Macro Lens With Pringles Can

*-* This Instructable is in English. Please click here for the Dutch version,

*-* Deze Instructable is in het Engels. Klik hier voor de Nederlandse versie.

Macro photography doesn’t have to be expensive at all. With this DIY lens, you can reach an awesome magnification. Just by using an ordinary Pringles can … The perfect excuse for a movie night: first you chill, then you make!

Hardware

• Camera
• Lens – don’t use an expensive or heavy lens, a cheap kit lens or an old prime lens will do just fine
• Camera body cap – if you still want to be able to store your body without a lens, buy a cheap spare cap

Materials

• Empty Pringles can – the longer the tube, the larger the magnification
• Black paper or black adhesive foil
• Print of our convenient drilling template (see attachment)
• A piece of old bicycle inner tube – some tape or an old sock will also do fine
• Detergent

Tools

• Glue gun
• Hammer
• Nail (or another sharp-pointed object)
• Scissors
• Drill
• Compressed air

*-* The fastest way to empty the Pringles can: invite friends to a movie night! *-*

• Print our drilling template (see materials section) and cut it out. Make sure it fits precisely to the bottom of the Pringles can.
• Mark the middle of the bottom with a nail.
• Cut out the second drilling template, but make it a little smaller, so it fits on the camera body cap.
• Mark the middle of the cap with a nail.

• Drill a hole in the middle of the camera body cap. Make the hole as big as possible, but make sure the screw system that fits the body isn’t harmed.
• Drill a hole in the middle of the bottom of the Pringles can, of exactly the same size as the hole in the cap.

• Glue the cap-with-a-hole firmly and right in the middle of the bottom-with-a-hole.

• Thoroughly clean the inside of the can with compressed air. Otherwise crispy crumbs will get on the sensor of your camera!
• Degrease the inside of the can with detergent, so the glue will stick better. Greasy crisp traces aren’t that good of a base surface for glue.
• Cover the inside of the can with black paper or black adhesive foil. It prevents disturbing reflections.

*-* You can also cover the outside of the can with black paper or foil. Only as to make a professional impression with your DIY macro lens! *-*

• First, mount the lens to the camera body in order to adjust the diaphragm (you won’t be able to do that later on, because the tube will be in between the lens and the body).
• Set the diaphragm small enough to reach enough depth of field. For example, go for F=10. With F=22 a larger part of your photo will be sharp, but you’ll need way more light (or a slower shutter speed).
• Set the lens in manual focus (MF).
• Now slide the lens into the tube – backwards.
• Use a piece of bicycle inner tube, some tape or an old sock to firmly secure the lens in the tube.

Your DIY macro lens extension tube is now ready for use. You’ll be surprised of the awesome magnification it reaches. Look at the details of our macro photo of an euro cent coin!