Make: Projects
Fifty-Cent Macro Lens
Modify a cheap digital video camera (like a Kodak Zx1) so it can take close-up shots for your video podcasting.
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.
Steps
Step #1:
Next
- Go to the dollar store and buy some reading glasses. I tried diopters of 1.25, 1.5, 1.75, and 2.0. The 2.0 worked best for my camera.
- Pop a lens out of the glasses.
- Tape it to the camera.
- Enjoy making close-up video!
