

SEL30F35 + VCL-ECF1 lens combo

This is my current favorite lens combination. It's a fisheye lens adapter (sony VCL-ECF1) in front of a 30mm macro lens (SEL30F35):
The SEL30F35 lens itself is very special. Maybe not the best for every purpose but it can take outstanding photos. You can read my detailed review about this lens here.
I love fisheye lenses and I frequently used the VCL-ECF1 fisheye adapter on the dedicated 16mm pancake lens. I have previous post about the photos taken with this rig. For lighting I used a twin flash adapter:
 http://fiberstrobe.blogspot.de/2013/03/spring-re-loaded-and-failed.html

 http://fiberstrobe.blogspot.de/2012/11/twin-flash-for-close-focus-wide-angle.html

I read on photo forums that this adapter can be used on the new 20mm lens, which gave me the idea to use it on the 30mm macro lens (since I don't have the 20mm pancake lens).
How does it perform? I like it a lot, but it requieres perfect composition, good lighting and nailing the focus well (despite the good DOF). Maybe the keeper rate is much lower, than with other lenses, but if you want to take something new, not just the standard boring macro photos, it's the lens combo you should seriously consider.I had only few hours to try it but I see a great potential in it.
Few photos below to convince you:












Don't forget to mention my blog when you win the next photo competition with this lens combo, that you saw it here first.
Cheers

Marcell




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6 comments:

  1. AnonymousJune 24, 2015 at 1:45 AM

    Interesting. There seems to be no (or very slight) fish-eye effect.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousJanuary 30, 2017 at 3:39 PM

    Hi. I'm interested in the sel30m35 and the sony fisheye. Will these two connect together like it does with the sel16f28? I was under the thought the fisheye and uwa adapters work with the 16mm and 20mm lenses only. Thanks! Marc

    ReplyDelete
  3. MarcellFebruary 2, 2017 at 11:34 AM

    It can be attached to the 30mm macro as well (remove the plastic lens hood). You need good light and closed iris for good results (min f18). Check also this link:
    http://fiberstrobe.blogspot.de/2014/09/put-sel30m35-lens-into-perspective.html

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnonymousFebruary 7, 2017 at 10:08 PM

      Thank you very much for the confirmation. Ironically I asked this on Amazon and a Sony rep stated its just for the 16 and 20 mm ��. I already have my fisheye and the 16 mm ordered. Next up is the 30mm macro ��

      Thank you again for the help!
      Marc

      Delete
  4. MarcellFebruary 13, 2017 at 5:31 AM

    But it works only in the very narrow range. You have to stop down your lens considerably (use f18-f22)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Alan CheungAugust 15, 2018 at 1:39 AM

    Hello Marcell,

    Thanks for the idea of putting ECF1 on a 30M35. The samples you took were all very very nice. I read from other source that you might also be an underwater photographer, have you tried this combo in water too? Actually I'm building a uw system based on my A6500, planning to use housing/ports from ikelite. I would love to try out the combo underwater, do you have any idea which port should work?

    Cheers,
    Alan

    ReplyDelete

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