I used my Raynox DCR-250 for the first time in a long while today for this picture of a snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis) blooming in our garden, a whole month earlier than they came up last year:

Checking back, the last time I broke out this lens was March last year (experimenting how close I could zoom in – about x120 was my estimation, which gets me into the same range as the lower powered optics on a microscope) and then the October before that. Most of the time, my Vivitar 90mm lens, which has built in macro capacity, satisifies my need to photograph details but, since I already had my 50mm lens on this morning, I decided it was time to dig the adapter out. The Raynox simply clips on the front (and then clipped off for the next subject, Eryngium planum or sea holly).

It is good to have these tools in the bag even if I don’t use them so frequently any more.