Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Super Easy, Very Cheap, Cellphone Macro Lens

Today, we have a pretty cool project, I'am going to show you how to create a super simple macro lens for you cell phone. You might even have the part you need laying around your home. 

Quarter up close.
STEP 1:
Cheap laser pointer, less than $2.00 at my local Drug Store.

We need to acquire a marco lens, the cheapest method to get one is to get a hold of a cheap laser pointer. That's right, a laser pointer. I'am not entirely sure why this works but it apparently has something to do the focusing of light. A more expensive pointer would probably have a glass lens but the cheap plastic one's that comes with a $2.00 laser pointer works just fine.

STEP 2:

Disassemble the laser pointer, remove the batteries, cap and batteries.

STEP 3:

Inside the case of the pointer there's a small circuit board and the lens


On the other side of the case, there a small cap, take a pair of plyers and pry the cap off, the plastic lens should just fall out.

STEP 4:


It's kinda hard to see in the photo, but the method I found best to attach the lens to my camera, was to tape the lens to the phone. I then took a razor blade and removed the tape from the center of the lens.

The Iphone my phone is not. 

But it still took some pretty amazing photo's and video's, Yes that's right you take macro video's with this setup. Be sure to check out a collection of the images I've take with this setup.

(hint: You stack a second lens on top of the first lens to get another step of zoom. This does narrow the depth of field.)




        


 


Ball point pen Macro Video