Macro Photography

Reverse Lens Macro: Ultra-Close Photography on a Micro Budget

What if I told you that the lens you already own can shoot extreme macro — sharper and closer than many expensive setups — for the price of a coffee?

Welcome to the weird and wonderful world of reverse lens macro photography.

This DIY technique might look a little odd at first (yes, you literally mount your lens backwards), but the results speak for themselves. Let’s break down how it works, what you need, and how to do it right.

🧠 What Is Reverse Lens Photography?

Reverse lens macro involves flipping your lens around so the front element faces the camera and the rear element faces the subject. This dramatically changes how the lens behaves — transforming wide-angle lenses into ultra-magnifying macro tools.

🧪 Why it works:
Lenses are designed to make small things (like your scene) fit onto a small sensor. When reversed, they do the opposite — they make small subjects appear huge on the sensor.

🧰 What You Need

• A reverse ring adapter (also called a reverse mount or reversing ring)
  • 💰 Cost: $10–25
  • Match the adapter to your lens’s front filter thread (e.g. Ø52mm)
  • The other side mounts to your camera body (Canon EF, Nikon F, Sony E, etc.)
• A manual-focus prime lens (28mm or 50mm works great)

🔧 Optional but helpful:

• A macro focusing rail (for fine adjustments)
• A lens hood to help protect the now-exposed rear element
• A light source or diffuser

📷 How to Set It Up

1. Remove your lens
2. Attach the reverse ring to the front of the lens (where a filter would go)
3. Mount the lens backward onto your camera using the adapter
4. Set your camera to manual mode
5. Manually set the aperture — either:
   • Using an older manual lens with an aperture ring, or
   • Using the “aperture hold trick” for modern lenses (explained below)
6. Move your camera toward your subject until the image comes into focus

🎯 What Kinds of Results Can You Expect?

• Reversing a 50mm lens gives ~1:1 magnification (life-size)
• Reversing a 28mm lens can give up to 2.5–3:1 magnification — way beyond most macro lenses!

🔍 Imagine: Photographing the spiral structure of a flower’s petals, the intricate veins of a green leaf, or the seed-studded texture of a strawberry’s skin. That’s the kind of detail this setup unlocks.

🧩 Controlling Aperture on Modern Lenses

Modern lenses (like Canon EF, Nikon G, Sony E) don’t have physical aperture rings. When reversed, your camera can’t control aperture electronically.

📌 Aperture Hold Trick (for Canon/Nikon):

1. Mount the lens normally
2. Set your desired aperture (e.g. f/8)
3. Press and hold the depth-of-field preview button
4. While holding, remove the lens — the aperture will “stick”

🧲 Use a Manual Lens:

Legacy lenses (old Pentax, Nikon AI, or M42 mount) have physical aperture rings and work perfectly when reversed.
You can often find them used for $30–$80 and they’re great for macro.

👍 Pros and 👎 Cons

👍 Pros:

• Extremely cheap
• Offers higher magnification than many true macro lenses
• Great for learning about optics and working distance
• Surprisingly sharp results with the right lens

👎 Cons:

• Manual focus and aperture only
• Rear lens element is exposed and vulnerable
• No electronic communication (no EXIF data, stabilization, or autofocus)
• Very shallow depth of field — a few millimeters or less
• Harder to use handheld (tripod strongly recommended)

📸 Best Lenses to Reverse

💡 Note:
The shorter the focal length, the higher the magnification — but also the harder it gets to control depth of field and lighting.

💡 Tips for Success

• Use a small aperture (f/8–f/11) to increase depth of field
• Light your subject well — LED panels, flashlights, or smartphone screens all work
• Move the camera, not the focus ring — “rock” back and forth slowly
• Use a remote shutter or 2-second timer to avoid shake
• Start with non-moving subjects — coins, buttons, text, fabric

🧵 Final Thoughts: Macro for the Brave and Curious

Reverse lens photography isn’t the easiest way to start macro — but it’s one of the most affordable and rewarding.

You’ll gain a deeper understanding of optics, appreciate precision focusing, and uncover a world of detail that most photographers never see.

It’s not perfect, and it’s not for everyone. But if you’re willing to experiment — and maybe dig out an old 50mm lens from the drawer — this technique might just become your favorite photographic hack.

👉 Coming Next: Macro Accessory Round-Up: Lighting, Rails, and Other Gear Worth Having