Quote Originally Posted by clovisman
if you need a close focusing lens the cheapest way is to get a diopter- looks like a screw on filter- it will allow you to take macro shots with practically any lens-if you reverse a lens as suggested you will be almost touching your subject with the glass of your lens and depth of field is nonexistent-see how little of the coin is sharp- again a tripod is best- if you do not have one hold your camera with your elbows tight against chest and create a tripod with your body

Actually, you're wrong, you can get plenty of DOF with a reversed lens, you just need to stop down your lens as much as possible. I like the very narrow DOF on that picture, but that's with my lens at f/3.3, with my lens at f/22, almost the entire coin is focussed perfectly.