Are you a Canon shooter and have a EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II laying around?

If you do, we can have some fun turning that kit lens into a macro. This is mostly a non-destructive project and could be easily reversible if you wanted to do so.

So before we get started let's talk real quick about what is macro photography. Simply put its making very small things appear much greater than their real life size. Some common examples close ups of insects or details of plants.

Step 1: Getting Started

What you will need for this project are the following.

EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II
Small Phillips head screwdriver
Pry tool

Before going any further know that doing this modification will void any warranty that you may have on your lens and possibly damage it.

Step 2: So We Begin

Start off by removing the lens cap. Then carefully work the pry tool under the sticker ring that has the info about the lens. Work your way around the ring gently lifting up on the sticker, it should easily lift off the lens. Be careful not to scratch the lens or damage the plastic body.

**If you wanted to be extra careful placing gaffers tape on the lens would provide a layer of protection during this project.

Step 3: Just Unscrew It!

As you were removing the sticker, you'll see three screws. They will need a little force applied to them, but they will break free. Once they are out, set them aside in a safe place. Next you'll need to remove the front element. It should fall right out of the lens. After the front element is removed you could replace the screws into the lens so you won't loose them. It is possible to insert the screws, then placed the front element on top of them and replace the lens cap if you wanted to put this into storage.

Step 4: Have Fun!!

After the front glass is gone, it's all done you are good to go play!

Using the lens in this form requires you to get extremely close to your subjects. Also you will have to use Manual Mode on your camera for this to work and turn off the Auto Focus on the lens.

The zoom still does work on this. Shown on the wide and tight shots of the front element with the label sticker.

At this point this is more of a fun toy than a serious work horse lens, so keep that in mind when you use this.

I hope you enjoy this and get some other uses out of your kit lens.

**If you ever decide to reverse this process make sure you have a way to purge the inside of the lens of any dust or debris that may be lurking inside before you seal it back up, and make sure the glass is clean.