The Marumi Achromat Filter for close-ups

I have always enjoyed macro photography. In the past year or so I have looked at ways to lighten what I carry on a regular basis too. I still carry my full complement of lens when I am on a shoot but I am referring to just being “out and about”. When I am in an area that I want to carry just one or two lens, depending on the subject, I typically carry my Tamron 18-270mm VC PZD or the Tamron 70-300mm VC PZD. Inevitably though I quickly find some subject that requires shooting a tighter shot. I could shoot and crop, but I would rather get it right in the camera. Both of these lenses allow me to photograph close ups, roughly 3x life size in relationship to the size of the subject. In other words, the closest I can shoot is about 4-5 feet away using the 70-300mm and the image size covers about 4 inches by 6 inches.

I picked up a Marumi Achromat filter recently after viewing a friends images he captured using one. I thought that if I could capture macro images that were crisp and clean while still using just the 70-300 or the 18-270, it would allow me to “lighten my load” of equipment when possible. I picked up the 62mm +3 version and immediately went out and played with it. I found the images captured to be extremely sharp. The glass that is used is extremely high quality and features a low reflection coating that doesn’t take away from the quality of the glass used in the lens. Instead it complements the glass and it’s contrast and sharpness.

I captured some images of a magnolia in my backyard to demonstrate the versatility and quality of the lens. The examples captured were shot at 200mm on the 70-300mm VC PZD with the camera on a tripod. It has the capability of shooting even closer and would shine even more when photographing bugs. I am extremely pleased with the filter and it is now a permanent component in my camera bag. It isn’t a replacement for a true macro lens but it does a great job with obvious quality results. It is available in sizes from 49mm to 77mm and ranges in price from $90 to $225 depending on the size of the filter you purchase. This would be a great addition to any photographer’s bag who wants to lighten their equipment load without sacrificing the ability to capture great macro images.

This image was made with just the 70-300mm VC PZD without the Marumi Achromat filter attached.

This image was made with the 70-300mm VC PZD lens and the Marumi Achromat +3 filter.