Maven Magnifying Diopter Filters: Making Macro Photography Affordable

Those wanting to get into macro photography usually stumble when they check out the prices of dedicated autofocus macro lenses. Cheaper manual lenses are an option, but they do need quite some patience to work with. Then there’s the question of whether you really need them and if you’ll use them enough to justify the purchase. Offering you an affordable entry into the fun world of macro photography are the Maven Magnifying Diopter Filters, which can work with just about any good lens you already have.

For photographers who only occasionally venture into close-up photography, purchasing a specialist lens isn’t always easy to justify, even for professionals. That impulsively purchased macro lens might be used a lot in the first few weeks, but may end up collecting dust in your cabinet afterward. We’ve reviewed Maven filters before and always found them impressive thanks to their exceptional build quality and ease of use. The Maven Magnifying Diopter Filters are no different — beautifully engineered, remarkably sharp and giving amateurs an option to dabble with close-up photography at very eye-catching magnifications.

I wouldn’t go so far as to call the Maven Magnifying Diopter Filters as close-up reading glasses for your lens, but some might get the picture better if I put it that way. Ironically, nearing my mid 40s, I find that not using spectacles helps me see things closer a bit better.

Most lenses these days have a fairly decent close focusing distance. I’m beginning to see this even on ultra-wide lenses now. But such distances don’t really end up giving you macro photos. Even lenses with reasonably good close-focus capabilities eventually reach a point where they simply can’t focus any closer. A magnifying diopter, such as the ones we tested from Maven, changes this equation. Essentially, it makes your close-focused subject appear bigger, without the loss of much quality. The Maven Magnifying Diopter Filters won’t completely replace a dedicated macro lens. But from what we’ve tested, they dramatically reduce the barrier to entry into macro photography while maintaining genuinely good image quality.

Simply put, diopter refers to the optical strength of a lens. The Maven Magnifying Diopter Filters have a plus annotation next to the strength, indicating that they’re used in order to see things that are close up, as opposed to magnifying things that are far away. The higher the diopter value, the greater the magnification. Maven currently offers these filters in two strengths — +2 and +4. What’s interesting is that they are stackable too — add both of them in front of your lens for much greater magnification than just one. These are available in 67mm, 72mm, 77mm and 82mm, but you also get the step-up adapters for any smaller lens filter thread sizes.

Michael, the founder of Maven, sent us the +2 and +4 filters in 82mm size and also sent us 62-82 and 77-82mm step-up adapters for use. We tested these out on my Nikon Z8 and my favorite all-in-one Nikon Z 24-120mm f4 lens, which has a somewhat decent close focusing distance of 0.35 meters (1.15 feet). The filters definitely helped me fill the frame a bit better with my 24-120 f4 Z lens. The images seen below here are all taken at the closest focusing distance of the lens. The first photo is without the filters, the second with the +2 diopter, the third with the +4 and the fourth with both diopters stacked. Of course, this didn’t transform my lens into the Z 105mm macro but for anyone who wants to explore macro photography once in a while, it’s a very recommendable option.

If you’ve ever handled a Maven filter before, you know they don’t scrimp on quality. The new magnifying diopter filters continue in that tradition. The machining feels very precise, and since these are much heavier than the usual lineup, because of the glass being a lot more in here, the sides are etched very nicely to prevent them from accidentally slipping out of your fingers.

It’s important to note that the filters magnify everything, and I’m not just referring to your subject here. Optical flaws that your lens may have are going to be visible a lot more easily now, so always remember to use the best possible lenses you have with the Maven Magnifying Diopter Filters. The filters themselves are very clear, but you’re bound to see flaws like softness or chromatic aberration a lot more, if your lens already exhibits this.

Dedicated macro lenses still offer significant advantages. They’re generally sharper at extremely close distances. The autofocus systems there are optimized specifically for macro work. Also, optical performance is usually better across the frame at high magnifications. If you’re planning on looking at macro photography as a dedicated line of business, then it would be best to invest in a lens made for this. But for photographers who occasionally photograph flowers, insects, food, jewelry or just want to have some fun with things around their home, Maven’s diopters offer tremendous value for considerably less money. Just remember to purchase the appropriate adapter as well for your lens. And if you find that your lens is casting unwieldy shadows on your subject, also grab the dedicated Mini Ring Light which has adjustable brightness. If you’ve ever wished your favorite lens could focus just a little closer, Maven has just the solution for you now. It’s another joyful accessory from a US-based company that knows what photographers will enjoy using, and definitely knows how to make photography easier for them.

Image Gallery

The images below were shot using either one or both of the diopter filters. All images seen below are unedited.