Fifty-Cent Macro Lens

User-Contributed Project

User-Contributed Project

This project guide is not managed by MAKE staff.

Modify a cheap digital video camera (like a Kodak Zx1) so it can take close-up shots for your video podcasting.

  • Author: Sean Lee
  • Time required: 40 to 60 seconds
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Add Note x
  • x 3

I wanted to contribute video in Make: Projects, but it turned out that none of the cameras I had in the house were of sufficient quality to do the job.

The camera I had hoped to use was a Kodak Zx1, which I picked up for $45. It shoots 720p HD, which is perfect for web demo videos.

The problem was that the minimum focal range of the camera was 100cm -- a full meter! Certainly not close enough to show the simple circuits I was trying to display.

So - I was shopping for a better camera when my wife said "Why don't you do this?" And here are the results.

Tools
Relevant parts
first image
thumb image 1
thumb image 2

Add Note Edit Step 1 — Fifty-Cent Macro Lens  ¶ 

  • Go to the dollar store and buy some reading glasses. I tried 1.25x, 1.5x, 1.75x, and 2.0x. The 2.0x worked best for my camera.

  • Pop the lens out.

  • Tape it to the camera.

  • Enjoy making close-up video!

first image

Add Note Edit Step 2  ¶ 

  • Not really a step but, this is the video quality before modification (camera is 18 inches from subject).

first image

Add Note Edit Step 3  ¶ 

  • Here's the video quality after modification.

For more information, check out the Hacks and Mods category page.

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