Another DIY Micro-Macro Lens

Step 8 Paint the Lens Housing

Screw the upper and lower PVC together and take out the screws. Lightly sand the PVC with 150 grit or finer. The paint will adhere better. Paint the whole thing, in and out, flat black.

This helps block scattering of light inside and makes people think you have some mega-expensive lens attached to your camera, instead of some plumbing. If you are particularly mischievous, you might consider adding some white lettering decals with technical-looking numbers and nomenclature for added effect.

Let it dry 24 hours. Flat black paint "looks" dry in about 15 minutes. Don't be fooled.

Comments

[amclaussen]

 Regardind flat paint...  Many tears ago y was very involved in Photography, working as a helper for a Pro Advertizing Photographer.  He was suscribed to many Photo Magazines, in one of them (I believe it was a "Modern Photography" issue from probably 1972 or so), there was an extremely well written article, kind of a review where several top quality 35 mm SLR cameras were being tested for "flare resistance"... the test set-up consisted of four long fluorescent tubes arrranged in the periphery of the visual field, jus outside of the visual frame.  Those were lit and were extremely bright against the background, and subjected the camera and lens to a very difficult test; different cameras and lenses were tried.  They found that "body" flare was produced by the inside of the camera box surfaces, and the best camera body of all the ones tested was the FUJICA ST-701, which was not better than their Canon or Nikon equivalents generaly speaking, but where it was REALLY OUTSTANDING, was its freedom from internal reflections, owing to its absolutely better internal coating, which was made of a kind of "plush" or "Velvet" fabric, with a lot of short piles which absorb the light better than ANY so called flat paints. My photography master was so decided that he got a discarded ST-701 just to get the velvety internal coating material to re-coat or line the interior of his trusty Nikon-F, because the flat paint inside the Nikon was actually of a dark gray color, but the velvety material of the FUJICA was much better at avoiding and supressing internal reflections, making it better than factory new!

So, if you can, get a very black velvet piece to line the interior of the lens barrel; but beware, test it to see if it sheds any fiber, because the sensor on digital cameras attract all dust or fibers by electrostatic charge, and not all cameras have sensor cleaning mechanisms!


Good luck.

[BlackDidThis]

VERY good advise...
A small test with etching/frosting spray and black flat paint did prove pretty useful with no worry for the fibers going loose.

I have heard of literally "velvet" sprays but could not find one nor test it.

Thanks so much for the heads-up!

Wonderful instructable as well. Not that it is the first ever DIY macro crash course out there. But the result is rather neat.
If I ever concider giving it a go I think I would try to also purchase a few white letter-a-sets that were out before laser printers were as common.

Thank you for going through the trouble of sharing this with us.